[Avodah] ohr lagoyim

[Micha Berger via Avodah]

On Fri, Jun 03, 2016 at 07:33:30AM -0700, saul newman via Avodah wrote:
: I suppose the answer is that pre-messianic times [ie golus] is our fault .
: so WE created the tyrranical Outsider who oppressed us and refused to
: listen to our message...

As R' Sholom and Rn Toby noted, it's not that we haven't brought light
to the world during galus. I would say that it's that the process is
so slow we do not notice it when looking in the timespan of a single
lifespan. We're watching the hour-hand and complaining it doesn't move.

The issue Lisa and I were discussing is whether "le'or goyim" implies
a chiyuv on our part, and if not, does the chiyuv people read into those
words exist anyway?

RBW assumes that it does, and therefore if we are unhappy with the rate
of progress, we should asume the light needs fixing, not that its
users are neglecting it.

But I have no doubt that our influence has had a central role in the
progress of civilization. Whether or not we consciously worked at it.

:-)BBii!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger             Today is the 41st day, which is
micha at aishdas.org        5 weeks and 6 days in/toward the omer.
http://www.aishdas.org   Yesod sheb'Yesod: What is the ultimate measure
Fax: (270) 514-1507                     of self-control and reliability?