1/ Another #Beshalach thread, sparked by the linked article. What do combat exoskeletons have to do with the parsha? The halakhot of cybernetics on Shabbat, of course.
OK, so that's still pretty unclear. It has to do with the manna.
torahmusings.com/2015/05/combat…
OK, so that's still pretty unclear. It has to do with the manna.
torahmusings.com/2015/05/combat…
2/ Can you do melacha using invisible brain power, basically. Normally, I'd love to delve into how the regnant rabbinic view about gramma (causality) drives me utterly bonkers in its #Literalist mentality, as well as the limited 19th Century view of electricity, but not this week
3/ Cybernetics aka invisible brain power applies to the manna b/c:
"Rav Avraham Walkin ... argued that someone who miraculously cooks through thought or speech violates a biblical prohibition ... [he] proves this from the man (manna) that the Jews ate in the Desert"
cont.
"Rav Avraham Walkin ... argued that someone who miraculously cooks through thought or speech violates a biblical prohibition ... [he] proves this from the man (manna) that the Jews ate in the Desert"
cont.
4/ quote cont:
"The Torah (Ex. 16:23) forbids cooking the [manna] on Shabbos. However, the [manna] required no preparation–you merely thought what you want and it tasted that way. Clearly, Rav Walkin argues, cooking through thought is biblically forbidden."
"The Torah (Ex. 16:23) forbids cooking the [manna] on Shabbos. However, the [manna] required no preparation–you merely thought what you want and it tasted that way. Clearly, Rav Walkin argues, cooking through thought is biblically forbidden."
5/ Again, I don't actually want to discuss the psak halakha, rather meta-halakha. Specifically: the use of a Midrash (1) literally & (2) in a halakhic discussion.
Rav Walkin takes the Midrashim about manna as gospel, which I would strongly dispute, esp. in halakha.
Rav Walkin takes the Midrashim about manna as gospel, which I would strongly dispute, esp. in halakha.
6/ The chumash is explicit that manna has only one taste (fried dough) and must be manually prepared/cooked. To adopt midrash as fact and then apply it to halakha? That should be out of bounds.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manna
mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt0411.ht…
sefaria.org/Numbers.11.7-8…
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manna
mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt0411.ht…
sefaria.org/Numbers.11.7-8…
7/ This is not a modern #Literalist phenomenon, though. As I go through dafyomi, I collect these instances of (1) midrash considered literally true and/or (2) applied to halakha. It drives me bonkers every time.
8/ Now, on Shabbat I did use the topic to explore the halakha & hashkafa - medical-halakha & modern tech is my expertise - comparing to pacemakers & hearing aids, both which are universally considered permitted on Shabbat.
9/ The question of passive-electronics on Shabbat has long fascinated me. I claimed 25 years ago that the frum community may need to change our attitude when something like "electronic pants" (in my words) become ubiquitous.
10/ I further discussed the different ways I understood the mechanism of manna. While the chumash limits its fantastic nature, the food is still miraculous and that allows me to be flexible with how it operated, especially on portion size for Shabbat.
11/ In fact, the Midrash's exaggeration of the miraculous nature is textbook #Literalism b/c lemas-wafer style food that arrived via magic, satisfied everyone, would rot if left overnight *except Friday night* is pretty special, but not if your brain needs overwhelming spectacle.
12/ That will be it for now. This is the second of the talks I gave, the first is here:
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https://twitter.com/JoshuaCypess/status/1356791159616585728
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