The question raised: “If we want to remain observant, why should we study something that will call into question the basis of our observance?”
The answer in a question: Does it even matter if the stories of Torah are myths written down at different historical times and weaved together into a multi-voiced singular narrative, or perceived to be actual history as it unfolded and preserved for our learning through the mouth of Moses?
The only thing biblical criticism challenges us with is “how” we wrestle with Torah – how we justify to ourselves the following of well established Jewish rituals – not whether we should do them, because Moses wasn’t the author and Torah didn’t come from heaven. Either way, Torah demands the same of us, faithful observance of ethno-religious Divine laws and teaching this to our children. This is the reason for a relationship existing between human and Deity.
For those who do, indeed, believe that there is a human relationship with the Divine, consider what this means:
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איוב כז:ג כִּי כָל עוֹד נִשְׁמָתִי בִי וְרוּחַ אֱלוֹהַּ בְּאַפִּי.
“So long as there is life-breath within me, and in my nostrils Eloah’s spirit,” Job 27:3
Piety is achieved in fulfilling Torah laws, and honesty in certain situations is a law. The poem of Job suggests that honesty is fundamental to being pious. There is piety in the sense of doing because a Deity says to do so. And, then, there is the act of integrity, piety that is based in one’s fundamental relationship with “truth.” Yes, even if that truth puts you at odds with “G-d”!
According to Torah, human observance of Divine laws is the reason for interaction between humans and the “God” that establishes these laws. The rest is commentary, interpretation, and “wrestling” with the ethical implications of observing “God’s laws.” When is it just and righteous to follow them? And when is it right to rebel, to speak truth to Power from our human experience?
To be formed “in the image of” implies that we must weigh the consequences of our observance, and wrestle with the Deity that demands this observance. As Abraham did, as Moses did, and as Job did, when faced with unjust events instigated by or about to be instigated by “G-d”. How dare we play “God” through self-righteous blind adherence to piety at the expense of others?!
In other words, if you do not wrestle with the observance of Divine laws – or if you consider yourself freed from wrestling with (from observing) the Divine laws (through Secularism; or through a demigod savior, attention Christians visiting this web page) – then, put rather bluntly, you do not have a relationship with the “G-d” of the Bible. In “G-d’s” place, you have a relationship with the “God” of your religion. Whichever religion it happens to be.
The “G-d” of Torah demands observance of Divine laws, in exchange for a personal relationship with him as a people, and the promised rewards and punishments of such. And you will wrestle with this Authority, it’s only natural! There is no getting around this, if you are pious and honest.
Consider the story of Job in Jewish literature, which illuminates this human-Divine relationship eloquently. One does not have to believe that deities exist outside human written lore in order to learn from the stories of our ancestors, and apply to life what we’ve learned from them.
https://www.thetorah.com/article/speaking-truth-to-power-job-accuses-god-of-being-unjust
Speaking Truth to Power, Job Accuses God of Being Unjust
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