While I am not fully "frum" in most senses of the word, I think I know what
Jacob suggests here. My understanding is that we are bound to Torah, which
"is not in Heaven." In other words, if you understand Torah to be the
ongoing word of Hashem as now translated/interpreted by the sages, the
fences ARE Torah. The distinction between written text and interpretation,
however, is valid, I feel, because it is crucial to know what is commented
upon.
Also, if Jacob is saying that the strictures have become "privacy" or
"stockade" fences for Torah, then I agree that this is a situation that
requires resolution. Some folks prefer chain-link fences, some merely
chicken-wire; others build ghetto walls instead of fences around the Torah
to lock ourselves in and all others out. One example of that may be in the
area of relationships with less observant Jews. Adherence to Torah Judaism
should never be a reason to deny the importance of klal yisrael (Jewish
unity) to our survival as a people and, in fact, to growth in service to
Hashem.
B'shalom,
Saul