[Avodah] History?

[Saul Guberman]

On Tue, Aug 21, 2012 at 1:22 PM, Rich, Joel <JRich at sibson.com> wrote:

>  I was struck by these 2 views of history. It would be interesting to
> consider where on the spectrum we as individuals and communities fall out.
> KT
> Joel Rich
>

Doesn't TANACH & many of the stories in the Gemorah contradict RSS's
thesis?  Good and bad stories are told of the same people or same types of
people.  I think both types are purposely put in to inspire us.  Why
conflate inspirational stories with history?

Saul




>
>
>

> ====================================================
> http://www.jewishideasdaily.com/4815/features/until-a-hundred-twenty/
>
>  <SNIP>
>  And how does fulfilling the historian’s duty help us “face” the present
> and future?  It is, of course, too soon to tell in any simple sense; but,
> although historians cannot predict the future, “there are certain things
> that the historian can and should do.  He can look at what has been
> happening and what is happening and see change developing.”  By doing so,
> Lewis says, “he can formulate, I will not say predictions, but
> possibilities, alternative possibilities, things that may happen.”
> =============================================================
>
> Rabbi Shimon Schwab & Historic Truth
>
> SNIP
>
What is gained by pointing out their inadequacies and their contradictions?
> We want to be inspired by their example and learn from their experience...
> Rather than write the history of our forebears, every generation has to put
> a veil over the human failings of its elders and glorify all the rest which
> is great and beautiful. That means we have to do without a real history
> book. We can do without. We do not need realism, we need inspiration from
> our forefathers in order to pass it onto posterity.
>
> Selected Writings (Lakewood, 1988)
>
>
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