[Avodah] The daf yomi in Chulin 128a Tanaim hold the thekishus planted in an otsits sh???aino nakuf is yonaik min ha'aretz- is their botany different than ours?

[Micha Berger]

On Fri, Nov 04, 2011 at 11:01:26AM -0400, hankman wrote:
:> Think of the words metzi'us or mamashus -- the world is as people
:> experience it first-hand, not as how we can objectively deduce it is
:> through tools and further reason.
: 
: As I wrote the last time we discussed science in the gemara (achbor)
: this kind of answer leaves me unsatisfied. I would expect that the
: gemara be scientifically correct as well unless we accept R. Slifkin's
: premise which I used to assume myself prior to many gedolim banning his
: books. Now I am simply conflicted whenever I encounter this issue.

"Leaves me unsatisfied" is not proof that an idea is false.

We live in an era where rapid scientific and engineering progress has
been going on for so long that poeple take it for granted. Coginitive
Man and his quest to "umil'u es haaretz *vekivshuha" is so good at
controlling and mastering his environment, we see the whole world
through his eyes.

This assumption that everything must be scientific is why the Man of
Faith is lonelier today than ever before.

I think the zeitgeist is broken, and misleading you into seeking answers
to questions that aren't real.

:> Besides, where does the vapor come from? At the height of an herb or
:> vegetable, isn't most of it evaporating off the ground right below
:> the branch?
: 
: I thought about that too, but I doubt it is the answer. I think most of
: the water vapor is from the atmosphere mostly taken up over the oceans
: and large bodies of water. There is precious little evaporation going
: on over ordinary soil except perhaps immediately after a heavy rain and
: this is not likely to sustain a plant...

But a plant that is over a puddle is noticably damper. Scientifically,
it might not make such a difference, that what I notice is change from
the norm and not a large percentage of the water. Which is why I gave
a two-part answer.

:                        Air does not move in straight lines of site like
: a light ray, but wafts about all over in eddies etc. and could get to
: the plant even within the lip of the otsits and this would be recognized
: even just psychologically by the hamon am of their day as well.

Think about how you think about a plant. Most of the water comes from
under it, and then there is also water from elsewhere. Ther issue isn't
one of majority (a measurably quantity) but of iqar (what people consider
essential).

:-)BBii!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger             Take time,
micha at aishdas.org        be exact,
http://www.aishdas.org   unclutter the mind.
Fax: (270) 514-1507            - Rabbi Simcha Zissel Ziv, Alter of Kelm