[Avodah] The Forces Within Man

[Micha Berger]

On Sun, May 03, 2009 at 09:48:09PM +0300, Saul Mashbaum wrote:
: What bothers me about the s'irim is the lottery, which seems to
: indicate that not conscious, moral choice, but mere chance and fate,
: as it were,  determines whether a s'ir becomes la-Shem or la-Azazel.

Well, what are the other options? You can't have a more complete parallel
because to do so would be to imply the se'ir has bechirah, or that a
human's bechirah is as illusory as a se'ir's.

If you leave it up to the KG's decision, then the se'ir is being shown
to be a victim of someone else's choice. It might even representant
determanism, if you say that Hashem is to the person as the KG is to
the se'irim.

I think therefore we can't make too much out of this lack of fidelity
to the nimshal -- no closer fidelity is possible.

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger             Today is the 26th day, which is
micha at aishdas.org        3 weeks and 5 days in/toward the omer.
http://www.aishdas.org   Hod sheb'Netzach: When is domination or taking
Fax: (270) 514-1507         control just a way of abandoning one's self?