When Isaac Newton proposed his law of universal gravitation in the 17th century, he had not invented gravity—he had merely discovered it. Gravity is a force that has been dictating the movement of physical bodies since the beginning of time. Once he understood this, Isaac Newton was able to articulate a principle, thus describing a force through which God directs the world.
We naturally live in accordance with the laws of physics, such as gravity. It is obvious to us all that it would be absurd for us to oppose them. But whether or not we accept gravity does not make a difference to its existence nor to its influence upon us; gravity does not ask our opinion. It was, is and will be. To deny it and try to live against this or any other physical principle is akin to committing suicide.
But if there are physical principles that govern our existence, perhaps there are also spiritual/moral principles. And just maybe, as definitive as the law of gravity, the laws of conservation of mass and energy, etc., there are moral spiritual laws.
Are morals and ethics a matter of consensus or social contract, or are they established laws of the universe? Before you answer, think of it this way: If Adolf Hilter had convinced the entire world that it is right to murder Jews, and in a democratic referendum the whole world voted that it is right to murder the Jews, would that have made it good and right? Or would it have been wrong no matter what? Does the majority rule in all matters?
Judaism teaches that the spiritual and moral dimension of life is no different than the physical dimension. And, like gravity and other laws of nature, there are spiritual and ethical laws, which govern the nature of our spiritual life. And these laws have been guiding the universe since its very inception.
Judaism teaches that God created the world in accordance to the principles and laws spelled out in the Torah. It also states that Adam and Eve were originally naturally in sync with the flow of life. They intuited the laws of the Torah but the snake confused them, and they lost their natural connection. During the time of Noah there was a possibility for a mass revelation of the Torah’s eternal laws but that generation was not ready or willing. Abraham was so attuned to his soul and the inner core of all being, that he intuitively followed the details of Torah law. In fact, we all know the Torah—it is encoded in our souls—but we forget it as soon as we are born, when we become preoccupied with the needs and wants of our bodies. Therefore, 3,300 years ago, when the entire Jewish people stood at Mt. Sinai, waiting for a revelation of the Torah, they already knew it subconsciously.
At Sinai that subconscious knowledge became conscious. The universal principles of spirituality, morality and ethics were revealed to them, along with specific instructions regarding the particular Jewish role and responsibility in the scheme of creation. The Torah they received contained the Divine principles and laws that had always directed life. But it was only then that the Jewish people were ready and willing to accept them.