tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5589564.post3016638846341876954..comments2024-03-05T21:22:43.426-05:00Comments on parshablog: Is Believing The Dead Tzaddik Is Watching You Through His Picture Justified Based On Yosef HaTzaddik?joshwaxmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03516171362038454070noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5589564.post-58523718484657777872008-08-26T11:33:00.000-04:002008-08-26T11:33:00.000-04:00thanks. and shkoyach.in terms of glass, I was basi...thanks. and shkoyach.<BR/><BR/>in terms of glass, I was basing myself on this website, glassonline, where they have a brief history of glass, but I don't know what their source is:<BR/>http://www.glassonline.com/infoserv/history.html<BR/><BR/>"It was the Romans who began to use glass for architectural purposes, with the discovery of clear glass (through the introduction of manganese oxide) in Alexandria around AD 100. Cast glass windows, albeit with poor optical qualities, thus began to appear in the most important buildings in Rome and the most luxurious villas of Herculaneum and Pompeii."<BR/><BR/>Kol Tuv,<BR/>Joshjoshwaxmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05149022516101476797noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5589564.post-78567212727225081762008-08-26T11:27:00.000-04:002008-08-26T11:27:00.000-04:00Ingenious! I am not sure that Romans used glass wi...Ingenious! I am not sure that Romans used glass windows because the technology to achieve very high kiln temperatures to make transparent glass was not yet in existence. Perhaps, opaque glass can also create a reflection. I recall that the nearsighted emperor Nero had a precious stone thinned and shaped so that he could watch gladiator' games. They had to use precious stones because they could not make transparent glass. Perhaps in this passage an allusion is to windows made of (precious) Avnei Ephod.In Bava Basra 75a, the windows of Jerusalem will be made of large precious stones (shimshosaich).<BR/><BR/>Leshitoscha I would offer a different explanation. One of the main issues around Yosef's descent into Egypt was whether he would be in or out in the process of Bechira, see http://www.tanach.org/breishit/miketz/miketzs1.htm. <BR/><BR/>The meaning of the passage than is not literal but that Yosef had to withstand the test of giving up the potential to still be in Yakov's family and its destiny or choose this woman and willingly opt out. The focus is not on the reflection that kept him from sinning, as in the video, but on the inner struggle around which world to belong - this is the meaning of this gemara.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5589564.post-1315272584258354952008-08-26T10:54:00.000-04:002008-08-26T10:54:00.000-04:00No need for another take. You are correct. Kol Hak...No need for another take. You are correct. Kol Hakavod.Rabbi Joshua Maroofhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12585369620887846940noreply@blogger.com