In an article on Parshas Tzav, Rabbi Sacks explains the prohibition against eating blood based on ... evolutionary psychology. That is quite *original* but I am inclined to believe that it is quite a stretch to explain the prohibtion that way. It rests on three premises, all of which are debatable:
1] Evolution is true.
2] Evolutionary psychology is true [or at least this particular explanation of evolutionary psychology].
3] The Torah accepted the first two premises and intended to forbid blood based on them.
In general, Rabbi Sacks has three basic types of articles:
1] Brilliant and original, connecting ancient laws and ideas with modern research.
2] He twists the text into a pretzel - often in order to support his agendas [universalism etc.].
3] On occasion - ideas that are theologically problematic.
Maybe I will expand in future posts.
But I really think he meant well and succeeded on coonecting many Jews [and Goyim!!] to Judaism. There is really nobody comparable alive today.
