Thursday, March 11, 2021

Science and Religion (Part 1)

 https://www.etzion.org.il/en/science-and-religion-part-1

Every scientific discovery which appears to contradict the Torah, in truth, comes to strengthen our religious understanding; "to build upon it the palace of the Torah." This is similar to the idea of the kodesh kodashim being built on top of the kodesh and chol. Scientific discoveries actually contribute to the enhancement of the world of the "beit midrash." Once we have reached the level of kodesh kodashim, and we are comfortable with this principle regarding science, we can then give an honest criticism of scientific ideas. They may not yet be sufficiently developed (as was the case with evolution in Rav Kook's day), they may be inaccurate or primitive or merely incorrect, but in any event our criticism must not stem from feeling attacked by science. As Alfred North Whitehead believed, science leads religious men to better religious understanding. For example, in the past people had a more literal understanding of the statement "God lives in the heavens." However, after scientific discovery revealed the nature of the heavens, the idea is understood in a spiritual sense. His presence is not geographically defined; He is everywhere, but is hidden as if He were "in the heavens."

16 comments:

  1. From rav Kook's analysis, it shows hwo great his Chochmah was in every area, and his wide range of knowledge in Torah as well as secular sciences.

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  2. Oooooh, don't show this to your Rav Sternbuch. On the other hand, Etzion is Dati Leumi so for him they're already heretics.

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  3. I would try another approach. Rav Sternbuch is a Gaon, and is leader in the Eidah, so he represetns their values, just like Rav Hershel shachter represents Modern Orthodoxy, Rav Stav the modern-Zionist orthodoxy, and Hardal Rabbonim , eg Rav Tau - Hareidi Leumi end of the spectrum.




    What we might consider a "blind spot" when it comes to anything related to Zionism, the eidah will consider it a blind spot for us.


    On a neutral matter, the response of Rav Sternbuch on Covid and self isoaltion for shuls, yeshivas was very different from the confused postion of centrist haredi leadeship. it was informed by scientific guidelines, given by even secular government and scientists.




    I do disagree with some matters coming from Satmar and eidah.


    On the other hand, one Satmar Rebbe said an incredible thing about the terror attack at Mercaz haRav, he said that "we are all Mercaz haRav now".








    Read what the Malbim said about the test of Haskalah, and the future test of Zionism!


    https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/9781618117915-007/html

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  4. Also, Rav Shternbuch was not amongst those who attacked The making of gadol by Rav N Kamenetsky - he welcomed it. I am not sure if he was so happy about R' N Slifkin though...

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  5. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/210137
    https://failedmessiah.typepad.com/failed_messiahcom/2005/02/rabbi_moshe_sht.html
    http://daattorah.blogspot.com/2013/04/rav-sternbuch-attacks-mizrachnikim-for.html
    Oh hey, that last one's yours!

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  6. Rav Sternbuch said the view of an old universe is not acceptable because the majority of contemporary rabbis do not accept it
    but that those who accept it are not heretics because they have valid sources

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  7. Samar view that zionists are amalek. But Samar and others like him told followers to die rather than move to Israel - opposite of the Talmud and shulchan Aruch. So who is reform? Satmar. Who sent Jews to be killed? Satmar.

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  8. Which book was worse? Slifkin or making of a Gadol?
    The reasons behind these bans were political. New generation of leaders trying to establish their power.

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  9. The majority of contemporary rabbis don't accept satmar-eidah view towards medinat yisrael. Rav yosef Eliyahu Henkin said opposition to the State, now that it is established - is redifah. So the minority opposition are not rodefim, but their behavior is redifah.

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  10. >one Satmar Rebbe said an incredible thing about the terror attack at Mercaz haRav, he said that "we are all Mercaz haRav now".

    And the other said that they had it coming to them for being Zionists. Don't think that didn't get out.

    The difference between us and them is that us have our values but recognize there are other systems of values that are just as legitimate. Them hold that their values are the only true values and the degree of your heresy is the degree to which you deviate from them.

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  11. A) the other one is still in need of developing his middos

    B) what he said was that settling the most hostile region is very dangerous and this is a natural result.

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  12. It was the Belzer Rebbe, no Satmar Rebbe would say this.

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  13. https://t.co/sV49m0XkHn?Iq4Qgl

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  14. Maybe. - the moderate satmar Rebbe said that even though it is a "moderna yeshiva" , it is still a yeshiva.

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  15. When did the native Americans move to America? Science says 30,000 years ago. But if the orthodox claim is after the flood, so around 4500 years ago, it is problematic. They have been there continuously, perhaps not killed of by the flood, although there was meltdown of ice sheets 10,000 years ago.

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