Heretic hunts and children's literature at Avakesh
Divrei Chaim is perplexed as to why one wouldn't choose to explain the Gemara in a way that doesn't involve scientific error. Be sure to read the comments! Also see Rabbi Josh Waxman's post in reponse.
Rabbi Josh Waxman also discusses the Gra's view of the earth being flat here and in a follow-up here.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
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I could not locate this in the Beur HaGra of the Tikkunim.
ReplyDeleteI assume this is a misunderstanding. In Kabbala, Creation is likened to a Beged of HaShem. This refers Davka to the higher worlds of the Metziut. The Beged is square. This is the background of Tzitzit which represent unfinishedness. The task of man is to complete the Metziut.
As a general concept, the lower worlds reflect, imperfectly, the higher worlds. From there it follows that one would like to identify some squaredness in lower reality, where things are generally speaking rounded off. I think that this is what the GR"A was doing. With our current knowledge one could point at the corners of the old continent: Skandinavia, South Africa, South-East Asia, North-East Siberia.
The Gra says that "All the words [of Chazal] are in accordance with their literal meaning, but they ALSO have inner meaning." He appears to accept the literal truth of everything in Chazal.
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