[Search for users] [Overall Top Noters] [List of all Conferences] [Download this site]

Conference thebay::joyoflex

Title:The Joy of Lex
Notice:A Notes File even your grammar could love
Moderator:THEBAY::SYSTEM
Created:Fri Feb 28 1986
Last Modified:Mon Jun 02 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:1192
Total number of notes:42769

398.0. "What's PILPILISTIC?" by DSSDEV::ROBINSON (Bill Robinson) Mon Aug 17 1987 09:28

    I read about "pilpilistic" arguments yesterday.  Does anyone
    know what the word means?  My Websters 9th New Collegiate
    doesn't have it.  It was refering to arguments in Hebrew writings,
    I think mostly in the Talmud.
    
    Bill
T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name
DateLines
398.1TriviaBAEDEV::RECKARDJon Reckard 264-7710Mon Aug 17 1987 13:1811
    Re: What's PILPILISTIC?

    I'll try for partial credit ... just to be first to answer.

    I learned about pilpul (note no second "i").  Pilpul was (still is for
    Hasidim?) discussion, usually long-winded and/or heated, about minute
    points of the law or doctrine that had little or no bearing on
    down-to-earth, real-life matter.  I think a Christian example might be
    the how-many-angels-can-dance-on-the-head-of-a-pin question.

    Now, someone who knows what they're talking about - please expound.