8:14 AM
Gil Student
I thank all the many, many readers who have been kind enough to send me the latest article/letter to emerge in the Slifkin Controversy. I have, in fact, had a copy of the letter for almost a week. Last Friday, a rabbi asked when I was planning to respond. While I wrote a semi-response, I've decided not to post it. Enough already. I think just about everyone's mind has been made on this subject and I've already aired most of the points I want to make.
I just want to post here an excerpt from R. Eliyahu Dessler's Mikhtav Me-Eliyahu that Rabbi Slifkin brought to my attention (vol. 5 p. 348):
"Scripture does not teach us anything about the chronological order of events" -- Rashi. The reason for this is that the ten utterances with which the world was created (cf. Avos 5:1) are the ten sefiros whose order is the order of distinguishing revelations (havhanas ha-giluyim). The Torah instructed us according to this order in Creation, not according to the order of physical time.
