[Avodah] skeptics

[Micha Berger]

On Tue, November 13, 2007 5:15 pm, Richard Wolpoe wrote:
: That is perhaps why the Kafich's "leidah es Hasehm" is supeior over
: "lehaamin..."  because knowing/experiencing is superior than either
: logical belief or even "blind belief."

I find it very difficult to believe that that's the distinction R'
el-Qafeh was making in insisting the Arabic should be translated as
yedi'ah rather than emunah. Look at Yesodei haTorah 2:1... The Rambam
clearly gives value to philosophical knowledge of G-d. Where does he
ever explicitly speak of direct experience? I think the Rambam, like
the philosophers of his time, didn't consider experience possible
without that philosophic preparation.

"Ratzah HQBH lezakos es Yisrael..." The Rambam says that this is to
give us many opportunities to have that epiphany into His Nature
necessary to get olam haba. Not because Hashem wanted us to have an
active relationship with Him.

And in fact, I've heard RYQ's "leidah" explained to mean just this --
intellectual knowledge rather than some "warm fuzzy" but less certain
faith...

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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