[Avodah] (1) Re: The Census Numbers In Bmidbar, and (2) Half-Truths

[Allan Engel, Akiva Miller and Jay F. Shachter]

Modeator's note:
This discussion is somewhat on topic, being about HP and free will. But
as you will see, it isn't the list's usual fare. With the current
less-than-overwhelming volume, I chose to include it. But as a compromise,
I am collapsing the following email exchange into a single post. I was
able to trim the quoting signature files, etc... that way.

-micha

--


From: <allan.engel at gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 7 Jul 2025 17:32:18 +0100
Subject: Re: [Avodah] The Census Numbers In Bmidbar

On Sun, 29 Jun 2025 at 16:25, Akiva Miller via Avodah wrote:
> Way back when Hashem put confusing numbers in His Torah, He knew exactly
> when and where R' Jay F. Shachter would post:

By saying that "He knew exactly when and where R' Jay F. Shachter would
post", you are diminishing (or removing completely) the schar due to R' JFS
for the time and effort that he puts into his learning and his search to
understand Toras Hasheim. There was nothing pre-determined about it.

--

From: Akiva Miller <akivagmiller at gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 7 Jul 2025 13:06:42 -0400
Subject: Re: [Avodah] The Census Numbers In Bmidbar

You are absolutely correct, and I apologize.

When I wrote what I did, my intention was to make a playful parody of
something that I have seen R' Jay F. Shachter write several times, namely:
> Centuries ago, Nostradamus predicted that Akiva
> Miller would write on Mon Jun 16 08:56:34 2025:

However, now that RAE has brought my attention to the matter, it seems that
RJFS never posted those words to the Avodah readership as a whole. I saw
them only when RJFS sent me a personal response to something that I had
posted. If I had realized this before, I would never have made a public
parody.

RJFS is a wonderful example of someone who obviously spends a lot of time
researching his posts, and figuring out how to write them in a clear and
entertaining way. I always enjoy reading his posts - even when I disagree -
and I have learned a great deal from him over the years.

--

Subject: Half-Truths
From: "Jay F. Shachter" <jay at m5.chicago.il.us>
Date: Mon, 7 Jul 2025 22:30:57 -0500 (EDT)

Centuries ago, Nostradamus predicted that Akiva Miller would write on
Mon Jul 7 12:06:42 2025:
> RJFS is a wonderful example of someone who obviously spends a lot of
> time researching his posts, and figuring out how to write them in a
> clear and entertaining way.  I always enjoy reading his posts - even
> when I disagree - and I have learned a great deal from him over the
> years.

Pursuant to the by-laws of our mutual admiration society, I must now
proclaim my high opinion of R' Akiva Miller.  However, our Sages have
instructed us that one must speak all of a man's praise in his
absence, but only half of a man's praise in his presence.  I therefore
proclaim, for all to hear, that R' Akiva Miller is a half-scholar and
a half-gentleman, but, what is more important, he is half of an
erlikher yid, and half of a mensch.  His most impressive quality,
however, is his judgement of character.  Truly, I have never known
anyone else who is twice as gifted as R' Akiva Miller in judging the
character of others.  And everything that I have written here tonight
is half true.

               Jay F. ("Yaakov") Shachter
...
               When Martin Buber was a schoolboy, it must have been
               no fun at all playing tag with him during recess.