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  • From: Shoshanna Walker <rosewalk AT concentric.net>
  • To: b-hebrew <b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] Academic Debate"
  • Date: Thu, 1 Nov 2007 19:15:50 -0400

At 6:34 AM +0000 11/1/07, Yitzhak Sapir wrote:
but the above does illustrate the
background from which we come -- one where rationalistic thought is
more powerful than supernatural phenomena.

Yitzhak Sapir

That's because there IS NO SUCH thing as "supernatural phenomena"

1. Everything works according to the laws that G-d set into motion, and G-d does not break (He could, but doesn't need to - everything has been all taken into consideration in advance) His own laws, therefore nothing takes place outside the realm of "nature".

2. So-called "miracles" do not take place outside the laws that G-d put into motion, either; they are only events that occur very infrequently, and the miracle is the TIMING of when they took place, ie; parting of Yam Suf - there were "natural" reasons for it, even though the conditions which all had to be in place in order for it to occur were very rare, the miracle is that all the conditions occurred simultaneously when they did.

3. Besides this physical realm, which is all that we can perceive with our 5 senses, there are more highly refined, "spiritual" realms of Existence populated by all kinds of beings, which our 5 senses cannot perceive, and that doesn't mean that they don't exist.

4. The laws of cause and effect that G-d created, exist and operate not only in this physical realm, but also in all the spiritual realms, and they are interdependent and affect each other, ie; physical actions also have reactions in the spiritual realms, which go on to cause reactions in the physical realm.

5. What we call "supernatural phenomena" are events that take place or maybe began in the layers of Existence which our 5 senses don't perceive, and then when we see the results here in this physical world without seeing all the cause and effects in the spiritual worlds, it only SEEMS to us that they are "outside" of "nature".

6. The reason that the Torah and rabbis stressed proper action in this physical world is because of the reactions that our actions have in the spiritual realms which then come back, either positively or negatively, to us. And that is why "rationalist thought" based on the Torah, of what is recommended behavior in new and unfolding situations through time, is more powerful than "supernatural" phenomena - because our actions ARE THE CAUSE of reactions in the spiritual realms, which is where our sustenance comes from - all according to the Laws that G-d set into place - and actually - are - most powerful.

Shoshanna Walker




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