I never realized how virulent this guy was in his attacks of R Slifkin until I saw a link to a letter R Slifkin wrote to him where he quotes many of his speeches. Check it out here. The quotes from this Rabbi who is generally considered rather "modern" in the Chareidi world because he has a Phd. in mathematics is so dissapointing as to almsot make one cry.
But that's not what I'm posting about. What I'm posting about are some of the comments on Rationalist Judaism about the book. To his credit Rabbi Slifkin usually does not speak with such blatant cognitive dissonance but some of his commenters sure do let's take a look and then watch me go XGH on them and "tweek" them a bit.
That being said, his book is just more of the same ideas that some Rabbis put forward. Whoever reads what he has to say most likely already agrees with him. People who don't read him most likely already disagree with him.I am curious at how much he will say that is easily refutable, semi-intellectual and, even, correct. But in truth, there is no waaaay I am wasting my time reading something like that. If I want to learn about science and Torah I will read something written by people who do research in science as well as Torah.wave the skeptic wand and pretend I am reviewing a book defending TMS...
That being said, his book is just more of the same ideas that some Rabbis put forward. Whoever reads what he has to say most likely already agrees with him. People who don't read him most likely already disagree with him.I am curious at how much he will say that is easily refutable, semi-intellectual and, even, correct. But in truth, there is no waaaay I am wasting my time reading something like that. If I want to learn about history and Torah I will read something written by people who do research in history, and archaeology as well as Torah.Hmmm awfully similar no? Next...
Those who believe the world is literally 5770 years old and that this belief is a fundamental principle of Judaism will hail his book as a great work of religious literature, a strong defence of authentic Torah Judaism, blah, blah.
Those of us with our brains turned on to a higher voltage than that will either ignore the book (given that I have lots of other stuff to read) or write eloquent rebuttals (that would be you) that will amount to preaching to the choir.
and now a little wave of the skeptic wand and once again pretend I'm reviewing a books on TMS...
Those who believe that the Torah was litterally written by Moshe and that this belief is a fundamental principle of Judaism will hail this book as a great work of religious literature, a strong defence of authentic Judaism, blah, blah.
Those of us with our brains turned on to a higher voltage than that will either ignore the book (given that I have lots of other stuff to read) or write eloquent rebuttals (that would be you) that will amount to preaching to the choir.
The resemblance is uncanny!
Sorry I couldn't resist.
Read the comments over here:
And a Shabbat Shalom!
Posts
