Q&A: Pluralism and Skepticism
Pluralism and Skepticism
Question
Hello Rabbi,
My name is A., I’m a platoon sergeant in a combat battalion, in my twenties, and a graduate of Har HaMor and Ma’ale Eliyahu.
I read God Plays Dice and The Science of Freedom, and more besides.
I saw an interview with the Rabbi on London & Kirschenbaum, and it sounded to me from the Rabbi’s remarks there as if there was a somewhat pluralistic, skeptical direction, which surprised me, since until then I had thought the Rabbi would not be considered among Rabbi Shagar’s students.
Answer
Hello A., I don’t know which of my remarks you mean (and I also don’t remember what was said there).
Generally speaking, I am tolerant but not a pluralist (in Two Carts I explained the difference. You can also see an article on my site here:
https://mikyab.net/%d7%9e%d7%90%d7%9e%d7%a8%d7%99%d7%9d/%d7%9e%d7%97%d7%99%d7%a8%d7%94-%d7%a9%d7%9c-%d7%94%d7%a1%d7%95%d7%91%d7%9c%d7%a0%d7%95%d7%aa/
In addition, I do not believe in certainties. As human beings, we have no way to reach certainty about anything. But that is of course neither skepticism nor pluralism.
I am definitely not one of Rabbi Shagar’s students. I have very sharp criticism of him. I wrote some of it, while he was still alive, about his book Broken Vessels. It’s on the site. You can see more criticism on YouTube, at the launch event for his book Tablets and Broken Tablets, where there is a lecture of mine).