[jjotto]

You might be interested in:

http://www.aish.com/atr/127974628.html?catid=908539

...The fact is, the Oral Torah preceded the Written Torah. When the Jewish people stood at Mount Sinai 3,300 years ago, God revealed Himself to the entire nation. He then gave Moses the 613 commandments along with a detailed explanation of how to fulfill them. At that point in time, the teachings were entirely oral.

It wasn’t until 40 years later, just prior to Moses’ death and the Jewish people’s entering the Land of Israel, that the Written Torah as we know it (containing various stories and sources for the mitzvahs), was given to the Jewish people...

[D-fendr]

Thanks very much. The link spurred me to look up other references on the Oral Torah. I have formally studied the OT and never knew this important information. I’m usually not amazed at my own ignorance, but I was in this case. This is just not taught to Christians. And, it made me wonder how we can even begin to think about “knowing” the OT using the text alone.

I also saw a somewhat parallel to the place of tradition in the Church.

thanks again.