Mi Yodeya Stack Exchange
Mi Yodeya Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [hashkafah-philosophy]

Jewish philosophy as well as Jewish perspectives - i.e. not only formal philosophy. NOT for questions about Jewish practice unless there's a philosophical component.

Jewish philosophy as well as Jewish perspectives - i.e. not only formal philosophy. NOT for questions about Jewish practice unless there's a philosophical component.

See also for questions about the nature of God in particular.

Questions about Jewish practice should use or , depending on whether the practice in question has the force of law or not.

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Is it wrong to be racist?

Is there anything wrong about being a racist? By racist I mean believing that certain groups of people are objectively worse in any qualitative way based on their race.
Y     e     z
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How to define success in life?

What defines success in life (in a Jewish outlook)?
yydl
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Is diversity a Jewish value?

We hear a lot about the value of diversity these days, especially in academic settings. What about in hashkafa? Does "shivim panim l'Torah" teach that diversity is to be valued, and to what degree? How do you balance it with "yotzei min ha'tzibbur"?
Jeremy
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do we get another chance to reach shamayim if we missed our goal once?

I have heard that there is a task for everyone to fulfill before they enter shamayim, but what happens if you had a chance to fulfill your task in life and you missed it? do you get a different task? do you still have another opportunity to go and…
Carrot monster
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Is there any halachik basis for using "the big two" (shabbat and kosher) as a criteria for frumkeit?

This obviously relates to me personally, but let me give a simpler example. Let's take Yid A and Yid B. A is kind and compassionate, grew up orthodox, drifted on to his own derech, now drives on Shabbat, but otherwise does not work, buy, sell, or…
aAaa aAaa
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Torah Im Derech Eretz and Torah Umada

What exactly is "Torah Im Derech Eretz" and "Torah Umada." I am not looking for a translation but rather an explanation of Yeshiva University's philosophy regarding these things. What are the differences between these two things? Is there are…
Hacham Gabriel
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Being Afraid Brings Fears

A few Rabbonim mentioned in shiurim on TorahAnytime the concept that being constantly afraid of something tragic happening to oneself can bring about its fulfillment. Where do we find such a concept of Hashem eventually sending people whatever…
NJM
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Overwhelming individualism in Jewish Halachah

(Please follow the idea before finding counterarguments). The dawn of Judaism - Abraham, Itzhok, Yaakov, the Tribes - most fateful decisions were made almost exclusively on personal basis, without consulting other living authorities. Abraham and…
Al Berko
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What is the spiritual root of the the desire for "news"

There are many people that have desire (ta'ava) for news - whether it's world, local, tech, social (facebook, twitter), etc. I'm trying to understand where that comes from. Note: It's not specifically news, it could be email, etc. Just something…
Yehosef
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Judaism and Natural Law

According to Wikipedia, "Natural law (Latin: ius naturale, lex naturalis) is a philosophy that certain rights are inherent by virtue of human nature and can be understood universally through human reason. Historically, natural law refers to the use…
Bochur613
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Mind/soul/spirit/body "partites"

Various philosophers and theologians have posited different anthropological views concerning the 'division' of man into a mind/soul/spirit/body. The major views are summarized below: Unitary / Monistic: Man is a singular entity that cannot be…
Dan
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In the marriage mashal, is Hashem ever considered the kalla, and Israel the chatan?

For example, in Yoma 54a, the mashal says זָכָר וּנְקֵבָה, with the male mentioned first. In the nimshal preceding the mashal, Yisrael is mentioned first. The Shechina is considered feminine. Therefore, I think it is a reasonable question to ask,…
Rabbi Kaii
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What is the reason that the world will end after 6/7 thousand years?

Talmud, Tractate Sanhedrin [97a]: “Rav Kattina said: 'The world will exist for 6000 years and one (thousand) of destruction' What is the hashkafic reason to only have a finite world? Wouldn't an infinitely good G-d want more souls to bestow good…
Fei23
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How to explain a specific phenomenon

Following happened to me: I took randomly a book on the last Shabbat and started read. I've read there an explanation of a certain pasuk which I saw for the first time. Leaving out many details but after Shabbat I happened to listen to a shiur and…
yosef
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Question on the Chovos Halevavos

This question was raised after reading a passage in the Duties of the Heart Gate 3 ch.9: The Understanding: The mystery of your being is that the Creator created you out of nought, in common with all spiritual beings that He created; and His…
ray
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