[Avodah] Must we agree with the Torah?

[Micha Berger]

On Fri, Aug 09, 2013 at 01:53:58PM -0400, Zev Sero wrote:
> On 9/08/2013 1:43 PM, Micha Berger wrote:
>> So it could be a position somewhere between "because He said so" and
>> "because it makes sense" -- "because I trust that whatever He says
>> does make sense."

> This. Except not *because* I trust that. I do trust that it makes sense,
> but the "naaseh" doesn't depend on that; we would do it even if we somehow
> knew that it didn't make sense...

Personally, I wouldn't follow a god who insisted on things that don't
make sense even to Him.

I could, in theory, accept the Rambam's idea that the mitzvah has a
purpose but some details are simply to the tune of: If Hashem told
you to take a pepper rather than an esrog we would instead be asking,
"Why a pepper?" But since Hashem created esrogim and peppers along with
the mitzvah, I don't personally believe that. He didn't have to choose
among the existing fruit, Hashem more likely designed just the perfect
one for His purposes for the mitzvah.

Back to the point: while I would feel just as compellingly about following
a mitzvah in all its details even if I thought that some details were
arbitrary, just because He had to specify /something/. But I don't think
I could respect or obey a god I thought capable of ordering meaningless
actions. It would boil down to yir'as ha'onesh -- avoiding G-d's whip,
rather than obeying Him Himself.

:-)BBii!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger             Despair is the worst of ailments. No worries
micha at aishdas.org        are justified except: "Why am I so worried?"
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