Torah

In our previous article, we began exploring the nature of chukim and the potential limitations of reason and logic. To review, we framed our discussion with the famous line of the Vilna Gaon: “Where logic and human intellect ends, Jewish wisdom begins.” This implies that Judaism does not reject reason and logic, but builds upon it. We therefore began our discussion by exploring the purpose and utility of our intellect, and how it can help one ascertain logical proofs of spiritual truths, such as Hashem’s existence.

This week’s parshah tells the story of Avram going to war to rescue his nephew, Lot. Archaeology and history, along with the teachings of Chazal, can give more insight into the story.

It was that time of year again. Once a year, for a single day, the legendary Buddhist guru would emerge from his solitary meditation to greet the public. Thousands of people would flock to his far-flung residence to greet him. Some came to ask questions, seeking his wisdom and advice, while others came just to lay eyes on this legendary figure.

As we begin the new Torah cycle, let’s take a moment to contemplate the deeper purpose of Torah. Some may refer to the Torah as a history book; others may think of it as a book of law or a source of Jewish wisdom. While these are all true, they only scratch the surface of the Torah’s true nature.

I will never forget what happened that night. After going to hundreds of lectures and giving quite a few myself, I thought I’d seen it all. But I had never seen anything quite like this.

A father set out one day to teach his young daughter a powerful lesson. When she woke up in the morning, he took her in front of a mirror and asked her, “What do you see?”
She smiled and answered, “I see myself!”
He then took her to the window and asked her, “What do you see now?”