1.12.16
I can see that there were serious problems with the Enlightenment philosophers.
While I like the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, I can see that there were serious problems with the Enlightenment philosophers. But that is how philosophy progresses. At first there is some puzzle or problem, and then someone comes along and solves it. That was the problem of change for Parmenides. The greatest thinkers struggled with that until you got Plato and Aristotle. Same with the Enlightenment philosophers that struggled with problems of human freedom and how we know stuff until Kant came along and then the whole German Idealism school. My advice would be to learn from the best of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance and Kant.
It is common in Litvak yeshivas to learn and appreciative the importance of the Rishonim medieval scholars and yet still to learn from the best of the Achronim [scholars after the Beit Yoseph and including the Beit Yoseph (Rav Joseph Karo)]. This is not to say the achronim were greater but rather there is something to learn from them.
One can learn the Musar (books of Ethics) of the Rishonim but still come out not understanding a thing until one gets to the Musar of the disciples of Reb Israel Salanter.
One can learn Gemara and Rishonim all day and still just not get it until one opens up Rav Shach's Avi Ezri. This happens to me all the time.
It is common in Litvak yeshivas to learn and appreciative the importance of the Rishonim medieval scholars and yet still to learn from the best of the Achronim [scholars after the Beit Yoseph and including the Beit Yoseph (Rav Joseph Karo)]. This is not to say the achronim were greater but rather there is something to learn from them.
One can learn the Musar (books of Ethics) of the Rishonim but still come out not understanding a thing until one gets to the Musar of the disciples of Reb Israel Salanter.
One can learn Gemara and Rishonim all day and still just not get it until one opens up Rav Shach's Avi Ezri. This happens to me all the time.
30.11.16
Kant
My suggestion is the Kantschool of thought. That is an extension of Kant that uses Schopenhauer for metaphysics and Hegel for epistemology.
It is kind of like Ayn Rand and John Locke in practice.
The importance of Schopenhauer is great. Also German Idealism [i.e. Kant, Fichte, Schelling, et al.]. I still have a great deal of trouble with Hegel. I see most Marxist principles and Leftist Socialism stemming from him. I can not figure out if the trouble was people misusing him or if there really was something "off". This is not an irrelevant question. The fate of about 100 million people perishing under socialist governments in the 20th century seems to raise some some doubt about Socialism.
From a Jewish point of view German Idealism is important because the basic structure of Metaphysics of Torah is mainly Neo-Platonic and Aristotelian. [That is the metaphysical backbone that is clearly stated by Saadia Gaon and the Obligations of the Heart and Maimonides and the Ari.] There are questions about this structure which need to be addressed and not just papered over. [The general way to deal with the Rambam and Saadia Gaon is to ignore them an pretend they did not write anything about the basic metaphysical structure of Torah.]
That is,- there is a reason why Saadia Gaon and the Rambam adopted the Neo Platonic point of view. The same reason gives us today a further reason to find support for the Torah point of view after that much of the medieval concepts used by the Rambam and Saadia Gaon seem quiet,.. well..--medieval. That is,- axioms that do not seem all that true anymore.
[After I wrote the above essay I thought to mention some points. Mystic experience is not what the holy Torah is about. Because the Rambam rational approach is not interesting to people they go instead to mystics. The trouble is most of them all are teaching the teachings of the Shatz in different form.]
It is kind of like Ayn Rand and John Locke in practice.
The importance of Schopenhauer is great. Also German Idealism [i.e. Kant, Fichte, Schelling, et al.]. I still have a great deal of trouble with Hegel. I see most Marxist principles and Leftist Socialism stemming from him. I can not figure out if the trouble was people misusing him or if there really was something "off". This is not an irrelevant question. The fate of about 100 million people perishing under socialist governments in the 20th century seems to raise some some doubt about Socialism.
From a Jewish point of view German Idealism is important because the basic structure of Metaphysics of Torah is mainly Neo-Platonic and Aristotelian. [That is the metaphysical backbone that is clearly stated by Saadia Gaon and the Obligations of the Heart and Maimonides and the Ari.] There are questions about this structure which need to be addressed and not just papered over. [The general way to deal with the Rambam and Saadia Gaon is to ignore them an pretend they did not write anything about the basic metaphysical structure of Torah.]
That is,- there is a reason why Saadia Gaon and the Rambam adopted the Neo Platonic point of view. The same reason gives us today a further reason to find support for the Torah point of view after that much of the medieval concepts used by the Rambam and Saadia Gaon seem quiet,.. well..--medieval. That is,- axioms that do not seem all that true anymore.
[After I wrote the above essay I thought to mention some points. Mystic experience is not what the holy Torah is about. Because the Rambam rational approach is not interesting to people they go instead to mystics. The trouble is most of them all are teaching the teachings of the Shatz in different form.]
Jewish cults. What you tolerate you get more of.
Events similar to this are repeated ad nauseam in the history of the Jewish people. A charismatic (in the generic sense) leader, claiming a special calling, and extraordinary powers, will, little by little, gain control over people’s hearts, minds, women and (significantly) their property. Impressing upon their followers the imminence of the "Geula"גאולה/Redemption, or some global catastrophe, and assuring them that they alone will be the survivors, they assure these followers that they will occupy a position of power and influence in the new world to come. Readers will note that this has happened in Uganda, where thousands of innocent persons lost their property, their freedom, and finally their lives in a hideous fashion after being duped by a charismatic leader.
I am not immune from this myself and there are lots of shades of grey in this. Even some authentic Lithuanian yeshivas can have some characteristics of cults.
Kabalistic and mystic error mixed with a combustible pseudo-spiritual empowerment and magnetism has constantly proved a deadly mixture. Unfettered by authentic Torah and unmoved by charity, which is not mere affectation, or emotional attachment, it will breed jealousy, rivalry, quarrels and sects, and fulfill the demonic purpose, which is the further fragmentation of the Jewish world.
Indeed, primitive man understood that to him belonged the responsibility not only to provide for himself and his family, but also the duty of beating the $h#t out of any man or animal that threatened his family’s existence. This is why when you encounter a Jewish cult, your obligation is not to run and hide, but to beat the living daylights out of them because they threaten the very existence of yourself and your family. It is why the Gra put them into Cherem
What you tolerate you get more of. And it is simple to show the origin of their teachings come from the Shatz. The trouble is it is all one big mass deception. There is nothing in the Torah about being possessed by the neshama {soul} of a tzadik. That is pure idolatry. In the Torah we are not automatons.
The constant craving for spiritual experience, as is attested to by all the great mystics of the Torah like Rav Avraham Abulafia and the Ari, is addictive, like a drug. Since the experiences are indeed spurious, they will never ultimately satisfy the soul that hungers after them, and will be required in stronger and stronger doses. In light of this, it is no surprise that cult leaders themselves were no longer content with mere Torah but went further and further down the road of absurdity and fanaticism.
The main problem with the cult that the Gra put a Cherem {חרם} excommunication on is idolatry. That is: people have a natural tendency to worship some idol. It does not really matter which one it is. That cult made worship of its leaders as a kind of supposedly kosher idolatry and created a sophisticated system to show how it is kosher based on the kabalah and also used ideas from the Shatz and also makes sure to look kosher in dress and rituals to try and get away with this fraud.
I am not immune from this myself and there are lots of shades of grey in this. Even some authentic Lithuanian yeshivas can have some characteristics of cults.
Kabalistic and mystic error mixed with a combustible pseudo-spiritual empowerment and magnetism has constantly proved a deadly mixture. Unfettered by authentic Torah and unmoved by charity, which is not mere affectation, or emotional attachment, it will breed jealousy, rivalry, quarrels and sects, and fulfill the demonic purpose, which is the further fragmentation of the Jewish world.
Indeed, primitive man understood that to him belonged the responsibility not only to provide for himself and his family, but also the duty of beating the $h#t out of any man or animal that threatened his family’s existence. This is why when you encounter a Jewish cult, your obligation is not to run and hide, but to beat the living daylights out of them because they threaten the very existence of yourself and your family. It is why the Gra put them into Cherem
What you tolerate you get more of. And it is simple to show the origin of their teachings come from the Shatz. The trouble is it is all one big mass deception. There is nothing in the Torah about being possessed by the neshama {soul} of a tzadik. That is pure idolatry. In the Torah we are not automatons.
The constant craving for spiritual experience, as is attested to by all the great mystics of the Torah like Rav Avraham Abulafia and the Ari, is addictive, like a drug. Since the experiences are indeed spurious, they will never ultimately satisfy the soul that hungers after them, and will be required in stronger and stronger doses. In light of this, it is no surprise that cult leaders themselves were no longer content with mere Torah but went further and further down the road of absurdity and fanaticism.
It is an undeniable fact that most Jews take their values and beliefs from other people. When listening to teachers they like, they will retain some of their teachings; when listening to teachers they don't like, they ignore just about everything being said, whether or not it is truth. They will read certain authors and underline the bits they like. They will listen to secular leaders on radio and imbibe whatever is current thinking. In this way, the majority of Jews build up a formidable store of haphazard knowledge.
The trouble with this store of knowledge is that it is mostly useless! There can be only one type of useful, valuable, knowledge… knowledge given by God, and which points to God and His Truth. Everything else is worthless. It does not matter how 'academic' a topic is. or how important it is in the eyes of others; if it does not agree with God's view of things, then it is, bluntly, nothing but rubbish!
Along with this magpie-collecting of odd bits of knowledge, comes a growing interest in New Age ideas, concerning everything from incense and soothing oils, to yoga and spiritualism. Oh, how evil loves to hide its true self behind many guises! Weird ideas from occultists, New Agers, unbelieving scientists and plain sceptics, have tended to shape popular Jewish culture. So, when it comes to demons, there is a wide diversity of opinion concerning their presence, their ways and their aims.
Favourite aunts, uncles, or even parents, are seen; usually they have come to 'comfort' those they leave behind. It is assumed, that this 'proves' ghosts are spirits of dead people and that most of them mean no harm.
This is a great error, for all ghosts, without exception, are demons: wicked angels whose only task on this earth is to deceive and to harm. We are told this in the Torah. Ghosts are never friendly. They are always wicked, even if they appear to be kind. Their purpose is to make us believe they are spirits of the dead. Once they manage to delude us, they continue to hold our attention, so that any belief we may have in God as He is presented in scripture, is eroded to nothing.
Demons are angels who were thrown out of God's presence. Satan was the chief of all angels, of incredible beauty and power. But, he sinned, even before Man sinned. When he was cast out of heaven, those angels who followed him were also cast out. All of this is found in scripture. They were bound to this earth and they have lived here since the world was formed. They devote their sleepless, evil lives to harming God's people, deluding and harming others and generally wreaking havoc in the lives of all humankind. They will persuade and nurture Hitlers and Neros; they will make great preachers fall; they will cause governments to oppress and individuals to rebel.
Evolution, much of psychiatry and psychology, many scientific ideas, social practices, are formulated and initiated by demons, through humans. Often, they will work through just one person: have you ever come across someone whose very presence makes your skin crawl and whose every word is tinged with malice? It is highly likely that the person is 'led by the nose' by demons. What about those in society whose perversions spill over, often dramatically, so that many in society are at danger? It is likely that they are the pawns of demons. Demons are like stalking lions, watching for easy prey. And when they find someone, they pounce with a ferocity that is boundless and totally vicious.
The main problem with the cult that the Gra put a Cherem {חרם} excommunication on is idolatry. That is: people have a natural tendency to worship some idol. It does not really matter which one it is. That cult made worship of its leaders as a kind of supposedly kosher idolatry and created a sophisticated system to show how it is kosher based on the kabalah and also used ideas from the Shatz and also makes sure to look kosher in dress and rituals to try and get away with this fraud.
interpretation of Torah
I have been thinking about the question of interpretation of Torah.
It is not just the approach of Saadia Gaon and Maimonides that when the simple explanation of the verse is not possible then we go to allegory. Rather I have been thinking about the history of interpretation from the Middle Ages and up until Heidegger and hermeneutic circle. [ It refers to the idea that one's understanding of the text as a whole is established by reference to the individual parts and one's understanding of each individual part by reference to the whole. Neither the whole text nor any individual part can be understood without reference to one another, and hence, it is a circle. However, this circular character of interpretation does not make it impossible to interpret a text; rather, it stresses that the meaning of a text must be found within its cultural, historical, and literary context.]
Interpretation of the Middle Ages we already know about. פשט רמז דרש סוד or allegory.
Later came the questions of who has the right to interpret? Is is duly constituted authorities or any individual or perhaps a charismatic leader that the individual decides to accept? [This is not unrelated. The idea that every individual could interpret a text according to how it applies to him or her led immediately into disposing of the relevance of the text and going towards delusional charismatic leaders.]
I do not have a lot to add except to say that the hermeneutic circle is really only closed in Torah because God is the ground of validity. Without that any text has an non enclosed circle. Also I wanted to mention that Torah might share some aspects of myth but it is not myth. It is Revelation.
So to put together a whole approach based on these issues seems important to me but not really possible right now because it is a little foggy and vague how to put it all together.
In any case we already know חגי זכריה מלאכי סוף נבואה רבינא ורב אשי סוף הוראה. Zachria, Malachi, Chagai are the end of prophecy and Ravina and Rav Ashi are the end of Halacha decision making. So we already know the attempts to claim these two gifts are invalid.
It is not just the approach of Saadia Gaon and Maimonides that when the simple explanation of the verse is not possible then we go to allegory. Rather I have been thinking about the history of interpretation from the Middle Ages and up until Heidegger and hermeneutic circle. [ It refers to the idea that one's understanding of the text as a whole is established by reference to the individual parts and one's understanding of each individual part by reference to the whole. Neither the whole text nor any individual part can be understood without reference to one another, and hence, it is a circle. However, this circular character of interpretation does not make it impossible to interpret a text; rather, it stresses that the meaning of a text must be found within its cultural, historical, and literary context.]
Interpretation of the Middle Ages we already know about. פשט רמז דרש סוד or allegory.
Later came the questions of who has the right to interpret? Is is duly constituted authorities or any individual or perhaps a charismatic leader that the individual decides to accept? [This is not unrelated. The idea that every individual could interpret a text according to how it applies to him or her led immediately into disposing of the relevance of the text and going towards delusional charismatic leaders.]
I do not have a lot to add except to say that the hermeneutic circle is really only closed in Torah because God is the ground of validity. Without that any text has an non enclosed circle. Also I wanted to mention that Torah might share some aspects of myth but it is not myth. It is Revelation.
So to put together a whole approach based on these issues seems important to me but not really possible right now because it is a little foggy and vague how to put it all together.
In any case we already know חגי זכריה מלאכי סוף נבואה רבינא ורב אשי סוף הוראה. Zachria, Malachi, Chagai are the end of prophecy and Ravina and Rav Ashi are the end of Halacha decision making. So we already know the attempts to claim these two gifts are invalid.
29.11.16
learning Torah
I believe that learning Torah will help everything turn around for you for the good.
Learning Torah goes very far if done on a consistent basis. Try to start learning Gemara and Mishna yourself. Even just saying the words is a great mitzvah. The Jerusalem Talmud says that even one word of Torah goes above all the other mitzvot.
There are many mental blocks before this. That is it is not so hard in itself. But rather there are many questions on this. It is hard to accept. It was one of the first things I learned in yeshiva. That is I was in yeshiva in NY in the first place because I felt learning Torah is important. But in that yeshiva Shar Yashuv I saw a book בנין עולם about the importance of learning Torah.
It is safe to say I fell away from this. But for the few years I had the merit to learn in Far Rockaway and then at the Mir in NY this idea about the importance of learning Torah really lit a fuse under me.
I do hold from the importance of Physics and Metaphysics also as the Rambam wrote, but that is only after one has finished Shas.
Learning Torah goes very far if done on a consistent basis. Try to start learning Gemara and Mishna yourself. Even just saying the words is a great mitzvah. The Jerusalem Talmud says that even one word of Torah goes above all the other mitzvot.
There are many mental blocks before this. That is it is not so hard in itself. But rather there are many questions on this. It is hard to accept. It was one of the first things I learned in yeshiva. That is I was in yeshiva in NY in the first place because I felt learning Torah is important. But in that yeshiva Shar Yashuv I saw a book בנין עולם about the importance of learning Torah.
It is safe to say I fell away from this. But for the few years I had the merit to learn in Far Rockaway and then at the Mir in NY this idea about the importance of learning Torah really lit a fuse under me.
I do hold from the importance of Physics and Metaphysics also as the Rambam wrote, but that is only after one has finished Shas.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)