(blessing recited before studying/reading Torah, from the liturgy)
Tziporah:
Since
I began studying the 99 Names of God with Yasmina and discovering the
similarities in how we address God, I’ve been wondering about what this
blessing means to me. While I recite it every morning and hear it recited often
during the morning services when the Torah is read publicly, I am not certain
that I fully embrace its message. First, the idea that God chose the Jewish
people—even if I understand or interpret this to mean that God chose to give
the Torah to the Jewish people—rings hollow. Other religions espouse beliefs
and laws similar to those found in the Torah, especially those that fall into
the category of "natural law," such as laws against murder and
incest, as well as laws pertaining to social justice. In addition, I don’t
believe that God actually gave the Torah to Moses at Sinai; rather I
understand the emergence of Torah as a progressive revelation of God’s will,
written by human beings in the language of their day.
How
then, can I praise God as “Giver of the Torah?” Do Christians and Muslims
believe that God gave the Torah to the Jewish people? If so, do Muslims include
this appellation among the 99 names of God?
