[Avodah] History Scenarios and (Emunas) Chachamim??

[Allan Engel]

I heard a quote from R' Hershel Shachter on the issue of paskening from
archeological finds.
The Gemoro in Bava Basra quotes a story of a Tanna who was shown the ancient
meisei midbar in the desert. When he returned, he was rebuked by his
colleagues for not ascertaining whether their tzitzis had three or four
strings. Seemingly, these Tannaim had no qualms about paskening halocho
lema'aseh from historical artifacts.


2009/3/30 Harvey Benton <harveybenton at yahoo.com>

> When conflicting medrashic/Talmudic statements describe the same event,
> (with or without direct immediate halachic implications – like which fruit
> Adam ate in Gan Eden, or was their ever a ir hanidachas/ben sorer u’more)
> how/why should we believe the chachamim on other issues?
>
> It has been mentioned (Joseph Pearlman/Kolel Iyun Hadaf Yerushalayim in the
> name of the Chazon Ish) that if the original sefer Torah that Moshe
> received was found it would be discarded if it differed from the versions we
> currently have today.  Assume for the moment that this is true, what
> theoretically would be the implications for the Bais Shlish vis a vis the
> Menorah and/or the lettering on the Tzitz of the Kohen Gadol?  In the
> absence of the originals say we were to construct a menorah in say Year 1 of
> the Geulah,  with a certain shape (say straight-arms), and then 40 years
> later the original Menorah turned up; would we still hold by straight-armed
> one that we had constructed, or would we have to admit our (historical)
> error and either re-construct a new menorah (with curved arms), or use the
> original Menorah that had been found (also with curved arms).
>
> Similar scenarious could apply to Rashi/ Rabeinu Tam/Shmushei Raba and/or
> Raivad Tefillins etc?  Do we Care what either: what Hashem told Moshe or Bnei
> Yisrael to wear? Or do we ignore historical facts, despite the fact that
> either Moshe Rabeinu himself could tell us (techiyas Hameisim) or Eliyahu
> Hanavi (or someone else) could reveal to us the exact and necessary order of
> the parshios.  Simila reasoning could apply to the chilazon
> fish/techeiles, other scenarios, etc.
>
> All the best from galus L
>
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