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<DIV><FONT face=Calibri><FONT face="Times New Roman">On Tue, Feb 01, 2011 at
06:39:15AM -0500, Prof. Levine wrote:<BR>> Question: If this indeed the
case, namely, that "from plumbing the <BR>> depths of the Torah he can
know all the wisdom of the world," then why <BR>> is there no mention
in the GRA's sefer Aiyel Meshulash of Torah sources <BR>> for the mathematics
he presents? YL</FONT><BR><BR>CM asks:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Calibri></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Calibri>I think the more interesting question is: Are all
things (Chachmos, ideas or logic) derived from Torah, themselves Torah? I have
always assumed this to be true (without any proof - axiomatic). If true, then
the 6 chachmos are themselves Torah too. If not, where do you draw the line
between Torah ideas and non-Torah ideas? If true, why am I not mekayeim limud
Torah when studying algebra, Geometry, Trig, Calculus, Diff. Eq. etc. I
limit my examples to math since in this realm it is reasonably easy to discuss
chachmos we know to be definitely true. (Sh'ain bahem shum dofi). In the
other sciences it becomes more difficult to point to chachmos that are
absolutely true. Ie., Newtonian physics is pretty good, but as we all know is
but an approximation to the truth, ditto for classical physics vs quantum
mechanics both of which are extremely good approximations in their areas of
application, but both of which are false in the ultimate sense. This becomes
more true as we move to those sciences that depend on statistics and
approximations for more and more of their content etc. But in theory, any kernel
of truth in them that we know to be certainly true, the same question would
apply, Why is this not Torah, if this is also derivable from Torah? [Also if
"Chafoch bah vechafoch bah, decola bah," then why only 6 branches of
chachma, why not all chachma - unless of course that beraisa categorizes ALL
knowledge into 6 branches.] [Not sure where that would leave Chemistry, Biology
(DNA), etc, if we have distilled real kernels of truth or just very useful
approximations).</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Calibri></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Calibri>The underlying assumption in all of this is that
anything that is false will of course not be derivable from Torah. Thus
approximations that are in the ultimate sense false (even though useful) would
not be derivable or part of "decola bah." Am I building castles in the
air?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> <FONT face=Calibri>Kol Tuv</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Calibri></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Calibri>Chaim Manaster</FONT></DIV>
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