ABSTRACT
The obvious place to start a discussion of Jewish thought is the Jewish Bible, a book in which Jews take the leading role. But it is not a book in which they necessarily come off well. There are many instances in the Bible where the Jews, both as individuals and as a group, behave badly. They certainly do not obey God always and often seem to have a rather problematic relationship with him. It is the purpose of this chapter to explore some of the issues that arise through these varying degrees of obedience. Other themes could have been highlighted, and are also very important, but obedience is particularly useful in that it brings out the relationship between an authority and those subject to that authority. This issue, of how far God’s commands ought to be obeyed and how they should be understood, is a constant in Jewish life and thought.
