5
votes
Rationalist Position on Bible Ancients' Long Lives
It is hard to get more "rationalist" than Ralbag, and he addresses this issue at length in his commentary at the end of Parshat Bereishit.
He begins by stating that it is a falsehood to say that man ...
- 49.3k
4
votes
Accepted
Washing hands in the morning/Wrapping hand tefilin according to Rambam
R Y. Kapach/Kafih/Qafih's if it isn't already extinct
R. Qafih's tradition is alive and strong. One of his primary disciples, R. Rason 'Arusi (a tremendous talmid hakham in his own right) is perhaps ...
- 8,378
3
votes
Did 'Rationalist' Rishonim naturalize miracles? If so, why?
To start, we can point to an explicit statement of Ralbag to the effect that nature was created flawless, so Hashem will minimize changes from the natural order:
When God wishes to perform miracles, ...
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3
votes
Does Shoftim 2:10 refute the Kuzari argument?
No, it does not refute the argument.
The expression לא ידעו ("they did not know") does not necessarily mean that they literally did not know, rather that they "chose" to not know, ...
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3
votes
Does Shoftim 2:10 refute the Kuzari argument?
The Kuzari speaks about this in Maamar 3:54:
Al Khuzari says:
I only know that the people of the second Temple forgot the Tōrāh, and were ignorant of the law of Succāh till they found it written. A ...
- 9,943
1
vote
Can anyone explain R. Nissim of Marseilles's seemingly problematic opinion on longevity in Genesis?
First of all, here's the actual quote from R' Nissim (pg. 273, bottom), with my translation:
"ואמנם חיי הראשונים - כבר כתב בם הר"ם ז"ל פרק מ"ח מהחלק השני, שלא חיו החיים ההם, רק ...
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1
vote
Did 'Rationalist' Rishonim naturalize miracles? If so, why?
Ralbag is a good example that comes to mind. For example, Gersonides writes that Joshua did not perform this miracle since to perform this miracle would be greater than Moses, and Moses never performs ...
- 1,356
1
vote
Did 'Rationalist' Rishonim naturalize miracles? If so, why?
Maimonides refers to the existence of miracles: In his “Guide for the Perplexed” III:17, he discusses how people without intellectual perfection are left to nature, while those who gain intellectual ...
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