Classical exegetes’ exploration of structure and order in the Pentateuch is generally perceived as part of an internal-Jewish debate. However, in an exceptional testimonial, the introduction to R. Ovadiah Sforno’s Torah commentary describes a polemic against the Torah grounded in a claim about the Torah’s disorderliness. Responding to this critique, Sforno set out to uncover the Torah’s logical order. His efforts to elucidate the Torah’s order and structure include three aspects: he points to a circular structure that is repeated seven times in Genesis-Numbers, he systematically links the independent legal sections in Deuteronomy, and he discusses the Torah’s division into five separate books. While methodically addressing the question of order, Sforno also offers a response to fundamental theological issues at the center of the interfaith polemic.

五角大楼中古典人物对结构和秩序的探索通常被认为是内部犹太人辩论的一部分。然而，在一个特别的证词中，R。Ovadiah Sforno的《摩西五经》评论介绍了对基于《摩西五经》无序性主张的《摩西五经》的争论。为了回应这一批评，斯福尔诺着手揭露《摩西五经》的逻辑顺序。他为阐明《摩西五经》的秩序和结构所做的努力包括三个方面：他指出《创世纪》中重复了七次的圆形结构，他系统地将申命记中的独立法律部分联系起来，他将《摩西五经》的划分分为五本书。在有条不紊地解决秩序问题的同时，斯福尔诺还对信仰间争辩中心的基本神学问题做出了回应。