[Avodah] Need For Secular Knowledge

[Micha Berger]

On Tue, Apr 17, 2018 at 07:56:42PM +0000, Jay F. Shachter via Avodah wrote:
: We need to have a secular education in order to come to a correct
: judgement about the credibility of the sages who preceded us.
:  ...
: `Ovadia MiBertinoro comments on the word "epitropos" on Bikkurim 1:5.
: He says that it is someone who acts as someone else's father although
: he is not the real father, and he derives it from "pater"...
:                              `Ovadia MiBertinoro got it wrong.

Are you arguing that we need to know secular knowledge to that we know
when Chazal, rishonim or acharonim based their post-facto explanations
are errors? What's the deep value of that? So that we question their
wisdom about things that have nothing to do with emunas chakhamim and
the fealty to the actual kelalei pesaq?

If you were arguing that we need to know what to pasqen about, not
post-facto rationalizations that are in error but opinions of the metzi'us
they are pasqening for... I agreed (and already posted) that a poseiq
from LOR on up can't pasqen without knowing such things. But the hamon
am?

Mind you, I believe in the value of secular knowledge in-and-of-itself.
Not just what you need to increase the likelihood of paying the bills.
But I just don't see this particular argument.


Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger             Today is the 19th day, which is
micha at aishdas.org        2 weeks and 5 days in/toward the omer.
http://www.aishdas.org   Hod sheb'Tifferes: When does harmony promote
Fax: (270) 514-1507                         withdrawal and submission?