[Avodah] Abiogenesis

[Michael Makovi]

> As for the existential attitude WRT uncertainty.... If a person confuses
> 2 chatichos shuman with one of cheilev in a manner such that the cheilev
> isn't qavu'ah, he can eat all three pieces of fat. The rishonim argue
> about whether he could eat a stew containing all three, but if were to
> eat one after the other, hakol modim it is permitted.
>
> Once he ate all the fat we /know/ he must have eaten something that was
> ontologically cheilev. However, it's irrelevent. What matters is that when
> eating each peice, he ate something he related to as probably shuman. The
> halachic state is in how he thinks about the fat, not determining what
> the fat is.
>
> Give up this assumption that it's ontology, that what's really out there
> that is relevent rather than how we experience what's there and thus how
> it changes us and thus how we accomplish our life's goal. Then it's not
> about "pretending" anything.
>
> Tir'u baTov!
> -Micha

Hmm, I'll have to think of a way to rationalize the fat halacha to fit
with my preconceived notion...where is this brought? I've only gotten
as far as a person who eats three pieces of chelev in two he'elems and
brings a chatat; grira d'grira says only one chatat.

Anyway though, Drashot haRan number five comes to mind, when he says
that he follows the opinion that tumah has a concrete effect. Now, I
disagree with him, because Bamidbar Rabbah on Chukat seems to clearly
show that tumah is not a concrete reality (spiritual or physical), but
rather a symbolism with a lesson to impart. But I'd agree with him
that it's ontological, whether the reality is physical/spiritual or
symbolic.

And I'd say that if I kill a louse, I was NOT "feeling" in my gut at
the time that it was okay because I can't see it reproduce even though
my mind knew it reproduces. Rather, I was feeling, egad, I just killed
a louse! Yes, I know that l'fi ha halacha it is mutar, but I still
feel that it was wrong! I still feel like I did shechita on Shabbat,
even if I know intellectually that I didn't.

In other words, you said that according to my knowledge the louse
reproduces, but we go by feeling, that it doesn't.

But it is just the opposite. I know intellectually that it doesn't
reproduce halachically, but I feel like it is asur.

So even according to your own shita, it ought to be asur. As for me,
everything's b'shlama. <grin>

Mikha'el Makovi