re: #117 LudwigVanQuixote

By the way, the wingnuts are really frothing over my posts about Jewish Law.

Apparently, I am not a Jew. Apparently, I am using silly liberal interpretations of scripture when quoting Avot.

Hillel famously said that “the essence of the Law is do not do to others what is hateful to you. All else is commentary, now go and study.”

This is core Judaism. Those I have quoted so far are Moses - who if you are observant is actually quoting G-d Himself directly, Isaiah (one of the most major prophets) and the sages of the Talmud.

Specifically, I draw most of my quotes from Pirkei Avot, which is one of the most famous Talmudic texts. Pirkei Avot literally means Ethics of the Fathers. I could have chosen many sources, but there are no bigger Rabbis then men like Judah HaNassi, Hillel and Akiva. Further, the entire first chapter of Avot is dedicated to the chain of transmission of the Law and these ethical principles from Moses, through the prophets to those Rabbiam. I am capitalizing the R in Rabbaim because those men had smicha.

No Jew who knows anything about Judaism will say otherwise.

Just as some further examples of other large rabbaim that I could have quoted to support what I was saying:

The Rambam, also known as Maimonides, who is perhaps the most famous of the Rishonim, because he was also a world famous, philosopher, scientist and physician, who is quoted frequently by Aquinas and all students of Western philosophy, wrote in great detail about everything I just have. Of course, he is infinitely greater than me in terms of Jewish learning.

For the record, even the Rambam quotes Pirkei Avot as something bigger than him!

On helping the poor and the weakest members of society:

On not putting a stumbling block before the blind:

Now what do you think the Rambam (the most famous physician of his time!) would say about, lying that tobacco was really ok for you and that there is no evidence it causes cancer, or lying that AGW is not real and there is no reason to change things?

I could go on with quotes from him. But I hope people see I am writing core Judaism.

Ludwig, please remember that you are talking about people who condemn Islam for it’s ‘violent’ scriptures, and yet favor the most violent and heartless version of Christian and Jewish texts they can torture out of the words.

While we’re on the topic, if one more person quotes me “Those are merciful to the cruel will end by being cruel to the merciful,” this being the only line of midrash they have apparently ever bothered to learn, I may scream.