https://rabbimanning.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Democracy-in-Halacha-and-Hashkafa.pdf
A] General Issues• how to define ‘democracy’?
- appointment of the executive and legislature by popular vote• who gets to vote?
• is separation of state and religion an important element of democracy? need it be?
• note the political abuse of the term ‘democratic’ by left and right, especially in Israel
If when Moses died, 3000 laws were forgotten, why wasn't the oral Law written down then?
ReplyDeleteThere is a Medrash that says that the 600,000 who came out of Egypt were only a fraction of those who could have come out. The fraction is 2/600,000.
ReplyDeleteIf the Medrash is taken literally, it is equal to 1/300,000, i.e. the total who could have come out was 300,000 x 600,000 = 180,000,000,000 = 180 Billion!
It is claiming that there were 180 billion Israelites in Egypt, of which only 600,000 came out.
180 billion is impossible. there have never been so many people on Earth, and never have there been so many people in one country. Egypt would not be able to sustain or even keep 180 billion people. And the egyptians would not be able to control such a large number of people. China currently has 1.4 billion people.
you obviously never read Rav Chajes on how to understand agada
ReplyDeleteI agree with what he says in the article you posted. I understand that he's not too popular in the very frum circles.
ReplyDeletenot sure what you mean.
ReplyDeleteWhen i was in yeshiva I had a Rebbe who learned this with me every week.
R Chajes was also a good friend of Chasam Sofer
https://dinonline.org/2015/03/01/from-prohibition-to-mitzvah-writing-the-oral-torah/
ReplyDeleteRav hutner's daughtr did her PhD on him,
ReplyDeleteABSTRACT The Dual Role of Rabbi Zvi Hirsch Chajes: Traditionalist and Maskil
Bruria Hutner David
Once I have read through it will think about my next comment
http://hirhurim.blogspot.com/2006/02/dual-role-of-rabbi-zvi-hirsch-chajes.html
ReplyDeletehttp://www1.cs.columbia.edu/~spotter/david-chajes.pdf
I have reached the point where I reject what is irrational, regardless of where it is coming from. My claculation is that the Jewish St Peter, whoever he may be, standing at the gates of the next world, will ask whether I accepted sheker , not whether i ate chazir.
ReplyDelete