I am copying a comment I made on Haimson.com. Our discussion there dovetails so well with dibros,I thought it would be a pity to not show the interconnect.
Michael, it is interesting how our postings have intertwined. On rambamsystem I mentioned that your economic perspective needed to be modified in light of your educational perspective.
In education the wise and experienced must guide the immature and inexperienced.The key to success in education is instilling the unity of all fields of the real world under one concept of "law". The real world is governed in all instances by an overarching "law". This foundation is the basis of rationality itself. Its application must be found in every subject.
Implicit to the idea of universal law is equality of application. Each and every atom is equally subject to chemical law, all matter is subject to physics and all property owners are subject to economics.
What is unique in man is that he is potentially under the domain of two different principles of law. Which of these will be dominant is our choice. We can choose to be governed by our minds or our animal psyches. It is precisely this choice which makes "self interest"
needful of clarification. Which is the real self, the appetitive animal or the rational mind.
Education should guide the immature to realizing that the superior life is that of the mind. The psyche must be guided to functioning as a tool in the mind framework.
Part of this guidance is exemplified in coveting. The rest is covered in the other dibrot. This guidance must not be coercive,but rather motivation based.The psyche must be led to realize the new sense of self as a mind consciously subject to law. This guidance to consciousness of the sovereignty of law is the fundamental principle of education.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Response to the comment by Michael Haimson
I will respond in blue.Michael's comment is in black
Very interesting post,
A few things...
The basis of a market economy is the fact that we covet each others assets. That is what makes the system work. That is why private property is a success while state/bureaucratically controlled lands and businesses are failures.
Merrian- Webster offers the following definitions of "covet":
transitive verb 1 : to wish for earnestly <covet an award> 2 : to desire (what belongs to another) inordinately or culpably intransitive verb : to feel inordinate desire for what belongs to another
The Mitzva offers a metric for the second sense "to desire (what belongs to another) inordinately or culpably". "Inordinately or culpably" is legally prohibited at two points:
a) If one makes an actionable plan to transfer property ownership against the owners will
b) If one executes such a plan.
Torah law demands that we respect our fellow citizens right to private property as an expression of law equal in significance to ourselves. To deny property rights of another is therefore to affirm that I am myself the source of causality- not natural law. This affirmation is the basis of irrationality because it encourages purely tactical magical thinking and discourages deep thought and strategic planning.
The fact that most businesses fail is not due to the inadequacy of man's planning, but due to the tumult of the marketplace. In order to succeed in the market one must invest capital and labor into a concept that is based on one's own flawed sense of perception of the demands in the marketplace. The fact that we were able to advance this far with such an anarchic system speaks volumes of the benefits of the system.
Also, don't forget that many businesses fail after a long period of success, that is another aspect of the market (creative destruction). Ask the buggy makers how they felt after Henry Ford starting his work.
I can certainly agree that imperfect knowledge and changing conditions are also important
factors in business failure. These would of course be intimately connected to magical thinking as well. The question needs to be asked: did the business diversify in anticipation of changes in the market due to strategic factors? Did the business embrace change or vainly attempt to maintain itself in the face of change. Kuhn in the "structure of scientific revolution" points out that the irrational inflexibility is a product of thought itself not just business thought. We naturally cling to theories that appeal to us personally, magical thinking, rather than flexibly adapt to the sovereignty of natural ideas.
Now when it comes to bubbles you have to realize that bubbles form around all booming industries. The life cycle that most new industries follow are quite standard: An individual or group of individuals revolutionize the marketplace with a new innovation, they go through a period of isolation or doubt from the market until they are shown to be profitable, slowly the elite of the market jump on the train as it's leaving the station and you have a runaway success. The problem begins when it becomes so mainstream that the mainstream market believes that they too can prosper from it, what happens then is that you have huge malinvestment due to the hubris of many credit institutions that release more credit into the market than can be handled. This over investment causes huge problems which develop into a bubble and can only be fixed by a correction (most economists cannot predict when or if a bubble has formed). Then you usually see a mass wipeout of mainstream investors, and then the industry that has grown up around the new innovation settles down and becomes more stable (Tech Sector is pretty hot today).
Self interest and a dynamic free market have been the hallmark of human achievement in my view. What you (and the Ralbag) are suggesting is quite vague and similar in sound to other plans that call for economic planning in the mold of an elite or some philosophy. While I agree that this cycle is quite destructive to some parts of humanity, there really is no other system out there.
And just to make a final point, it is impossible to enlighten everyone to the point that they realize that by acting in accordance with a higher philosophy when it comes to their economic affairs is the best way to go, and we must realize that having people act in their own interest has worked thus far. Whenever we don't have self interest (brilliantly understood by the proponents of private property) we have inefficiencies in the economy that cause undue suffering to the entire population.
Aren't you describing the very process I am speaking of? The spoiled children rush into a market they dont understand with as Greenspan says "irrational exuberance". Then they burn their fingers and get experience with the failure of magical thinking. Then they learn to invest based on rational factors. All I am saying is that if Greenspans were more succesfull in their Pirkei Avot like teaching the cycles of nature could be made much less volatile. This would be done through the new educational system giving people a mature sense of their true "self interest" you were writing about in your blog- not a command economy.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
The Divine method for success#2
This is intended as a partial response to Michael Haimson. Let me know which objections you think still stand
Intro: Dibros' need for motivation
In his intro to the Torah, Ralbag presents Torah as a divine method for success. Key to this method are the Dibros -a ten step approach to implementing the divine method in real world conditions. As Ralbag explains it, these “steps” follow a specific order-one must first liberate oneself from an opposing method for failure and then incorporate a method for success. While this explanation seems to make some intuitive sense, it also fails in an important way. The reader naturally asks himself-what exactly is the experiential basis for this approach of the Ralbag and where do we see evidence for this basis in our own lives? Surely if we were enslaved to a method for failure, the consequences should be readily apparent in our own real world experience! Only the reader who has been persuaded of the failure of his current method would ever become motivated enough to do the hard work of seeking liberation via a new method for success.
In reality this evidence is embedded in the premises of Ralbag, these merely need to be revealed. Let us begin with the first Dibrah- Lo Tachmod.
Lo Tachmod- liberation from Ego centric methods for failure
In his treatment of “Do not Covet” Ralbag identifies the root cause of failure- egocentrism. One who covets, by definition, formulates a world ordered around himself. In order to appreciate the immeasurable destructive power of such an act, we must consider the way in which success must be pursued.
Successful people, be they craftsman, professionals or whatever, succeed by virtue of planning. This commitment to planning is hard won. It is not accidental that so many businesses fail. We want to believe that our dream, beloved to ourselves is realistic, will be beloved to all and will necessarily succeed. Rarely if ever is this the case. Underlying this fantasy is a deep egotistical vision typical of a spoiled child. The spoiled child is accustomed to a world seemingly revolving around themselves. Their parents thwarted the normal emergence of respect for the power of causality and a magical sense of “planning” emerged. Since the spoiled child is accutomed to resources magically coming their way, they are insufficiently critical in their "planning". They expect a world in which desires are easily fufilled, without careful attendance to strategic causal factors.They mistake immediate gains based upon fortuitous circumstances as necessary conditions. The successful person then,is for the most part, one who has learned to forgo immature dreams in favor of well articulated plans.
At the macro level we saw this in the internet bubble.The fundamental premise of the bubble was that the internet released man from the laws of economics. The result was that the fantasy bubble burst, leaving so many businesses in bankruptcy, thousands of dreams shattered. More recently we saw this in the credit industry. Here too the false assumptions that loans could be somehow spun to poor risk borrowers, in contradiction to economic realities. The result again was that the fantasy bubble burst, leaving so many businesses in bankruptcy, thousands of dreams shattered.
It is experience of and a healthy dread for such magical thinking, the notion that one may merely dream without taking account of underlying strategic causal factors, that is the bedrock of success. The chazal crystallize this lesson into a dictum in Pirkei avot- אין בור ירא חטא- a dreamer without experience has no dread of magical thinking.
As pleasant as the tactical “benefit” coming from "coveting" may be- it comes at the expense of strategic loss. Such an act disregards much more strategic principles than the two bubbles mentioned earlier. Both the internet and banking fiascos involved disregard for market principles in specific domains-the internet and banking. The one who covets disregards a more fundamental notion- the very existence of law universal in its application to man. If one denies the reality of law, a principle equally applicable to each and every instance, in what way is rational planning possible at all? How is a mind to maintain planning if it falls prey to magical thinking in the most fundamental premise- the universal applicability of the law?
The pyrrhic victory involved in coveting then is dreadful to the experienced man. How could one not dread disconnecting oneself from the core tool in the battle against magical thinking that has been the source of all failures? It is here that we see the fundamental principle of failure underlying Lo Tachmod. To give in to coveting is to strengthen the very basis of magical thinking-the law applies only where it is useful to me personally. This principle is deeply repugnant to any practical person who has considered the root cause of failure.
The wise person is on the contrary ever vigilant to never, ever give in to magical thinking. The internet is not and cannot be a magical source of wealth outside of known market principles. The mortgage industry is not and cannot be a source of wealth outside of known banking principles.Indeed Goldman Sacks,precisely because strictly adhered to its time honored principles largely avoided the crash of the mortgage market. Warren Buffet succeeds because of legendary adherence to carefully scrutinized principles,in all times good and bad. Universality of law lies at the very core of the mind ordered to success, coveting promotes its exact opposite.
The Divine method for success
Intro: Dibros' need for motivation
In his intro to the Torah, Ralbag presents Torah as a divine method for success. Key to this method are the Dibros -a ten step approach to implementing the divine method. As Ralbag explains it these “steps” follow a specific order-one must first liberate oneself from an opposing method for failure and then incorporate a method for success. While this approach seems to make some intuitive sense, it also fails in an important way. The reader naturally asks himself-what exactly is the experiential basis for this approach of the Ralbag and where do we see evidence for this basis in our own lives? Surely if we are currently enslaved to a method for failure, the consequences should be readily apparent in our experience! Only the reader who has been persuaded of the failure of his current method would ever consider seeking liberation via a new course for success.
In reality this evidence is embedded in the premises of Ralbag, these merely need to be revealed. Let us begin with the first Dibrah- Lo Tachmod.
Lo Tachmod- liberation from Ego centric methods for failure
In his treatment of “Do not Covet” Ralbag identifies the root cause of failure- egocentrism. One who covets, by definition, formulates a world ordered around himself. In order to appreciate the true impact of such an act,the immeasurable destructive power it has to the success on man, we must consider the way in which success must be pursued.
Successful people, be they craftsman, professionals or whatever, succeed by virtue of planning. This commitment to planning is hard won. It is not accidental that so many businesses fail. We want to believe that our dream, beloved to ourselves is realistic, will be beloved to all and will necessarily succeed. Rarely if ever is this the case. The economy is littered with vast numbers of businesses more than 90%, of businesses that fail. At the macro level we saw this in the internet bubble.The fundamental premise of the bubble was that the internet released man from the laws of economics. The result was that the fantasy bubble burst, leaving so many businesses in bankruptcy, thousands of dreams shattered. More recently we saw this in the credit industry. Here too the false assumptions that loans could be somehow spun to poor risk borrowers, in contradiction to economic realities. The result again was that the fantasy bubble burst, leaving so many businesses in bankruptcy, thousands of dreams shattered.
It is experience of and a healthy dread for such magical thinking, the notion that one may merely dream without taking account of underlying causal factors that is the bedrock of success. The chazal crystallize this lesson into a dictum in Pirkei avot- אין בור ירא חטא- a dreamer without experience has no dread of magical thinking.
To covet anothers house, wife or any other beloved possession is to plan one's own benefit in total disregard for the concept of man as a social being who gets benefits through intelligentally managing shared economic resources. As pleasant as the tactical “benefit” may be- it comes at the expense of strategic loss. The pyrhic victory is dreadful to the experienced man. How could one not dread reconnecting oneself to the dreaded magical thinking that has been the source of all failures?
In his intro to the Torah, Ralbag presents Torah as a divine method for success. Key to this method are the Dibros -a ten step approach to implementing the divine method. As Ralbag explains it these “steps” follow a specific order-one must first liberate oneself from an opposing method for failure and then incorporate a method for success. While this approach seems to make some intuitive sense, it also fails in an important way. The reader naturally asks himself-what exactly is the experiential basis for this approach of the Ralbag and where do we see evidence for this basis in our own lives? Surely if we are currently enslaved to a method for failure, the consequences should be readily apparent in our experience! Only the reader who has been persuaded of the failure of his current method would ever consider seeking liberation via a new course for success.
In reality this evidence is embedded in the premises of Ralbag, these merely need to be revealed. Let us begin with the first Dibrah- Lo Tachmod.
Lo Tachmod- liberation from Ego centric methods for failure
In his treatment of “Do not Covet” Ralbag identifies the root cause of failure- egocentrism. One who covets, by definition, formulates a world ordered around himself. In order to appreciate the true impact of such an act,the immeasurable destructive power it has to the success on man, we must consider the way in which success must be pursued.
Successful people, be they craftsman, professionals or whatever, succeed by virtue of planning. This commitment to planning is hard won. It is not accidental that so many businesses fail. We want to believe that our dream, beloved to ourselves is realistic, will be beloved to all and will necessarily succeed. Rarely if ever is this the case. The economy is littered with vast numbers of businesses more than 90%, of businesses that fail. At the macro level we saw this in the internet bubble.The fundamental premise of the bubble was that the internet released man from the laws of economics. The result was that the fantasy bubble burst, leaving so many businesses in bankruptcy, thousands of dreams shattered. More recently we saw this in the credit industry. Here too the false assumptions that loans could be somehow spun to poor risk borrowers, in contradiction to economic realities. The result again was that the fantasy bubble burst, leaving so many businesses in bankruptcy, thousands of dreams shattered.
It is experience of and a healthy dread for such magical thinking, the notion that one may merely dream without taking account of underlying causal factors that is the bedrock of success. The chazal crystallize this lesson into a dictum in Pirkei avot- אין בור ירא חטא- a dreamer without experience has no dread of magical thinking.
To covet anothers house, wife or any other beloved possession is to plan one's own benefit in total disregard for the concept of man as a social being who gets benefits through intelligentally managing shared economic resources. As pleasant as the tactical “benefit” may be- it comes at the expense of strategic loss. The pyrhic victory is dreadful to the experienced man. How could one not dread reconnecting oneself to the dreaded magical thinking that has been the source of all failures?
Friday, June 13, 2008
Poor writers and active readers
Regarding Matt and Rabbi Maroofs point about clarity in writing. I will attempt to zocher the point they make in connecting ideas to examples. It is in the nature of the "Rambam System" to have many implicit premises embedded in every principle. Insofar as I fail to anticipate all premises that need to be exemplified, there is still recourse for the active reader. If you recall a while back I had a long back and forth with RW on Matt's blog. It was regarding Beruria and R Meir's relationship as exemplified in accepting a harsh material condition on Shabbos. RW was a very active reader, extremely helpful in asking questions and requesting examples where he wanted them . Feel free to do the same everyone.
Monday, June 2, 2008
The Geula of Time
19:1 On the third month [חדש] to the children of Israel’s departure from the land of Egypt, on that day, they came into the wilderness of Sinai. 19:2 When they had departed from Rephidim, and had come to the wilderness of Sinai, they encamped in the wilderness; and there Israel encamped before the mountain.
19:3 Moses went up to God, and Yudkay called to him out of the mountain, 19:4 ‘You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings, and brought you to myself. 19:5 Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice, and keep my covenant, then you shall be my own possession from among all peoples; for all the earth is mine; 19:6 and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation.’ These are the statements which you shall communicate to the children of Israel.”
19:7 Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and set before them all these statements that Yudkay commanded him. 19:8 All the people answered together, and said, “All that Yudkay has communicated we will do. ”Moses reported the statements of the people to Yudkay.
RALBAG
In the third month meaning the Rosh Chodesh (first of the month). The proof for this being [the words] "on that day". The word “month” [Chodesh] has two senses. 1)30 day period. 2) The first of the month.... This shows that the giving of the Torah was at the very earliest on the 3rd of the month... because of the preparatory time of 'ready yourselves three days'. Since they might well have been in the desert three days before this “preparatory period” it is reasonable to believe that the giving of the Torah was on the 6th. Furthermore it is preposterous to suppose that the Torah would mark the time of Exodus, the time of Passover, while not marking the time of the wondrous giving of the Torah. It is therefore clear that Shavuot is indeed the time of Matan Torah. This timing was done to serve as a memorial of the wondrous Matan Torah phenomenon to continuously maintain our belief in the veracity of the Torah system.
19:3 Moses went up to God, and Yudkay called to him out of the mountain, 19:4 ‘You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings, and brought you to myself. 19:5 Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice, and keep my covenant, then you shall be my own possession from among all peoples; for all the earth is mine; 19:6 and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation.’ These are the statements which you shall communicate to the children of Israel.”
19:7 Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and set before them all these statements that Yudkay commanded him. 19:8 All the people answered together, and said, “All that Yudkay has communicated we will do. ”Moses reported the statements of the people to Yudkay.
RALBAG
In the third month meaning the Rosh Chodesh (first of the month). The proof for this being [the words] "on that day". The word “month” [Chodesh] has two senses. 1)30 day period. 2) The first of the month.... This shows that the giving of the Torah was at the very earliest on the 3rd of the month... because of the preparatory time of 'ready yourselves three days'. Since they might well have been in the desert three days before this “preparatory period” it is reasonable to believe that the giving of the Torah was on the 6th. Furthermore it is preposterous to suppose that the Torah would mark the time of Exodus, the time of Passover, while not marking the time of the wondrous giving of the Torah. It is therefore clear that Shavuot is indeed the time of Matan Torah. This timing was done to serve as a memorial of the wondrous Matan Torah phenomenon to continuously maintain our belief in the veracity of the Torah system.
Problem:
Matan Torah, Israel’s acquisition of its natural regimen, is the development par excellence of Mankind. Al of human history up to that point is nothing other than the maturational stages needed for Matan Torah readiness to arise in Israel. Given this, the reader might reasonably expect the story to focus on identifying this “Matan Torah readiness”. How this ultimate maturation arises is indeed the topic of later pasukim. Following encampment at Sinai Hashem speaks to Moses comparing the Jewish nations’ maturation in knowledge of Hashem to the speed of an Eagle in flight:
19:3 Moses went up to God, and Yudkay called to him out of the mountain, 19:4 ‘You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings, and brought you to myself.
There is however a preliminary of the timing of encampment that introduces this maturational point.
19:1 On the third month [חדש] to the children of Israel’s departure from the land of Egypt, on that day, they came into the wilderness of Sinai.
The preoccupation with the precise time of encampment is disturbing. The Torah is usually extremely disinterested in the precise timing of events. The focus of intellectual inquiry is on universal timeless truths underlying the essential character of things, not their particularizing details. Why would the Torah choose to go into such precise detail regarding the timing of the Jew's encampment prior to discussing th essential issue of Matan Torah readiness?
The clues in Ralbag
While Ralbag begins with a grammatical contextual analysis of the word “חדש “ he quickly shifts to underlying first principles. The significance of “חדש “ is clearly linked to “זכירה “, in the sense of “זכירת יציאת מצרים“ we spoke of earlier. Clearly there is an underlying “זכירה “ principle here that unites Pesach and Shavuot.
Furthermore it is preposterous to suppose that the Torah would mark the time of Exodus, the time of Passover, while not marking the time of the wondrous giving of the Torah.
Why indeed is it “preposterous” that the Torah would fail to mark Matan Torah? It must be that the very nature of “זכירה “ demands that if Pesach is to be remembered so too must Matan Torah. Indeed this is Ralbag’s later point:
It is therefore clear that Shavuot is indeed the time of Matan Torah. This timing was done to serve as a memorial of the wondrous Matan Torah phenomenon to continuously maintain our belief in the veracity of the Torah system.
What is this general idea of “זכירה “ that Ralbag refers to? In what way does this need for “זכירה “ link Pesach to Shavuot and explain the preoccupation of the Torah with the precise timing of Matan Torah rather than abstract timeless truths about humanity?
The need for Zechira defined
Rambam, in the introduction to Sefer Ahava explains the place of Zechira in the Mitzva system:
ספר שני. אכלול בו המצוות שהן תדירות, שנצטווינו בהם כדי לאהוב את המקום ולזוכרו תמיד--כגון קרית שמע, ותפילה, ותפילין, וברכות; ומילה בכללן, לפי שהיא אות בבשרנו להזכיר תמיד בשעה שאין שם לא תפילין ולא ציצית וכיוצא בהן. .
I will include in it all Mitzvot that are frequent, those we are commanded in order to love God and remember him continuously such as Kriat Shema, Tefilla, Tefillin Berachot including Berit Milah. This is included in order to be reminded when there is neither Tefillin nor Tzitzit etc.
This statement of Rambam is bewildering. If we have love of G, the overpowering all inclusive attraction to abstract knowledge proper to one with a clearly articulated ultimate end, why do we need zechira? Surely remembering God is only necessary for one whose ultimate end is incompletely articulated and therefore subject to distraction by other goods competing to be ones ultimate end. The very same problem is to be found in the Torah itself-in Keriat shema. There too love is intermixed with Zechira in the same baffling way.
ה וְאָהַבְתָּ, אֵת יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ, בְּכָל-לְבָבְךָ וּבְכָל-נַפְשְׁךָ, וּבְכָל-מְאֹדֶךָ. ו וְהָיוּ הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה, אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מְצַוְּךָ הַיּוֹם--עַל-לְבָבֶךָ. ז וְשִׁנַּנְתָּם לְבָנֶיךָ, וְדִבַּרְתָּ בָּם, בְּשִׁבְתְּךָ בְּבֵיתֶךָ וּבְלֶכְתְּךָ בַדֶּרֶךְ, וּבְשָׁכְבְּךָ וּבְקוּמֶךָ. ח וּקְשַׁרְתָּם לְאוֹת, עַל-יָדֶךָ; וְהָיוּ לְטֹטָפֹת, בֵּין עֵינֶיךָ. ט וּכְתַבְתָּם עַל-מְזֻזוֹת בֵּיתֶךָ, וּבִשְׁעָרֶיךָ.
What is this personality that is simultaneously in need of Mitzvot that facilitate Zechira (tefillin and Mezuza) alongside ones that facilitate Ahava (D'varim of Talmud Torah)?
Zechira and D'varim Ketanim
The answer is right in Keriat Shema and is further elaborated in the Yesodei Ha-torah
- וְהָיוּ הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה, אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מְצַוְּךָ הַיּוֹם—עַל-לְבָבֶך. Ahava depends upon D'varim, core concepts and principles that form the lens through which we perceive Chochma in our world. It is the absolute clarity of these d'varim that allows them to be applied to all the Creations including Man. Precisely because one's D'varim allow absolute clarity about Chochmas Hashem in “all the creations including Man” that the Ohev naturally persues Chochma as his end. This clarity of d'varim makes them be upon the heart- the unified personality in pursuit of the good of Chochma. As Rambam puts it:
When a person gains insight into these d’varim (first principles), recognizing (the entire hierarchy) of the creations, from angel and galaxy all the way to man (and his environment), and therefore sees the Chochmas Hashem in all the creations, he adds to his love of the Makom, and his soul thirsts and his flesh yearns to love the Makom baruch hu. Simultaneously, this person feels a great awe and fear resulting from his smallness and inconsequentiality ...
Zechira is needed for one whose D'varim are not yet completely integrated into their hearts. Such a person may have a lot of pleasure from abstract knowledge. They may have delighted in many insights and chiddushim-yet still lack a unified methodology of thought applicable to “ the Chochmas Hashem in all the creations” . The conceptual framework of this person is inadequate to fully harmonize their personal lives with general principles. Precisely because of this such people are vulnerable to Shichecha- organizing their lifestyle around a competing good other than Chochma. It is this kind of D'varim that Rambam speaks of next:
Now I say that it is inappropriate to tour the pardes except for he who has filled his belly with bread and meat. “Bread and meat” refers to knowing the assur and mutar (i.e. the applied principles) in that which is not first principles. Even though these principles are called davar katan... they come first educationally, since they cultivate (meyashvin) the mind and additionally are the great good by which we develop this world (li-yishuv ha-olam hazeh) and attain the world to come.
The world reflected upon through D'varim ketanim
While D'varim gedolim allow the mind to reflect upon the whole of the world of Creation “Chochmas Hashem in all the creations” , D'varim Ketanim allow reflection upon a part only- the world of man - “the great good by which we develop this world”. The mission of the Mitzvot lies precisely in cultivating the immature mind to universal Chochma through beginning with the Chochma most available to us- the craft of setting up a Yishuv on Aretz. So long as its focus is upon its own development only the immature mind must be protected from lapsing into shichecha. The effect of Shichecha is a compartmentalized reality in which Man is a divinity,independently endowed with the right and power to order material resources to the world or Good of his choosing. In fantasy in we convince ourselves that our chosen notion of Good merely needs the means for realization.
ט) וְהָיְתָה אֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם לִשְׁמָמָה וְחָרְבָּה וְיָדְעוּ כִּי אֲנִי יְקֹוָק יַעַן אָמַר יְאֹר לִי וַאֲנִי עָשִׂיתִי
מדרש תנחומא (בובר) פרשת וארא סימן טז
פרעה עשה את עצמו אלוה, שנאמר יען אמר לי יאורי ואני עשיתי (יחזקאל כט ט), אמר אני הוא שבראתי את עצמי, מיד הודיעו שהוא בשר ודם, אמר הקב"ה בשביל שעשה את עצמו אלוה, הודיעו שהוא בשר ודם, הרי הוא יוצא לדרכו ולצורכו בבוקר, אחוז בו והודיעו שהוא בשר ודם
רד"ק יחזקאל פרק כט
לי יאורי - המשקה אותו וארצי, השובע נמצא בה ברוב השנים ואינני צריך למטר ולא לילך למדינות אחרות בעבור תבואה:
ואני עשיתיני - אני עשיתי ותקנתי לי היאור להשקות את ארצי או פי' עשיתיני עשיתי ותקנתי אותי בחכמתי ובתבונתי עד שנעשיתי מלך גדול
The Geula of time
We are now in a position to understand the Torah's focus upon time in Pesach and Shavuot. As significant as the accomplishments of Dor Hamidbar were, they did not attain a level of Dvarim Gedolim. There relationship to Chochmas Hashem the was not as it appears in the macrocosm of Creation but rather in the microcosm of Man. As such its object is identifying the emergence of the Halachic world, a world of D'varim ketanim. The subjects in this world are not all Creations, but rather mankind alone- an avoda centered world. In this world time measures not the motion and development of all things but rather the development of the Chochma centered society of Israel from ego centered society of Mitzraim. Essential to this is the establishing of a new time frame for measuring the key element of the Halachic world -motion away from Mitzraim and toward Kedushat Yisrael. This calender then contains significant dates, the points at which the Yisrael development can be measured and discerned. In so doing a year of the Jewish nation is born, a new revolutionary cycle of Mikadesh Yisrael Vi-haz'manim ,time measuring motion from Dvarim ketanim to gedolim. How does this cycle accomplish zechira?
Geula and Zechira
It is precisely the consideration of the natural framework of time of the macrocosm of Creation that gives context to our Microcosm of man. Our tendency to self worship must be continuously countered by constant re-evaluation of the human end in the context of the larger Beria. This is done by recognizing the misdirection tendency of the immature D'varim (Pesach) then renewing commitment to ordering oneself to the newly conceived true end (Shavuot). An indispensible part of remembering our tendency toward Shichecha is this reflection upon the limitation of our time frame.
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Time
19:1 On the third month [חדש] to the children of Israel’s departure from the land of Egypt, on that day, they came into the wilderness of Sinai. 19:2 When they had departed from Rephidim, and had come to the wilderness of Sinai, they encamped in the wilderness; and there Israel encamped before the mountain.
19:3 Moses went up to God, and Yudkay called to him out of the mountain, 19:4 ‘You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings, and brought you to myself. 19:5 Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice, and keep my covenant, then you shall be my own possession from among all peoples; for all the earth is mine; 19:6 and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation.’ These are the statements which you shall communicate to the children of Israel.”
19:7 Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and set before them all these statements that Yudkay commanded him. 19:8 All the people answered together, and said, “All that Yudkay has communicated we will do. ”Moses reported the statements of the people to Yudkay.
RALBAG
In the third month meaning the Rosh Chodesh (first of the month). The proof for this being [the words] "on that day". The word “month” [Chodesh] has two senses. 1)30 day period. 2) The first of the month.... This shows that the giving of the Torah was at the very earliest on the 3rd of the month... because of the preparatory time of 'ready yourselves three days'. Since they might well have been in the desert three days before this “preparatory period” it is reasonable to believe that the giving of the Torah was on the 6th. Furthermore it is preposterous to suppose that the Torah would mark the time of Exodus, the time of Passover, while not marking the time of the wondrous giving of the Torah. It is therefore clear that Shavuot is indeed the time of Matan Torah. This timing was done to serve as a memorial of the wondrous Matan Torah phenomenon to continuously maintain our belief in the veracity of the Torah system.
Summary of Chumash al pi Ralbag
Back story
Avraham Avinu, at Brit Bayn hab'tarim, was troubled by the idea that his Zera would inherit the land through Hashgacha.
He did not ask for a sign,rather he said 'tell me by what merit will [my progeny] endure there? [God] answered by the merit of Korbanot.
Avraham's question would appear to be rooted in the difficulty of maintaining the Shem Hashem in a national setting. The notion that an overarching Chochma permeates all Creation including Man is indeed daunting. People generally feel great conflict with this notion, as it contradicts our egocentric world. By nature we seek Chochma as a means to the comforts of our lifestyle not as an end in itself. The result of this conflict is Shichecha, a compartmentalized view of the world which maintains the fantasy that the overarching Chochma we see governing the entire creation has no bearing on our chosen good. This Shichecha justifies a lifestyle dedicated to ends other than Chochma. How is a Nation to emerge which does not fall prey to Shichecha? If Hashem's promise were to come true,wouldn't Hashgacha be used by the Nation as justification for pursuing its chosen lifestyle through Shichecha, rather than as an opportunity to seek true development? How could such a Hashgachic relationship endure?
Using Modern Israel as an example. Has the Hashgachic restoration of the land provided impetus for renewed inquiry into research as the true end of life? Or has it rather served to justify the rather material nationalistic lifestyle we already have?
In fulfillment of the Nevua to Avraham, Zera Avraham, a nation that knew Hashem, was coming into being. This “emergence” required the penetration of Shem Hashem into the psychic domain of fantasy. Exactly as Hashem had told Avraham it was Korbanot, specifically Korban Pesach that allowed the nation to become focused upon the reality of Chochma extending into the human domain. The Korban provided the basis for zechira, the trumping of retreat into fantasy through continual reconsideration of the events of Geulat Mitzraim. Yearly consideration of the Nissim at the seder built upon Korban Pesach and daily remembering in Keriat Shema would provide the needed antidote to the fantasy that it was meant to sustain a materialistic lifestyle. On the one hand the Korbanot indicate the predilection of our psyche to fantasy-after all the sheep is representative of the sheep of avoda zara. On the other hand the halachic character of the korban enables the Jews a beginning sense of Shem Hashem sufficient to redeem the Yisrael from attachment to Egyptian AZ and begin the quest for a new avoda. The stage is set for the developmental stage of Matan Torah itself.
Our story
In this perspective, Matan Torah is a critical stage in the birth of the nation which knows Hashem. The birth begins with encampment at Sinai on a specific date- Rosh Chodesh Sivan.
Problem
Matan Torah, Israel’s acquisition of its natural regimen, is the development par excellence of Mankind. Human history up to that point is nothing other than the passage of time needed for the maturational stage needed for Torah readiness to arise in Israel. Given this the reader might reasonably expect the story to focus on identifying this “maturational stage” that forms the basis for Matan Torah. What is added to the pre-existing understanding of Pesach? This further maturation is indeed the topic of later pasukim that compare the Jewish nations’ knowledge of Hashem to the speed of an Eagle in flight:
19:3 Moses went up to God, and Yudkay called to him out of the mountain, 19:4 ‘You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings, and brought you to myself.
There is however a preliminary of the timing that introduces this maturational point. The preoccupation with the precise time of encampment is disturbing. The Torah is usually extremely disinterested in the precise timing of events. The focus of intellectual inquiry is on universal timeless truths underlying the essential character of things, not their particularizing details.
The clues in Ralbag
While Ralbag begins with a grammatical contextual analysis of the word “חדש “ he quickly shifts to underlying first principles. The significance of “חדש “ is clearly linked to “זכירה “, in the sense of “זכירת יציאת מצרים“ we spoke of earlier. Clearly there is an underlying “זכירה “ principle here that unites Pesach and Shavuot.
Furthermore it is preposterous to suppose that the Torah would mark the time of Exodus, the time of Passover, while not marking the time of the wondrous giving of the Torah.
Why indeed is it “preposterous” that the Torah would fail to mark Matan Torah? It must be that the very nature of “זכירה “ demands that if Pesach is to be remembered so too must Matan Torah. Indeed this is Ralbag’s later point:
It is therefore clear that Shavuot is indeed the time of Matan Torah. This timing was done to serve as a memorial of the wondrous Matan Torah phenomenon to continuously maintain our belief in the veracity of the Torah system.
We can summarize our problems then in the following questions:
1)What is the significance of focus on the time of the encampment at Sinai?
2)Why is the time measured relative to Exodus?
3)What is the purpose of Ralbag's further elaboration of חדשv?
4)Why is it appropriate for Ralbag to digress to the exact date of Shavuot and the importance of remembering Matan Torah when the Torah is discussing the timing of the Jews arrival at Sinai?
5)What is the “זכירה “ that Ralbag refers to? In what way is the “זכירה “ of Pesach linked to the “זכירה “ of Shavuot?
19:3 Moses went up to God, and Yudkay called to him out of the mountain, 19:4 ‘You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings, and brought you to myself. 19:5 Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice, and keep my covenant, then you shall be my own possession from among all peoples; for all the earth is mine; 19:6 and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation.’ These are the statements which you shall communicate to the children of Israel.”
19:7 Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and set before them all these statements that Yudkay commanded him. 19:8 All the people answered together, and said, “All that Yudkay has communicated we will do. ”Moses reported the statements of the people to Yudkay.
RALBAG
In the third month meaning the Rosh Chodesh (first of the month). The proof for this being [the words] "on that day". The word “month” [Chodesh] has two senses. 1)30 day period. 2) The first of the month.... This shows that the giving of the Torah was at the very earliest on the 3rd of the month... because of the preparatory time of 'ready yourselves three days'. Since they might well have been in the desert three days before this “preparatory period” it is reasonable to believe that the giving of the Torah was on the 6th. Furthermore it is preposterous to suppose that the Torah would mark the time of Exodus, the time of Passover, while not marking the time of the wondrous giving of the Torah. It is therefore clear that Shavuot is indeed the time of Matan Torah. This timing was done to serve as a memorial of the wondrous Matan Torah phenomenon to continuously maintain our belief in the veracity of the Torah system.
Summary of Chumash al pi Ralbag
Back story
Avraham Avinu, at Brit Bayn hab'tarim, was troubled by the idea that his Zera would inherit the land through Hashgacha.
He did not ask for a sign,rather he said 'tell me by what merit will [my progeny] endure there? [God] answered by the merit of Korbanot.
Avraham's question would appear to be rooted in the difficulty of maintaining the Shem Hashem in a national setting. The notion that an overarching Chochma permeates all Creation including Man is indeed daunting. People generally feel great conflict with this notion, as it contradicts our egocentric world. By nature we seek Chochma as a means to the comforts of our lifestyle not as an end in itself. The result of this conflict is Shichecha, a compartmentalized view of the world which maintains the fantasy that the overarching Chochma we see governing the entire creation has no bearing on our chosen good. This Shichecha justifies a lifestyle dedicated to ends other than Chochma. How is a Nation to emerge which does not fall prey to Shichecha? If Hashem's promise were to come true,wouldn't Hashgacha be used by the Nation as justification for pursuing its chosen lifestyle through Shichecha, rather than as an opportunity to seek true development? How could such a Hashgachic relationship endure?
Using Modern Israel as an example. Has the Hashgachic restoration of the land provided impetus for renewed inquiry into research as the true end of life? Or has it rather served to justify the rather material nationalistic lifestyle we already have?
In fulfillment of the Nevua to Avraham, Zera Avraham, a nation that knew Hashem, was coming into being. This “emergence” required the penetration of Shem Hashem into the psychic domain of fantasy. Exactly as Hashem had told Avraham it was Korbanot, specifically Korban Pesach that allowed the nation to become focused upon the reality of Chochma extending into the human domain. The Korban provided the basis for zechira, the trumping of retreat into fantasy through continual reconsideration of the events of Geulat Mitzraim. Yearly consideration of the Nissim at the seder built upon Korban Pesach and daily remembering in Keriat Shema would provide the needed antidote to the fantasy that it was meant to sustain a materialistic lifestyle. On the one hand the Korbanot indicate the predilection of our psyche to fantasy-after all the sheep is representative of the sheep of avoda zara. On the other hand the halachic character of the korban enables the Jews a beginning sense of Shem Hashem sufficient to redeem the Yisrael from attachment to Egyptian AZ and begin the quest for a new avoda. The stage is set for the developmental stage of Matan Torah itself.
Our story
In this perspective, Matan Torah is a critical stage in the birth of the nation which knows Hashem. The birth begins with encampment at Sinai on a specific date- Rosh Chodesh Sivan.
Problem
Matan Torah, Israel’s acquisition of its natural regimen, is the development par excellence of Mankind. Human history up to that point is nothing other than the passage of time needed for the maturational stage needed for Torah readiness to arise in Israel. Given this the reader might reasonably expect the story to focus on identifying this “maturational stage” that forms the basis for Matan Torah. What is added to the pre-existing understanding of Pesach? This further maturation is indeed the topic of later pasukim that compare the Jewish nations’ knowledge of Hashem to the speed of an Eagle in flight:
19:3 Moses went up to God, and Yudkay called to him out of the mountain, 19:4 ‘You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings, and brought you to myself.
There is however a preliminary of the timing that introduces this maturational point. The preoccupation with the precise time of encampment is disturbing. The Torah is usually extremely disinterested in the precise timing of events. The focus of intellectual inquiry is on universal timeless truths underlying the essential character of things, not their particularizing details.
The clues in Ralbag
While Ralbag begins with a grammatical contextual analysis of the word “חדש “ he quickly shifts to underlying first principles. The significance of “חדש “ is clearly linked to “זכירה “, in the sense of “זכירת יציאת מצרים“ we spoke of earlier. Clearly there is an underlying “זכירה “ principle here that unites Pesach and Shavuot.
Furthermore it is preposterous to suppose that the Torah would mark the time of Exodus, the time of Passover, while not marking the time of the wondrous giving of the Torah.
Why indeed is it “preposterous” that the Torah would fail to mark Matan Torah? It must be that the very nature of “זכירה “ demands that if Pesach is to be remembered so too must Matan Torah. Indeed this is Ralbag’s later point:
It is therefore clear that Shavuot is indeed the time of Matan Torah. This timing was done to serve as a memorial of the wondrous Matan Torah phenomenon to continuously maintain our belief in the veracity of the Torah system.
We can summarize our problems then in the following questions:
1)What is the significance of focus on the time of the encampment at Sinai?
2)Why is the time measured relative to Exodus?
3)What is the purpose of Ralbag's further elaboration of חדשv?
4)Why is it appropriate for Ralbag to digress to the exact date of Shavuot and the importance of remembering Matan Torah when the Torah is discussing the timing of the Jews arrival at Sinai?
5)What is the “זכירה “ that Ralbag refers to? In what way is the “זכירה “ of Pesach linked to the “זכירה “ of Shavuot?
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