[Avodah] Did Someone Forget Eilu v'eilu?

[Micha Berger]

On Fri, October 26, 2007 7:09 am, Richard Wolberg wrote:
: Rambam maintains that Avraham's encounter with the three messengers
: was not an actual event. It was a prophetic vision....

I argued here in the past otherwise. Yes, the Rambam says it was a
prophetic vision. However, the Rambam's notion of prophecy, at least
as explained by the Abarbanel, means that visions are of real events.
Non-physical ones, but real nonetheless.

I argued that the machloqes here with the Ramban is also about the
nature of prophecy -- is it communication via visions (Ramban) or
glimpses into metaphysical realities (Rambam). This is why their
machloqes about who was the Man on the Throne in Maaseh haMerkavah is
leshitasam. The Ramban says it was G-d -- no problem, because it's
just a symbol Hashem showed Yechezqeil (and Yirmiyahu, and before them
the 70 zeqeinim at har Sinai) to represent himself. The Rambam says
it's the kavod nivra; leshitaso it must be something real and
visualizable.

The bit about the Slifkin ban shouldn't have slipped through moderation.

SheTir'u baTov!
-micha

-- 
Micha Berger             One who kills his inclination is as though he
micha at aishdas.org        brought an offering. But to bring an offering,
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