Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Harold Holmyard <hholmyard3 AT earthlink.net>]

Dear David,
> That's a fair guess, Harold. However, I think it omits the Great Flood 
> and the reasons which preceded it.

HH: Well, you're giving a different meaning to Torah than I'm giving. 
I'm using the word as a synonym for the Mosaic law. If you are using it 
to speak of God's instruction or law in general, then I agree with you 
that it preexisted the Mosaic law.
> Moreover, it also omits the fact that Avraham's emunah (i.e. tsedakah 
> aligned with Torah as the charter of creation) made him upright in 
> Hashem's eyes.

Hh: Right. He obeyed the Lord's instruction:

Gen. 18:19 No, for I have chosen him, that he may charge his children 
and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing 
righteousness and justice; so that the LORD may bring about for Abraham 
what he has promised him."
> Specifically, we know the nations had Torah because until the Babel 
> event they were all of one (Hebrew) language and one speech.

HH: We don't know that the one language was Hebrew, and it is really 
going beyond the evidence to assume that it was.

> If they spoke Hebrew they had Torah because each and every letter 
> declares both Hashem and Torah.

HH: We don't know that they spoke Hebrew, but all the world has the law 
of God written on its heart. And all people reject that law of God 
written on their heart. So we are all sinners. If that is what you mean 
by all nations rejecting God's Torah, then I am in agreement with you.

Yours,
Harold Holmyard