Part Two of Rav Aharon Schechter on Creation and Rabbi Slifkin

[matthewjmiller07]

@3:48 he says we don't have to think about it and that it is forbidden to make new interpretations of the Torah. How does he deal with Rambam and the like? They thought about it (it for them being philosophical issues) and often came up with new interpretations.

[atpadp1987]

22 hours ago

i think he gave a very fair response. Jews accept the Torah based upon its giving at Mt. Sinai to approximately 3 million jews. Judasim is unique in that we can base our beliefs on that tradition. This rabbi is arguing that we have a mission to follow that belief. There is no point in wasting time on science which will still be searching for completeness for hundreds of years. Why should we spend time on evershifting science, just to bolster our pseudo intellectual egos.

[lakeeriejew]

Next time your "Partner in Torah" throws a question like this at you, try Rav Schechter's technique.....

.....let me know how it went.

[lakeeriejew]

Don't Rashi and Tosfos have a geographical debate on which European countries face Eretz Yisrael?

There are clear Halachic ramifications for it. If Chazal delved into the question of where the sun goes at night, clearly, there's precedent for us to engage in that sort of question.

The shouting is clearly a defensive mechanism. It isn't going to convince anybody.

Getting your crowd to "laugh at the other guy" doesn't resolve the question. It's a good deflection tactic. That's it.

[notinthemoodforthis1]

you guys are missing the point (im assuming its intentional)... The rav is saying when people who arent qualified to interpret torah do they just create more questions and issuses. Very simple... This is completely true and is proven from all over... he is also talking to people that are beliveing at lets dsay 93 percent and want to fill in the 7 percent gap to him he says stay away cus ur not gonna fill in every question because some things are not exactly in our realms

[dugri07]

This is sad. It's because of rabbis like this that 90% of Am Yisrael went off the derech. Shouting and repeating yourself doesn't make your argument more convincing. Saying that you don't know and you don't care and that no one else should either doesn't deal with the fact that these issues are real and they are a michshol for the vast majority of Jews, who will never ever make tshuva as long as people like this are running the show. Pathetic!

[judaicaman007]

. Me thinks that what Rav Schechter opinion is just ONE opinion It certainly is NOT the opinion of the Rambam in his introduction to 8 Perakim where he states quite explicitly that the PURPOSE of a Jew is to knowledgeable as to how Hashem created this world. The more knowledge one attains, the greater his love for Hashem.

Perhaps this is 1 reason why some people burned his books way back when?

[rivkamord]

"I have plenty of things to learn in the Torah, this is NOT IT!"

No? I think this is EXACTLY it. This is the only way we will continue the search for Truth. By trying.

[FireAce44]

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Then we find a period. There you have your millions if not billions of years, that we have no idea of. The bible clearly speaks of a previous civilization being judged and destroyed, and in Genesis we find God bringing the planet out of its void and darkness, that the destruction brought it into. Dinosaurs did walk the earth, but more then likely not in the last 6000 years.

[MyJk552]

I highly doubt that there exist such said top scientist that refuses to think about something. Primarily because he wouldn't be a top scientist if he said such things. Besides, there wasn't only "one" scientist who worked on the big bang...

Anyway, you realize what a hypocrite he is. He's is saying that scientists are nothing and shouldn't be doing what they are, yet he tries to use the authority of a scientist to confirm that it's okay not to think about our origins...

[GorterPoss]

@MyJk552 Whatever man, I'm not mechuyev to adress your problems.

[MyJk552]

What exactly was the purpose of your answer? You didn't add anything... If on the other hand you're making an argument that you think and talk only things that rabbis tell you can think than you might just as well say: "I'm discarding logic so whatever you say doesn't really matter and I'll keep following blindly without questioning, just like those that walked blindly into the gas chambers without putting up any resistance."

[GorterPoss]

The rav quotes a scientist that refuses to think about the origins of the big bang. However, any scientist who gives an answer like that is doing a disservice to his discipline.

There are only two possible answers to the question of the origin of the big bang. We may never know or we don't know yet.

Refusing to think about it is just plain ignorant. Is the rav arguing that we should stoop to the same level of ignorance as the rotten apple of a scientist that he quotes? I'm not satisfied.

[0davidberg0]

It is worse then you say.

He quotes the scientist as an example for us to follow - not to get involved in stuff beyond our helm.

But later at 3:20 he accuses same scientist for refusing to see G-d as a cause for Big Bang.

So isn't not thinking deeper might cause one not to see G-d?

[0davidberg0]

The is a famous midrash about how Abraham came to realize that their is G-d, by thinking about what his father told him and realizing that it makes no sense to worship a totem-pole.

Back to Vishnu worship worship for me, and listen to what my Guru tells me.

[GorterPoss]

so anything you're not mechuyev to adress you have a heter to ban?

[jameshanley40]

@GorterPoss

looks like he thinks only chazal can come up with non-pshat.

[NeverOnFire613]

The professor of Optics R' Schecter is refering to is Leo Levi.

[psycho29analyst]

This man makes alot of sense.

You can tell from the way he talks, what he says, and how he says it, he is a man of G-d

You jews are lucky!

[psycho29analyst]

Very logical to me.

This man lives G-d!

[0davidberg0]

Interesting Rav attacked certain scientist for refusing to think about what is before Big Bang (invention of wicked scientists). Meaning the possibility that Hashem caused it.

Strange before Rav said that non Talmidim Chachamim should not study thing not relating to them secrets of the Torah etc.

But suddenly he forgets the main first point of his speech - goes and reveals stuff we should not be studying i.e. the Big Bang and what came before it.

If that stuff is not a secret, than what is?

[boxwolf1]

At first I agreed to your comment (()davidberg0) [that's why i thumbed up] but if you listen to his point that is exactly it! He's not attacking the scientist, to the contrary, he's quoting him, obviuosly not in the context of the big bang but in the general idea of believing in a theory and not needing to question certain issues.

[0davidberg0]

i hope you seen my reply. i did not send it right, but is written below your comment.