Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site unc.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!unc!fsks From: fsks@unc.UUCP (Frank Silbermann) Newsgroups: net.religion.jewish Subject: Re: Controlling one's ([homo]sexual) urges and Halakha Message-ID: <273@unc.UUCP> Date: Wed, 22-May-85 14:07:24 EDT Article-I.D.: unc.273 Posted: Wed May 22 14:07:24 1985 Date-Received: Fri, 24-May-85 05:57:31 EDT References: <411@oakhill.UUCP> <564@sfmag.UUCP> <1672@cornell.UUCP> <191@ucdavis.UUCP> Reply-To: fsks@unc.UUCP (Frank Silbermann) Organization: CS Dept., U. of N. Carolina at Chapel Hill Lines: 39 Summary: In article de@moscom.UUCP (Dave Esan) writes: > Once the Torah was given to man it was up to man to interpet it, > ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ > even(!) if it was incorrect. The point remains that the > Talmud is the interpretation of the Torah, and is the point we follow. > ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Wait a minute! You are saying that the Talmud is the work of men, not God! I thought this was the Conservative Jewish point of view. Conservative Jews believe that the Talmud is merely Rabbinical wisdom and tradition. While one usually respects the wisdom of the ages, the Jewish community is free to re-interpret the Torah, and thus set aside specific Talmudic prohibitions. It was my understanding, however, that the Orthodox belief is that the Talmud is NOT the human interpretation of the Torah, but rather a vital part of the Torah, given orally by God "in person" to Moses and the Israelites. >There is a terrific story in the Talmud of the argument of two rabbis in >the Sanhedrin over a point of law. The Sanhedrin had voted for one, and >the other stood firm in his rejection of that opinion. He made trees jump, >rivers back up, and the walls of the building begin to tumble, all in an >attempt to prove that he was correct. He even asked for a voice from >heaven, which came and said that he was right. The head of the Sanhedrin >then announced that the Torah was man's to interpet, and that man must >do it without heaven's interference. I thought the point of this story was that you should not rely on signs and wonders, because even evil men can perform magical tricks. I pose this question to the net: Is the Talmud an unchangeable work of God, written down by Jewish scribes, or is it the work of men interpreting the Torah, and thus subject to re-evaluation? Frank Silbermann