A Warning and an Omission

 

In the Torah – Devarim ch.28,  we see a warning , to avoid all the plagues and curses in the Torah –

 

58 If thou wilt not observe to do all the words of this law that are written in this book, that thou mayest fear this glorious and awful Name, the LORD thy God;

This is referring to the words written in the Torah.

 

The problem this raises for proponents of the alleged oral Law is that it makes no reference to the words in the Talmud or mishnah.  Thus, for example, the claimed festival of Nisuch Hamayim – Water Libation,  which the Pharisees imposed during the Sukkot festival, is not mentioned in the Torah.  As is the case with all other rabbinic and supposed non-written Laws.

 

Had there been a contemporaneous oral law, at the time of the giving of the Torah, the Torah would  also be warning us to observe those extra laws as well, which it clearly doesn’t.  This omission is very significant, since it exposes the absence of the oral law from Sinai.

 

Now, what if  the Pharisees were to claim that although this verse relates only to what is written, there is still an oral law, which is not mentioned specifically here?

There is an earlier verse in the chapter which can refute such claims -

15 But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all His commandments and His statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee.

 In v.15, it refers to all of the commandments - meaning there is no extra commandment that was given to Moses. Thus, v.58 is  referring to the same commandments as v.15, and therefore, v.15 is excluding any possibility of the Oral law!