Why Judaism Needs Rabbis, Repentance, and Community: A Guide to Torah and Teshuva

Ortal asks: "I work in a secular workplace with friends who are not religious, and naturally our conversations often turn to Judaism. One friend doesn’t understand why rabbis are needed to interpret the Torah, and says she only follows the Ten Commandments. How should I respond? Another friend asked me where in the Torah it says that we must repent. What exactly is ‘teshuva’? Finally, where can I find high-level resources to deepen my knowledge of Judaism? Thank you so much!"

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Hello Ortal, and thank you for your excellent questions.

Why do we need rabbis to explain the Torah? Isn’t the Ten Commandments enough?

Many people claim they follow only the Ten Commandments, without realizing that even the Ten Commandments cannot be observed without rabbinic guidance.

For example:

• The Fourth Commandment says: “Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy” (Deuteronomy 5:12). What exactly does that mean? Is sitting in a chair on Shabbat considered “work”? Is cooking, carrying, turning on a light, or moving furniture included? The Torah prohibits “work,” but doesn't define what qualifies as work. Without explanation, we cannot know how to properly observe Shabbat.

• The Torah says: “Do not kindle fire in all your dwellings on the Sabbath” (Exodus 35:3). Does this mean you can’t leave a fire burning from before Shabbat? Can you heat food on an existing flame? What about electricity or timers?

• The Torah commands: “Let no one go out of his place on the seventh day” (Exodus 16:29). What is the meaning of “place”? Is it your house, your neighborhood, or your entire city?

Clearly, without the Oral Torah — the explanations passed down from Moses at Sinai through the generations, we would not know how to apply any of these commandments.

The same is true for all mitzvot:

• The Torah commands animal sacrifice and slaughter, but never explains how to perform kosher slaughter.

• It commands affixing a mezuzah, but does not say what should be written inside.

• It commands wearing tefillin, but does not describe what they are.

• Even circumcision, one of the first commandments, is not explained in detail in the Written Torah.

All of these practical instructions were given orally at Mount Sinai and passed down by the Sages.

The Torah itself makes this clear:

• “The Lord said to Moses: Come up to Me on the mountain and I will give you the tablets of stone, the Torah and the commandments which I have written, to teach them” (Exodus 24:12). “The commandment” refers to the oral explanations.

• “And the Lord commanded me at that time to teach you statutes and judgments, that you might do them” (Deuteronomy 4:14). Not just written words, but detailed instructions.

• Historically, we know the Torah was written down only at the end of Moses’ life (Deuteronomy 31:24). Until then, everything was transmitted orally, meaning that the Oral Torah actually came first.

For this reason, the Torah explicitly commands: “According to the law which they [the sages] shall teach you… you shall not turn aside from what they tell you, right or left” (Deuteronomy 17:11). Without the Oral Torah and rabbinic leadership, Judaism would not be a living faith, but an unreadable book of rules with no practical meaning.

Where does the Torah say we must repent? What is “Teshuva”?

The word teshuva literally means “return” — returning to God. It does not mean finding an “answer” but rather coming back to the path of Torah and mitzvot.

The Torah and Prophets emphasize repentance repeatedly:

• “When you are in distress… in the latter days you will return to the Lord your God and listen to His voice” (Deuteronomy 4:30).

• “As I live, says the Lord God, I do not desire the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn back, turn back from your evil ways!” (Ezekiel 33:11).

• “Return, O Israel, to the Lord your God, for you have stumbled in your iniquity” (Hosea 14:2).

Teshuva means fulfilling our responsibility as Jews by recognizing mistakes, turning from them, and re-aligning ourselves with God’s commandments. The Torah promises that this collective return will ultimately bring redemption.

Where to learn more about Judaism?

For deeper knowledge, I recommend watching regular lectures by great contemporary teachers. Popular speakers include Rabbi Zamir Cohen and Rabbi Yosef Ben Porat, who present Judaism on a high intellectual and spiritual level.

You can also find a wealth of resources online at Hidabroot, and explore the video library, books, and even live seminars.