Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Shoshanna Walker <rosewalk AT concentric.net>]

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