Tuesday, March 29, 2005

Interesting point on yesterday's daf (Brachos 28b)

In yesterday's daf (28b) R' Eliezer was sick and was asked by his talmidim for some advice on how to live their lives. One of the things he told them is מנעו בניכם מן ההגיון. Rashi has 1 pshat that this means don't let them learn so much תנ"ך because it will attract them. Rashi seems to be saying that they will focus to much on תנ"ך and neglect תורה שבע"פ. This is an interesting point, that a person should concentrate on תורה שבע"פ and not תורה שבכתב. This was certainly the approach in the Lithuanian yeshivas of 100 years ago. The question is to what extent? Clearly you need to know תורה שבכתב to some extent in order to learn תורה שבע"פ and Rashi himself wrote a peirush on all of תנ"ך. the question seesm to be how much is enough.

Others (the צל"ח) learn the gemara differently that it is referring to philosophy, this is the Haredi view of the world, philosophy is scary stuff because it could lead to kefira. The Rambam clearly disagreed.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

"Rashi has 1 pshat that this means don't let them learn so much תנ"ך because it will attract them. Rashi seems to be saying that they will focus to much on תנ"ך and neglect תורה שבע"פ. This is an interesting point, that a person should concentrate on תורה שבע"פ and not תורה שבכתב."

(see the meiri's explanation too.)

I was thinking that they should make this part of the standard apologetics for women on talmud torah. You know, they normally start with RSRH's statement that women are potur from m"a she'ha'z'man grama b/c they are inherently more sensitive to time. That doesn't really explain the p'tur from talmud torah. I think now that they should tell women that tanach is really attracting and that they have the better deal, as men would naturally spend more time on tsb'k'sav if they could, and only turn to tsb"p b/c they are obligated. (I even think this is true, that women are free to learn what they want.