[Avodah] Rav Elchanan Wasserman & Why People Sin

Micha Berger via Avodah avodah at lists.aishdas.org
Wed May 27 13:54:40 PDT 2015


On Wed, May 27, 2015 at 03:38:12PM -0400, H Lampel wrote:
: Indeed, the Rambam himself in the Moreh Nevuchim recognizes this
: distinction and supports the superior validity of the non-formal
: approach. Chapters after he devotes chapters to formal philosophic
: proofs for Creation ex nihilo, he describes how a healthy (and
: unbiased) mind thinks:
: 
:    And know that one of the strongest proofs for Creation ex nihilo, ...
:    is his confirming the fact that every one of all natural entities
:    serves a specific purpose, with each one benefiting still another;
:    and that this fact is a proof for the purposeful intent of an
:    intender, and that such purposeful intent necessarily implies the
:    production of something new [and not something that always existed
:    along with the one who bears the purposeful intention for its
:    existence]. (MN 3:13)

There is here an actually a reference to a formal proof. The Rambam recaps
a point made in 2:19-20.

And for that matter, if the Rambam was talking about not really needing
formal proof, despite spending much of sec. II on just that, why would it
be buried in a chapter that focuses on something else? 3:13 is about how
the universe has its own purpose. It is not just an arena designed for
the purpose of humans. He argues here with Aristo who says that plants
exist for the purpose of animals, and in general, that things exist for
the purpose of other things.

Besides, the Rambam writes in 3:51 in the mashal of the palace, that
people who believe because of tradition without having proof are like
those who wander around the chatzer, whereas someone with a proof is
like one who entered the prozdor.

Not Aristo's epistomology didn't analyze issues of proof vs other
justification. But clearly Reliabilism, trusting an idea found in a
source that has already been found to be reliable (hama'aminim ... derekh
qabalah), is not being considered good enough justification to fully
accomplish life's goal.

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger             Despair is the worst of ailments. No worries
micha at aishdas.org        are justified except: "Why am I so worried?"
http://www.aishdas.org                         - Rav Yisrael Salanter
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