tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7309929059139673041.post1410842112663964565..comments2024-03-29T06:06:58.796+03:00Comments on Daas Torah - Issues of Jewish Identity: Oral vs Written:Without writing there is no logic, or philosophy or mathematicsDaas Torahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07252904288544083215noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7309929059139673041.post-89937469258630711392011-04-14T10:34:01.074+03:002011-04-14T10:34:01.074+03:00This is all faith based speculaton about the the h...This is all faith based speculaton about the the history of the Oral Law.<br />Rambam, in his introduction to the commentary on the MIshna, makes a startling admission. He says it is impossible to memorize the entire talmud. Is it possible to transmit a body of knowledge as large as the Talmud or oral law, purely by oral repetition? He then goes on to say that the Sages actually kept written records of the Mishna and halachot. <br />So the entire claim of oral transmission is questionable, based on rambam's statement.Ben MIkrahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07122937371918515052noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7309929059139673041.post-73869245681028655202011-04-14T03:03:36.922+03:002011-04-14T03:03:36.922+03:00I agree with the blog author here. Noam Chomsky...I agree with the blog author here. Noam Chomsky's theory categorized language into 4 classes. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chomsky_hierarchy<br /><br />The Gemara is closer to an unrestricted grammar, Type 0. This encompasses everything that can be described in words. <br /><br />Mishneh Torah is closer to Type 1 (context-sensitive), not exactly a programming language like Type 2 (context-free), but not unrestricted like the Gemara.<br /><br />I wouldn't be surprised if Chomsky was inspired by this observation to come up with his theory.betzalelnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7309929059139673041.post-22214704745376414762011-04-14T02:02:53.429+03:002011-04-14T02:02:53.429+03:00I agree with the Englishman's implication that...I agree with the Englishman's implication that this assertion is wrong. I am interested to know if he backs it up with evidence. I'll give you counter-evidence...<br /><br />I like playing with logic. Probably what led me to becoming a programmer when I (relatively speaking) grew up. So, I torture my kids with logic puzzles. I have given each of my kids the Epimenides Paradox and every one picked up on the underlying syllogism as well as its problem before the child was literate.<br /><br />And aside from Shuby, who has Downs, I don't think this result is startling. I would be most kids would be developmentally ready to get it by age 5 or so.<br /><br />(The Epimenides Paradox: Epimenides, who was from Knossos, Crete, declared "Anything you are told by anyone from Crete is a lie.")<br /><br />-michamicha bergerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11612144735431285113noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7309929059139673041.post-61747511045395493672011-04-14T01:26:08.597+03:002011-04-14T01:26:08.597+03:00Both the Mishna and Gemora were not written for un...Both the Mishna and Gemora were not written for until much later, as they are both the Oral Law, and even there writing was a concession as a necessary evil that ideally should not have been put to writing.Englishmannoreply@blogger.com