Avodah Mailing List

Volume 37: Number 36

Sun, 05 May 2019

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Subjects Discussed In This Issue:
Message: 1
From: Micha Berger
Date: Wed, 1 May 2019 16:31:24 -0400
Subject:
Re: [Avodah] Multivalent truth


On Tue, Apr 30, 2019 at 11:54:27PM +0000, Rich, Joel via Avodah wrote:
: From R B'Bednarsh on halachic pluralism:
:> Accordingly, when commentaries argue regarding the correct halakhic
:> ruling, this represents not a lack of clear knowledge but a deeper
:> knowledge of the multivalent truth about this particular halakhic
:> matter. The complex rulings of the later poskim are the proper
:> applications of that multifaceted truth...

: How do you reconcile this with the classic brisker chakira which seems
: to look at halachic truth as Boolean?

I think R Bednarsh is confusing two of Aristo's laws of logic. Multivalent
logic rejects the classical Law of Excluded Middle -- there is true,
false, and nothing in between. Multivalent logic says their are other
valencies. The Law of Contradiction -- something and its inverse cannot
both be true at the same time -- is more relevant to eilu va'eilu divrei
E-lokim Chaim.

Although it does find a rational basis for both sides of machloqes,
so I'm not sure it's true.

In either case, the Rambam bought into Aristotilian logic, and
(therefore?) doesn't believe both sides of a machloqes are equally
true. To the Rambam, machloqes is due to attempt to reconstruct the
forgotten; and one side is indeed in error. We just do our best to
minimize the chance that we're following that side. And since Briskers so
heavily lean on the Rambam, maybe R Chaim accepts the Rambam's position
on this too. And so if there is a conflict between the ideas multiple
truths and Brisker derekh, it wouldn't be a problem. Brisker derekh
might not accept a literal eilu va'eilu anyway.

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger             Today is the 11th day, which is
mi...@aishdas.org        1 week and 4 days in/toward the omer.
http://www.aishdas.org   Netzach sheb'Gevurah: What is imposing about
Fax: (270) 514-1507                            strict justice?



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Message: 2
From: Micha Berger
Date: Wed, 1 May 2019 16:23:54 -0400
Subject:
Re: [Avodah] Heseibah, Halachah and Science


On Wed, May 01, 2019 at 07:34:39AM -0400, Akiva Miller via Avodah wrote:
:> First find the line between superstition and discarded scientific theory.
...
: No, that's not "the" real question. It's just one of several questions...

To me it is "the real question". Because if, as you write:
: I suspect that the answer to all of these is flexible with the time and
: culture of whoever is asking...

Then the question is not whether a given danger is supersition or not,
but what kind of reasoning is used to declare heseibah on the left
or meat and fish or sheidim or stepping on nail clippings or... to be
dangerous. It isn't belief in supersitious dangers that is assur, as
that's not a definable set. Rather, it's superstitious thinking leading
one to conclude something is dangerous or propitious that would be the
topic of issur.

It's like assments of chi and reiki. Ch'i / Qi could be viewed as a
mataphysical kishuf thing. Or it could be viewed as a scientific theory
(accurate or not aside), not different in kind than fields in contemporary
western science.

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger             Today is the 11th day, which is
mi...@aishdas.org        1 week and 4 days in/toward the omer.
http://www.aishdas.org   Netzach sheb'Gevurah: What is imposing about
Fax: (270) 514-1507                            strict justice?



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Message: 3
From: Rabbi Meir G. Rabi
Date: Thu, 2 May 2019 14:17:18 +1000
Subject:
[Avodah] 50 Amos too high


50 Amos high gallows
But Halachah suggests we don't notice things higher than 20 Amos - Menorah,
Sukkah and the beam of a MaVuy must all be below 20 Amos.

However a beam that is decorated, may be placed higher than 20 Amos because
people will be attentive to its design and will therefore not confuse that
MaVuy with a true public domain.

The dangling corpse of the second highest official of the kingdom, the
known Jew hating thug, executed at the behest of the Jewish Queen and the
king's rabbi advisor, would have been a spectacle we would have gladly
gaped at all day long.
Somehow though, the flickering flame in the second floor window, is not
quite as spellbinding.
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Message: 4
From: Professor L. Levine
Date: Thu, 2 May 2019 17:51:24 +0000
Subject:
[Avodah] Sclissel Chalah?


Please listen to the shiur at


https://www.yutorah.org/sidebar/lecture.cfm/923586/rabbi-aaron-selevan/sclissel-chalah-/
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Message: 5
From: Micha Berger
Date: Thu, 2 May 2019 14:26:41 -0400
Subject:
Re: [Avodah] Sclissel Chalah?


On Thu, May 02, 2019 at 05:51:24PM +0000, Professor L. Levine via Avodah wrote:
: Please listen to the shiur at
: https://www.yutorah.org/sidebar/lecture.cfm/923586

Rabbi Aaron Selevan's point is what I've said in countless iterations.
The problem with segulos like shlissel challah is not inherent in the
practice, but with the person's understanding of segulah. Otherwise,
we could argue that Rosh haShanah's simanei milsa were problematic.

Although he had a far richer list of possible origins for the custom
than we've accumulated over the years.

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger             Today is the 12th day, which is
mi...@aishdas.org        1 week and 5 days in/toward the omer.
http://www.aishdas.org   Hod sheb'Gevurah: What aspect of judgment
Fax: (270) 514-1507                  forces the "judge" into submission?


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