tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2760004395394142531.post7624806421657574446..comments2023-10-23T14:19:00.021-07:00Comments on Atheodox Jew: Guide for the Theologically PerplexedAtheodox Jewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06404924424040480039noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2760004395394142531.post-4839816157127582862013-09-15T19:01:02.458-07:002013-09-15T19:01:02.458-07:00That sounds Kantian. Our morality is autonomous an...That sounds Kantian. Our morality is autonomous and cannot be imposed by others.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2760004395394142531.post-88585500330570760522013-08-28T07:49:43.957-07:002013-08-28T07:49:43.957-07:00I was trying to compare the chasing Egyptians and ...I was trying to compare the chasing Egyptians and giant Canaanites to what the Rambam brought about Hashem not leading Bnei Yisroel derech HaPlishtim - that it would be too hard for them. So I was trying to point out that in other places Hashem had no problem doing just that. So I didn't understand his raaya. The answer I guess would be that in my examples Hashem wanted to test them or perform that miracle and by the path of the Philistines Hashem didn't care to just go another way (didn't feel a miracle or test was necessary at that point.<br />I'm just not convinced of his svara though. One, could have had the bridge involve bringing incense and meal offering and wine libations. It's hard for me to conceive that they had this burning (pardon the pun) need to burn animals. Two, I think Rashi says that they cried about being assur to arayos and they were in the land of shtufei zima, where was the bridge for that inyan?<br /><br />I like your thought about yeridas hadoros and our early ancestors' deficiencies.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13310234293587418486noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2760004395394142531.post-61208327167446882492013-08-23T01:16:46.246-07:002013-08-23T01:16:46.246-07:00John,
Re: Baalei Teshuva, I assume you mean that ...John,<br /><br />Re: Baalei Teshuva, I assume you mean that they willingly leave behind the customs of their upbringing? It's a good point. In fact, isn't that the whole idea of לך לך מארצך וממולדתך ומבית אביך? So why couldn't we just leave sacrifices behind too, if that were really preferable? My guess is the Rambam would say "ein hachi nami" - for special individuals who can totally abandon the customs and beliefs they've been raised with, absolutely they can/should. But the Torah is meant for the "hamon am", and we can't expect everyone to be able to do this. <br /><br />As for pursuing Egyptians and giant Canaanites, these don't represent challenges to our "customs" but rather to our courage and to our faith that Hashem will protect us. At least that's how those narratives function.<br /><br />But here's the question that comes to mind for me: A quick perusal of Nach reveals that for the 700 years following Moshe's death we were utterly inept insofar as keeping the Torah for any prolonged period of time. And these were (according to the <i>yeridat hadorot</i> tradition) "spiritual giants" compared to us. So it sounds as if the whole proposition of Torah might be something we were not - and never will be - ready for!<br /><br />Thanks for the comment.<br />AJAtheodox Jewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06404924424040480039noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2760004395394142531.post-47858212114113259392013-08-22T13:53:47.766-07:002013-08-22T13:53:47.766-07:00Have you actually heard religious people say they&...Have you actually heard religious people say they'd steal or kill (?!) without Torah mi-Sinai? Mind-boggling!<br /><br />Regarding your last point, that's a fascinating idea. To truly emulate God means to be moral without having to be "commanded" as such. In essence, God has no God - and our task is to try to be like God. A bit of a brain-twister, but I like it! Atheodox Jewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06404924424040480039noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2760004395394142531.post-31663346583499271882013-08-22T13:32:18.949-07:002013-08-22T13:32:18.949-07:00I hear that.I hear that.Atheodox Jewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06404924424040480039noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2760004395394142531.post-58209605124178839802013-08-22T05:58:37.694-07:002013-08-22T05:58:37.694-07:00I guess the Rambam didn't know any Baalei Tesh...I guess the Rambam didn't know any Baalei Teshuva. <br />And he brings a raaya to the "diseased" people from a strange passage in the Torah. So Hashem shouldn't have had the Egyptians pursue, or have those giant Canaanites - the people clearly weren't ready for those things.<br />And would it be so hard to not allow sacrifices; I imagine by the following generation or two the lack of it wouldn't seem so strange.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13310234293587418486noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2760004395394142531.post-53340641438257782062013-08-15T16:01:43.743-07:002013-08-15T16:01:43.743-07:00i have been toying with such an idea for a while b...i have been toying with such an idea for a while but we can not come to this realization before we are indeed mature enough to be weaned from this. the way religious ppl insist there is no morality without god and openly admit that they would kill and steal ect.. if TMS wasn't a historical fact shows you how far we are from being ready for this. <br />honestly when i try to analize my self i am not sure if i would be able to handle it<br />agav it occurred to me that a truly religious person would be moral even if there was no god, since he is striving to emulate god who is perfectly moral (vehalachta bedrachav) now as far as i know god is not perfectly moral because anyone commanded him to be so or because he wants to follow anyone who is so, so it follows that one who truly wants to emulate god has to be doing what he does with the same motivation as god, simply because he is perfectly moralv-afsi odenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2760004395394142531.post-87625780888775789302013-08-13T13:04:47.673-07:002013-08-13T13:04:47.673-07:00this was tough to process, on a pure comprehension...this was tough to process, on a pure comprehension level....<br /><br />TuviaAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com