[Avodah] Sheidim = microbes?

Micha Berger micha at aishdas.org
Wed May 29 15:14:32 PDT 2019


On Wed, May 22, 2019 at 03:55:29PM -0400, Alexander Seinfeld via Avodah wrote:
: I have heard it said in the name of Rav Ahron Soloveichik (Logic of the
: Heart) that some of what Chazal tell us about sheidim might refer to (or
: apply to) microbes...

His shitah is more general than that. At times sheidim and maziqin refer
to mental illness or hallucinations too. Which explains their connection to
night, to being alone, that those who are more fixated on them are more
likely to be victimized.

RAS's shitah is that Chazal (at least the Bavel branch) lived in a sociaty
where the theory explaining these phenomenon used a different model of
invisible cause than science found. It's not supersticious, but it's not
"a sheid is a bacterium", either.

See Logic of the Mind, Logic of the Heart pp 50-52.

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger                 Today is the 39th day, which is
http://www.aishdas.org/asp   5 weeks and 4 days in/toward the omer.
Author: Widen Your Tent      Netzach sheb'Yesod: What is imposing about a
- https://amzn.to/2JRxnDF                        reliable person?


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