The biblical concept of a lawful world operating as the creation of God, by fixed and reliable principles, was the fundamental assumption needed to conceive the laws of nature and utilize them for human benefit.

Living according to the Torah means, in this view, aligning yourself with the forces that make for human flourishing, especially if you are a tiny people surrounded by enemies.

priority of the ethical over the ritual in Jewish tradition. This frequently comes as a surprise to those exposed to traditional Jewish practice today, but the priority is ancient and runs deep.

Again, a line that seemed to be a human attempt to describe God becomes—when seen in its biblical context—an ethical charge for how humans should treat other humans.