Q&A: The Gemara as an Exemplary and Amazing Ceremony
The Gemara as an Exemplary and Amazing Ceremony
Question
I just heard in your interview called "The Story from '70," at minute 49, that in your view the Gemara is an exemplary ceremony, and people don't know how amazing it is, and that your whole life is conducted according to it—even the secular, logical, and philosophical parts.
I want to say that this amazed me, and it seemed exemplary to me, and I'd be happy if you would elaborate on what you meant—what amazed you, what captured your heart—or point me to some thread where you've already spoken about this.
Thank you.
Answer
I don't remember a place where I focused on this specifically. Points like these appear throughout this site.
Generally, I would say that I mean not דווקא the content but rather the Talmudic form of analysis (including the interpretations throughout the generations, and especially the Brisker method). It helps me analyze any topic whatsoever, to make connections and distinctions between Jewish law and philosophy and logic and other areas of life, as often happens here on the site. The connections and distinctions that exist in the Talmud between different planes of discussion: moral and halakhic, psychological and philosophical, scientific and legal. Its casuistic structure (column 482) as opposed to positivism. Monetary law and prohibition. Positive commandments and prohibitions, commandments and what lies outside Jewish law.
In my book Talmudic Logic I discussed some of these general aspects.
Discussion on Answer
I explained that in the columns here about divine involvement and evil in the world.
I read that, but what comes out of it? That He detached from His world little by little because He saw that people were managing on their own. But doesn't He see that several million people were being murdered in World War I, and afterward in World War II—that is, in the Holocaust—and even before that? Doesn't He see that yes, the world is advancing in many ways, but when it comes to mass murder, not exactly?
By the way, there too you said that the Creator has already become estranged from His world, and only in isolated cases does He respond. Then you said that He cannot be blamed for the Holocaust, through no fault of His own, because He didn't do it—He has already disconnected from the world.
But I didn't understand—even according to your argument, it's still not resolved, because on that very point the blame is on Him: why did He become estranged from His world?