hat’s why in the religious language the word used to describe this phenomenon is “revelation.”
Something that was there it is revealed. What it is revealed is who the human being is and how life functions.
From there, based on the knowledge acquired, the next step was to device behaviors on how to function in life as a human being.
The human being, or human nature if preferred, however, is not static, unchangeable.
Humanity transforms itself as a consequence of its interaction with the rest of the world, of the knowledge it acquires.
“Revelation,” is only partial; it throws light on the moment, maybe even a little on the road ahead.
The Meaning
Revelation, however, is never total and fully comprehensive. There’s always something that still needs to be discovered, to be revealed.
The Talmud tells the story about Moses who found himself sitting at a studying session with Rabbi Akiva, (one of Judaism’s most compelling teachers who lived over a thousand years after him). Moses did not understand a word that was being said. His only comfort was that when a student asked Rabbi Akiva, "Rabbi, what is the source for this ruling?" He said, "It is a law given unto Moses at Sinai."
The understanding is that human knowledge is cumulative.
Every generation stands on the shoulder of the ones that preceded them.
Even if one generation depends on the previous one to stand on its shoulder, it has now gained a new perspective, it sees something that previous genera-tions couldn’t see.
Judaism didn’t invent anything as much as it discovered angles, perspectives, what others didn’t necessarily see.
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On the cover "Today is the Birthday of the World" by Lithuanian-born American artist Ben Shahn (1898-1969) from the collection of the Jewish Museum, New York. Ink on paper