Tikvah
Editors’ Pick

June 25, 2025

The Jewish Case for Natural Law

Are there moral rules beyond God’s commandments?

A basic principle of Catholic doctrine is the idea of natural law—that there is an intelligible moral order to the universe from which clear distinctions between right and wrong can be derived—although ideas vary broadly among other Christian denominations. But does Judaism endorse natural law? David Novak believes it does, and explains why in a conversation with J.J. Kimche that covers everything from medieval Jewish philosophy to modern interfaith dialogue.

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