tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2763387346921805709.post3836612406677775245..comments2008-07-17T10:27:13.398-07:00Josh Gettingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00067026828892644121noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2763387346921805709.post-45582658577708548172008-07-17T10:27:00.000-07:002008-07-17T10:27:00.000-07:00...and that is of course the essential paradox. As Rabbi Akiva said, "all is foreseen and choice is granted. The Genesis stories are rich in psychological complexity and moral ambiguity. Much more on this in the future.Josh Gettingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00067026828892644121noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2763387346921805709.post-69057396867372559302008-07-14T14:17:00.000-07:002008-07-14T14:17:00.000-07:00Great!<BR/>Thats how a real Talmid Chacham writes. Keep it upHalevai ich hob daashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05882557310209181263noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2763387346921805709.post-84284005307932240802008-07-14T09:45:00.000-07:002008-07-14T09:45:00.000-07:00Do you feel that this balance is unique to Judaism in Western tradition? I was at an Episcopal service yesterday where the reading was Jacob tricking Esau into selling his birthright. They interpreted this as a sign of mistrusting God - that although God had said Jacob would be heir he still felt he had to take action. In my mind, God knew he would take action and thus said he would be heir. In other words, God is all knowing and we have free will. This seemed to be a view where any human action is to mistrust God.Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11131304169419191462noreply@blogger.com