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<DIV>RMB wrote:</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman">"Leaves me unsatisfied" is not proof that an
idea is false.<BR><BR>We live in an era where rapid scientific and engineering
progress has<BR>been going on for so long that poeple take it for granted.
Coginitive<BR>Man and his quest to "umil'u es haaretz *vekivshuha" is so good
at<BR>controlling and mastering his environment, we see the whole
world<BR>through his eyes.<BR><BR>This assumption that everything must be
scientific is why the Man of<BR>Faith is lonelier today than ever
before.<BR><BR>I think the zeitgeist is broken, and misleading you into seeking
answers<BR>to questions that aren't real.</FONT><BR></DIV>
<DIV>CM responds:</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I am not talking about being scientific, but I am expecting for truth to
prevail in Torah to the best ability. I do look to science for our best notion
of what the factual truth may be. (Understanding that some sciences are much
better than others at being at or close to the truth than others, and that from
time to time science learns some new tricks as well). Even with possible new
scientific discoveries, it is fairly clear that much of modern science is here
to stay and if any adjustments will be made they will be at the margins of
current thought. If one believes Chazal to be infallible in matters of science
then these questions are very real. If on the other hand one assumes that Chazal
used the best scientific information available at their time then all the
questions are not real and fall away.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>RMB wrote:</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman">Think about how you think about a plant. Most
of the water comes from<BR>under it, and then there is also water from
elsewhere. Ther issue isn't<BR>one of majority (a measurably quantity) but of
iqar (what people consider<BR>essential).</FONT><BR></DIV>
<DIV>CM responds:</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>How I think about it does not matter. I think the question of “majority” vs
“iqar (what people consider essential)” as you put it is a novel idea of your
invention, one I do not subscribe to. And I am not sure the average person
thinks the way you suppose in any case. Even today, the average person, who has
had no exposure to botany 101, would not assume any yunika through the leaves
from the atmosphere –just via the roots, kal vechomer for the average person
bimay Chazal (but clearly Chazal where already aware that the leaves play a role
and are involved in the nutrition of the plant – even if this is from the sun
and atmosphere and not from the earth via the air.)</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Kol Tuv</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Chaim Manaster</DIV>
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