It has been suggested (in another thread) that G-ds word to us in the Old Testament is erroneous with respect to social teaching.
One religious viewpoint is that the first five books of the so called Old Testament (the Hebrew Bible) is the word of G-d dictated to, and written by, Moses.
613 commandments have been found within these first five books. In other words, these would be the word of G-d from certain religious viewpoints.
In the two quotations below, I attempted to extract all the social teachings (person to person and community relations) from the 613 commandments that many would consider to be the word of G-d. Therefore, I left out laws specifically regarding G-d, the Temple, the holy days, slaves, sacrifices, priests and dietary laws.
So, the question here is: Are these social teachings erroneous? In other words do their ideas not apply to a modern civilization?
Arent the laws, ethics and morals of western civilization based on these social teachings?
NOTE:
1. SOME VERSE NUMBERS MIGHT BE DIFFERENT BETWEEN HEBREW BIBLE AND CHRISTIAN VERSIONS.
2. ACCORDING TO JEWISH LAW, NON JEWS ARE NOT OBLIGATED TO OBEY THE ENTIRE 613 COMMANDMANTS JUST THE SEVEN LAWS OF NOAH - SEE
http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/The_Seven_Noahide_Laws.html<start of selected Positive social commandments from
http://mesharetoutreach.tripod.com/positive.htm>
COMMUNITY
* P174 Deuteronomy 17:11 On obeying the [court]
* P175 Exodus 23:2 On in case of division, abiding by a majority decision
* P176 Deuteronomy 16:18 Appointing Judges & Officers of the Court in every town
* P177 Leviticus 19:15 Treating litigants equally/impartially before the law
* P178 Leviticus 5:1 Anyone aware of evidence must come to court to testify
* P179 Deuteronomy 13:15 The testimony of witnesses shall be examined thoroughly
* P180 Deuteronomy 19:19 On condemning witnesses who testify falsely
* P180 Deuteronomy 19:19 False witnesses punished, as they intended upon accused
* P184 Deuteronomy 22:8 Build fence on roof, remove potential hazards from home
SOCIAL
* P194 Leviticus 5:23 On a robber to restore the stolen article to its owner
* P195 Deuteronomy 15:8; On to give charity to the poor
* P199 Deuteronomy 24:13; Exodus22:25 On restoring a pledge to its owner if he needs it
* P200 Deuteronomy 24:15 On paying the worker his wages on time
* P201 Deuteronomy 23:25 Employee is allowed to eat the produce he's working in
* P202 Exodus 23:5 On helping unload when necessary a tired animal
* P203 Deuteronomy 22:4 On assisting a man loading his beast with its burden
* P204 Deuteronomy 22:1, Exodus 23:4; On that lost property must be returned to its owner
* P206 Leviticus 19:18 On love your neighbor as yourself
* P208 Leviticus 19:36 On the law of accurate weights and measures
FAMILY
* P209 Leviticus 19:32 On honoring the old (and wise)
* P210 Exodus 20:12 On honoring parents
* P211 Leviticus 19:3 On fearing parents
TORTS
* P236 Exodus 21:18 On the penalty for a person inflicting injury
* P237 Exodus 21:28 On the law of injuries caused by an animal
* P238 Exodus 21:33 On the law of injuries caused by a pit
* P239 Exodus 21:37 On the law of punishment of thieves
* P240 Exodus 22:4 On the law of a judgment for damage caused by a beast
* P241 Exodus 22:5 On the law of a judgment for damage caused by a fire
* P242 Exodus 22:6 On the law of an unpaid guardian
* P243 Exodus 22:9 On the law of a paid guardian
* P244 Exodus 22:13 On the law of a borrower
* P245 Leviticus 25:14 On the law of buying and selling
* P246 Exodus 22:8 On the law of litigants
* P247 Deuteronomy 25:12 [if necessary to] Save life of one pursued, even if need - kill oppressor
<end of partial quotes>
<start of selected Negative social commandments from
http://mesharetoutreach.tripod.com/negative.htm>
AGRICULTURE
* N210 Leviticus 23:22 Reap not a whole field without leaving corners for poor
* N211 Leviticus 19:9 Not to gather ears of grain that fell during harvesting
* N212 Leviticus 19:10 Not to gather the misformed clusters of grapes
* N213 Leviticus 19:10 Not to gather single fallen grapes during the vintage
* N214 Deuteronomy 24:19 Not to return for a forgotten sheaf
[the foregoing were some ways of providing for the poor in an agricultural society]
* N218 Deuteronomy 22:10 Work not with two different kinds of animals together
* N219 Deuteronomy 25:4 Muzzle not animal working field to prevent from eating
*N306 Deuteronomy 22:6 Not to take entire bird's nest, mother and her young
[these last three were expressions of kindnesses to animal with the idea that people would also become sensitized by these for kindness to other people]
LOANS, BUSINESS, AND THE TREATMENT OF SLAVES
* N234 Exodus 22:24 Not demanding payment from a debtor known unable to pay
* N238 Leviticus 19:13 Oppress not an employee by delaying paying his wages
* N239 Deuteronomy 24:10 Not taking a pledge from a debtor by force
* N240 Deuteronomy 24:12 Not keeping a poor man's pledge when he needs it
* N241 Deuteronomy 24:17 Not taking any pledge from a widow
* N242 Deuteronomy 24:6 Not taking ones's business (or food) utensils in pledge
* N243 Exodus 20:13 Not [to kidnap]
* N244 Leviticus 19:11 Not stealing
* N245 Leviticus 19:13 Not robbing
* N246 Deuteronomy 19:14 Not fraudulently altering land boundaries /landmarker
* N247 Leviticus 19:13 Not usurping our debts / do not defraud
* N248 Leviticus 19:11 Not repudiating debts, denying receipt of loan/deposit
* N249 Leviticus 19:11 Not to swear falsely regarding another man's property
* N250 Leviticus 25:14 Not wronging/deceiving one another in business
* N251 Leviticus 25:17 Not wronging/misleading one another even verbally
* N252 Exodus 22:20 Not harming the stranger among you verbally
* N253 Exodus 22:20 Not injuring the stranger among you in business/trade
* N256 Exodus 22:21 Not afflicting the orphans and widows
* N262 Exodus21:10 ...withhold not: food, raiment, or conjugal rights [from a wife]
* N265 Exodus 20:17 Not coveting another man's possessions/property, etc.
* N266 Deuteronomy 5:18 Covet not one's possessions, even the desire forbidden
* N269 Deuteronomy 22:3 Not ignoring lost property to be returned to its owner
* N270 Exodus 23:5 Refuse not to help man or animal collapsing with burden
* N271 Leviticus 19:35 Not cheating/defrauding with measurements and weights
* N272 Deuteronomy 25:13 Not to possess false/inaccurate weights and measures
JUSTICE
* N273 Leviticus 9:15 A Judge is not to commit unrighteousness
* N274 Exodus 3:8 A Judge is not to accept bribes/gifts from litigants
* N275 Leviticus19:15 A Judge is not to favor (be partial to) a litigant
* N276 Deuteronomy1:17 Judge not avoid justice being in fear of wicked person
* N277 Leviticus 19:15 A Judge not to decide in favor of poor man, out of pity [to affect judgment]: (Exodus23:3)
* N278 Exodus 23:6 A Judge is not to discriminate against the wicked
* N279 Deuteronomy 19:13 Judge not to pity one who killed or caused loss of limb [to affect judgment]
* N280 Deuteronomy 24:17 A Judge not perverting justice due strangers or orphans [to affect judgment]
* N281 Exodus 23:1 Judge not to hear one litigant in absence of the other
* N282 Exodus 23:2 Court may not convict by majority of 1 in capital case
* N283 Exodus 23:2 Judge accept not colleague's opinion, unless sure right
* N284 Deuteronomy 1:17 Not appointing an unlearned judge ignorant of the Torah [the law]
* N285 Exodus 20:16 Not bearing false witness
* N286 Exodus 23:1 A Judge is not to receive a wicked man's testimony
* N287 Deuteronomy 24:16 A Judge receive not testimony from litigant's relatives
* N288 Deuteronomy 19:15 Not convicting on the testimony of a single witness
* N289 Exodus 20:13 Not murdering a human being
* N290 Exodus 23:7 No conviction based on circumstantial evidence alone
* N291 Numbers 35:30 A witness must not sit as a Judge in capital cases
* N292 Numbers 35:12 Not killing a murderer without trial and conviction
* N293 Deuteronomy 25:12 Not to pity or spare the life of a pursuer [trying to kill someone]
* N294 Deuteronomy 22:26 Not punishing a person for a sin committed under duress
* N295 Numbers 35:31 Not accepting ransom [just a fine] from an unwitting murderer
* N296 Numbers 35:32 Not accepting a ransom [just a fine] from a wilful murderer
* N297 Leviticus 19:16 Hesitate not to save life of another person in danger
* N298 Deuteronomy 22:8 Not leaving obstacles on public or private domain
* N299 Leviticus 19:14 Not misleading another by giving wrong advice
* N301 Leviticus 19:16 Not to tell tales
* N302 Leviticus 19:17 Not to bear hatred in your heart toward your brethren
* N303 Leviticus 19:17 Not to put one another to shame
* N304 Leviticus 19:18 Not to take vengeance on another
* N305 Leviticus 19:18 Not to bear a grudge
* N311 Deuteronomy 24:5 Take not bridegroom from home in first year of marriage
* N312 Deuteronomy 17:11 Not to differ from or disobey the
the Judge
* N315 Exodus 22:27 Not to curse a judge
* N316 Exodus 22:27 Not to curse a ruler
* N318 Exodus 21:17 Not cursing parents
* N319 Exodus 21:15 Not to strike parents
INCEST AND OTHER FORBIDDEN RELATIONSHIPS
* N330 Leviticus 18:7 No relations with one's mother
* N331 Leviticus 18:8 No relations with one's father's wife
* N332 Leviticus 18:9 No relations with one's sister
* N333 Leviticus 18:11 No relations with step-sister
* N334 Leviticus 18:10 No relations with one's son's daughter
* N335 Leviticus 18:10 No relations with one's daughter's daughter
* N336 Leviticus 18:10 No relations with one's daughter
* N337 Leviticus 18:17 No relations with a woman and her daughter
* N338 Leviticus 18:17 No relations with a woman and her son's daughter
* N339 Leviticus 18:17 No relations with a woman and her daughter's daughter
* N340 Leviticus 18:12 No relations with one's father's sister
* N341 Leviticus 18:13 No relations with one's mother's sister
* N342 Leviticus 18:14 No relations with wife of father's brother
* N343 Leviticus 18:15 No relations with one's son's wife
* N344 Leviticus 18:16 No relations with brother's wife
* N345 Leviticus 18:18 No relations with sister of wife, during wife's life
* N347 Leviticus 18:20 No relations with another man's wife
* N348 Leviticus 18:23 Men may not lie with beasts
* N349 Leviticus 18:23 Women may not lie with beasts
* N350 Leviticus 18:22 A man may not lie carnally with another man
* N351 Leviticus 18:7 A man may not lie carnally with his father
* N352 Leviticus 18:14 A man may not lie carnally with his father's brother
* N353 Leviticus 18:6 Not to be intimate with a kinswoman
* N355 Deuteronomy 23:18 No relations (harlotry) with a woman outside marriage
<end of partial quotes>
