moish01, you enjoyed the last word for nine months; but it’s time to move on.
There are parallel conversations going on here, ranging from Chazal’s knowledge to evolution, from Teffilla to Hishtadlus, from science to name calling. The main issue here is did Chazal know everything. Then, the question is from where they knew what they knew. And third, could we say that they’re wrong on certain things.
First of all we must realize the mistake of lumping anyone older than ourselves into one pot. Next, let’s take a look at some Gemaras to see.
We find that Amora’im learned their science from their Rebbes and Mishnaios. We find a few places in Shas that R’ Papa says, we see from this Mishna or Braisa that this is dangerous or that that bone extends until that point and so on. You see that if didn’t pay attention to the Goyim of his day. He learned it from his Torah.
On the other hand we also find places where they outright didn’t know. Someone mentioned here earlier the case where Rav observed a farm for months to find out something he needed to know for Hilchos Bechoros. We also find places where they went to ask a doctors opinion for a certain Shaila. Also, during the second Bais Hamikdosh the trumpets broke and they sent them to Egypt for repair. There is also a Gemara which discusses from where the hair grows, from the head or the tip. The Gemara concludes that it grows from the head, since we see it on dyed hair, that as it grows the part closest to the scalp is undyed.
Now, Joseph mentioned the Gemara where a disciple of R’ Yochanon couldn’t believe what R’ Yochanon Darshened until he witnessed it himself, and R’ Yochanon punished him for this. There is another Gemara where R’ Yochanon fell asleep while teaching his disciples, and one student asked another student a couple of worldly questions. He answered him what seemed very reasonable and true. Meanwhile, R’ Yochanon awoke and picked up the conversation. He scolded the one who supplied the answers, and said, you should not say something until you know it for certain as clear as you know that your sister is Assur to you.
This shows us how careful Chazal where not to just say things from the top of the head. If they did not know, they did not say.
The Gemara relates how R’ Elazar complained that no one is Meshamesh him. He said that his students took from him just a drop in a bucket, and he took from his Rebbes as much as a dog licking from the ocean. Anyhow, he went with R’ Akiva and taught him three hundred laws about Koisher Kishuin. He also said that he knows three thousand laws about planting cucumbers. This obviously came along with alot of technical knowledge.
When Hashem taught Moshe Rabbeinu the whole Torah, obviously he had to also know the facts that surround it. The Torah was passed down from Moshe to the prophets, and from them to the Tana’im. So, although alot of knowledge was lost from generation to generation, the Tana’im knew plenty of technical information, not everything. But they did not assume anything on their own.
Now, as for the incidents about R’ Yochanon, another important point is seen, that they knew how to Darshen. One Amora said that Yakov Avinu Lo Meiss. His friend asked him some logical questions on that, and he answered, I’m Darshening a Pasuk. Also R’ Yehoshua learned from a Pasuk how long it takes a snake to have a baby, whereas the philosopher he was contending had to experiment for a long time, and seemingly, nobody else knew this. So anybody who believes in Torah Shel Baal Peh, also believes any and all Drashos Chazal.
The Gemara discusses why honey is kosher while milk from a non kosher animal isn’t. After some discussion, the Gemara says, it must be(e) that the bee doesn’t produce it from itself, it just affects it. We know this to be the case. Many have used this Gemara to prove that Chazal knew the science of the bee. But, if that where the case, they would have stated it right away. On the contrary, they didn’t know this fact until they learned this Mishna!
So my point is that they didn’t know all the science that wasn’t available then, nor did they believe blindly everything that was known then. However their Drashos are true and their interpretations of the Mishna are true, and are part of Torah Shel Baal Peh.