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July 1978

Thoughts on the Nature of Holidays (1978)

General Jewish Thought
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Note

Philo 18 (1971)

Add the following to discussion of Maimonides on Free Will and Determinism. Maimonides distinguishes between actional attributes, which may be positive, and essential attributes, which are all negative – such as: existence. Not only with regard to scriptural attributes, but even the four intellectually conceived attributes (life, power, knowledge, will) are actional. Hence, all of them must be accepted as homonyms, and their use is strictly equivocal. Therefore, when we speak of knowledge as applied to God and as applied to man, they are of different orders of meaning, and have nothing in common but the word itself.
General Jewish Thought

Outline

Work and Leisure in the Jewish Tradition (1980)

The theme of labor is important in every society: a) early industrial society, and certainly in pre-industrial societies, where it is the major means of obtaining livelihood. b) in the present period, despite our perceived loss of affluence, we are still sufficiently well-off to afford a great deal of leisure. Yet various forms of handicraft and other forms of labor are adopted by people, especially in the service-oriented professions and businesses, as a form of relaxation and creativity. This indicates not only a trend in avocational interests, but a fundamental need for manual expression. c) in the era that is now emerging, many youngsters are abandoning those forms of employment that require a high and sophisticated degree of education; whether for ideology or for simple inclination, are opting for the older forms of work — at the very time that "futurists" speak of "electronic Cottage industries." In speaking of Work in the Jewish tradition, it is best to discuss it in tandem with "dignity" — כבוד, sense of self-worth, the experience of validity. Indeed, Judaism requires of man imitatio Dei... and first thing Torah tells us of God is: He is a creative craftsman: בראשית ברא אלקים. Interestingly, prophetic vision Messiah = Work, not leisure: וכתתו חרבותם לאתים וחניתותם למזמרות. Thus, R. Judah: to work 6 days / week is a Mitzvah (Mekhilta de' R. SbY, 20:9). Discuss Work & Dignity in 3 aspects. The Dignity Attained by Work. Work leads to Dignity of self-sufficiency, self-reliance. The theme repeated in Bible esp. "Wisdom Lit" - as: Psalms (128): יגיע רעיך אשריך וטוב לך; Proverbs (end) : אשת חיל. So in Talmud: Ber. 8 — גדול הנהנה מיגיע כפיו יותר מירא שמים; Sab. 118 — כ"ע עשה שבתך חול ואל תצטרך לבריות. The Indignity Avoided by Work: Kid. R. Judah: father who doesn't teach son a trade raises him to be a thief; Ket. 59: רבי אליעזר אומר אפ' הכניסה לו מאה שפחות כופה לעשות בצמר שהבטלה מביאה לידי זימה. רשב"ג אומר אפ' במדיר את אשתו מלעשות מלאכה יוציא ויתן כתובה, שהבטלה…
General Jewish Thought

Correspondence

Letter to R. Elberg about Holiday Sacrifices (1985)

שלמא רבא ומכובדי הה"ג מוהרר"ש עלברג שליט"א, ואחד"ש תורתו במשפט, רק היום קבלתי ספרו היקר והנחמד "שלמי שמחה" ח"ד ואמנם שמחתי אל יגיל בשלמות תורתו אפי' אחרי דפדוף קל ועלעול הנה והנה, והשתעשעתי בחידושיו והברקותיו במאירים כשמש, ויישר כחו וחילו להמשיך במשימתו בגדולה והקדושה להרביץ תורה ממעין חכמתו וחריפותו. היה בסימן כ' מצוותי דברי חמודות לענין חיוב נשים בהבאתק"צ ואין ספק שצצקו דבריו שאע"פ שנשים מתכפרות בק"צ אין להן חיוב
General Jewish Thought