What are the views of Conservative, Masorti and Traditional Judaism?

Those within Conservative/Masorti Judaism, and the Union for Traditional Judaism (UTJ), take a more theologically conservative view than the Reform & Reconstructionist movements.  They believe that God, in some way, revealed His will to Moses and later prophets. However, people in these movements have a number of differing views on what the process of revelation is, so one should consult the FAQ on how Jews view revelation and the Torah. (Click the link on the left column).

Conservative and Traditional Jews agree that the record of revelation was passed down through the centuries until it was redacted into its final form during the time of Ezra. Thus they are comfortable with the documentary theory. In fact, they make use of literary and historical analysis to understand how these texts developed, and to help them understand how they may applied in our own day/

Rabbi David Novak (UTJ) explains why accepting modern biblical scholarship poses no threat to classical Judaism: "Higher" biblical criticism is concerned with the dating and composition of the biblical text. Even if one accepts the assumption common to all biblical critics - namely that the Pentateuch in particular is made up of various documents (J, E, P, D, etc.) which were written at different times by different authors, one can still view it as a unity because of the way that it was accepted in subsequent Jewish history. Once the official text as agreed upon in the time of Ezra, the Jewish people had an indisputable point of reference for both law and theology. Thus, the theory which accepts both a possibly diverse origin along with a definite subsequent unity enables one to be a traditionalist without being a fundamentalist. [Rabbi David Novak "A Response to 'Towards an Aggadic Judaism' " Conservative Judaism Vol.30(1) Fall 1975 pp.58-59]

Emet Ve-Emunah, the statement of principles of Conservative Judaism, states

"We of the Conservative community study the Jewish sources using the traditional mode of study at its best, utilizing methods both ancient and modern. This means that Jews must ideally study as many of the traditional sources as possible - Bible, Mishna, Talmud, Midrash Halakha, Midrash Aggadah, responsa and codes. In this process, they must apply to their study their knowledge of science, philosophy, history, archaeology, literature and all other relevant disciplines. We should not be restricted to questions and answers internal to the tradition itself; rather, we should look, as did our greatest scholars throughout time, both inside and outside the tradition to understand its history, practice, and beliefs. The Conservative approach to study thus combines traditional exegesis with modern, historical methods. We believe this combination to be the most accurate, open and penetrating way to understand Judaism and the Jews."

"Aside from the intellectual honesty and fruitfulness of this approach, studying this way can be a genuinely spiritual experience. We are able to relate to the people of the classical texts with understanding and empathy when we come to know them in their full, historical setting. Through the combination of traditional and modern methods of study, we come to recognize the variety and growth of the Jewish tradition over time, giving us a sense of its richness and dynamism...We learn how our people, living in a variety of circumstances, sought and discovered God, helping us all to experience the Divine Presence in our own lives." [p.54,55]