philosopher: Arso, BTW, not to argue again over Yaacov lo mes again, but I do want to know if you took the advice you gave me to speak to a ruv or talmud chuchem if Yaacov lo mes means he is physcally alive in his kever.
No, I didn’t. And the reason is because I have a yeshivah background and have been learning gemoro with meforshim for many years. As I just wrote to qwerty, I was a high-level gemoro teacher for a number of years, and the parents and administration were distraught when I had to leave due to family commitments. In all the years, I never had one parent argue about my explanation of the gemoro I had taught his son.
I do not claim to be the biggest talmid chochom around, but I know how to understand a Rashi. I don’t need to go to someone and ask the stupid question, “What does Rashi believe?” when I can figure it out for myself.
You and qwerty, on the other hand, do not have that background, probably through not fault of your own. But just as I would be remiss to proffer an opinion about nuclear physics when I am talking to someone who has studied nuclear science for decades, you are remiss to argue with me and Shmei (despite him being a Lubavicher with quite possibly questionable beliefs) about how to understand a gemoro.
I urge you to read my previous post to qwerty in which I explain the impropriety of some of the things you say, and how I would explain to a student the correct attitude a yerei Shomayim has to have.
Please post the name of the rabbi you’ve spoken to about this who said that Yaacov’s guf is alive.
Rabbi Shlomo ben Yitzchak, 11th century commentator on the Talmud. Rabbi Yoshiya Pinto, 17th century scholar and commentator on the Ein Yaakov. Rabbi Haim ibn Attar, 18th century commentator on both the Talmud and the Pentateuch.
Well, to be honest, I haven’t actually spoken to them, but I have studied at least some of their writings.
One final word in this post:
I believe that you are seeking the truth, but because of your background you don’t know how much you have strayed. Please don’t take that as patronizing because that is not at all how I mean it. Shiv’im panim laTorah means that Rashi is right… as are those Rishonim, and early Acharonim like the Maharsha, who argue with Rashi! אלו ואלו דברי אלקים חיים. How does that work? We frail humans don’t understand, just as we don’t understand all the other secret ways of Hashem. But we cannot say that we disagree with any of them. That is apikorsus. So please be careful what you say, and don’t rely on the ravings of a fool. For your sake, not for mine.