Timeline for How does Judaism deal with God and paradoxes?
Current License: CC BY-SA 3.0
24 events
| when toggle format | what | by | license | comment | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 28, 2015 at 15:36 | comment | added | jj2 | @Fred could you direct to the link of the Tzemach Tzedek you posed where you can find where he says what you summarized? Thanks | |
| Feb 12, 2015 at 17:03 | comment | added | Menachem | @Bochur613: I've never learned it inside, but a quick google search finds a discussion of it here, in Chapter 67: hebrewbooks.org/pagefeed/hebrewbooks_org_14204_304.pdf -- Here it is said that it is brought in the Preface: chabadlibrary.org/books/default.aspx?furl=/zz/dm/1/24/47a -- My guess it is a little bit of a running theme, since as explained in the second link, the Maharal is disagreeing with the Rambam's definition | |
| Feb 12, 2015 at 16:23 | comment | added | Bochur613 | @Menachem do you have an exact source for the Maharal? | |
| May 15, 2012 at 22:16 | comment | added | Menachem | @DoubleAA: I edited to my answer to hopefully clarify what I was trying to say. | |
| May 15, 2012 at 22:15 | history | edited | Menachem | CC BY-SA 3.0 |
tried to clarify my point
|
| May 13, 2012 at 23:48 | comment | added | Double AA♦ | @Menachem I'm not sure what your last analogy has to do with the argument. I accept He can choose not to do things within the realm of things He can do. I don't think creating a rock He can't lift is in that realm. It's not something He can do because it is gibberish. | |
| May 13, 2012 at 23:30 | comment | added | Menachem | @DoubleAA: Because something being heavy is something we can relate to, drinking Wednesday is just gibberish. Take for example, our sages' comment, "all in in the hands of heaven except for the fear of heaven". Is G-d truly powerless over our fear of heaven? Only because He chooses to be. | |
| May 13, 2012 at 21:57 | comment | added | Double AA♦ | How is an infinitely powerful being not being able to lift a rock more logical than drinking a Wednesday? | |
| May 13, 2012 at 21:21 | comment | added | Menachem | @DoubleAA: Can G-d create a big rock, sure? Can G-d limit himself so that he can't pick it up? What's the advantage in that? - That's different the drinking a wednesday, which would be answered by jake's answer: judaism.stackexchange.com/a/16315/603 | |
| May 13, 2012 at 20:29 | comment | added | Double AA♦ | So if it was to God's advantage to do so, he could drink a Wednesday? | |
| May 13, 2012 at 20:20 | comment | added | Menachem | @DoubleAA: Because we're explaining unlimited as the ultimate of completion. That includes the completion (advantages) of infinite, and the completion of finite. | |
| May 13, 2012 at 20:13 | comment | added | Double AA♦ | Ok... So within the framework, I still don't see how God can limit the unlimited. How is that not like drinking a Wednesday? | |
| May 13, 2012 at 19:39 | comment | added | Menachem | @DoubleAA: Everything we are discussing is in relation to how G-d actually created the world, not how he could have created it. There is a standard tape recorder, now how do we power it. G-d wasn't forced to create the world this way, but did. Somewhere it is explained that G-d created the world (as explained in Kabbalah) using logical progressions (Seder Hishtalshelut), so that we would be able to understand it (as much as it could be understood by the human mind). It is within this framework that our discussion takes place | |
| May 13, 2012 at 19:28 | comment | added | Double AA♦ | So too God: you can limit God to achieve a specific solution based on your current needs, but isn't a limitless God overall better? | |
| May 13, 2012 at 19:27 | comment | added | Double AA♦ | Consider our case: in your solution we have a working tape-recorder; in my solution we have a super-tape-recorder that can play infinite tapes at infinite speeds at infinite volumes etc. Which of those two solutions is "better"? Subjectively, possibly neither if all you need is a regular tape-recorder. But most would agree that in general the more powerful one is better as it is more useful in more situations. | |
| May 13, 2012 at 19:27 | comment | added | Double AA♦ | We can look both ways at which is better and which is worth, but in physics, energy is defined as the capacity to do work. Maybe in one instance you can show how reducing energy would be a temporary fix, but in general the best solution is always the one that increases total useful energy, ie more work can be done. | |
| May 13, 2012 at 19:18 | comment | added | Double AA♦ | (Don't you see how it's all a matter of perspective?) | |
| May 13, 2012 at 19:18 | comment | added | Double AA♦ | No, increasing the capacity of the device to handle power would be better. | |
| May 13, 2012 at 19:09 | comment | added | Menachem | @DoubleAA: exactly, therefore to blast the device with unadulterated power directly from the source would not be better, but worse. Limiting the power to the device would be better. | |
| May 13, 2012 at 19:06 | comment | added | Double AA♦ | I think he is confused then: it's not that the 4.5 V battery is stronger, it's that the tape recorder is weaker. That is certainly clear from a physics perspective. More energy is more energy. It is not advantageous for the tape recorder to be unable to handle large amounts of energy. | |
| May 13, 2012 at 18:59 | comment | added | Menachem | @DoubleAA: G-d is unlimited, without any parts or descriptions - MahaRal of Prague. yet Kabalah says G-d contracted himself to create the world. G-d limited his infiniteness, to create a reality where G-dliness is concealed. - I added a link to a chapter for Rabbi Levin's book. See there for an analogy of 4.5-volt electric source, where being more limited is advantageous. | |
| May 13, 2012 at 18:56 | history | edited | Menachem | CC BY-SA 3.0 |
added a link to Heaven on Earth
|
| May 13, 2012 at 18:46 | comment | added | Double AA♦ | "to say G-d can't limit himself is itself limiting G-d": no it isn't. God can't limit the unlimited not because he is limited in powers, but because it's not a thing to do, just as one can't drink a Wednesday. If something isn't a thing to do, then it can't be done. God can do everything that can be done; I don't see how that is limiting. | |
| May 13, 2012 at 18:33 | history | answered | Menachem | CC BY-SA 3.0 |