[Avodah] Must we agree with the Torah?

[Micha Berger]

On Wed, Aug 14, 2013 at 12:16:52AM -0500, Lisa Liel wrote:
> On 8/13/2013 6:00 PM, Micha Berger wrote:
>> We were discussing "asei Retzono kirtoznkha", which doesn't have this
>> limitation. And implies we should not only do His Will because it's
>> His Will, but we should try to adapt our desires to match His.

> I have to disagree.  The use of "ratzon" as "desire" is a modern  
> development.  It means "will", and there's no implication whatsoever,  
> IMO, that we should try to adapt our "desires" to match His.  Only our 
> will.

In Kerisus 13a, milk the mother expressed is leratzon, and milk that
emerged on its own is not. This is beyond "feelings of compulsion", and
actually refers to being done by choice or the body doing it without any
(conscious?) involvement by the mind.

But the wall between will and desire isn't /that/ high. Ratzon is also
the atonymn to be'oneis. For example, all through davening we ask for
things to be done, and done beratzon. If ratzon is the power to do,
and not that it be done willingly, because the person desires to, then
what is being added? Similarly, "eis ratzon".

"The mental faculty
by which one deliberately chooses or decides upon a course of action"
(American Heritage Dict. "will") chooses among the desiderata. Therefore,
to follow Hashem's Ratzon willingly, rather than from feelings of compulsion,
one would perforce have to get one's desires aligned with what He wants
us to do. (Which is how I worded it in my earlier post, quoted above.)


Back in 2002 we discussed the various meanings of "umasbia lekhol chai
ratzon", which doesn't trivially work grammatically. Common translations
take it as a poetic form of "retzon kol chai" -- Hashem satisfies all
desires, or as per the Roqeiach (provided by RYZ zt"l) and the Malbim
as though it were "umasbia lekol chai beratzon" -- Hashem willingly
satistfies. R' Kook writes that it's praising Hashem for providing each
living being with desires, so that we aren't overcome with innui. R'
Shim'on Schwab taes it as a praise that He provides us with desirability,
so that other people are more willing to help us.

Someone tried to take the conversation to Chumash, "Naftali seva ratzon,
umaleih birkhas Hashem", but no one followed.

Each of these imply a meaning for "ratzon", so it may be worth visiting
that conversation http://j.mp/14KiRC3 or
http://www.aishdas.org/avodah/getindex.cgi?section=P#POSAIACH%20ES%20YODECHO%20UMASBIA%20LCHOL%20CHAI%20RATZON

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger             Every second is a totally new world,
micha at aishdas.org        and no moment is like any other.
http://www.aishdas.org           - Rabbi Chaim Vital
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