In response to Jacob Faturechi <jacobf@usc.edu> 's 4 points:
1. Our sages, in attempting to understand the directives of the Torah and
in trying to educate the people, their students, realized that mistakes and
errors in judgment are natural to human nature. In order that a Jew,
commanded by the Creator to abide by a (sometimes seemingly cryptic) law,
not transgress that law, even unwittingly, they created "legal" barriers or
"fences".
There was a long running argument between two schools of thought on
Rabbinic interpretation. One school, called the "Tzidokim", believed that
the words of the Written Law - the five books of Moses - are taken
literally. The entire idea of interpretation and commentary was considered
a blasphemy and an insult to G-d's explicit commandments. They were against
the Talmud and any other rabbinic work that attempted to "understand". On
the Shabbos, they sat in the dark and ate cold food. This was based on the
Torah injunction that "in all of your dwellings there should be lit no
fire". On Pesach (Passover), they ate no lemons or anything else sour due
to the injunction of "seven days you should eat no soured items". An "eye
for an eye, a tooth for a tooth..." were accepted literally. The second
school of thought, called the "Pirushim", believed that the Torah was a way
of life - "Ve Chai Bohem" - that you may live by them. They didn't believe
that the Creator, in His mercy and love for His Chosen People, made laws
that cause impossible living conditions. "Ivdu es Hashem Be'Simcha" -
worshipping G-d with happiness, is a commandment of the Torah. And yet,
since we owe our entire being and our entire world to G-d, and G-d has
commanded a somewhat cryptic demand of us, the Rabbis felt that it is
preferable to "crash" on a human imposed edict rather than on a Divinely
imposed edict.
2. Getting back to the chicken and milk question, as an example, if people
would cook fowl with milk as a regular practice, they might forget that
there is "meat" and there is "meat" (fowl, beef or goat). Due to the
Rabbinical prohibition, one gets used to the idea that "meat" is not cooked
in milk. The possibility of committing a Torah injunction is lessened.
3. By the way, out here, in the Middle East, as well as in South America,
Africa, and in most of Asia, goat meat is a very regular part of the diet.
4. Regarding the OK for the rabbis to interpret the Torah, please see
Deuteronomy (Devorim) 17:8-13. Especially in verse 11 - "Based on the Torah
as commanded you, and on the judgment as directed by them (Judges/Rabbis)
shall you not waver at all that they direct you, neither right or left".
Rashi explains that this Torah commandment is focused even to an extreme
Rabbinical judgment that seems incomprehensible to you, such as a judgment
that "your left hand is judged to actually be your right hand" and vise
versa. The Ramban even goes further and states that though it may seem
against all that was inculcated to me through society, it is a
transgression to even "think" that the Rabbis made a wrong judgment, since
this power of judgment by the "chosen Priest , Levite and Judge" is Torah
given - that is, G-d given - and carries with it the power of belief in the
trueness of the Torah's ways.
Please contact me for further conversation.
Avrohom Mondrowitz