Date: Sun, 27 Feb 2000 13:10:07 -0500 (EST)
From: Russell Hendel <  rhendel@mcs.drexel.edu>
Subject: Re: Arguments of NonReligious Intellectual Jews

QUESTION:
<  <  The first thing to say is that there CAN happen things that could
convince Chazal that they were wrong. Suppose, for example-G'd forbid - a
new global or worldwide prophecy that would bring everyone close to G'd,
where He says things that go against Judaism. Followed maybe by the
resuscitation of the dead by an obscure monk of some sect appointed by G'd
in this worldwide prophecy (G'd forbid). You could find other examples...
(To be fair to Matias he then goes on to explain that the **possibility**
of such an envisioning does not contradict our faith in G-d.)>  >

ANSWER:
Without commenting on the philosophical comments above I note that what he
says is halachically false. That is according to Jewish law there is **NO**
way that Chazal could be convinced that they are wrong. EVEN if there was a
new worldwide prophecy and EVEN if a monk resurrected the dead and EVEN if
this monk then goes on to say that lighting a fire on Shabbath is
permissable, nevertheless Jewish law is very clear that this monk has the
status of a false prophet and G-d is only testing us. This is all
**explicitly** stated in Dt 13:2-6. It is also brought down in Jewish law.
True, there are Talmudic opinions that G-d would never test us like this
and such a monk would never arise...but NO one disputes the law that if it
did happen we should NOT listen to them.

It follows that our philosophical perspectives must be modified accordingly.

Russell Jay Hendel; Phd ASA;
Moderator Rashi Is Simple; http://www.shamash.org/rashi/