It is always fun to mix psychology and megillot! This week in psychology we started to learn about physical development of a human pertaining to developmental psychology. One of the main things that we learned was from the age of about 0-4 months, all a baby has is reflexes. It won't do much else, beside response to these reflexes.
The reflexes include a sucking reflex, a gripping reflex, and a toe curling reflex. When you place anything in a baby's palm, they will automatically grip it, and when you stroke the bottom of their feet, they will automatically curl their toes. These are just two or three of about seven main reflexes a baby has.
These reflexes show that babies are indeed very innocent. They don't do much in their infancy, and how could Hashem kill them for doing nothing? Babies are the epitome of what we see as faultless. Through this we see that Hashem was truly mad at the Jewish people if he killed every single one of them, even if they did nothing (like the babies).
That baby looks like an angel. Looking at that picture and then thinking about what Yerushalayim said about killing the innocent babies really makes me realize how I angry G-d must have been like you said. I'm ready to get to the part in this book that tells us what exactly made G-d so angry because I just don't see how you could heart that little thing.
ReplyDeleteMy reaction, precisely. When we read this perek, I was in shock. How could the children, the pure, innocent children, be so incorporated into the destruction? They can't even fathom what sin is yet! What could they have done to deserve such punishment? If punishment occurs collectively, why is it that the children seem to be suffering the most? This Perek posed a lot of questions, and that certainly contributed to its seemingly ambiguous connotation.
ReplyDeleteWay to tie in psych, Soph. Brownie points from this end. I think your title says it all. These babies don't know anything. They don't know any better. Why do they deserve this? What kind of maniac would punish such innocent angels?
ReplyDeleteI agree Sophie. Especially since in the 3rd Perek, the man says that G-d does not destroy for no reason and he only destroys because someone deserves it.
ReplyDeleteI agree with all of the other commenters. Nice connection to psychology! This whole "killing the innocent" is one of the things that irks me most about a system in this world that is imperfect. Recently, when I got accepted to JOLT, I realized that I needed a lot more preparation theologically if I was going to be able to confront the death camps and come out a stronger Jew. In some of the Holocaust Theology sessions I attended at Yarchai Kallah, this question came up several times. Even when the teacher tried to avoid the topic so we could focus on another aspect of the holocaust, kids kept asking this question. I don't pretend to have answers. Now what? Should we, as Rabbi Gersten says, be frum and accept this reality? Is there something we're missing? How could any perfectly innocent being deserve such a horrible end?
ReplyDeleteWhy does everyone comment on your blogs, Sophie?!?!?! I can't imagine destroying that cute baby. Babies can't really do anything drastic that G0d doesn't want because they can't do much at all!
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