[Avodah] rational?

[Ira Tick]

It seems clear to me that while some discussions of metaphysics and
mysticism clearly attempt, through metaphor or direct description, to
explain spiritual or physical phenomenon in the world of objects and
actions, the real divide between rationalism and mysticism can be dispensed
with as follows:

1) Admitting, as MB does, that mysticism is a state of mind that relishes in
the mystery of events that do not follow strict rules (or are simply
irreducible), but doesn't dismiss or deny the right of the curious mind to
attempt to understand and explain those events.  Clearly, their exists for
any society and for each individual a balance between the value of
experiences of wonder and experiences of keen insight.

2) Explaining mystery not as an alternate method of explaining or
approaching events, but as a means of relating to intangible truths which
have no urgent need for explanation or relationship to the objective
description of events or processes.  For example, chomer and tzura can be
explained as relating to ideas present in the Platonic philosophy of
forms--which Plato believed to be real ontological entities and Aristotle
explained away as a priori constructs in the mind--but instead as a way of
viewing and appreciating the dichotomy between raw material and finished
form, or between given resource and ideal end, or between reality as it is
and the value or meaning we provide it in context, etc.

To further illustrate this meaning of mysticism, I will quote, as I'm fond
of doing, that very spiritually attuned person, Mr. Lincoln:

"The mystic chords of memory, stretching from every battlefield and patriot
grave to every living heart and hearthstone all over this broad land, will
yet swell the chorus of the Union, when again touched, as surely they will
be, by the better angels of our nature."


The use of "mystic" here, and the physical metaphors of "stretching,"
"swell," and "touch" arte not meant to convey some attribution of credit for
human memory to the infathomable nature of Divine wisdom, nor are they meant
to be explanations--rational or otherwise--for the phenomenon of memory and
its significance, but rather a means of creatively expressing emotional
experiences of yearning that are entwined with the meaningful experience of
memory.  No conflict whatsoever here with physics, psychology, religion, or
neuroscience, just beautiful poetic words that evoke a deeper appreciation
and experience of common humanity.  Oh, and by the way, the words are the
chomer, and the poetry the tzurah, or is it that the battelfields and
patriot graves are the chomer and the memories and angels of our nature are
the tzura?  You decide.
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