Thought for the Day: שלום Does Not Mean "Peace", מת Does Not Mean "Dead", Et Cetera, Et Cetera, Et Cetera
They (the same "they" that call it "dope", I suppose) say that there is no such thing as a stupid question. I had a research adviser who adamantly disagreed; I am on the fence. I was once talking (ok... flirting; which, as you will see, is why I didn't date much in college) with a fellow student about one of the strangest aspects of modern physics: the so-called wave/particle duality. In some experiments electrons act like waves (think sound), in others they act like particles (think bowling balls). She was kind of bored and glazing over when she asked, "Maybe it's both?" The entire basis of the conversation, of course, was that something can't be both a bowling ball and a sound wave. I said, "Oh... maybe."; then backed away slowly. We probably both got what we wanted at that point.
In any case, the real issue is that we just don't have a word for what an electron is. In some experiments it acts the way a bowling ball would, in others it acts the way a wave would. The problem is not with the electron; it is doing just exactly what it should as is should expressing its electron-ness. We are the author of our own problems because we are trying to put the electron's behavior into a familiar box. When it doesn't act like other stuff in that box, we -- in our extreme arrogance -- declare that it is acting strangely.
This happens all the time when we try to force concepts from the Holy Tongue into our English vocabulary. At the end of Shmone Esrei, for example, we say: עושה שלום במרומיו/He who makes שלום in heaven, הוא יעשה שלום עלינו/should make שלום for us. Now... let's think. If שלום means "peace", then we are claiming that HaShem has to stop wars up in heaven! Do we really think the angels are up there poking each other and HaShem needs to put them in time out? In fact, שלום means more like "arrange in perfect harmony." Certainly creating that when there was war will create peace. However, the concept of שלום is obviously broader. Moreover, sometimes שלום is created with a violent act -- as with Pinchus; making a kind of שלום that is not at all peace.
That was fun; let's try another: מת; often translated as "dead". Now, a corpse or carcass is certainly a מת and most certainly can be described as dead. On the other hand, killing a criminal who has been sentenced to death is not punishable as murder because he is already considered מת. Moreover, shooting a person falling from a building before he hits the ground is also not murder; again, he is considered מת. On the other other hand, shortening the life of a patient on life support -- even to move him unnecessarily in such a way that his life is shortened -- is an act of murder; he is not מת! מת, apparently, means "not allowed to live according to Torah (which includes physical) Law".
One more: אמת -- often (mis)translated as "truth", and it's antonym, שקר-- often (mis)translated as "lie". Here I'll just give two examples. One: An innocent person comes to begs to you hide him from his murderous assailant, which you do. Said murderous assailant then comes to you and demands to know where his erstwhile victim is. If you would stick to the truth and reveal his location, there is no greater שקר than that. A drop less dramatic (perhaps): a new chasson comes to you and says, "Don't you think my new wife is beautiful?" The only answer that is אמת is, "Yes, I do."
We are not all fluent in Lashon HaKodesh, so we very much need translations. However, we much constantly remind ourselves to look past the meaning of the English word we are using to find and appreciate the deeper and richer אמת.
In any case, the real issue is that we just don't have a word for what an electron is. In some experiments it acts the way a bowling ball would, in others it acts the way a wave would. The problem is not with the electron; it is doing just exactly what it should as is should expressing its electron-ness. We are the author of our own problems because we are trying to put the electron's behavior into a familiar box. When it doesn't act like other stuff in that box, we -- in our extreme arrogance -- declare that it is acting strangely.
This happens all the time when we try to force concepts from the Holy Tongue into our English vocabulary. At the end of Shmone Esrei, for example, we say: עושה שלום במרומיו/He who makes שלום in heaven, הוא יעשה שלום עלינו/should make שלום for us. Now... let's think. If שלום means "peace", then we are claiming that HaShem has to stop wars up in heaven! Do we really think the angels are up there poking each other and HaShem needs to put them in time out? In fact, שלום means more like "arrange in perfect harmony." Certainly creating that when there was war will create peace. However, the concept of שלום is obviously broader. Moreover, sometimes שלום is created with a violent act -- as with Pinchus; making a kind of שלום that is not at all peace.
That was fun; let's try another: מת; often translated as "dead". Now, a corpse or carcass is certainly a מת and most certainly can be described as dead. On the other hand, killing a criminal who has been sentenced to death is not punishable as murder because he is already considered מת. Moreover, shooting a person falling from a building before he hits the ground is also not murder; again, he is considered מת. On the other other hand, shortening the life of a patient on life support -- even to move him unnecessarily in such a way that his life is shortened -- is an act of murder; he is not מת! מת, apparently, means "not allowed to live according to Torah (which includes physical) Law".
One more: אמת -- often (mis)translated as "truth", and it's antonym, שקר-- often (mis)translated as "lie". Here I'll just give two examples. One: An innocent person comes to begs to you hide him from his murderous assailant, which you do. Said murderous assailant then comes to you and demands to know where his erstwhile victim is. If you would stick to the truth and reveal his location, there is no greater שקר than that. A drop less dramatic (perhaps): a new chasson comes to you and says, "Don't you think my new wife is beautiful?" The only answer that is אמת is, "Yes, I do."
We are not all fluent in Lashon HaKodesh, so we very much need translations. However, we much constantly remind ourselves to look past the meaning of the English word we are using to find and appreciate the deeper and richer אמת.
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