[Avodah] "God who knows the future"

[Micha Berger]

On Sun, Jul 31, 2011 at 20:09, David Riceman <driceman at optimum.net> wrote:
: I happened accross a curious Ramban recently (Parshas Shlah...
:                                                        so that maybe they
: would remember and return to God (ulay yizkru v'yashuvu el hashem)."

I emailed RDR the following summation of how he and I read the Ramban
differently, and he agreed to its accuracy. I therefore want to share
the two possibilities with the chevrah.

I'm saying that "ulai" introduces one hypothetical outcome (from ilu lo,
lulei, ulam), and needn't be that we are entertaining hypotheticals due
to doubt. And when the Rambam earlier called HQBH the "Yodeia' asidos",
he was ascribing to HQBH knowledge of the future with no exceptions.

RDR us saying that "Yodeia' asidos" describes HQBH as knowing some of
the future, and needn't mean He knows how we will decide. Whereas ulai
(as quoted above) does mean Divine uncertainty.

We each find the other's read improbable.

-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger             Zion will be redeemed through justice,
micha at aishdas.org        and her returnees, through righteousness.
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