יום שלישי, ט״ו תמוז תשפ״וTuesday, June 30, 2026
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Rabbi Shmuel Phillips is the author of Judaism Reclaimed: Philosophy and Theology in the Torah" (from which this is adapted). He lives in Jerusalem with his wife and four children.
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To err is human, but to purify and rectify requires the divine touch of the Torah and its guidance.
Enigmatically and somewhat controversially, Rambam interprets the nature of this loving relationship to depend on intellectual understanding of G-d and His works: according to the level of knowledge, so can be the love.
As a number of traditional sources point out, such legislation of the details of biblical law was not decided solely upon the basis of decoding the text or Talmudic logic.
Since the ultimate reward of Olam Haba is limited by the extent of the connection that a person is able to forge with G-d during his lifetime, the opportunity to return temporarily from Olam Haba in order to enhance this connection is a considerable benefit.
While it is true that youngsters lack the capacity to appreciate the full meaning and implications of these episodes, I wonder if adults are sometimes guilty of projecting their own discomfort in discussing these matters onto children.
The wonder of the Tablets, however, is that the shattered shards which remained from the first Tablets – broken when Moshe witnessed the sin with the Golden Calf – were deemed important enough to be placed in the Aron within the Kodesh Kodshim.
On some occasions chachma-related teachings appear downright bizarre: say to wisdom – you are my sister. While chachma bagoyim ta’amin (you can accept that non-Jews have wisdom), wisdom of the Greeks remains strictly off-limits.
The profound message that Rambam extracts from the ladder dream may be instrumental in resolving the enigmatic ending to his Moreh Nevuchim.
Sometimes our most inner yearnings cannot be adequately contained in words.
If what you say is a received tradition we accept it. (But) if you have derived it logically then we have a response.
June 26, 2026 
