One of the most profound theological contradictions between Judaism and Christianity lies in how they understand the Torah—the divine Law given to the people of Israel. According to the Hebrew Bible, the Torah is a gift from God, a source of life, wisdom, and national blessing. Yet according to Christian theology, particularly in the writings of Paul, the Torah became a curse that required redemption through Jesus. This raises an unavoidable question: If God Himself gave the Torah and called it righteous, just, and eternal, how could it later be considered a curse? Was it all a test? Or worse, a divine trap?
The Hebrew Bible Declares the Torah to Be a Gift
The Torah does not describe itself as a burden or a curse. In fact, the opposite is true. The Tanakh repeatedly and emphatically describes the commandments as good, life-sustaining, and wise. They are the very path to national and personal righteousness.
“The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is clear, enlightening the eyes… they are more desirable than gold… and in keeping them there is great reward.”
(Psalm 19:8–11)
“And the LORD commanded us to observe all these statutes, to fear the LORD our God, for our lasting good, so that He might keep us alive… And it will be righteousness for us if we are careful to observe all this commandment.”
(Deuteronomy 6:24–25)
“Observe them carefully, for this will show your wisdom and understanding to the nations… Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.”
(Deuteronomy 4:6)
“Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the LORD… I delight in Your statutes; I will not forget Your word.”
(Psalm 119:1–2, 16)
“My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments; for length of days and years of life and peace they will add to you.”
(Proverbs 3:1–2)
“If only you had paid attention to My commandments! Then your peace would have been like a river, and your righteousness like the waves of the sea.”
(Isaiah 48:18)
These are not the words of a law meant to enslave or condemn. These are the words of a covenant intended to elevate, instruct, and bless.
Paul’s View: The Torah Is a Curse
Despite this clear testimony, Paul writes:
“For all who are of works of the Law are under a curse; for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who does not abide by all the things written in the book of the Law, to do them.’ … Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us.”
(Galatians 3:10–13)
In this framework, Paul is quoting Deuteronomy 27:26, which states:
“Cursed is he who does not uphold the words of this law by doing them.”
But Paul twists the context. Deuteronomy is warning against willful disobedience, not condemning the Law itself. Paul, however, portrays the entire legal system as a burden, something no one could possibly fulfill—a system that brings condemnation rather than righteousness.
Elsewhere, Paul says:
“You are not under law, but under grace.”
(Romans 6:14)
“By calling this covenant ‘new,’ He has made the first one obsolete.”
(Hebrews 8:13)
But this is a stark contradiction to the very words of God in the Hebrew Bible.
Was It All a Test? A Lie?
If Paul is right, then the Torah—which God calls “perfect” and “just”—was never meant to be kept. It was just a spiritual obstacle meant to prepare for a later, better covenant. But that idea undermines God’s very nature.
“God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should change His mind.”
(Numbers 23:19)
“The hidden things belong to the LORD our God, but the revealed things belong to us and our children forever, to carry out all the words of this Torah.”
(Deuteronomy 29:28)
“I am the LORD, I do not change.”
(Malachi 3:6)
If the Torah was only meant to be temporary, or if it was designed to fail, then it makes God into a deceiver—something the Tanakh explicitly rejects.
The Jewish Response: The Torah Is Eternal
Judaism maintains that God does not give temporary or defective commandments. The Torah is not a burden but a covenant of life. When the people fail, the Torah provides a system for repentance, not condemnation. And this Torah is never abolished.
“It is not in the heavens… But the word is very near to you, in your mouth and in your heart, so that you may do it.”
(Deuteronomy 30:11–14)
In fact, the vision of the prophets is not of a Torah being replaced, but of a world where more people come to embrace it:
“Many peoples shall come and say, ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD… that He may teach us His ways and that we may walk in His paths.’ For out of Zion shall go forth the Torah, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.”
(Isaiah 2:3)
Conclusion: A False Contradiction
The Torah was never a curse, never a burden, never a mistake. It was and remains the covenant between God and Israel. To declare it obsolete or condemn it as a curse is to contradict the very scriptures Christians claim to uphold.
Just as Isaiah 52:10 declares:
“The LORD has bared His holy arm in the sight of all the nations, so that all the ends of the earth may see the salvation of our God.”
That salvation comes not from abandoning the Law, but from returning to it.
And as Deuteronomy 30:19 makes clear:
“I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, so that you and your descendants may live.”
That choice still stands today. The Torah is not a curse. It is life.
A Jewish Change 