Emuna Goes Beyond Miracles

While learning Mishneh Torah of the RAMBAM, we went over a very interesting concept involving the prophecy of Moshe Rabbeinu as well as the prophecy of anyone after him. RAMBAM says that a Prophet who says that he comes in the name of Hashem is not required to perform miracles, and if he does this should not be the determining factor in his authenticity, because miracles can also be performed with sorcery and magic. Why then did Moshe Rabbeinu perform so many miracles before and during the Exodus from Egypt? The answer is that those miracles served a purpose. They were not to bring legitimacy to Moshe, but to accomplish something that could not be done by natural means. RAMBAM says that "one who believes in another person because of signs has apprehension in his heart [...] and doubt."1

After learning this, I came home to read A Simple Jew's blog

"Even though the Jewish people had witnessed many wonders and miracles firsthand they still needed to have emuna. For emuna is on a higher level than sight; indeed, it enables a person to see more than the physical eye can ever observe."

(Chidushei HaRim - First Gerer Rebbe)

In today's day where Hashem is the most hidden and we must fully rely on Emuna it helps when the great Sages of our day help us relate to Hashem. May Hashem bring us to the final Exodus of this Galus to Geula, Moshiach, and the Revelation of the Emes of Hashem and his Torah.

Does the Sun Revolve Around the Earth?

(courtesy of http://www.redorbit.com)

Over this past Shabbos I witnessed something a little disturbing. Someone asked 2 yeshiva bochurim if the Sun revolved around the Earth or the Earth revolved around the Sun. When the first boy was asked he said the Sun revolves around the Earth. Of course I took this as a joke that he was mocking such a silly and obvious answer to the question. It wasnt until the second bochur was asked that I couldnt believe what I was hearing. The second bochur said the same thing! Then he kind of toyed back and forth with each idea and then said, "No actually I think the Earth revolves around the sun.....right?"

Do yeshiva students not learn basic science, math, and english? Then again are these subjects really that important, or aid in the purpose of a Jew's mission in Olam Hazeh? I guess as a Baal Teshuva who just about has a BFA, I feel that anyone should know such a simple thing as 4th grade science. Learning Torah is of course the priority, but how to these bochurs go to Law School and get Masters later in life if they dont know the basics. Maybe these 2 cases do not represent the majority of frum children.

It seems that todays Torah Community rejects science because it is a tool that is perverted to Chashve Shalom "prove" Hashem doesnt exisit. Others would argue the total opposite and say that not only does science prove Hashems power over the universe, but it helps to explain his process. The Rambam himself " strove to reconcile Aristotelian philosophy and science with the teachings of the Torah."

Of course my future children, iy"H will attend a Haredi type school, but if they are deprived on such common knowledge, I will have to fill in the gaps.