Vaerah
Quantum uncertainty
1. The exodus from Egypt begins this week. In parshat Vaerah seven of the ten plagues are dolled out. The Egyptian nation is punished for the harsh slavery they forced upon the Jews.
2. Several commentators ask: Why are the Egyptians punished if they were only doing what they were supposed to? According to Jewish prophecies the nation was to travel to Egypt . It was already part of the national destiny. The Egyptians were fulfilling G-Ds will.
"Predictions are hard especially about the future"- Yogi Bear
In Egypt we are told of Chartumim or soothsayers, they could predict the future. They perceived that Moses was placed on the Nile and thought the Jewish savior was dead. The reason it is difficult to predict the future is not because of weak vision, but because the future itself is blurry.
Uncertainty inherent in prophecy reflects a loose determinism found in reality. This loose determinism is how free will can exist. The universe is deterministic in that you can not choose where you are born or who your parents will be, but you do have ethical free will.
3. The Egyptians could have treated the Jews however they wanted. They signed up for the role of taskmasters. We have personal responsibility for our actions.
All the worlds a stage
4. In a high school you can't choose the play that is put on , but you can choose the role you volunteer for. Your personal choices are what make you who you are.
1. The exodus from Egypt begins this week. In parshat Vaerah seven of the ten plagues are dolled out. The Egyptian nation is punished for the harsh slavery they forced upon the Jews.
2. Several commentators ask: Why are the Egyptians punished if they were only doing what they were supposed to? According to Jewish prophecies the nation was to travel to Egypt . It was already part of the national destiny. The Egyptians were fulfilling G-Ds will.
"Predictions are hard especially about the future"- Yogi Bear
In Egypt we are told of Chartumim or soothsayers, they could predict the future. They perceived that Moses was placed on the Nile and thought the Jewish savior was dead. The reason it is difficult to predict the future is not because of weak vision, but because the future itself is blurry.
Uncertainty inherent in prophecy reflects a loose determinism found in reality. This loose determinism is how free will can exist. The universe is deterministic in that you can not choose where you are born or who your parents will be, but you do have ethical free will.
3. The Egyptians could have treated the Jews however they wanted. They signed up for the role of taskmasters. We have personal responsibility for our actions.
All the worlds a stage
4. In a high school you can't choose the play that is put on , but you can choose the role you volunteer for. Your personal choices are what make you who you are.
HTML Comment Box is loading comments...
