orthodox conversion to judaism

Orthodox Conversion to Judaism

The Oral Law

So, along with the Written Law, was the Oral Law, and both derived their authority from the Divine revelation at Sinai. (Some evidence for the existence of the Oral Law is to be found elsewhere in the Torah, such as the references to the law against carrying burdens on the Shabbat, in Jeremeiah xvii, 21f, and trading on the Shabbat, in Nehemiah x, 32 xiii, 15f).
The first chapter of Pirkei Avot tells us how the Oral Law was handed on from the time of Sinai: 'Moses received the Torah from Sinai an handed it down to Joshua; Joshua tot he Elders, and the Elders to the Prophets; then the Prophets handed it down to the Men of the Great Synagogue.'
It was then passed frm generation to generation by the leading Rabbinic scholars who expounded the Oral Law until the time of R; Judah the Prince who arranged all the Jews systematically in the Mishnah. And even after the Mishnah had been compiled, the Oral Law continued to be developed by religious authorities.

It is certain that the Written Law was supplemented by oral teaching and interpretation. If, for instance, we take the law against work on Shabbat: only a few examples were given of what is ment by such work. The kindling of fire is specifically forbidden (Ex. xxxv, 3); walking beyond a certain limit is mentioned (Ex. xvi, 29) and gathering sticks (Num. xv, 32). From Ex. xvi, 23 and xxxiv, 21, we can see that cooking , baking, ploughing and harvesting are prohibited on the Shabbat. There must have been many acts of labor which were called 'work' and came under the Mosaic laws dealing with the Shabbat; and there must have been a large number of other precepts - relating to Festivals, Kashrut, Marriage and other matters.