- The Torah's Language
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- Moshe Ben-Chaim
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- Question: How do we interpret Dibrah Torah K'lashon B'nei
Adam? What I mean is that I know that there is no physicality to G-d
(Third Ikkar of Rambam), and that any time the Torah ascribes an
emotion to G-d, it is for our benefit, but in practical sense, What
does that mean? Is that a reflection of how we relate to G-d vis-à-vis
our actions and there is no actual meaning to it in relation to G-d.
If so, it seems little simplistic, which there may be nothing wrong
with...
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- If you could just clarify the principle of Dibrah Torah Klashon
B'nei Adam, specifically in relation to emotional descriptions to G-d.
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- Thanks very much.
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- Mesora: If God gets
"angry", it means to convey - in our own jargon - that God
disapproves of something.
If God "hates" something, as idolatry, it is to say that
something is directly contrary to His wishes.
If God "smells" the sacrifices as pleasant, it means that
God knows man's actions and He approves, the are "pleasant
smelling." This does not mean that God senses things, for this
would imply that at one moment He is ignorant of something. God's
knowledge is different than ours. We must observe phenomena in order
to learn something knew, or we must ponder something. God is not at
one moment ignorant, or in need of observation to know what exists.
His knowledge is that of the Creator, ours is lesser, of the observer.
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- All these terms are to teach an idea to man, on man's level of
understanding. As man matures intellectually, he realizes that God
does not partake of these qualities, but since man starts life as
completely ignorant, the Torah must work within man's initial frame of
reference if anything is to have meaning to him.
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