The short answer
Communities differ. Traditional communities generally expect acceptance of Torah mi-Sinai as binding, while making room for how a person understands it; other communities frame revelation more flexibly. Sincere questioning is not the same as rejection.
Why people ask this
Converts-to-be often fear they must believe more than they honestly can; the range of legitimate understanding is wider than they assume.
Key terms
- Torah mi-Sinai
- The giving of the Torah at Sinai; divine revelation.
Jewish perspectives
- Orthodox: Torah mi-Sinai is a binding belief, with room for how it is understood.
- Conservative/Masorti and Reform: a range of views on revelation, from literal to symbolic.
Scholarly & historical context
Even within Orthodoxy, how revelation is understood has varied; the modern movements broaden the range further.
What is agreed upon
Revelation is foundational; how it is understood varies.
Where the disagreement begins
What a convert must affirm about how revelation happened.
Practical consequences
Be honest with your rabbi about what you can affirm; find a community where your honesty is welcomed.
Original sources
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