27 Tammuz 5765/3 August 2005: National Watermelon Day

Greetings.

Sanhedhrin update: רבני הסנהדרין: יש מצוות מסירות נפש בהצלת ישובי גוש קטיף. Summary: The rabbis of the proto-Sanhedhrin are against the disengagement.

American religio-political update: “Bush: Intelligent Design Should Be Taught”. This, of course, is against the US Constitution, specifically the First Amendment, which says “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof”. “Intelligent design” is merely creationism dressed up to look more secular. As such, teaching “intelligent design” in public schools is not appropriate. If parents think it important that their kids believe in “intelligent design”, it is their responsibility to teach them themselves.

Side-note: Any scientist knows that “intelligent design” is bad science, attempting to force reality to fit preconceptions rather than the other way around. I dispute that creationמשק/“intelligent design” is even good religion. The opening section of Bere’shith (Genesis) is traditionally considered esoteric, there being a whole class of esoteric knowledge centered around it known as ma‘aseh Bere’shith (“the work of creation”). As such, the overly literal interpretation favored by the creationists who make the most noise has never been warranted, no more that it would be appropriate to take Shir hashShirim (Song of Songs) as a mere love poem.

Today’s weird thing is a little story from Emily’s collection, included below. (Note: Fred, the fictional, evil, fourth Adelman brother, is responsible for the bad grammar.) Enjoy.

Aaron

---

Bad News

These four men were carrying a piano up a ten story building. There were really tired and one of them said:

-- Someone go up to see how many floors we had left.

The other man said:

-- Alright. I'll go...

The guy goes up to the tenth floor.

-- Ok, if I went up 6 floors it is because we are on the fourth floor.

The man goes back to floor 4 and tells the other men:

-- I have two bad news.

-- Tell us one and then the other after we are done.

-- We still have six floors left.

So the men go up the remaining six floors and then one men asks:

-- What was the other bad news?

-- We are on the wrong building.