From an email from a certain yeshiva and university quoting a visiting professor of Jewish studies:
"In Talmudic research, you try to understand and analyze how the main ideas of Judaism were created in ancient times. Reincarnation, angels, demons – who created them? This kind of research spoke to me, just as it speaks to many of the students who come to Bar-Ilan to study.”
Who created them? Maybe ... G-d. But of the course the premise of the academic approach is [almost always] that either the rabbis made things up or they borrowed ideas from other religions and civilizations.
This material is taught to students who were raised to believe that Torah is actually true and not a human creation like other religions. So in the morning the students study under Roshei Yeshiva who believe that Talmudic research involves trying to understand dvar Hashem as communicated and expounded by the Sages. In the afternoon they are taught that these are all fairy tales and explore the "REAL" facts behind our religion. Confusing....
And for this people pay a LOT of money.
My question - How does this dichotomy which can drive any thinking person into an intense religious crisis of faith [not to mention forfeit his cheilek in olam haba] square with the five "Torot"?
