Q&A: Occam’s Razor
Originally published:
This is an English translation (via GPT-5.4). Read the original Hebrew version.
Occam’s Razor
Question
Can one compare Occam’s Razor to the Talmudic rule, “If you grasp too much, you have grasped nothing”?
Answer
In my opinion, no. That rule is an interpretive rule, not a logical principle aimed at truth. It is an assumption about the text being interpreted, not about logic as such. Beyond that, “If you grasp too much, you have grasped nothing” is more similar to the rule of “dayyo” than to a razor. It is not about something being simpler or involving fewer entities.
I seem to remember that I once saw one of the later authorities (Acharonim) discuss whether “If you grasp too much, you have grasped nothing” is a logical rule or an interpretive one.