Wednesday, November 15, 2006

Torah from Gentiles II

The Midrash (Eicha Rabbah 2:13) famously states that there is wisdom among the nations but not Torah. What does this mean? Does it mean that non-Jews are incapable of studying Torah and offering insights into it?

R. Itzelleh Volozhiner (Peh Kadosh, Deut. 33:4) explains that to gentiles the study of Torah is like the study of any wisdom, absent the singular metaphysical status we believe it to have. Thus, to them the study of Torah is merely the study of wisdom. It does not mean that non-Jews are incapable of studying Torah or offering insights into it, because students of wisdom can also comprehend it and offer insights into it.

(See also these posts: I, II)


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