| In Jewish Phylosophy, God is better defined and explained by what
He is not than by what He is: He is not limited in time (i.e. didn't
have a beginning and will not have an end), He is not limited in
space or form (He is infinite, and permeates anything and everything).
As such God does not need a physic Book of Accounting and a special
day to check the accounts and make his decision on the individual
"JP&R".
However, it is easier for us, mortals, to get a better idea by a
representation or a sincretic analogy of divine matters, therefore,
it would convey the message to the sinners that there is a Yom Hadin,
a Day of Judgement, when all living and celestial creatures are
presented to their trial "as a sheppard checks his flock, passing
the sheep under his satff" and selecting "who will live and who
will die..., who will be exalted and who will loose his position...,
who will become rich and who will become poor...", and so, at least
once a year, you have to prepare yourself to check on your yearly
conduct and change it for better - "..and atonement, prayer and charity
can change the negative side of the veredict..." (The quotes are
my translation of some passages from some of the prayers for the
High Hollydays).
So: 1. Yes, it is used in stories and prayers the figure of the
Lord checking in its accounting and judging all his Creation according
to their acts but 2. This should be understood as only a rethorical
figure since it is impossible to reduce the idea of God to a Creature
using his weights, scales and accounting books to rule the world.
Juan-Carlos
I am not sure that our learned colleagues that are far more versed
in Halacha than I am would endorse all my previous views.JCK
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| > Is this just a Sunday school teacher's misconception of how things
> work?
I think that the image is (unfortunately) part of the tradition, and not
a mere "Sunday school teacher's" sick imagining. The question, however, is
how one relates to this image. Saying that it is to be understood
"metaphysically" doesn't really alleviate the unconfortableness one feels.
The question is deeper than that and has to do with a conception of God
as Judge and Executioner.
Tomorrow night starts Yom Kippur. Maybe we will all have a chance to
reflect on these matters and continue this note after YK.
G'mar Hatima Tova to all bagel-noters!
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| Strangely enough, Rosh Ha'Shana & Yom Kipur usually occur around
the 2nd half of September, the time of the constellation of Libra
(not that I believe in Astrology), and also when the night becomes
equal in length to the day.
/Nitsan (with some help of TAV02::SID)
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