quite an entertaining talk
I like his shiurim despite the fact that I disagree with alot of what he says, especially in his shiur on zionism and his daas torah shiur. He verbalizes the basic hareidi position quite well on many issues and it's important to know what the other side thinks to sharpen your own position.
I don't think i've ever linked to the zionism one here - for that reason, it's very un kahanist. I don't think it was that memorable either.. what I do remember is that he didn't mention the 3 oaths, and he right near the end, threw in the comment that there is no torah basis for a state pre moshiach. You'd think if he felt that way he'd make it a central point of the lecture.
He didn't make the charedi position too full on because he was doing kiruv, and he knew that the people listening were probably brought up modern orthodox zionist and had no idea that non zionists even existed to the extent that they do.
So I don't think he does state the charedi position as fully as charedim would in their own institutions. he just gives a taste of charedi thought in some of his more obviously named shiurim.
His Daas torah one was interesting.. It contained alot of ideas that weren't quite arguments for Daas Torah. I guess the argument for daas torah, is that it's daas torah ;-)
He didn't actually say anywhere in the lecture that daas torah is proven from anything, he just sort of gave examples that if generalized -alot- .
He might have got a proof of it if one goes by the RAMBAN.. I will have to ask you about that one in an ask judea show.
The question I asked you about abbaye rabba and the well was inspired by that shiur he gave on daas torah. (though I don't think even he gave it as an argument for daas torah.. just as a
interestingly, daas torah is an argument I have heard sometimes for anti zionism. I put that argument to a rabbi I know. He said he thinks daas torah is an individual thing, but even if it were the case that it was a collective thing, he said that after the holocaust, the majourity of jews were anti-zionist.
I said to him that the majourity of jews is irrelevant, because many aren't orthodox, or aren't religious. He said that even the majourity of orthodox jews were not anti-zionist.
(in a sense though, any rabbi in the diaspora is an anti or non zionist, so I still not sure about what he claimed. But he was convinced that all the anti zionists lived in poland and germany and were murdered. And outside there, the majourity were not anti zionist)
What was strikingly missing was anything from the RAMBAM. So clearly the RAMBAM did not understand those agadic gemarot as having any halachic bearing in the sense of being bound by the majoirity of rabbis. And I thin kany maimonidean would not subscribe to daas torah.
We do have a problem of rabbis that aren't logical. He is logical
And no matter what criticism one might have of his lectures. He states his premises, his reasoning, and his conclusion. And he is open to be questioned..
He is logical, unlike many rabbis. And that's rule number 1
And he gives references to where he gets things from.
Most rabbis nowadays just come up with random ideas that they seem to pull out of a hat like a magician. With no references, and mixing up pshat midrash e.t.c.
I can tell you that he is ALOT more charedi than he appears in his audio shiurim.. You can get some idea from looking at him in the video.
He wouldn't even say the word Evolution!!!! Too profane!
Yet in his kiruv existance, he has read many books on it, ones by Daniel Dennett(a fellow philosophy professor that is logical!), and a HUGE one by Steven Gould! He is a complex individual.. Clearly using alot of psychology (unfortunately),
I just like the fact that he states his presmises reasoning and conclusions so logically in his audio shiurim. Even though they cover very little breadth.
Though now he has some shiurim in series form, so that may be interesting.
He has a bunch on Genesis now.. And he has had a bunch on RAMCHAL's derech hashem, he really likes the ramchal.
I wish he'd do a bunch on the mishneh torah, that would be awesome.. But he seems to think his mission is kiruv. I think he's greater than that.
Topic: passionate talk, from rabbi gottlieb of ohr. Speaking in israel. (nice hat too) (Read 2668 times)