tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21749731.post2263374009046667348..comments2023-10-12T10:09:54.121-04:00Comments on Believing is Knowing: Fear Of Thinking Is Not Fear of Heaven - It Is Ignorance.David Guttmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07668302013143561290noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21749731.post-80148173590963500732009-09-25T04:16:35.325-04:002009-09-25T04:16:35.325-04:00Yona I agree that thology is not for everyone and ...Yona I agree that thology is not for everyone and therefore there are mitzvot and the laws that establish them, where learning and doing them is the process by which those people acknowledge HKBH. Here is how Rambam describes them and their teachers in MN1:51 in the famous palace of the king parable.<br /><br /> "Those who desire to arrive at the palace, and to enter it, but have never yet seen it, are the mass of religious people; the multitude that observe the divine commandments, but are ignorant. Those who arrive at the palace, but go round about it, are those who devote themselves exclusively to the study of the practical law; they believe traditionally in true principles of faith, and learn the practical worship of God, but are not trained in philosophical treatment of the principles of the Law, and do not endeavour to establish the truth of their faith by proof."<br /><br />I read this not as a criticism but a description of a fact.David Guttmannhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07668302013143561290noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21749731.post-62616623201439617502009-09-24T22:21:21.473-04:002009-09-24T22:21:21.473-04:00David,
I have often thought along the lines of R....David,<br /><br />I have often thought along the lines of R. Kook (also see his articles "Ma'amar ha'Dor" and "Pachad") that we are afraid of knowledge, and have sometimes identified with it as well! But as I have seen in my experience in Charedi and Modern Orthodox institutions, many, if not most, people are just simple and pure people. And for them (and maybe even for us!) doing the "right and the good," both bein adam l'makom and l'chaveiro, is not only good enough but wonderful. <br /><br />But for those that want to live the life of a theologian I agree with you - Pachad is the worst midda!<br /><br />www.bmeihadaga.blogspot.comYonahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13010972653310239071noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21749731.post-469041406527927812009-09-24T04:11:22.241-04:002009-09-24T04:11:22.241-04:00Correction on above comment:
Maharal did not star...Correction on above comment:<br /><br />Maharal did not start but was a proponent.David Guttmannhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07668302013143561290noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21749731.post-64774144615882137082009-09-24T04:09:42.386-04:002009-09-24T04:09:42.386-04:00Yona,
I do not disagree with Rabbi Maroof's un...Yona,<br />I do not disagree with Rabbi Maroof's understanding nor does Rav Kook. Of course we have to be mekabel ol malchut shamayim even if we do not undertsand all the why's and wherefores. We however then have to spend the rest of our lives trying to make sense and understand what we are taught in the context of reality. That is the tachlit of religion not just the doing alone and using "emunah Peshutah" as the excuse as accepted in some circles. I believe that this anti-thought stems from a complex of inferiority where deep down they believe the Torah cannot stand up to scrutiny notwithstanding the vociferous claim to the contrary. That is also the basis of trying to separate machshava from reality claiming that torah is "lema'alah min hazman" etc... Maharal who started this indeed was in a quandary as he lived in an era of transition when new scientific thinking was taking root and things were very confusing. Not that we have all the answers but I believe that Judaism has proven itself to stand up to scrutiny in light of the scientific developments in the last few centuries. <br /><br />Thank you for your comment as it is the germ for a post if I get around to it.<br /><br />Gmar Chatima Tova.David Guttmannhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07668302013143561290noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21749731.post-42321562684572905142009-09-23T23:02:53.718-04:002009-09-23T23:02:53.718-04:00You are, as Rav Kook was, idealistic (that may hav...You are, as Rav Kook was, idealistic (that may have been his favorite word). But if reality is not ready for those ideals then vessels will break. Apparently the Rambam understood this as well: http://vesomsechel.blogspot.com/2007/06/perils-of-skepticism.htmlYonahttp://bmeihadaga.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21749731.post-11639969811477670642009-09-09T03:50:40.924-04:002009-09-09T03:50:40.924-04:00very true, that's the whole point of learning;...very true, that's the whole point of learning; to delve deep into diff topics and look at it on diff sides inorder to learn more and more. There's no holes to hide. The Torah has the truth because it's Divine - <br />And if we don't understand something, then we dig deeper until we find the answer. Of course, with some people, you can give them all the answers and they still need to choose whether or not to accept it.smbhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00425290796472256844noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21749731.post-18332725495472654702009-09-04T17:33:18.677-04:002009-09-04T17:33:18.677-04:00Very nicely put. It is too bad that more recent Ge...Very nicely put. It is too bad that more recent Gedolim, other than Rav Kook, have not openly said this. However, for me, this is the true Judaism, not some religion where thinking is looked down upon. However, everything must be within the context of Torah values and some type of Mesorah. We see that this mesorah of thinking Judaism has always existed.E-Manhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06327848648278849664noreply@blogger.com