Sunday, February 06, 2005
A modern day auto da fe: Zootorah vs the Haredi establishment
Rabbi Natan Slifkin is an English educator and zoologist. He is the author of a series of books fusing science, Torah (ie the entire corpus of biblical and rabbinic texts), and the animal kingdom. He is done some fascinating work identifying different species with the traditions as to whether they are kosher or not, and has set up an educational program (read about it at the website www.zootorah.org).
Recently, however, his books received some negative publicity. In his books, R' Slifkin makes reference to different theories for accommodating scientific accounts of biology and evolution with traditional Jewish beliefs of creation; he also notes that the sages of the Talmud did not have perfect scientific knowledge, and made some mistakes in their categorisation of animals (for instance, the opinion that lice are not born from eggs, but generate spontaneously from sweat). He based himself on strong foundations: Maimonides, Nahmandies, R' Hai Gaon, R' Shimshon Rafael Hirsh among others. Yet now, it seems, ultra-Orthodox Judaism will not accept any explanations that are not in line with the most simpistic biblical literalism, and dogmatic faith in the infallibility of the sages.
A large group of "gedolim" (leading sages) have condemned his books in the strongest terms, accusing this pious, learned Jew of the utmost heresy. Indirectly, they condemn as heretics all those who, following the lead of many learned rabbis, accept the insights of empirical science, while staying faithful and true to Torah.
Yet it wasn't like this: a thousand years ago, Maimonides could speculate on the Aristotelean concept of a permanently existing world; Nahmanides could talk of days of creation that weren't 24 hours; sages conceived of hominids existing before Adam. Yet the process of enlightenment seems to have gone backwards!
Opinions that were well within normative Judaism in those days would be condemned as heresy today.
This is a departure from the questioning nature of the Jewish heritage. This is what might be expected from fundamentalist Islam -- it is deeply saddening that this is happening in the Orthodox Jewish world.
(for a good discussion of this topic, go to the wonderful Hirhurim weblog, in the links section to your left).
Recently, however, his books received some negative publicity. In his books, R' Slifkin makes reference to different theories for accommodating scientific accounts of biology and evolution with traditional Jewish beliefs of creation; he also notes that the sages of the Talmud did not have perfect scientific knowledge, and made some mistakes in their categorisation of animals (for instance, the opinion that lice are not born from eggs, but generate spontaneously from sweat). He based himself on strong foundations: Maimonides, Nahmandies, R' Hai Gaon, R' Shimshon Rafael Hirsh among others. Yet now, it seems, ultra-Orthodox Judaism will not accept any explanations that are not in line with the most simpistic biblical literalism, and dogmatic faith in the infallibility of the sages.
A large group of "gedolim" (leading sages) have condemned his books in the strongest terms, accusing this pious, learned Jew of the utmost heresy. Indirectly, they condemn as heretics all those who, following the lead of many learned rabbis, accept the insights of empirical science, while staying faithful and true to Torah.
Yet it wasn't like this: a thousand years ago, Maimonides could speculate on the Aristotelean concept of a permanently existing world; Nahmanides could talk of days of creation that weren't 24 hours; sages conceived of hominids existing before Adam. Yet the process of enlightenment seems to have gone backwards!
Opinions that were well within normative Judaism in those days would be condemned as heresy today.
This is a departure from the questioning nature of the Jewish heritage. This is what might be expected from fundamentalist Islam -- it is deeply saddening that this is happening in the Orthodox Jewish world.
(for a good discussion of this topic, go to the wonderful Hirhurim weblog, in the links section to your left).
