[Avodah] Fwd: A Different Approach to Sheidim
Micha Berger
micha at aishdas.org
Fri Mar 15 13:29:30 PDT 2013
On at 03:45:56PM EDT I quoted R' Mordechai Torczyner's (CC-ed) blog post
<http://rechovot.blogspot.com/2013/03/a-different-approach-to-sheidim.html>:
: The sages of the Talmud describe all sorts of experiences with sheidim
: -- creatures which are neither human nor beast, which may or may
: not be visible or tangible, and which affect our world in numerous
: ways. The term sheid is often translated, unsatisfyingly, as "demon".
RYBS, Confrontation (Tradition 1964 v6n2), cut-n-pasted from
<http://www.bc.edu/dam/files/research_sites/cjl/texts/cjrelations/resources/articles/soloveitchik>
or <http://j.mp/ZNQjTc>:
Second, the logos, the word, in which the multifarious religious
experience is expressed does not lend itself to standardization
or universalization. The word of faith reflects the intimate,
the private, the paradoxically inexpressible cravings of the
individual for and his linking up with his Maker. It reflects
the numinous character and the strangeness of the act of faith of
a particular community which is totally incomprehensible to the
man of a different faith community. Hence, it is important that
the religious or theological logos should not be employed as the
medium of communication between two faith communities whose modes
of expression are as unique as their apocalyptic experiences. The
confrontation should occur not at a theological but at a mundane
human level. There, all of us speak the universal language of modern
man. As a matter of fact our common interests lie in the realm of
faith, but in that of the secular orders.8 There, we all face a
powerful antagonist, we all have to contend with a considerable
number of matters of great concern. The relationship between two
communities must be outer-directed and related to the secular orders
with which men of faith come face to face. In the secular sphere,
we may discuss positions to be taken, ideas to be evolved, and
plans to be formulated. In these matters, religious communities
may together recommend action to be developed and may seize the
initiative to be implemented later by general society. However,
our joint engagement in this kind of enterprise must not dull our
sense of identity as a faith community. We must always remember
that our singular commitment to God and our hope and indomitable
will for survival are non-negotiable and non-rationalizable and are
not subject to debate and argumentation. The great encounter between
God and man is a wholly personal private affair incomprehensible to
the outsider - even to a brother of the same faith community. The
divine message is incommunicable since it defies all standardized
media of information and all objective categories. If the powerful
community of the many feels like remedying an embarrassing human
situation or redressing an historic wrong, it should do so at the
human ethical level. However, if the debate should revolve around
matters of faith, then one of the confronters will be impelled to
avail himself of the language of his opponent. This in itself would
mean surrender of individuality and distinctiveness.
Different faith communities divide the world in different categories,
look at it from different angles, and thus speak different languages.
Mapping ideas from one religion to another should probably be avoided
for this reason. In recasting one religion's concepts to anothers'
words and categories, one inevitably shifts the meanings of the concepts.
So, I would just leave sheidim as "sheidim". And (as per RSRH's critique
of the Rambam) avoid identifying mal'akhim with Greek notions of pure
intellects or HQBH with Aristo's Prime Mover. No matter how similar,
the parallel concepts are merely parallel -- not actually identical.
:-)BBii!
-Micha
--
Micha Berger The true measure of a man
micha at aishdas.org is how he treats someone
http://www.aishdas.org who can do him absolutely no good.
Fax: (270) 514-1507 - Samuel Johnson
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