[Avodah] Akeidah of the Mind

[Prof. Levine via Avodah]

The following is from pages 588 - 590 of Rav Schwab on Chumash.

Please note the words "Hakadosh Baruch Hu gave the human being a mind 
to understand
Him. Whatever one studies in the world, be it science, history, economics,
mathematics, or anything else, it is actually the study of the revelations of
Hakadosh Baruch Hu. Our mind is given to us to enable us to understand
as much about C-d as is humanly possible. This is borne out in many
places throughout Torah and Nach ... This means that we are not merely
to accept that which our forefathers have taught us about C-d but
we are to attempt to know, to understand as much as we can about
Hashem ...


The Rav (Rav Shimon Schwab, ZT"L) was firmly convinced that since 
Moshe emes v'Toraso emes, the Torah
and our Rabbinic mesorah are inviolable and, one day, answers would be found
answers these questions. He would say that sometimes one must offer 
his mind as an
"akeidah" to Hakadosh Baruch Hu where human reasoning has not yet found
answers to apparent contradictions between the inviolable eternal 
truth of the Torah,
the truthful writing (Daniel 10:21), and historical or scientific 
finds which are subject
to change. In his lectures on Iyov, he offered the following comments 
on this subject.

"... By accepting C-d's command, Avraham Avinu had sacrificed
his own mind to comply with the will of Hakadosh Baruch Hu.
While Avraham attempts to understand C-d, nevertheless, when C-d1s
command contradicts that understanding, Avraham sacrifices his mind
to the will of C-d, just as one would forfeit his life if the halachah
required it, rather than violate the three cardinal sins.

"Hakadosh Baruch Hu gave the human being a mind to understand
Him. Whatever one studies in the world, be it science, history, economics,
mathematics, or anything else, it is actually the study of the revelations of
Hakadosh Baruch Hu. Our mind is given to us to enable us to understand
as much about C-d as is humanly possible. This is borne out in many
places throughout Torah and Nach ... This means that we are not merely
to accept that which our forefathers have taught us about C-d but
we are to attempt to know, to understand as much as we can about
Hashem ...

"... This is why the mitzvah of learning Torah is so important; in fact
it is our most important mitzvah. When we learn Torah, we employ
our mind in the service of Hakadosh Baruch Hu by studying C-d's
will as revealed to us in the Torah. And if we have questions or
contradictions, we must use our mind to the best of our capacity to
attempt to resolve them within the parameters of Torah study.

"... So, while we are encouraged to use our mind, as much as reason
allows, to serve C-d, to understand Him, and to answer questions,
nevertheless, when all reason fails us, and we cannot go any further
with human understanding, when our mind is staggered, we must
be prepared to I/sacrifice our mind/I to Hakadosh Baruch Hu. We
must throw up our hands and say that Hakadosh Baruch Hu is right
whether we understand it or not. One could call this 'the akeidah of
the mind.'

"When science poses questions which seemingly contradict our
basic truths,  we must make an effort to answer these questions.  But if
the answers are elusive, we must sacrifice our mind and subjugate it
to the revealed truths of the Torah. Fortunately, baruch Hashem, as
yet, I have not found any questions of this sort- for instance, regarding
the age of the universe, evolution, ancient civilizations- for which I
have not found possible answers. But it could happen, and one has to
be ready for it. If suddenly a scientific discovery were to arise which
clearly seems to contradict the Torah, we would then have to admit
that the question is excellent but nevertheless, the Torah is right
because it is the revealed wisdom of Hakadosh Baruch Hu. It is
"Toras Emes, 11 absolute truth, all questions notwithstanding. Answers
will no doubt eventually be found to such contradictions, but in the
meantime, by accepting the veracity of the Torah without reservations,
we will have offered our mind as an 'akeidah' to Hakadosh Baruch
Hu.''

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