Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Jonathan D. Safren" <yonsaf AT beitberl.ac.il>]

Shoshanna Walker:

If you would ONLY believe me
The M'forshim, those who wrote down the Oral Torah, knew SO MUCH MORE THAN
YOU!
If ONLY you would listen



gf somsel:

How do you KNOW so assuredly that they knew so much more than we do today?
It seems to me that in order to make that judgment, you would need to know
not only more than others today, but more than those whose views you
promote.

JDS: You must all realize that Shoshanna Walker is expounding her belief
system. The claim she makes about the superior knowledge of the ancient
Rabbis (Chaza"l, the Sages, of the Mishna and Talmuds, to be distnguished
from the M'forshim, the traditional - mainly medieval - Jewish Biblical
commentators) is one typical of Orthodox Judaism. This claim is made so as
to a priori preclude raising any doubts as to the validity and the
superiority of the Rabbis' knowledge.
Therefore, arguing this point with Shoshanna will not change her beliefs one
whit, it will only raise the temperature of the discussion. So I suggest you
all leave off.
Sincerely,
Jonathan D. Safren
Dept. of Biblical Studies
Beit Berl College
44905 Israel

"sha'alu shelom yerushalayim yishlayu 'ohavayikh"
 (Psalms 122:5)