Monday, January 30, 2006

What is a 'shittah'?

There is a post on an email list about Jewish history and Orthodoxy.

Someone wrote the following:
All those bringing down proofs of why learning history is important are missing the point. It is certainly interesting and perhaps even important to know the reasons given for not learning history. However, the important thing to know is whether there is a genuine view that history should not be learned.

If there is a genuine shittah that people should not study history, then whatever proofs you will bring were considered. You will not be able to Shlug up the shittah. At most you will be able to decide whether to feel bound by the shittah yourself.
What struck me is the assumption that if there is a "genuine view," which is the commenters translation of "shittah," it means that every angle of the issue was explored in order to formulate that view. Including, I suppose, some sort of study of history. But is that so? Have those who advocated not "learning" history (telling word) done an exhaustive exploration of the matter?

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