<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" ><tr><td valign="top" style="font: inherit;"><DIV><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">This was part of a thread on Areivim. But the following comment generated a few of my own thoughts which I think belong on Avodah. - HM</SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">--- On <B>Fri, 4/24/09, Micha Berger <I><micha@aishdas.org></I></B> wrote:<BR></DIV>
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<BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: rgb(16,16,255) 2px solid">
<DIV class=plainMail>My grandfather was born in Suvalke (a city, not a shtetl) to a family<BR>that owned a plant for dying textiles. Not life in Anatevka. And yet<BR>the O community was much more like Tevya, with a simpler faith than<BR>we have but more more deep.</DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></SPAN>
<DIV><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Some random thoughts come to mind.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">What does this say about Emunah Peshuta versus Emunah through rational thought?<o:p></o:p></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">What we experience today weakens the depth of our faith - and that is based on the give and take between Torah knowledge and worldly knowledge through the medium of rational thought. <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">We have greater access to both disciplines than our European ancestors. And that makes Emunah Peshuta almost impossible to rely upon. <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Questions arise and must be dealt with. Sometimes there are no satisfying answers and we remain with questions and contradictions. That weakens deep faith. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">For those who have less exposure to worldly knowledge and know only Torah as is the case in Charedi </SPAN><?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:country-region><st1:place><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Israel</SPAN></st1:place></st1:country-region><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> - simple faith is easier to have. Without worldly knowledge there are no questions.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">This fact is in part responsible for the increasing numbers of Frum Jews who have a crisis of faith when they encounter these contradictions.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">I think faith is strengthened to a certain degree when such questions are answered properly. But at the same time I think the depth of such faith cannot be compared to the pure and unquestioning faith of Emunah Peshuta.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Does that mean worldly knowledge should be avoided? That is what the Torah Only Hashkafa advocates. And perhaps they have a point. But how can you ask people to remain ignorant?<o:p></o:p></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">And in the current climate of instant information – it is becoming increasingly difficult if not impossible to avoid getting enough general knowledge to start having questions of faith.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">And once a question enters your mind it is impossible to deny or negate it. If that thought contains a kernel of doubt without satisfactory answers - how is it even possible to have the deep faith of our ancesters? <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Fun A Kashe Shtarbt Min Nisht. But one’s Emunah does get tested if one remains with a Kashe.</SPAN></DIV>
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<DIV>HM</DIV>
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<DIV>Want Emes and Emunah in your life? <BR><BR>Try this: http://haemtza.blogspot.com/<BR><BR></DIV></DIV></td></tr></table><br>