Kaisipang Hudyo sa Daniel 6:11: Akeidat Yitzchak

Reason is distinct from will in that it strives to imbue any action with purpose and make it failsafe. Aristotele, in chapter six of his book of ethics states that reason does not initiate any action that is not of benefit to its subject. Man's activities can be divided into four categories, a) Foolish actions; B) actions designed to gratify some urge, but devoid of moral purpose. C) Futile actions, actions that are not capable of achieving their purpose. D) Actions motivated by the desire to achieve meaningful constructive results. Maimonides in Moreh Nevuchim, expresses this somewhat differently. There are meaningless actions, (hevel, vain) and meaningful actions. The latter fall into two categories, depending on whether they are motivated by constructive or destructive considerations. The former originate with our reason, the latter with our will and its shortcomings. The actions originating with our reason employ will-power merely for execution of a purpose initiated by our intellect. Freedom of choice, or moral choice, was granted man so that he can use it in combination with his reason. On the other hand, man is to avoid actions that are initiated by will without benefit of reason. Whenever we fail to apply these criteria in planning our actions, we have reason to join the prophet Isaiah when he exclaims "I have toiled in vain, and wasted my strength; yet my judgment is with the Lord, my deeds with G'd." (Isaiah 49,4) The prophet describes his efforts as failures because he has not seen them crowned with success. He knows however, that sooner or later, G'd will cause his efforts to be crowned with success. All G'ds actions are based on reason; this is the meaning of Deut. 32,4, "the Rock, His work is perfect, for all His ways are justice." Historians may argue that even G'ds plans went awry when He commanded animal sacrifices as a means to sublimate existing idolatrous practices. History shows that in time, G'd needed the prophets to rebuke the people for the erroneous concepts they entertained about the meaning of the sacrifices. Eventually, the very sanctuary, the site of the sacrifices, had to be destroyed. According to Maimonides then, G'ds plans had misfired. Also, according to our own view that the sacrificial rites were designed to achieve a closeness with G'd, such a goal has evidently not been achieved. The answer to the problem lies in the fact that G'ds plans are long range and comprehensive on the one hand, and tactical, of limited duration on the other hand. The thought that G'ds long term objectives would fail to be realised is intolerable; on the other hand, short term objectives need not be realised. Even a short term objective need not be considered as having failed, when the lesson it was supposed to have taught is absorbed by a change of our lifestyle. If, say, sacrifices were meant to bring man closer to G'd through his having offered himself vicariously through the animal, then a lifestyle which includes three daily prayer sessions certainly can be said to be evidence that man has come closer to G'd, views Him as the source of all he strives for. Even while the temple had still been standing, sacrifice had been accompanied by prayer. Representatives of all the tribes were always present in Jerusalem to do this. Our sages in Chagigah 21, go so far as to say that had it not been for the ma-amadot, these Israelites who prayed when the sacrifices were being offered, heaven and earth would long since have ceased to exist. The prophet Hoseah exhorts us to employ "words" to achieve what the bulls had been meant to atone for. (Hoseah 14,3) We see therefore, that prayer is a very effective method of getting closer to G'd. Chapter two in Jeremiah makes it clear that the iniquities he talks of include those committed knowingly, purposely. All of these are covered by Hoseah's appeal "take words with you and do pennance." If prayer, coupled with proper remorse, of course, can atone for such sins, something which sacrifices never could, then prayer is a more powerful tool to achieve closeness with G'd. Prayer never ceased to be effective, whereas sacrifices, in order to achieve their purpose had to meet many pre-conditions. Not the least of these pre-conditions was the existence of a sanctuary at a site approved by G'd. In Psalms 51,17-20, David describes the mental state of man necessary in order that he may achieve what cannot be achieved in any other way today, due to the absence of sacrifices. When David says of G'd "for You do not wish a sacrifice," this is to be understood like "when you happen to encounter a bird's nest etc." (Deut 22,6), or "when you build a new house," (Deut 22,8) These situations are not bound to occur. The Torah addresses itself to circumstances that may or may not occur. David too means that if an occasion arises when sacrifice seems called for, but cannot be offered due to the absence of a temple, then G'd will not insist on a sacrifice if the sinner is humble and of contrite heart. Nonetheless, we pray urgently for His return to Zion and the restoration of sacrificial service.