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RMB--in response to my observation that ‘The Drashos HaRan (#5, I
think) writes (regarding the imperative to follow the Sages): …’‘the
spiritual gains in obeying the mitzva of following the Sages
counteracts the harmful consequences of the rare instances where the
Sages may be wrong.)--wrote:<br>
<br>
<blockquote>But this Ran is about sechar va'onesh, and explicitly not
about other metaphysical mechanics. Personally, I would argue that the
Ran and the Ikkarim (his talmid, who describes a very similar
hashkafah) don't actually believe there is such a thing.’‘<br>
</blockquote>
<br>
I got stuck here in your response. How can you say that the Ran is not
about metaphysical mechanics? The issue he is addressing--comprising
the first paragraph I had quoted--explicitly stated, ‘‘everything the
Torah warns us against is indeed harmful to us, and creates a negative
imprint on our souls, even though we may not know the mechanics behind
that process.’‘ <br>
<br>
Furthermore, you yourself then continue to refer to ‘‘the notion of the
Ran (Derashos haRan ch. 10) and his student R' Yosef Albo (Seifer
haIkarim 4:13), … that the effects of sin are to dirty the soul and
that the punishment of sin is that barrier blocking the soul's access
to Divine Good.’‘<br>
<br>
How then do you perceive that ‘‘this Ran is about sechar va'onesh, and
explicitly not about other metaphysical mechanics’‘? <br>
<br>
As I wrote, ‘‘He answers that the spiritual gains in obeying the mitzva
of following the Sages counteracts the harmful consequences of the rare
instances where the Sages may be wrong.’‘ His answer, as well as his
question, is in terms of ‘‘spiritual harm and gains,’‘ not just reward
and punishment.<br>
<br>
Zvi Lampel<br>
<br>
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