Image. http://www.hartmaninstitute.com/Focus_View_Eng.asp?Article_Id=13[Si on trouve que Dieu s’est conduit comme un cave, ce n’est pas le cas de tout le monde.]
HERETICAL OPINION
I find this opinion piece contary to the Jewish tradition. Our Torah states in the book of Job that man cannot develop a morality that is greater than God`s, because man`s moral conscience is subjective.
Donniel Hartman does not live up to the ideals and values of the Torah to which we must be true. The proper paradigm model is Saul`s rebellion against God when he substituted his morality for God`s, sparing the life of the Amalekite king Agag. Saul`s moral conscience counselled him to rebel against God`s wishes to destroy Agag. Saul declared that his morality told him "to have compassion on the cruel." Along came the Prophet Samuel to revoke Saul`s kingship because of his false consciousness.
In philosophy, a false consciousness betrays an inability to discern reality. Samuel told Saul to never question God`s moral judgments because "whoever is merciful to the cruel will turn out to be cruel to the merciful".
God cannot be subject to external moral review because in the Jewish value system, such a position is heretical and absurd.
Your predilection for this standpoint means that you are adopting an un-Jewish position. You should tell your readers that you do maintain un-Jewish standards and views.
Similarly, your chosen paradigm of Abraham questioning God about Sodom is inapt. Here is a person wrestling with God`s decision. It is not as you claim a defiant criticism of God. It is simply a person trying to understand a decision by the Almighty, like a child having a discussion with a parent over a disciplinary matter.
In the quoted case of Moses offering peace to the king of Heshbon, one cannot accept your terming this a "rebellion against God". It was no such thing. Since the Midrash informs us that God`s name is Peace (Shalom), it was only natural for Moses to offer peace before transitting king Sihon`s territory.
And another thing, it simply will not do to have historical errors appear in your columns--after all, your thoughts become warped as a result. I refer, of course,to your statement that
"Heshbon was not part of the Promised Land."
But it was. The borders of the Promised Land are set out by God in his covenant with Abraham and cover the "River of Egypt to the Great River Euphrates."
I should like to see this entire opinion piece re-written for the sake of accuracy and loyalty to the Jewish tradition and modern philosophy.
Samuel Petigorsky, Australia, Jul 20 2008
Sdom vs Akeida
(...) When G-d decides to ask a Jew for his opinion then out of fear and trepidation he can enter into a dialog with G-d. For most of however, until that time comes, the divine communication comes in the form of commands and the Akeida serves as our model for how we should react.
Moshe, Israel, Jan 4 2009
HERETICAL OPINION
I find this opinion piece contary to the Jewish tradition. Our Torah states in the book of Job that man cannot develop a morality that is greater than God`s, because man`s moral conscience is subjective.
Donniel Hartman does not live up to the ideals and values of the Torah to which we must be true. The proper paradigm model is Saul`s rebellion against God when he substituted his morality for God`s, sparing the life of the Amalekite king Agag. Saul`s moral conscience counselled him to rebel against God`s wishes to destroy Agag. Saul declared that his morality told him "to have compassion on the cruel." Along came the Prophet Samuel to revoke Saul`s kingship because of his false consciousness.
In philosophy, a false consciousness betrays an inability to discern reality. Samuel told Saul to never question God`s moral judgments because "whoever is merciful to the cruel will turn out to be cruel to the merciful".
God cannot be subject to external moral review because in the Jewish value system, such a position is heretical and absurd.
Your predilection for this standpoint means that you are adopting an un-Jewish position. You should tell your readers that you do maintain un-Jewish standards and views.
Similarly, your chosen paradigm of Abraham questioning God about Sodom is inapt. Here is a person wrestling with God`s decision. It is not as you claim a defiant criticism of God. It is simply a person trying to understand a decision by the Almighty, like a child having a discussion with a parent over a disciplinary matter.
In the quoted case of Moses offering peace to the king of Heshbon, one cannot accept your terming this a "rebellion against God". It was no such thing. Since the Midrash informs us that God`s name is Peace (Shalom), it was only natural for Moses to offer peace before transitting king Sihon`s territory.
And another thing, it simply will not do to have historical errors appear in your columns--after all, your thoughts become warped as a result. I refer, of course,to your statement that
"Heshbon was not part of the Promised Land."
But it was. The borders of the Promised Land are set out by God in his covenant with Abraham and cover the "River of Egypt to the Great River Euphrates."
I should like to see this entire opinion piece re-written for the sake of accuracy and loyalty to the Jewish tradition and modern philosophy.
Samuel Petigorsky, Australia, Jul 20 2008
Sdom vs Akeida
(...) When G-d decides to ask a Jew for his opinion then out of fear and trepidation he can enter into a dialog with G-d. For most of however, until that time comes, the divine communication comes in the form of commands and the Akeida serves as our model for how we should react.
Moshe, Israel, Jan 4 2009