[Avodah] Chazal are Infallible

[Arie Folger]

RSKohn wrote:
> I was particularly struck by the tosafot, especially on 8a s.v. kama, which
> brilliantly (via an example of filling an area with strings which are then
> cut and re-arranged) proved certain relationships between squares and
> circles.  However, the basic issue of area and spatial relationships are
> known to any high school freshman (if not earlier) based on rudimentary
> equations of pi, x-squared, and the Pythagorean theorem, which were
> obviously unknown to Rashi, Tosafot, and likely many views of the gemara as
> well (see e.g. 8b).
>
> Should we lose our respect for the gemara, Rashi and tosafot because their
> understanding of geometry was so unsophisticated?

Eh, regarding the Rishonim, let me clearly state the opposite. There are 
elements in the Israeli education scene that want to make Tosafot's proof 
(which is actually from an earlier Jewish source, I believe) standard in 
teaching geometry, because students can more readily grasp it than the usualy 
calculations. That this beautiful and simple proof comes from our masters, 
the Rishonim, is of course an important benefit. The secular Israeli teenager 
will be somewhat exposed to their greatness through a subject matter he 
understands.

I would restate your speculation, saying that 'Hazal were interested in 
stating things in such a way that a non-scientifically trained person could 
apply halakhah. RMB stated the same thing regarding the height of the sukkah, 
IIRC.

It is only nowadays, when many people have the benefit of a science education, 
that we look at these statements askance, because we cannot remember that 
almost nobody among the common folk would have know how to apply the 
halakhah, had the gemeara stated that "sukkah 'agulah, midatah ``pi'' Yevanit 
pe'am shoresh shel shetayim kaful arba' amot." Come to think of it, even 
nowadays most people wouldn't know what to do with this, once they are out of 
high school.

Kol tuv,

Arie Folger