In an address at the Vatican last month, Pope Francis stated that the Mosaic law “does not give life [and] does not offer the fulfillment of [God’s] promise.” A few weeks later, Francis clarified that he was concerned about the influence of “fundamentalists” within the church whose legalism “leads us to a rigid religiosity, a rigidity that eliminates that freedom of the [Holy] Spirit.” Some Jewish figures saw in both addresses a resurfacing of anti-Judaic ideas that have been muted in Catholic doctrine since the Second Vatican Council, and the Vatican has responded with appropriate reassurances. Warren Goldstein, the chief rabbi of South Africa and himself an active participant in Jewish-Christian dialogue, comments:
Whatever the pope’s intentions, his remarks reflect a classic Christian objection to the Torah’s perceived [legalism] and convey a common misconception that Judaism prioritizes legal minutiae over the moral and spiritual ideals these laws are meant to express.
At the heart of Judaism is the understanding that grand concepts on their own are abstract and intangible. What good are profound values if we don’t know how to put them into action? For great ideas to take shape, we need to know what to do with them. For ideals to make a difference, we need to live them. . . . It takes work to translate grand ideas into good character, for lofty concepts to make a better world.
The transformative power of the Torah lies not in its big ideas, alone, but in its unique synthesis of philosophy and practice. . . . For example, we know we should have compassion for others, but it is the Torah that offers . . . detailed directives on comforting mourners, visiting the sick, burying the dead, and other methods for alleviating human suffering. . . . We know we should take opportunities to step back from the frenzy of life to restore our energy and reconnect with our values, but it is the Torah that offers explicit instructions for what it means to “rest” on Shabbat, and what we should do to enhance the tranquility and spiritual connection of the day.
Read more on JNS: https://www.jns.org/opinion/pope-francis-is-wrong-the-laws-of-the-torah-do-give-life/