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The following is from pages 588 - 590 of Rav Schwab on Chumash.<br><br>
Please note the words <font size=3><i>"Hakadosh Baruch Hu gave the
human being a mind to understand<br>
Him. Whatever one studies in the world, be it science, history,
economics,<br>
mathematics, or anything else, it is actually the study of the
revelations of<br>
</i>Hakadosh Baruch Hu. <i>Our mind is given to us to enable us to
understand<br>
as much about C-d as is humanly possible. This is borne out in many<br>
places throughout Torah and Nach ... This means that we are not
merely<br>
to accept that which our forefathers have taught us about C-d but<br>
we are to attempt to know, to understand as much as we can about<br>
Hashem ...<br><br>
<br>
</i>The Rav (Rav Shimon Schwab, ZT"L) was firmly convinced that
since <i>Moshe emes v'Toraso emes, </i>the Torah<br>
and our Rabbinic <i>mesorah </i>are inviolable and, one day, answers
would be found<br>
answers these questions. He would say that sometimes one must offer his
mind as an<br>
<i>"akeidah" </i>to <i>Hakadosh Baruch Hu </i>where human
reasoning has not yet found<br>
answers to apparent contradictions between the inviolable eternal truth
of the Torah,<br>
the <i>truthful writing (Daniel </i>10:21), and historical or scientific
finds which are subject<br>
to change. In his lectures on <i>Iyov, </i>he offered the following
comments on this subject.<br><br>
<i>"... By accepting C-d's command, Avraham Avinu had
sacrificed<br>
his own mind to comply with the will of </i>Hakadosh Baruch Hu.<br>
<i>While Avraham attempts to understand C-d, nevertheless, when
C-d1s<br>
command contradicts that understanding, Avraham sacrifices his mind<br>
to the will of C-d, just as one would forfeit his life if the
halachah<br>
required it, rather than violate the three cardinal sins.<br><br>
"Hakadosh Baruch Hu gave the human being a mind to understand<br>
Him. Whatever one studies in the world, be it science, history,
economics,<br>
mathematics, or anything else, it is actually the study of the
revelations of<br>
</i>Hakadosh Baruch Hu. <i>Our mind is given to us to enable us to
understand<br>
as much about C-d as is humanly possible. This is borne out in many<br>
places throughout Torah and Nach ... This means that we are not
merely<br>
to accept that which our forefathers have taught us about C-d but<br>
we are to attempt to know, to understand as much as we can about<br>
Hashem ...<br><br>
"... This is why the mitzvah of learning Torah is so important; in
fact<br>
it is our most important mitzvah. When we learn Torah, we employ<br>
our mind in the service of </i>Hakadosh Baruch Hu <i>by studying
C-d's<br>
will as revealed to us in the Torah. And if we have questions or<br>
contradictions, we must use our mind to the best of our capacity to<br>
attempt to resolve them within the parameters of Torah study.<br><br>
"... So, while we are encouraged to use our mind, as much as
reason<br>
allows, to serve C-d, to understand Him, and to answer questions,<br>
nevertheless, when all reason fails us, and we cannot </i>go <i>any
further<br>
with human understanding, when our mind is staggered, we must<br>
be prepared to I/sacrifice our mind/I to </i>Hakadosh Baruch Hu.
<i>We<br>
must throw up our hands and say that </i>Hakadosh Baruch Hu <i>is
right<br>
whether we understand it or not. One could call this 'the </i>akeidah
<i>of<br>
the mind.'<br><br>
"When science poses questions which seemingly contradict our<br>
basic truths, we must make an effort to answer these
questions. But if<br>
the answers are elusive, we must sacrifice our mind and subjugate it<br>
to the revealed truths of the Torah. Fortunately, </i>baruch Hashem,
<i>as<br>
yet, I have not found any questions of this sort- for instance,
regarding<br>
the age of the universe, evolution, ancient civilizations- for which
I<br>
have not found possible answers. But it could happen, and one has to<br>
be ready for it. If suddenly a scientific discovery were to arise
which<br>
clearly seems to contradict the Torah, we would then have to admit<br>
that the question is excellent but nevertheless, the Torah is right<br>
because it is the revealed wisdom of </i>Hakadosh Baruch Hu. <i>It
is<br>
</i>"Toras Emes, <i>11 absolute truth, all questions
notwithstanding. Answers<br>
will no doubt eventually be found to such contradictions, but in the<br>
meantime, by accepting the veracity of the Torah without
reservations,<br>
we will have offered our mind as an </i>'akeidah' <i>to </i>Hakadosh
Baruch<br>
Hu.''<br>
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