Contradictions between Faith and Reality in the Rabbinic Literature

In the following study, I examine the attitude of the Rabbis to reality on the basis of the parables told in the Rabbinic literature. I would like to answer the following question: how did the Rabbis react to attempts by gentiles to introduce substantial changes to the basic spiritual principles in Judaism in wake of the Destruction of the Second Temple? The paper reveals that the Rabbis ignored reality in order to preserve the fundamental concepts in of Judaism and rejected any attempt to introduce changes therein in light of changes in actual reality. They accepted positively only those ideas that strengthened the traditional principles of Judaism.

Thus, when pagan sages called the Rabbis’ attention to aspects of reality that contradicted their traditional approach, the Rabbis ignored the pagans’ provocative questions. The Rabbis rebuked any attempts by gentiles to engage them in a dispute intended to prove that the Jewish God is wrong or has decided to forego His covenant with the Jewish people. However, when the Rabbis they feel that the pagans are truly asking how to fulfill Judaism in the best possible way, the Rabbis respond to them gladly, with focused and substantive answers.

The Rabbis are unwilling to forego Judaism under any circumstances, even in wake of the catastrophe which befell the people of Israel upon the Destruction of the Second Temple which was the most terrible catastrophe in the Jewish history in that period.

Keywords

Destruction of the Second Temple, faith, God, Rabbis

Publication date

07.03.2022

Number of characters

35462

Cite

GOST	Rina L. Contradictions between Faith and Reality in the Rabbinic Literature // Vostok. Afro-Aziatskie obshchestva: istoriia i sovremennost – 2022. – Issue 1 C. 206-216 [Electronic resource]. URL: https://vostokoriens.jes.su/S086919080018371-5-1 (circulation date: 30.04.2024). DOI: 10.31857/S086919080018371-5
MLA	Rina, Lapidus "Contradictions between Faith and Reality in the Rabbinic Literature." Vostok. Afro-Aziatskie obshchestva: istoriia i sovremennost 1 (2022):206-216. DOI: 10.31857/S086919080018371-5
APA	Rina L. (2022). Contradictions between Faith and Reality in the Rabbinic Literature. Vostok. Afro-Aziatskie obshchestva: istoriia i sovremennost (1), pp.206-216 DOI: 10.31857/S086919080018371-5

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Introduction

How to Interpret Reality, Especially after the Destruction of the Temple

Different Principles of Faith and their Relation to Reality in the Study of Religions

How is Divine Providence expressed in the world?

Language and Reality in the Rabbinical Literature

Rhetorical Language as a Tool Used by the Sages in Polemics with the Non-Jews³

An Unsuccessful Attempt to Bring Proof for the Truth of Judaism from Reality

Substantive Responses towards Gentiles’ Questions as to how to Observe the Commandments

Conclusion


1	“Know what to answer a heretic” Mishna, Avot 1.14
2	Introduction
3	In the following study, I shall examine, on the basis of the parables told in the Rabbinic literature, how Judaism responded to the transformations that occurred in wake of the Destruction of the Second Temple, and how it related to attempts to introduce substantial changes to its basic principles. This paper reveals that Judaism of the Rabbinic period ignored reality in order to preserve its foundation and related in a hostile and rejecting way to any attempt to introduce changes therein in light of changes in actual reality. Moreover, even in light of changing reality, Judaism accepted positively only those ideas that strengthen its own ancient, traditional principles.
4	This article is concerned with analyzing the following phenomenon in the Talmudical literature: the Rabbis frequently use linguistic devices and rhetorical techniques for creation of an illusory solution of theological problems that have no solution in reality. That is how the Rabbis distance themselves from theological issues that have no solution. This phenomenon was especially pronounced after the destruction of the Second Temple, when the historical reality of the destruction of Judaism in the Land of Israel raised insoluble theological questions.
5	To illustrate this phenomenon, I present a few selected episodes in this article. These episodes describe how the Rabbis in the Talmud converse with great Roman politicians and philosophers and conduct theological discussions with them on Jewish issues. Obviously, in the historical reality of that period, these dialogues and discussions are unlikely to have taken place. Here, the Roman politicians and philosophers are only imaginary figures who allow the Rabbis of the Talmud to express their views and opinions with the use of various rhetorical devices. In such a case, the Roman politicians and philosophers play the role of “friends” of the protagonist in works of literature, existing only in order to allow him to voice his opinions.
6	The article deals exclusively with the study of rhetoric in the language of the Rabbis of the Talmud. It is not concerned with the study of the historical reality of that period or the cultural context of these theological dialogues and discussions. Nor is it is concerned with the cultural background of the Roman politicians and philosophers, or with any issues except the linguistic devices and rhetorical techniques of the Rabbis of the Talmud.
7	How to Interpret Reality, Especially after the Destruction of the Temple
8	Contradictions between reality and the fundaments of religion are part of every belief system. In the case of Rabbinic Judaism, contradictions between reality and the Sages’ worldview were exacerbated in wake of the Destruction of the Temple. On the one hand, whatever happened in reality was understood as a manifestation of God’s will; on the other hand, such an interpretation was itself problematic, implying that God had seemingly violated His covenant with the Jewish people.
9	Moreover, the identity of the terrible sin in punishment for which the Temple was destroyed was not entirely clear. Unlike the case of the First Temple, whose destruction befell the people of Israel as a result of the sin of idolatry, it was not at all clear why the Second Temple was destroyed. The sin of groundless hatred, which the Sages offered in explanation of that disaster, was not as serious a sin as idolatry; indeed, it was not even enumerated among the Ten Commandments. In light of all these factors, the Rabbis found the post-Destruction reality to be incomprehensible.
10	Different Principles of Faith and their Relation to Reality in the Study of Religions
11	The study of religion enumerates differing kinds of faith, based upon different underlying sources of knowledge:
12	Rational Faith: i.e., religious faith based upon evidence from reality. This faith is based upon the idea that the existence of the universe implies some sort of rational planning. Reality undergoes various changes and transformations, which require some ultimate cause [Geisler, Corduan, 1988, p. 79ff]. Rational faith of this kind can exist as long as there is no evidence from reality to contravene this belief [Swinburne, 1983, p. 33–34]. Most of the pagans mentioned in the Rabbinic legends adhered to such a kind of faith; hence, as the situation of reality changed, they were prepared to abandon their own earlier belief.
13	Faith based upon human understanding. Considering that man is an rational being, there must be some even more intelligent being that imbued part of his own wisdom and comprehension upon human beings. The very presence within human consciousness of the idea that a God must exist; that there is a supreme, perfect being possessing all those qualities that are generally attributed to God; in itself implies that it must have some sort of basis. Otherwise, it would be unable to exist [Geisler, Weinfried, 1988, p. 780ff]. This line of reasoning, known in philosophy as the ontological argument, was widespread during the Middle Ages – that is, much later than the period of classical Rabbinic literature.

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