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<p>In Avodah Digest V23#186, R'Micha wrote:<br>
> However, we have a universal minhag to say qaddish for 11 months based<br>
on the notion that the niftar, if he is not a rasha, spends a maximum<br>
of that time in gehenom. Note that the niftar is outside of space, but<br>
is assumed to still experience time, and not only that, but time<br>
roughly the same as someone moving at usual speeds in relation to the<br>
surface of planet earth.<br>
> However, the existence of time need not be as an external reality. The<br>
notion that time is a product of human perception of that reality<br>
would be sufficient to support bechirah. And WRT what I called the<br>
second question of time, that of its flow from past to future, REED<br>
says just that -- that it's a product of our perceptions as shaped by<br>
the eitz hada'as. See MmE vol II pp 150-154, the discussion at v14n11-<br>
n67, or just cheat and get my summary of the ma'amar as per the end of<br>
the discussion, at <<a href="http://tinyurl.com/3bqnjs">http://tinyurl.com/3bqnjs</a>>.<br>
> IOW, it's not important whether our bodies experience time as we<br>
perceive it. What the Torah discusses is the perception, time as part<br>
of a soul's existence. <<br>
In support of what small amount of Micha's thoughts I can bend my mind over: can we not infer from Ma'aseh B'reishis that time preceded that which is part of this world, even as it's a way (similar to anthropomorphism) in which this-worldly creations can comprehend what essentially is beyond comprehension?<br>
<br>
A guten Shabbes and all the best from<br>
--Michael Poppers via RIM pager<br>
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