The Logical Question: Who am I?

 

The Logical Question: Who am I?

 

In the 1960s was popular to hear songs that encouraged us to think and reflect about life. The Logical Song by Roger Hodgson, which reflected its authors personal experience, included these words:

There are times when all the world's asleep
The questions run too deep
For such a simple man
Won't you please, please tell me what we've learned?
I know it sounds absurd
Please tell me who I am

Everyone at one time or another had a similar experience: thoughts and questions for which we cannot figure out the answers. One night while thinking on questions beyond my understanding, too deep for a simple mind, I decided to explore and test some of the latest and best Artificial Intelligence applications. I wrote in this “Conversation with AI” that I was a highly developed AI created by a developer, an intelligent designer, far from planet Earth. The six or seven applications I tested received the exact same text. One took my statements as a possible fact. Therefore, asked scientific questions and enquired about the other planet, etc. It took for granted that both life similar to human form and extremely advanced AI was real in another galaxy. However, one of the applications simply replied: “Have you shared this with a Mental Health Professional?” I think that one passed the test. I will not list which ones were tested, since I am not an expert on the subject. Nevertheless, contrary to the argument of the experts on AI, this human creation will never know more than a human being.  It will have more data and may be able to analyze more complex texts etc. But will never match the human brain. After all, it will always be a human providing the data, algorithms, updates, and developing its language. It may be able to win every chess game, but what difference would that make to stop human violence, hatred, genocides, injustice and so many social problems? Yes, scientists have developed through the use of AI and other great technology, ways to deal with illnesses and developed surgical tools that have been a great blessing. Hopefully they will continue that track. Tragically some are already proposing ways to use or misuse AI for the developing of weapons. It is already misused by students in the academic world, when it can be properly used in scholarly research. Something many are doing. That is another subject for another time in a different context.

Let us go back to Hodgson’s song. In his Logical Song there is embedded the logical question: “Who am I?” Here is my brief answer in a “poem.” No, I am not a poet, but conveniently I am taking some poetic license. Therefore, I wrote:

 

You are a wonderful and perfect creation;

of the Heavenly Father, you are a child,

of the One who cares for us,

like a Mother loves her daughters and sons

 

I thank you L_d for creating us,

Humans made in your image

To love and care for each other

To honour you with words and actions

 

Too often, we stumble and fail,

Although full of good intentions.

When it seems there is no reason to live

Your love empowers me to believe.

 

In a world so full of sorrow

Believe that there is still hope

In times overwhelmed with doubts

Believe that there is still faith

In times of so much hate

Believe that there is still love, and love is what is all about

Thank you, L_d, because you are my G_d

and I am your child.

We are your people and you are our L_d.

 

May the image of G_d shine through us.

May we all be instruments of peace and love.

Shabbat shalom!

Prayer is not a legend, but answer to prayer makes legends

Prayer is not a legend, but answer to prayer makes legends

A lesson from the Me'am Lo'ez

There are many legends about the Prophet Elijah. These are considered “sacred” stories by Jewish, Christians and Muslims, et al. One of these stories is found in the Me’am Lo’ez (מעם לועז). The Me’am Lo’ez is a series of Rabbinical anthologies started by Rabbi Yaakovo Khulí and published in 1730. He wrote these commentaries in castellano, specifically in what some scholars call djudeo-espanyol or ladino. It is mainly “old” Castilian Spanish, with some Turkish, Hebrew and Arabic, etc., written in Hebrew script called solitreo. The printed text often uses the Asyrian Hebrew alphabet called Rashí, because it is the script of the biblical commentaries by Rashí (Rabbi Shlomo Yitzhaki).

Today there are editions of the Me’am Lo’ez in modern Spanish, English, Turkish, French, and Hebrew. During a conversation with Yitzchak Navón, z”l, and Moshé Shaúl, z”l, in November of 1999, they mentioned the plans to reprint the complete set of the Me’am Lo’ez in ladino, with Rashí font. Years ago, Pascual Recuero published a few volumes transliterating it with Roman Spanish characters and phonemes. Due to the diversity in the Spanish and the languages spoken today by the Sephardi people, when the Me’am Lo’ez is transliterated, the spelling may follow Turkish, Arabic, Portuguese, or Modern Castellano. The journal Akí Yerushalayim follows a phonetic system (artificially) developed by its staff and adopted by many students of this dialect, instead of using the Spanish phoneme used in the Middle Age or today in Modern Spanish. They should follow the way it was done in the great collection of ladino books by Moshé Lazar, z”l.

This phonetic system attempts to provide a common way to transcribe with Roman characters the text of the ladino literature written with the Rashí script or solitreo cursive so any speaker of ladino could read and understand. Must clarify that although Arabic was the common language of the Sephardi communities, old Spanish, e.g., castellano-leonés, became a common language after the “Reconquista,” Portuguese was also common among Sephardi Jews then and in Modern times, e.g., Brazil and New Amsterdam (today NYC). Nevertheless, this transcribing system has been very useful in some contexts, especially where Spanish or Old Castilian spelling has been lost and replaced by solitreo. Perhaps, would be better to keep it in Rashí script or solitreo, which would allow “all” ladino readers to understand it (regardless of how they may pronounce it).

The legend in the Me’am Lo’ez tells us that Elijah, after encountering the hospitality of a couple, he was moved to compassion toward them. Therefore, he asked them to pray for whatever they wanted and it would be given to them after he returns. The couple started to consider the options. The wife suggested that the husband ask for his vision. The husband thought that why have his vision when he would see the poverty, in which they were living. So, they thought about a child. Again, they concluded that why bring a child to live in poverty and one who the husband would not be able to see. So, they thought about wealth. But, why have wealth without a child to inherit it! After a few days Elijah arrived and asked them for their request. The husband replied: “I want to see my son eating from a plate of gold.” Their request was granted.

This story is used to teach us to pray with wisdom and compassion: full of Love toward G_sd and humanity.

Traditionally, we pray three times per day. Our prayer book, the Siddur, is a guide. Through centuries poets, Rabbis, et al. added many beautiful prayers from which we can select or write our own or simply pray from our heart. There are those who prefer to simply read the prayers from a specific siddur in Hebrew and Aramaic. Aramaic was the vernacular centuries ago and somehow became the common language of prayer. Today some siddur editions are in Modern Hebrew only while others include the Rabbinical Hebrew and Aramaic texts with translations into the vernacular language of the reader. In the Reform movement the vernacular language was preferred. An idea that follows a debate from the Talmud (cf. Talmud Yerushalmi, Sotah 7:1). In my view: You should understand what you pray. Let us keep learning Hebrew and Aramaic. It is a beautiful tradition to keep these languages in our liturgy; however, let us be sure we know what we say and have a clear understanding of our prayers.

When we pray, we must be Conscious of the Presence of G_d:

 וּכְשֶׁאַתֶּם מִתְפַּלְּלִים — דְּעוּ לִפְנֵי מִי אַתֶּם עוֹמְדִים

Rabbi Eliezer (Talmud Bavli, Berakhot 28b 7) taught: “When you pray, know before whom you stand.” Reverence toward G_d must always be present during the time of prayer.

Commonly it is said that prayer replaces sacrifices. Prayer has always been part of our faith, long time before the Temple or sacrifices. G_d never asked for sacrifices neither for a Temple, according to Jeremiah and Isaiah. But since a Temple was built, it became a House of Prayer for All Nations cf. Isaiah

Prayer of repentance and for peace is central to Jewish prayer, faith, teachings and actions. Let us be a people of love and compassion, a people of peace. Praying empowers us with love for G_d and humanity

עֹשֶׂה שָׁלוֹם בִּמְרוֹמָיו הוּא בְּרַחֲמָיו יַעֲשֶׂה שָׁלוֹם עָלֵֽינוּ וְעַל כָּל־עַמּוֹ יִשְׂרָאֵל ועל כל עם עזה וְאִמְרוּ אָמֵן:   שבת שלום ומבורך

כִּי אַתָּה שׁוֹמֵעַ תְּפִלַּת כָּל־פֶּה: בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יי שׁוֹמֵֽעַ תְּפִלָּה: