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Top Document: soc.culture.jewish FAQ: Jewish Thought (6/12) Previous Document: Question 12.12: What is the Jewish view on the question of "free will." Next Document: Question 12.14: What do Jews hope/expect of the future? See reader questions & answers on this topic! - Help others by sharing your knowledge
Answer:
The Torah is full of what western secular culture would (somewhat
derogatorily) call "the supernatural." Even the most fundamental of
Jewish beliefs, that there is a Creator, falls into this class--how
much more so the Torah's recounting of events that include such
out-of-the-ordinary occurrences as prophecy in its many forms, birth
of children to very aged parents, the appearance of angels and their
interaction with the physical world, the occurrence of narrowly
focussed plagues, the revelation on Sinai with its attendant visions,
talking mules, the falling of Manna, revivification of the dead, and
many, many others. Traditional Judaism, in accepting Torah as G-d's
word, accepts that these things happened, even though western science
can't currently (and may never) explain them.
As Rabbi Kaplan (z"l) wrote in his [5]Handbook of Jewish Thought,
paraphrasing Rabbi Elchanan Wasserman (z"l):
"Science does not contradict, or even concern itself with miracles.
Science deals with the laws of nature, while miracles are, by
definition, exceptions to those laws. Any disbelief in miracles is
thus not scientific, but is based on arbitrary prejudices in
conformity to popular styles of thought. Such a disbelief can
reduce a person's concept of G-d to a mere abstract philosophical
idea, abolishing the obligation to serve and obey Him."
In addition, there are traditional Jewish sources (primarily in the
Kabbalah) that explain the roles that angels and demons play in the
world, the Jewish version of astrology, and the mechanisms through
which miracles occur. Let's look at angels for a minute.
Judaism tends to refer to angels as "Ministering Angels", not "Angels
of the Lord" (a more Christian term). Maimonides, an Aristotilian
rationalist, lists a hierarchy of angels. In prophecy, we find
different kinds of angel. In particular, the book of Ezekiel opens
with a vision of a Divine Chariot. In this vision we encounter the
following:
1. Ofanim (lit: wheels Chayos) animals. These give the connotation of
wild animals: dears or lions, not cows They have four faces, 12
wings, and one leg.
2. Serafim (from the verb meaning "to burn")
3. Chashmalim (no translation; in modern Hebrew, the word "chashmal"
was drafted to mean "electricity", but that's a 19th cent
invention)
4. Ishim (ish means man, but "men" is "anashim"; saying "ishim" would
be like saying "mans" in English)
5. Keruvim (transliterated "cherub" in English). These are described
variously in the Jewish Bible, and are not like our mental image
of a "cherub". One should avoid the English parallel. In Genesis,
two keruvim hold swords of revolving fire, guarding the entrance
to Eden so that man does not re-enter. In Exodus, the top of the
ark is adorned with two keruvim that have childlike faces and two
huge wings that make a canopy over the ark. In Ezekiel, the four
faces of the chayos have are described as being those of a man, a
lion, an eagle and a keruv. Two verses later, the list replaces
keruv with a bull. So they're associated with bulls somehow.
Tradition does not take these descriptions literally. For example,
angels are seen in visions as having one leg because they lack free
will. They are automata that are "programmed" to do the will of God.
They therefore lack the power to progress, to improve themselves.
Man's power for growth, in contrast, is described as "walking". Jewish
law calls itself "halachah", the way to walk.
In addition, the Talmud tells us that every angel has only one
mission. Their missions are their names. In most cases, that means
that they don't last long enough for their names to warrant mention.
However, some have more far-reaching missions, and their names do make
it into the Torah or the prayer book. Kabbalistic prayers said by
Chassidic and Sepharadic Jews sometimes have names that are only to be
looked at, not read. But the most comonly cited names include:
* Refael: God Heals
* Michael (pronounced Me-cha-el, with the /ch/ like in the name
"Bach"): Who is Like God
* Uriel: God is My Light
* Gabriel: God is my strength with conotations of strength of
character, ability to resist and to stand firm. Not so much power
or force.
* HaSatan: the Challenger (he- is a prefix meaning "the"), the angel
who serves God by giving man challenges that he must resolve in
the right way. Making the choice of good over evil a choice. This
is different than the Christian notion of Satan and the Devil.
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Last Update March 27 2014 @ 02:11 PM
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