[Avodah] R' Aryeh Kaplan's methodology

[Micha Berger]

On Wed, Mar 26, 2008 at 11:57:49PM +0200, Daniel Eidensohn wrote:
: That is a problem - since despite R' Kaplan's greatness in Torah and 
: kiruv - I often find little correlation between what he writes as a 
: summary at the top of the page and the copious notes at the bottom of 
: the page. Also here what is clearly stated at the top seems to 
: contradict the notes on the bottom. For example note 140.

The problem is that RAK extrapolates from his sources, and then footnotes
the sources, not his process of extrapolation. Don't take a footnote
to mean the idea is there, but rather that the idea into the footnote
helped him reach the conclusion. Even if it is to ultimately reject that
maqor in favor of implications drawn from others.

His handbook needs a TSBP added to it. Unfortunately, RAK is no longer
here to provide it.

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger             Rescue me from the desire to win every
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