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<a style="color:#999 ! important;font-size:22px;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,Sans-Serif;font-weight:normal;" href="http://www.aishdas.org/asp">Comments for Aspaqlaria</a>
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<a style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,Sans-Serif;font-size:18px;margin-bottom:3px;" href="http://www.aishdas.org/asp/2006/10/the-unobservable-the-unobserved-and-the-observed.shtml#comment-97">Comment on The Unobservable, the Unobserved, and the Observed by Jacob Farkas</a>
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<span>Posted:</span> 02 Nov 2006 06:01 AM CST</h3>
<div class="itemcontent"><p>I am not reading the gemara as science. I suggested that had science been available in the times of Gemara the Gemara would have read differently.</p>
<p>Hazal make a Drashah from the Pasuq - Hasheretz Hashoreitz al ha’aretz - that it excludes that which never reached the soil. Hazal took a cue from the Pasuq, knowing (based on their information) that there were two types of Sheratzim, those that were from the environment in large, and those that were “born” inside of other objects, that when the Torah wrote ‘Al Ha’aretz’ it was specific in the exclusion of the latter. Such a Drashah, a Miut, could only exist in conjunction with the belief that there are two seperate categories.</p>
<p>To establish parameters is one thing, as in the rule of “nir’ah l’ayin,” that a bug needs to be visible to the naked eye to be considered Halakhicly relevant. But this may have another reasoning, other than Halakhah ignoring objective existence, rather we invoke Shelo Ni’t'nah Torah l’malakhei haShareis, that the Torah is to be experienced by people, and so application of the law has to be consistent with human experience.</p>
<p>The Torah may thus never REQUIRE that one use tools or methods that are beyond average human capacity. However, would this necessarily mean that Halakhah itself is bound by these limitations, that Hazal would apply a Mi’ut in a Pasuq for a category that doesn’t really exist, but is only perceived to be so? I would think not.</p>
<p>Furthermore, while the Torah does not expect a person to use ‘methods’ that are beyond average human capacity, it may not ignore the findings of such methods. By insisting that Halakhah itself needs to be in the boundaries of the phenomenological universe, you are de facto excluding the possibility of applying any evidence or information gleaned from the natural universe.</p>
<p>I agree that Qiyum HaMitzvos should be limited to human parameters, but establishing facts in Halakhah, facts that may affect Qiyum HaMitzvos, Halakhah should use every tool available to establish truth, particularly in an era where average humans rely on everyday science in flight, surgery, hurricane/earthquake warnings, GPS, Radio, etc. Should Halakhah ignore these in today’s era, it wouldn’t be addressing the current human condition. </p>
<p>Should we find error in Hazal with today’s science, as with the Drashah of Al Ha’aretz, we need to resolve the matter within our legal framework, and that favors the precedent. Should there be sufficient need and rabinnic will to overturn precedent, there is no reason that they shouldn’t. Emunah in the words of Hazal is not harmed by the fact that they used faulty information. If anything, the fact that they trusted science enough to make a D’rashah in a Pasuq, should be a lesson in courage of conviction for all future Halakhic decisors.
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<a style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,Sans-Serif;font-size:18px;margin-bottom:3px;" href="http://www.aishdas.org/asp/2005/05/qedushah.shtml#comment-96">Comment on Qedushah by Aspaqlaria » Blog Archive » Al Netilas Yadayim</a>
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<span>Posted:</span> 01 Nov 2006 02:43 PM CST</h3>
<div class="itemcontent"><p>[…] To obtain holiness […]
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<a style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,Sans-Serif;font-size:18px;margin-bottom:3px;" href="http://www.aishdas.org/asp/2006/06/asher-yatzer.shtml#comment-95">Comment on Asher Yatzer by Aspaqlaria » Blog Archive » Birchos haTorah</a>
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<span>Posted:</span> 01 Nov 2006 02:43 PM CST</h3>
<div class="itemcontent"><p>[…] Birchos haTorah June 15th, 2006 5:44 am This week’s shiur (audio recording) concludes a series on aspectsof the soul. With Asher Yatzar we looked at man’s ability to exist in and relate to the physical world. This is followed by E-lokai Neshamah, and our connection to heaven and man’s higher calling. Now we look at the universe we hold within our heads, our ability to change and grow, and become better at existence on all three planes. […]
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<a style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,Sans-Serif;font-size:18px;margin-bottom:3px;" href="http://www.aishdas.org/asp/2006/10/birkhas-ahavah_20.shtml#comment-94">Comment on Birkhas Ahavah by Aspaqlaria » Blog Archive » Shema Yisrael</a>
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<span>Posted:</span> 01 Nov 2006 02:25 PM CST</h3>
<div class="itemcontent"><p>[…] In this week’s shiur we concluded Birkhas Ahavah and started Shema with the origin of “Kel Melekh Ne’eman” and some thoughts on its first sentence. Some of the topics discussed: […]
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<a style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,Sans-Serif;font-size:18px;margin-bottom:3px;" href="http://www.aishdas.org/asp/2006/07/rest-is-commentary.shtml#comment-93">Comment on … The rest is commentary by Aspaqlaria » Blog Archive » Ethics and Morality</a>
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<span>Posted:</span> 01 Nov 2006 11:00 AM CST</h3>
<div class="itemcontent"><p>[…] Where does this moral drive come from? Freud saw choice as being between the Id, the desires with which we are born, and the Super-Ego, recordings of all the rules our parents and society have placed upon us. But in Jewish thought, there is a soul. It’s not only repression of natural desire to conform to a higher calling, it’s also the satisfaction of an equally innate human need, the desires of the soul. Not believing in it doesn’t mean one can’t hear its call. Perhaps this ties in to the answer Hillel gave one of the people who approached him to convert. In the post “… the Rest is Commentary” I discuss his answer to the impatient convert (which again I recommend reading in full): “What you hate, do not do to your peer: that is the whole Torah, the rest is the commentary. Go and learn it.” […]
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<a style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,Sans-Serif;font-size:18px;margin-bottom:3px;" href="http://www.aishdas.org/asp/2006/10/the-unobservable-the-unobserved-and-the-observed.shtml#comment-92">Comment on The Unobservable, the Unobserved, and the Observed by micha</a>
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<span>Posted:</span> 01 Nov 2006 08:41 AM CST</h3>
<div class="itemcontent"><p>I don’t think you took my chidush as far as I intended it to go.</p>
<p>I’m suggesting that halakhah is unconcerned with what is scientifically out there. I would agree that chazal were presumably convinced that these bugs reproduced abiogenetically, that being the best science of the day. But they never claimed that was the basis of the halakhah, or even made a scientific claim in support of the pesaq. When chazal say that the maggots were born of the meat they weren’t trying to describe the biology, but how we experience maggots arising. We don’t experience any piryah verivyah in their life cycle, and that’s all chazal is saying.</p>
<p>Your question only arises because you’re reading the words of the gemara as a science text. I’m suggesting it’s not.</p>
<p>I admit there is a complication in that the classical thinker never expected there to be a divergence between the observed and what’s really out-there. A world of invisible fields and forces, of microscopic biology, etc… But that’s not to say they necessarily made their statements on both levels.</p>
<p>Particularly since, as in my previous post, I feel there is both theological and linguistic reasons to believe halakhah should not be concerned with things that make little impression on us on a gut level.</p>
<p>As for the use of new forms of evidence, that’s subject to machloqes. We’re discussing shitos about the usability of DNA evidence on Avodah right now, in fact. See the threads <a href=http://www.aishdas.org/avodah/getindex.cgi?section=E#ESTABLISHING%20MAMZERUT rel="nofollow">Extablishing Mamzerut</a> and <a href=http://www.aishdas.org/avodah/getindex.cgi?section=D#DNA%20TESTING rel="nofollow">DNA testing</a> and related offshoots.</p>
<p>But the whole subject of material evidence seems not to be discussed much in the gemara, as far as I can tell.</p>
<p>-mi
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