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Date: Sun, 3 Jan 1999 13:03:47 -0500 (EST)
From: Russell Hendel <  rhendel@mcs.drexel.edu>
Subject: Re: Age of the Earth

There has been alot of discussion about the 6 days-4 billion year problem.
I suggested that the Bible was talking about the creation of prophecy. The
world existed for however long and people existed for however long and then
suddenly 6000 years ago the first prophetic experience happened. Many
people have not picked up on this and still discuss various scientific
theories.

So I begin asking myself: What is bothering me? Why do I care IN THIS CASE
if my point of view is not accepted? After all, there have been many issues
where my point of view was not accepted. Yet it continued to bother me.
Finally I realized what was bothering me.

BITUL TALMUD TORAH....SPENDING TIME ON MATTERS OTHER THAN TORAH. Yes that
is it!

Indeed, just look over the postings on the subject. Torah forum has become
filled with postings on science and science books. People discuss
relativity and aging methods etc. Just look over recent issues and you will
see HOW MUCH this is being discussed.

Don't misunderstand me. I have nothing against science. I don't even object
to science being brought into Torah discussions. But there are degrees to
anything.

By contrast if we accept my position that Adam Harishon was the first
prophet then all the discussions would change. We would be discussing
Torah. For I asserted that Gen 1-3 are stages that a prophet must go thru.
So SUNDAY talks about the creation of light which I assume means the
prophetic experience (which is usually compared to fire). This brings to
mind all the prophets who saw fire....Mount Sinai, Ezekiel, Isiah...we
could then discuss these prophets and why they saw fire. We could ask why
fire is not mentioned by other prophets.

Take Tuesday...I suggested that "TREE" is a code word for Torah (as occurs
in Proverbs)---thus a prophet must thoroughly know Torah. This is in fact a
law brought down by Rambam. This could generate discussion on the Torah
learned and taught by various prophets (e.g. Moses enacted regular
meals..etc).

SO that is what is bothering me...the lack of pure Torah element and Torah
discussion on the prerequisites of prophecy. I think this is preferable to
discussing the virtues of relativity and other science.

Russell Jay Hendel Phd ASA
Rhendel @ mcs drexel edu