אמת ליעקב פרשת קדושים
(ג) איש אמו ואביו תיראו ואת שבתותי תשמרו.
נראה לבאר הקשר בין שני ענינים אלה, דבאמת המאמין בקדמות העולם - וכמו שמאמינים אומות העולם ורשעי ישראל שבמשך הזמן נתפתח האדם מכל מיני קופים ושאר חיות וכדומה - בהכרח שסובר שכל מה שהדורות מתרחקים מהזמן הקדמון יותר הם מפותחים ויותר הם חשובים, ולכן אדרבה - הם סוברים שהדור הזקן חייב לכבד את הדור הצעיר, אבל אנו שמאמינים שהאדם הוא יציר כפיו של הקדוש ברוך הוא וככל שמתרחקים הדורות יותר אנו מתרחקים מההשפעה האלקית ומגדלותו יתברך, בודאי השומה עלינו לכבד את הדור הקודם, שהרי הם חשובים וגדולים יותר ממנו, ולכן כשבאה התורה להזהיר על "איש אמו ואביו תיראו", הוצרכה לחזור ולשנות גם את פרשת "ואת שבתותי תשמרו", דהרי השבת הוא הזכר והאות לחידוש העולם על ידי הקדוש ברוך הוא בששת מעשה בראשית, ודו"ק.
בענין זה אזכיר מה ששמעתי מהגר"א וואסרמן זצ"ל: שאילו ראה דארווין את החפץ חיים לא היה אומר שהאדם נתפתח מקופים וכדומה, אלא שהוא ראה רק אנשים כמוהו ולכן בא לידי טעות, ודו"ק.
The Torah states explicitly that Adam was created from the the earth - ie dust, mud etc.
ReplyDeleteFor those who are insulted by the claim that Humans came from some ape like creatures, who would have been semi intelligent - then kal v'chomer they are opposing the Torah, which states that we came from the earth, which is totally inert matter, with no intelligence of middos, or nefesh etc.
Hence, if you accept the Torah, there can be no "offence" from the concept of evolution. It is just that the idea is too shocking and hence makes some ignore what the Torah says.
Ultimately it's Rav Hertz, zt"l, in his commentary who provides the best answer: it's not man's descent from the apes but his ascent that is what matters.
ReplyDeleteIn the 80s, the hareidim tried to ban the Hertz Chumash, and replace it with the Hirsch Chumash.
ReplyDeleteHertz is a great Chumash, who brings non Jewish sources, but demolishes reform and Christian claims.
Well yes, that was the point. When Rav Hertz, zt"l, wrote his pierush, there were two major problems affecting the Jews intellectually - Bible Criticism and missionizing. One was deconstructing the Bible and removing all holiness from it, the other was re-interpreting it to prove the "truth" of X-ianity. His peirush was written specifically to rebut both, which is why he uses X-ian sources that support our truth.
ReplyDeleteSo the hareidi daas is what?
ReplyDeleteThat we mustn't know the answers to the challenges? Or not know that there are challenges? Since this marvelous Chumash was aimed at an English speaking audience, it's a bit naive to think they are so ignorant to know about Xtianity. Or reform. I always knew xtian claims were absurd but rav Hertz really formalised the rebuttal of the imposter religion.
The current Daas Torah has warped things.
ReplyDeleteOnce, it was "Know how to respond to an apikores." Now it's "Don't waste your time responding because he's an apikores."
As far as I know, the current Daas Torah began with the Chofetz Chaim, who said pure Daas of the Torah can answer any question in the world.
ReplyDeleteBut a) there is no one that is as great as the CC anymore.
B) it is theoretically possible that the statement attributed to the CC is in error.
The biblical figure Nehemiah, was asked a question about lineage , and he was unable to solve the question. He said we need the priests to have urim v'thumim.
Hence the concept of daas Torah as absolute, is absolute sheker.
Correction - the CC was quoting R Itzele of Volozhin.
ReplyDelete