<HTML>I speak on behalf of myself, but perhaps others agree with me, that this
e-mail is enjoyable and professionally stimulating. Beyond the important,
helpful hints on where to find curricular materials, it causes me to think
-- even for a few moments -- about larger issues in chinuch. This, and the
development of a sense of community of mechanchim, are very significant
contributions to Jewish education. Thank you, Shalom, and the Lookstein
Center of Bar-Ilan!
With regard to Steve Regreb's self-professed "confusion" about being
accused of "intellectual dishonesty," I have the following question for
him: if your child had, Gd forbid, a terrible disease, would you follow
the medical advice of the gemara, or that of modern medicine? If you
would follow the medical advice of the gemara, then you are being
intellectually honest. (Though I doubt too many gedolim today would advise
you to do this.)
If, on the other hand, you would follow the advice of modern doctors, then
preaching that "Time and again, the eternal words of Chazal are more
accurate than those of modern thinkers," while in practice ignoring the
medical advice of Chazal, is dishonest (I would call it gnaivat da'at, if
intellectual dishonesty seems too modern a term).
It is precisely because we believe that the "eternal words of Chazal" are
so crucial in guiding our lives that we need to be careful about which of
their words are eternal, and which reflect medical practice of the time.
Are Sherira Gaon's shoulders (and the actual practice of gedolim today,
who follow modern medicine and not the advice of the gemara) not big
enough for us to rely on?
David I. Bernstein, Ph.D.
Dean, Machon Pardes</HTML>
