Abstract

This article suggests a philosophical explication of the biblical demand that man should obey an outward authoritative moral commandment of God. As a starting point we claim that in Jewish traditional sources there is no "ethics" as a separate philosophical branch. The Hebrew term "mûsār" means authority in its action, or the act of authoritative deliverance of behavioral norms, and authority means in this context: a decided will directed so as to move the wills of others in its own direction. This means that a moral person according to the Bible is he who is ready to obey, as an inner disposition, or as a general attitude. Yet this readiness is not conceived as weakness or as yielding to an irresistible power. It is conceived as an active response, out of free choice. According to the biblical narrative God created the world by a command. The world obeyed and came into being, which means that being is both a demanded move from the outside and a fulfillment of an inner tendency. Things "should" obey, because to be is absolutely good. Man is a part of nature. He is singled out by his capacity to lead and command, therefore he does not "obey" once and for all by being created, and by self-perpetuation. He should obey in every new situation and manifest his freedom in this way. The philosophical explanation is suggested in the story of the "Tree of Knowledge." In the end of this story we may find the moral reason of the command to refrain from eating the fruit of this tree, but the command is given without any explanation. Man is expected to obey just because he is commanded. This sounds arbitrary, it motivates man's protest. In this way, man discovers his freedom. He may refuse. Precisely because of this discovery man should know, after a second thought, that he must obey, now as a free agent who is choosing, actually, between two real alternatives, because God is He Who has granted him his freedom. But the natural drive to reject an imposed will is stronger, although man knows, even before God tells him so, that he has sinned. Knowing sin, man discovers the moral reason behind the seemingly arbitrary command. What appears to be outwardly good is inwardly bad. It contains death. The charm of the splendid fruit is that of excited sensuality. Yielding completely to this natural charm man relates to himself, to his wife and to nature as objects that he wants to use; but then he discovers his absolute dependence, and the rivalry inherent in the wish to use his surroundings between him and everything else. This means spiritual death. We proceed to the story of Cain. Like his father, Cain is expected to accept willingly an arbitrary decision. He is moved to protest, discovering in this inner move his capacity of moral judgment. He therefore should has known, after a second's thought, that he stands before a critical moral trial; only if he concades will he keep his justice against God. But the natural drive to protest against a wrong done to him is stronger. So Cain brings about death, not only Abel's physical death, but also his own spiritual one. In this story the Bible seems to suggest an explanation of man's obligation to obey a command related to other human beings. There are hints of two different reasonings: 1) Brotherhood. Brothers are originally a unity. They should love each other "naturally"; and 2) The singularity of the human self. If is a gift of God and sign of God's love to every human being. Man owes to God care for his fellow man. Thus we have shown that there are two complementary motivations to obey God's authority: 1) Being moved by a superior, creative Will; and 2) The drive towards self-fulfillment. The first motivation is the source of the biblical morality of awe--or fear. In every situation which calls for a moral response, man should judge himself before God, as God is supposed to judge him. The priciple of morality of awe is justice. The second motivation is the source of biblical morality of love. One should relate to his fellows as extensions of his own being. The principle of morality of love is charity. But these two categories of biblical morality are complementary, love being the hidden source of awe, and awe the hidden source of love.