Im very excited to announce that my daughters 8th grade teacher informed her class about the topic of midrashic literalism.
They were learning some midrash, and the Teacher told them that they need to understand that the medrash is not to be approached the way they learned it in first grade.
Ill confide, up until this point I was afraid that the school systems did approach medrash on a first grade level.
Now I can finally breathe a sigh of relief, and be comfortable telling my children that pharoes daughter didnt stretch her arm 25 feet.
Im relieved because Lakewood Yid seems to think that this approach is wrong for a child emunah. They must be taught the literalness of that 25 foot arm, because
a) his mesorah (which i have shown on occasions is faulty) taught him that way, so it must be so
b) it could of happened, so why not believe it did.
Is judiasm a "it could happen, so it did" religion?
Not in my book.
Because "anything can happen" doesnt allow for discussion. If when cornered your response is, well it could of happened, than you can never be wrong. You could argue the sky is green. Why not? It could be?
Thursday, May 25, 2006
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
Hilchos Yichud should apply to Rebbi /Talmid Relationships
I'd like to throw out a trial baloon.
What if yeshivas enforced a new rule for Rabbeim.
Follow the laws of hilchos Yichud as if the talmid was a girl.
That simple.
No Exceptions.
No more problems.
If the Rebbi is found to have violated the terms, he is released
It seems harsh, but think about it. If a Rebbi was caught by a principal with a teenage girl alone in a locked office would the Rebbi be given the benefit of the doubt?
I dont think so. That Rebbi would be out.
So the same sensitivity will be applied to boys as well.
What if yeshivas enforced a new rule for Rabbeim.
Follow the laws of hilchos Yichud as if the talmid was a girl.
That simple.
No Exceptions.
No more problems.
If the Rebbi is found to have violated the terms, he is released
It seems harsh, but think about it. If a Rebbi was caught by a principal with a teenage girl alone in a locked office would the Rebbi be given the benefit of the doubt?
I dont think so. That Rebbi would be out.
So the same sensitivity will be applied to boys as well.
Wednesday, May 03, 2006
More kefirah from Artscroll - Zorastinism
See pesachim 109b in the Artscroll on the topic of Demons and pairs.
Although Artscroll paskens that demons are real, they do bring down legitimate shittos that held Demons were nonsense. (Rambam, Rav Avrohom ben Harambam, The Geonim.)
They also bring a shittah that perhaps Zorastinism played apart in the Gemera obsession with Pairs and associating the pairs with the danger of Demons to cast Zorastinism in a bad light).
This is the first Ive ever heard of this association.
Anyone out there have any leads on more info on this topic?
Although Artscroll paskens that demons are real, they do bring down legitimate shittos that held Demons were nonsense. (Rambam, Rav Avrohom ben Harambam, The Geonim.)
They also bring a shittah that perhaps Zorastinism played apart in the Gemera obsession with Pairs and associating the pairs with the danger of Demons to cast Zorastinism in a bad light).
This is the first Ive ever heard of this association.
Anyone out there have any leads on more info on this topic?
