[Avodah] origins of AZ

[Richard Wolpoe]

On Mon, Mar 3, 2008 at 5:18 PM, Micha Berger <micha at aishdas.org> wrote:

>
> My Hindu co workers speak of belief in a single Deity who is so
> incomprehensible that man perceives it as millions of gods. This is
> different in philosophy to the Rambam's description of AZ's
> beginnings. But then, Hinduism is influenced by Benei Qeturah, and
> thus probably isn't the most raw of AZ.
>
> .
> SheTir'u baTov!
> -micha ("Mitchel", belaaz)
>
> --
> Micha Berger
>


I'm not an expert in Hinduism but from my superficial POV it is EXACTLY what
Rambam was addressing.   Namely - the problem of a God that is SO remote and
out-of-touch that the intermediaries became an almost essential crutch.

The Mishkan/Kruvim might have been an alternative "crutch" so to speak - IF
you hold is was an alternative to the eigel masecah [viz. Rashi -As opposed
to the RambaN who holds tht the mishkan was always a prt of the divine
plan.]

My grandparents refused to have their photos taken. I guess I have inherited
a similar iconoclastic streak Or maybe coming from new England I ahvea
puritanical streak at any rate I would prefer that shuls be devode of ALL
such pictures.   The only imagery that is my  personal comfort zone are
osiyyos and words [such as Sjhivis etc.]   IOW if you needed a visual crutch
of G-D then put up a YKVK in big letters.

If you want decorations on the Parroches I would put pesukkim [e.g ki
Mitziyyon or Toras Hashem Temimah etc.   I am totally il-at-ease with any
other pictures designs etc.  I ma surprised in our age of Humra that we do
not take the passuk of ...temnuah  zulasi kol... more seriously...






Kol Tuv / Best Regards,
RabbiRichWolpoe at Gmail.com
see: http://nishmablog.blogspot.com/
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