Decisions After The Flood
Genesis 8: 21-22
“God said to himself...”
A contrasting view of scholars.
Eli Munk: Danger in thinking of the corporality of God... But not as dangerous as not comprehending God at all... - stresses a more personal God.
As compared to Maimonodes view that stresses a completely abstract God.
Literal Hebrew: “He said TO his heart”
The discussion continued with questions: “Is God perfect?” “What is perfect?” and do we have a “learning God”? Has God’s opinion of mankind changed?
God promises never to destroy the earth again as done with the flood.
And gives the reason because ‘yetzer’ of man’s heart is evil from his youth.
It is a vow that there will not be ‘collective punishment’ ever again.
Is man inclined to bad behavior?
Is God giving up any dreams of perfection? Deciding to go forward differently?
The discussion of “yetzer” with two yuds: a Kabalistic story
The Hebrew word for fashioned is vayeetzer (וייצר).] The word is written with two yuds ,3 which [our Sages say] indicates that man was born with two yitzrin, inclinations, one for good (the yetzer tov), and the other for evil (the yetzer hora).4
But at the age of Bar Mitzvah one should be able to control this.
Samson Raphael Hirsch – on Youth and Evil
Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch explains the verse, "for the impulse of man's heart is evil from his youth":
Now, as far as we can see, the following, "for the impulse of man's heart is evil from his youth," has been completely erroneously taken to be the cause of this new determination of destiny… The words, "for the impulse, etc.," are in parenthesis: If the impulse of the heart of man should be evil again, and even in his youth, so that the only way of saving it would be the destruction of the generation, nevertheless I will not again, as I did… Youths are neither righteous nor evil. Woe unto them that take the average of child and adolescent nature to be evil! Who has really observed children say, No, it is not true that youth is bad, the impulse of man's heart is not evil from his youth, it is not in his youth that man names evil his ideal. In normal times one finds a much greater number of adults than of adolescents whose hearts and minds are directed to evil. (Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch, commentary to Bereishit 8:21)
Rabbi Hirsch understands that the verse is not making an assertion, but rather setting a condition: even if the heart of man will be evil from his youth, even then I shall not destroy mankind. Under normal circumstances, argues Rabbi Hirsch, the heart of youth is not evil. And indeed, the question of man's basic nature has been the subject of dispute among Jewish Sages as well as gentile thinkers. This is one of the most important and decisive issues in our spiritual world.
God decides to ‘work with what He has’...
“God said to himself...”
A contrasting view of scholars.
Eli Munk: Danger in thinking of the corporality of God... But not as dangerous as not comprehending God at all... - stresses a more personal God.
As compared to Maimonodes view that stresses a completely abstract God.
Literal Hebrew: “He said TO his heart”
The discussion continued with questions: “Is God perfect?” “What is perfect?” and do we have a “learning God”? Has God’s opinion of mankind changed?
God promises never to destroy the earth again as done with the flood.
And gives the reason because ‘yetzer’ of man’s heart is evil from his youth.
It is a vow that there will not be ‘collective punishment’ ever again.
Is man inclined to bad behavior?
Is God giving up any dreams of perfection? Deciding to go forward differently?
The discussion of “yetzer” with two yuds: a Kabalistic story
The Hebrew word for fashioned is vayeetzer (וייצר).] The word is written with two yuds ,3 which [our Sages say] indicates that man was born with two yitzrin, inclinations, one for good (the yetzer tov), and the other for evil (the yetzer hora).4
But at the age of Bar Mitzvah one should be able to control this.
Samson Raphael Hirsch – on Youth and Evil
Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch explains the verse, "for the impulse of man's heart is evil from his youth":
Now, as far as we can see, the following, "for the impulse of man's heart is evil from his youth," has been completely erroneously taken to be the cause of this new determination of destiny… The words, "for the impulse, etc.," are in parenthesis: If the impulse of the heart of man should be evil again, and even in his youth, so that the only way of saving it would be the destruction of the generation, nevertheless I will not again, as I did… Youths are neither righteous nor evil. Woe unto them that take the average of child and adolescent nature to be evil! Who has really observed children say, No, it is not true that youth is bad, the impulse of man's heart is not evil from his youth, it is not in his youth that man names evil his ideal. In normal times one finds a much greater number of adults than of adolescents whose hearts and minds are directed to evil. (Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch, commentary to Bereishit 8:21)
Rabbi Hirsch understands that the verse is not making an assertion, but rather setting a condition: even if the heart of man will be evil from his youth, even then I shall not destroy mankind. Under normal circumstances, argues Rabbi Hirsch, the heart of youth is not evil. And indeed, the question of man's basic nature has been the subject of dispute among Jewish Sages as well as gentile thinkers. This is one of the most important and decisive issues in our spiritual world.
God decides to ‘work with what He has’...
posted by Chavarah @ 9:57 PM
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