[Avodah] The daf yomi in Chulin 128a Tanaim hold the kishus planted in an otsits sh'aino nakuf is yonaik min ha'aretz-

[Micha Berger]

On Sun, Nov 06, 2011 at 02:04:18PM -0500, hankman wrote:
: I think there is a fundamental difference between accepting a close
: value as reasonably close enough for practical use (as in your example
: of tekufas R' Adda...

Tequfas Shemuel is 11 min / year too long; tequfas R' Adda, more like 6
min 40 sec. Let's pretend they thought tequfas R' Adda was more accurate
than it actually is. They still would have been aware of an error of 3
min 20 sec.

Which sounds tiny, and thus tequfas Shmuel sounds like a good estimate.

However, in Rebbe's day, circa 4,000, those 3 min 20 sec really added
up. They were aware of being at least 18 days 12 hours off -- well over
half a month. And yet, they set the berakhah for that Wednesday anyway.

It feels "close enough", people think in terms of tequfas Shemuel or
the Julian Year, and apparently that's enough.


But we're focusing on an example, rather than the principle...

You insist that halakhah must fit the facts. As do I.

The difference is that you're looking at the facts of physics, chemistry,
biology, etc... I'm looking at the facts of the human condition.

I am saying that in order for halakhah to work, it much fit the workers
of people. And since people are moved by what they experience firsthand,
we care more about the experiences the universe offers than by the
details of the working by which it does so.

By saying that that in order for halakhah to work, it must fit the
workings of the universe, in effect you are implying that halakhah's
goals are to move the universe, to effect cosmic changes. That's actually
pretty mystical.

But the details of how people work, how to hone minds and souls, is no
less Truth or "fact" than the topics of the harder sciences.

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger             If you won't be better tomorrow
micha at aishdas.org        than you were today,
http://www.aishdas.org   then what need do you have for tomorrow?
Fax: (270) 514-1507              - Rebbe Nachman of Breslov