Extracted by Lewis Loflin from Outreach Judaism, by Rabbi Tovia Singer
Introduction by Lewis Loflin: As a classical deist, I ground my worldview in reason and science, supplemented by traditional faiths filtered through logic—not replaced by it. Rabbi Singer’s Jewish rejection of original sin aligns with my stance: the Tanakh affirms human free will and moral capacity, not inherited depravity. I agree that scripture, not Paul’s inventions, should guide us—reason rejects unproven doctrines like total depravity or salvation through rituals. Singer’s emphasis on obedience over faith-alone echoes my belief in a rational, unitary God who empowers, not condemns, humanity.
“Original sin” is absent from Jewish scriptures, clashing with Torah principles.
Many Christian traditions—especially Pauline and Western branches—teach Adam and Eve’s Eden sin (Genesis 3) cursed humanity with depravity, stripping free will. Figures like Paul (Romans 5:12) and Augustine argue man is a “slave to sin,” needing Jesus for salvation. Some, like the Eastern Orthodox, soften this, but the dominant view holds man as helpless without faith.
The church often hinges on this: if man can obey God and merit salvation, Jesus’ role shrinks. Yet Torah rejects this. Deuteronomy 30:10–14 declares commandments are “not too hard” and “near you”:
“...if you hearken to the Lord your God, to keep His commandments... it is not too hard for you... The word is very near to you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it.”
Moses affirms human agency—Paul edits this in Romans 10:8, dropping “that you may do it” to push faith over works, targeting gentiles ignorant of Tanakh.
Paul thrived with gentiles, while Matthew floundered with Jews who saw through his Isaiah 7:14 (“virgin” vs. “young woman”) and Nazareth claims—lacking prophetic roots.
Tanakh lauds Calev (Numbers 14:24), Josiah (2 Kings 22:2), Abraham (Isaiah 41:8), Daniel (Daniel 9:23), and Job for obedience—not a savior. Genesis 4:7 (“you shall master it”) counters depravity post-Eden.
Luke 1:6 calls Elizabeth and Zechariah “blameless,” jarring with Paul’s “none righteous” (Romans 3:10)—a tension unresolved in Christian theology.
Some Christians swap Torah’s mitzvot for baptism, yet Deuteronomy 30:16 ties life to obedience, not rituals: “...love the Lord your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commands...” Abraham’s loyalty (Genesis 26:4–5) proves this.
Sin is an event, not a state—Torah empowers, not despairs.
—Rabbi Tovia Singer
