tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21749731.post3190267582714529954..comments2023-10-12T10:09:54.121-04:00Comments on Believing is Knowing: Does a Non-philosophical Person Gain Rights to the World To Come (Olam Haba)? (Part 3 in a series)David Guttmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07668302013143561290noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21749731.post-18168459487263414292009-11-08T16:44:43.516-05:002009-11-08T16:44:43.516-05:00P.S. The Rashi under discussion is also much-belo...P.S. The Rashi under discussion is also much-beloved by the above-mentioned עע"ז.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21749731.post-8070570495395090912009-11-08T16:42:41.937-05:002009-11-08T16:42:41.937-05:00Rabbi Sacks,
I am still working on assigning mean...Rabbi Sacks,<br /><br />I am still working on assigning meanings to your speech.<br /><br />Do you know where I can find the text of Einstein's "lecture"? <br /><br />Googling serves up: (1) עע"ז of the "Gaia" type, who love the quotation; and (2) other people who seek the source of the quotation, but can't find out.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21749731.post-57268628074126539252009-11-08T16:29:32.333-05:002009-11-08T16:29:32.333-05:00I think I will now await answers to my questions f...I think I will now await answers to my questions from Hagyan and David's response to Hagyan.Rabbi Jonathan Sackshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06724954433302279666noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21749731.post-34555446460824472562009-11-08T16:23:30.957-05:002009-11-08T16:23:30.957-05:00Hagyan
Building upon the illustration of Mitzvat ...Hagyan<br /><br />Building upon the illustration of Mitzvat t'filla from above. Adam, recognized the potential for receiving Educational and Material Good from God, intrinsic to his circumstance of Need.<br /><br />I would propose that every Mitzva is an extension of this. A Mitzva is an act which makes Nikkar the potential for receiving Good from God, in the essential human circumstances.Rabbi Jonathan Sackshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06724954433302279666noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21749731.post-17139808540595737042009-11-08T15:42:15.265-05:002009-11-08T15:42:15.265-05:00Rabbi Sacks,
Thanks for that clarification.
As I...Rabbi Sacks,<br /><br />Thanks for that clarification.<br /><br />As I actually find the terms "מצווה" and "שמירת המצוות" used in speech they are terribly equivocal. In my earlier comments <a href="http://yediah.blogspot.com/2009/11/does-non-philosophical-person-gain.html?showComment=1257299512263#c5993950519162939883" rel="nofollow">here</a> and <a href="http://yediah.blogspot.com/2009/11/does-non-philosophical-person-gain.html?showComment=1257405074114#c3029243968655538137" rel="nofollow">here</a> I wanted to learn to which phenomena you applied these terms.<br /><br />Such is also my approach to the "containing" discussion about עולם הבא: because, in things, חיי העולם הבא is a consequence, subject to the right conditions, of עשיית המצוות, and עשיית המצוות precedes חיי העולם הבא in life-experience.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21749731.post-18228983862982141692009-11-08T14:41:59.327-05:002009-11-08T14:41:59.327-05:00My point being that for one who is ניכר as not Sho...My point being that for one who is ניכר as not Shomer Mitzvot, one should assume the worst unless proven otherwise. The exact opposite of one who is shomer mitzvot.Rabbi Jonathan Sackshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06724954433302279666noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21749731.post-23523629486354251972009-11-08T14:05:01.527-05:002009-11-08T14:05:01.527-05:00א לא לנו יהוה, לא-לנו: כי-לשמך, תן כבוד--על-חס...א לא לנו יהוה, לא-לנו: כי-לשמך, תן כבוד--על-חסדך, על-אמיתך.<br />ב למה, יאמרו הגויים: איה-נא, אלוהיהם.<br />ג ואלוהינו בשמיים-- כול אשר-חפץ עשה.<br />ד עצביהם, כסף וזהב; מעשה, ידי אדם.<br />ה פה-להם, ולא ידברו; עיניים להם, ולא יראו.<br />ו אוזניים להם, ולא ישמעו; אף להם, ולא יריחון.<br />ז ידיהם, ולא ימישון--רגליהם, ולא יהלכו; לא-יהגו, בגרונם.<br />ח כמוהם, יהיו עושיהם-- כול אשר-בוטח בהם.<br />ט ישראל, בטח ביהוה; עזרם ומגינם הוא.<br />י בית אהרון, בטחו ביהוה; עזרם ומגינם הוא.Rabbi Jonathan Sackshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06724954433302279666noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21749731.post-71703052387832755622009-11-08T14:02:26.056-05:002009-11-08T14:02:26.056-05:00Re: my previous comment ...
I've had two foll...Re: <a href="http://yediah.blogspot.com/2009/11/does-non-philosophical-person-gain_08.html?showComment=1257704464887#c2062709574616343905" rel="nofollow">my previous comment</a> ...<br />I've had two follow-up reactions:<br /><br />1. Perhaps I was hasty by not interpreting the English word "magic" as a שם משותף.<br /><br /><br />2. But then: What if I had read in Dr. Chamitoff's biography that he derives enjoyment from cultivating his skills in <i>sophistry</i>, as opposed to cultivating his skills in <i>sophistical refutations</i>?<br /><br />Thoughts? Anyone know the הלכה on this?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21749731.post-20627095746163439052009-11-08T13:21:04.887-05:002009-11-08T13:21:04.887-05:00Rabbi Sacks,
(This comment is not an answer to yo...Rabbi Sacks,<br /><br />(This comment is not an answer to your questions.)<br /><br />I do not think it is entirely tangential to this discussion to quote from <a href="http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/chamitoff.html" rel="nofollow">Gregory Chamitoff's official biography page</a> <b>at NASA [!]</b> ...<br /><br />"Recreational interests include scuba diving, backpacking, flying, skiing, aikido, <b>magic [!!]</b> and guitar."<br /><br />You can also note on that page that he has completed a "gold plated" scientific education.<br /><br />You can't make this stuff up!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21749731.post-49967929754601085082009-11-08T11:46:33.958-05:002009-11-08T11:46:33.958-05:00Bravo, David, Bravo indeed.
Allow me to connect ...Bravo, David, Bravo indeed. <br /><br />Allow me to connect our discussion with Hagyan to this post, rather than continue in the previous one. Here is my response to Hagyan.<br /><br />Astronaut Greg Chamitoff was looking at his home from above as seen here. http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap081230.html. As he noted the life giving character of the clouds he saw outside, Greg started musing about a lecture on Braysheet he had heard on tape from Einstein. The lecture was entitled: "The most important decision we make is whether we believe we live in a friendly or hostile universe". Astronaut Greg Chamitoff began to muse on the Rashi regarding the first rains upon Earth and wondered if perhaps this Rashi might be making the same point as Einstein. Yes, Rashi was referring to a Divine education to Adam about the very topic Einstein was talking about! But, he wondered, what kind of phenomenon of "lack of rain" was Rashi suggesting as the trigger for human decision making about the friendliness of the universe?<br /><br />Greg mused at first that perhaps Rashi was thinking of a desert, perhaps something like Death valley as shown here. http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap070508.html. Greg realized, however , that a desert is not a good illustration of Rashi's intent. Though of course lacking in water, a desert is not a potential site of a Garden of Eden. No, Rashi intent was a drought condition of a fertile area, not a desert! Specifically, Rashi must have been referring to an area suffering from agricultural drought as explained here.<br /> http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://library.thinkquest.org/03oct/00477/NatDisasterPages/Heidi%2520Draught/drought/drought.jpg&imgrefurl=http://library.thinkquest.org/03oct/00477/NatDisasterPages/Heidi%2520Draught/drought/droughtclassification.htm.htm&usg=__WuuABCLB5_d6M8EZvqxMzioxfQQ=&h=300&w=450&sz=36&hl=en&start=17&um=1&tbnid=tmjbNQmbzr-reM:&tbnh=85&tbnw=127&prev=/images%3Fq%3Ddrought%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dsafari%26rls%3Den%26sa%3DX%26um%3D1<br /><br /><br />Yes thought Greg, that would be a beautiful illustration of Divine education. If Adam were to be put into an area suffering from agricultural drought, he would muse on Einsteins great decision. Is the Universe a hostile place in which I will die of thirst? Or will the drought break in time for me to collect mushrooms and and thrive? A friendly universe would act in line with my assumption that there would be rain and mushrooms and eventually a Garden. This would be a universe that tended not only to human physical needs, but more importantly, gave us educationally valuable experiences. Then there was rain.<br /><br />1. Is this musing about the friendliness of the Universe a הרגשה about the סיבה הצוריי ?<br /><br />2. Would Adam, as Greg conceives him, be ready for the divine education in Gan Eden?Rabbi Jonathan Sackshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06724954433302279666noreply@blogger.com