Sunday, April 23, 2006

Artscroll promotes kefirah?

The Artscroll Talmud for Pesachim 94b explains in the notes the machlokes of chazal and the gentile sages regarding the Sun, Stars, and Astroligical orbits.

They point out that some shittos held that Rebbi was saying that the gentile sages had compelling arguments (although they were wrong also) but we dont hold like them, while some shittos - namely R' avrohom ben Rambam, held this showed the intellectual honesty of Chazal, (that they sometimes got stuff wrong and admitted it.)

So Artscroll is allowed to say this, but R' Slifkin is not?

Do Artscroll Talmuds now have to be burned as was demanded by Gedolim in Bnei Brak for R' Slifkin Seforim?

Many Charedi types believe that Chazal knew everything, but simply wanted to couch the secrets in cryptic forms to protect them (Artscroll notes this as well). Well if that is the case, why are we obligated to take what Chazal wrote literally?

I just wish the Charedi world would make up their mind. Is there some kind of index which details which chazal we know must be taken literally, and which we know must be taken figuratively?

Sunday, April 09, 2006

Shimshons 120 foot shoulders vs 20 foot tall Moshe

Following up on a post earlier where I discussed wether one was mchuyav to believe Moshe was 20 feet tall.

Lakewood yid insisted Moshe had to be literally 20 feet tall. since the gemera said so.

I made a comment then that moshe would seem out of place in egypt.

LY scoffed and said thats a raye?

Well the gemera in sota on 10a says that shimshon shoulders were 120 feet wide.

The artscroll says it cant be taken literally, because shimshon would then stand out in philistine society.

Ly, any thoughts?

UPDATE: Corrected daf from 9b to 10a (mishna on 9b). Thanks LY.

Sunday, April 02, 2006

Sopranoes joins the Torah and Science Debate

This weeks episode of the Sopranoes contained a conversation between Tony and a Evangelical Pastor.

The discussion centered on the age of the earth. The pastor told Tony that the earth is 6000 years old, and that dinosaurs walked at the same time with Man.

Tony asked him " do you mean like the Flintstones?".
Tony then asks him about the scientist. The pastor says they are workers of Satan.

Christopher said how could that be, if Eden was a paradise, then how could there be a TRex running around chasing Adam?

So there you have it. The Sopranoes has weighed in on the Torah vs Science debate.