The Foolish Acquisition of Knowledge without Heart

HH

Knowledge without Heart

Science is known to be cold and calculating. Science measures time, space, and all that those contain, it even measures the soul, levels of emotion and so forth. What science doesn’t know how to measure is the heart, good and evil. Science in fact tries to ignore this dimension. Science for example, regulates urine and stool examples with extreme professionalism, in a septic environment and system, a brazen face against the real nature of these items that are the waste and excrement that the body rejected which stink and are repulsive. Doctors are considered above the temptations of the flesh as they practice their profession, professionalism is considered somehow to be immune to the dimensions of good and bad, the desires of the heart.

Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan in his most monumental work, his translation and comments on Sefer Yetzira – Book of Creation, writes an amazing chidush (novelty) which he came up with. One dimension (a line) has 2 directions, two dimensions (a plane), adds another factor of two, how far to extend the lines width, making it two to the power of two. Three dimensions, adds breadth, another factor of two, making it two to power of three . These three dimensions are that of space, making space measurable by a factor of 8. Following this, when the dimension of time is added, there will be another factor of two, making it two to the power of four, 16. When the dimension of good and evil is added, there will be another factor of two, making it 32 directions, 32 is Hebrew is LEV – heart!

With this we can gain deeper appreciation for what it says in Proverbs (17:16), “For what is the payment of the fool in his hand, to acquire knowledge but with no heart?” For the book of Proverbs especially belittles the superficial wisdom of science and philosophy. All the money in the world, all the quantification and research, if it is without heart, it is for nothing.

The Torah says that the world was created for man, all of creation, inanimate and all life forms are supposed to be at his disposal. Man is therefore responsible for the wellbeing and welfare of all creation, as its master. However when man sees himself responsible for creation as its servant, this is the exact opposite of the purpose of creation, and it brings absolute mayhem into the world. Because the world was designed to have man as its master, and if man chases after its tail, then this GF throws the whole sequence and order of the world upside down GF.

[The same holds true regarding climate change, the world was created for man, and man must build and beautify it and not destroy it, but at the same time he must not fall subservient to the conduct of nature. The world was created to host man and all his needs, and man need not and should not view himself as an intruder or a slave who must try to help the environment.]

In today’s society people in the city must clean up after their dogs, and so thousands of people without being fazed at all, without any compunction tend to their dogs manure, picking it up with their hands, very scientifically septic with a plastic bag and all, and carry it with them until they can dispose of it properly. This is done purely scientifically not considering for a moment what is really going on. The peoples need for the animal’s love and acceptance is so great to them that they have become subservient to the extent that they stoop to pick up its manure, relying heavily on their scientific knowledge that there is nothing inherently different in manure than anything in the world, it is just a bunch of chemical components thrown together that forms this mass, which might or might not smell, regardless. But because scientifically it is known to be a terrible affront to many people, and it can contain harmful bacteria and so forth, they must remove it, and so they do without any misgiving.

According to science, a male or female is just so many qualities and properties, and all of those can be manipulated as one sees fit, and viola, it is completely arbitrary. Because there is no heart. Sure they will provide the measurements of the emotions of the person, but the heart, the real heart, they can’t touch that whatsoever. On the contrary, they use all the external emotions and physical properties to project and make claims to dictate what the heart is, it is male or female, because this person has such and such emotions and so forth. They make the heart the servant of the external emotions and properties, when it is the exact opposite, the heart is the king of the body, and all the emotions and properties must subject themselves to the heart. So in their empty arrogant ignorance, they claim that they know the heart!

Then these great scholars and scientists weigh their grand opinions on society how to run the country, policy making and so forth. They have everything figured out according to their great knowledge and faith in science, and they confidently and emphatically apply their adept knowledge with great certitude, not being able to fathom at all how anyone can doubt let alone staunchly disagree with their conclusions.

Na Nach Nachma Nachman MayUman!

Gain perspective

HH

In Proverbs it says “In all your ways know Him,” Ruvuh said (Brachos) this refers even to endeavors of sin. Many commentaries have elaborated on this. Here I will present one practical approach. Even when a person is convinced that he needs to do something wrong he should approach it with the intent to do good. For example, a person might feel that he needs to watch a movie or television, even though he knows that this is the epitome of the sitra-achra (-evil realm), for Rabbainu has revealed that today the main affair of the sitra-achra is imagination and fantasy. The actual world we live in, our holy sages have already made clear that it is all a façade, and they tried to share with us how to live the true reality of the Torah. However television and movies further enshrouds the world in layers of void and emptiness that subject a person to live in wishy-washy paradigms of delusion. All of this a person knows, and yet he might still need his fix, he might not be able to just break out cold turkey. So the aitzuh (-recourse, advice) is that before he sits down in capitulation, he should make a little disclaimer, and say a few words to his Creator. Let him turn to HY and express his intent, that even though he knows that he shouldn’t be watching this, even still in order to give himself a well needed break from the stresses of the day and all the responsibilities weighing upon him, he feels that this is what he needs, and by watching this he will be able to unwind and regain his breath and strength to get back in their etc..” With this little rejoinder a person will gain eternally, for just the fact that he spoke honest heartfelt words to HY is precious beyond measure, and also now he has steered himself to actually strive to accomplish good objectives, and maybe even he will come to conclude that to reach this clear objective he is better off watching a different show, something more educational and softer on the soul, and in the future he will definitely slowly aim to achieve his stated objective in a better, holier fashion. He will avoid watching shows that are just frivolous and licentious, and he will avoid shows that have vulgar language which completely destroys all holy boundaries and brings death and destruction, may the holy Merciful One save us. He will start to only watch shows that he can find in them some justification and purpose. Eventually he may merit to wean himself off the tube completely B”H.

Na Nach Nachma Nachman MayUman!