How the Torah Transformed the World: The Biblical Foundations of Modern Morality

The Torah’s Global Influence on Civilization

Had the Torah and Judaism not been introduced to humanity by the Jewish people, the world would be a vastly different place.

Nearly every civilization has been shaped, directly or indirectly, by the Torah's values, primarily through its influence on the two major religions that modeled themselves after it: Christianity and Islam. Together, these faiths have more than four billion followers. More than half the global population recognizes the Bible as a sacred text. Indeed, it is the most influential book in human history.

Moreover, in recent generations, as billions of people in China and India have adopted Western technology, they have also embraced Western values, which are rooted in the Torah. Essentially, the ethical framework of the modern world is built upon the moral teachings of the Torah.

To see this, one need only examine world history and observe what human society looked like before it encountered Torah values.

From Idolatry to Monotheism: A Moral Turning Point

Today, belief in one Creator is a global norm. But monotheism, the belief in one eternal, infinite Creator who rewards and punishes, originated with the Torah. Before its introduction, ancient nations worshipped a multitude of idols and anthropomorphic deities who warred with one another both in heaven and on earth.

These cultures used their corrupt pantheons to justify immoral acts, aligning their behavior with the depravity of their gods. Sacrifices, including human sacrifices, were offered to these idols in the hope of earning their favor. Ancient American civilizations like the Maya and Aztecs brutally sacrificed tens of thousands of people to their deities.

The Torah was the first to denounce this practice. In the story of the Akeidah (Binding of Isaac), Hashem tested Avraham but refused a human offering. A Divine angel intervened, saying, “Do not stretch out your hand against the boy, and do nothing to him” (Genesis 22:12). The prophets were equally emphatic: “They built the high places of Topheth in the Valley of Ben Hinnom to burn their sons and daughters in the fire, something I did not command, nor did it enter My mind” (Jeremiah 7:31).

Where Torah values had not penetrated, barbarism prevailed. Cultures that didn't encounter the Torah’s moral framework engaged in horrific practices: bloodshed, incest, and the oppression of the weak. In China, unwanted infants were discarded. In India, widows were burned, and the poor were mistreated. In ancient Egypt and China, slaves were buried alive with their deceased masters. A father could legally kill his children. Under the Code of Hammurabi, children could be executed for their parents’ crimes.

Greek and Roman civilizations institutionalized violence. Romans turned death into entertainment, staging lethal gladiator games in coliseums. Women, children, slaves, and animals had no legal protection, and cruelty was unchecked by law.

The Torah fundamentally changed this paradigm by introducing the concepts of justice, human dignity, and moral accountability.

Torah Values: The Bedrock of Western Morality

The Torah introduced ethical standards that have become universal values:

• “Love your fellow as yourself”

• “Do not murder”

• “Do not steal”

• “Do not covet”

• “Do not hate your brother in your heart”

• “Do not place a stumbling block before the blind”

• “Do not stand idly by the blood of your neighbor”

• “Do not go about as a talebearer among your people”

• “Love the stranger”

• “If you see your enemy’s ox... you must help him”

• “Do not take revenge or bear a grudge”

• “Do not oppress the orphan or the widow”

• “You shall surely lend him”

• “You shall surely tithe”

Modern Western civilization drew its foundational principlesת such as human dignity and liberty, from the Torah. Not from Greece, Rome, Babylon, China, India, or Africa, but from Israel.

The Sanctity of Life: A Torah Innovation

One of the United Nations' core declarations in 1948 was the “right to life.” Yet this concept was unheard of in ancient societies, where human worth depended on proximity to power, wealth, or nobility.

Weak individuals and strangers were often subject to robbery or murder with no legal recourse. Those without social or familial protection were treated as disposable.

In Egypt, Greece, and Rome, women, slaves, and children had no rights. Servants were buried alive with their masters. Fathers could kill their children without consequence. Children were executed for their parents’ actions.

Warfare lacked any moral code. Empires plundered and murdered at will. Romans celebrated death by feeding people to lions for sport.

Ancient societies routinely practiced child sacrifice, as condemned in Jeremiah 7:31.

It was the Torah that first declared the sanctity of human life:

• “And Hashem formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life” (Genesis 2:7).
  The sages taught: “Beloved is man who was created in the image of Hashem,” Jew or gentile.

• Even before the giving of the Torah, Cain was punished for murdering Abel.

• One of the Seven Noahide Laws states: “Whoever sheds man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed, for in the image of Hashem He made man” (Genesis 9:6).

• The Ten Commandments state clearly: “You shall not murder.”

When Avraham went to Egypt, he hid his identity, fearing for his life: “I thought, there is no fear of Hashem in this place, and they will kill me for my wife” (Genesis 20:11).

Ancient cultures acknowledged the need for law, but not the sanctity of life. Without that foundation, justice collapsed into legalized abuse and oppression.

This pattern re-emerged in three modern ideologies that rejected belief in Hashem: Nazi Germany under Hitler, Communist Russia under Stalin, and Communist China under Mao. All were responsible for the most devastating mass murders in human history.

Hitler justified his actions by calling humans “cosmic bacteria,” killing even the disabled in pursuit of racial “purity.” Stalin and Mao murdered tens of millions, viewing human life as expendable.

Wikipedia notes: “The 20th century, born with hopes of enlightenment and humanism, became the bloodiest in history. Between 170 to 360 million people were murdered by their own governments in an unprecedented universal Holocaust.”

Humanism owes its concept of human dignity to the Torah. Without belief in Hashem, the value of life has no firm anchor.

The Status of Women: A Biblical Breakthrough

Ancient societies viewed women as inferior beings or failed men. They were treated as property or slaves, lacking agency or rights.

The Torah revealed the truth: “Male and female He created them, and He blessed them and called their name Adam” (Genesis 5:2). Man and woman are equals, complementing each other.

The Torah teaches: “It is not good for man to be alone” (Genesis 2:18); “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and cling to his wife, and they shall become one flesh” (Genesis 2:24).

Hashem told Avraham: “Whatever Sarah tells you—listen to her” (Genesis 21:12). The sages learned that Sarah surpassed Avraham in prophecy. Great women in Jewish history include the Matriarchs, Miriam the prophetess, Deborah, Huldah, and Esther, whose actions are still celebrated on Purim.

In stark contrast to other cultures, the Torah granted women legal autonomy: a woman cannot be married against her will, and her husband must provide food, clothing, shelter, and jewelry. A husband cannot discard his wife; he must issue a proper get (divorce document) and provide for her financially.

Jewish law demands that a man “honor his wife more than himself and love her as himself” (Rambam, Hilchot Ishut 15:19). Rabbi Yosef Karo adds: “A man must be careful not to distress his wife, for her tears are easily shed” (Bava Metzia 59a).

Dr. Shaul Barclay wrote:
“In all ancient cultures, including Greece and Rome, the legal status of women was deplorable. In Judaism, things were different, and the Torah sought to protect and elevate women. Jewish women are consistently portrayed as individuals with rights, intellect, and influence. From Sarah to Abigail to Yael, these women played decisive roles, stood by their husbands, rebuked them when necessary, and demanded justice. Unlike in neighboring nations, the Torah even protected female captives, showing unmatched moral sensitivity.”

Conclusion: The Torah’s Timeless Legacy

The core values of modern society—human dignity, liberty, and the sanctity of life—are rooted in the Torah. No other book in history has impacted humanity so profoundly.

Tragically, many Jews today are unaware of the Torah’s significance to both the Jewish people and the world at large. This ignorance has enabled disrespectful portrayals of Judaism to proliferate in popular media, unnoticed by those who fail to grasp the depth and relevance of Torah teachings.  Recognizing the Torah as the wellspring of the world’s highest ideals allows us not only to appreciate our moral heritage, but to safeguard it for the generations to come."