The Perils of Flight His work is perfect: Here "pe'ulato" is explained as "craft". The point is that everything He designed for His creatures was entirely complete. No creature lacks any essential and useful limb. We may dismiss as irrevalent what as first glance seems obvious. That is, man would be better off if he could fly in the air. This is not so. If one could fly then others like him could fly also. This would result in direct flights of one group to suddenly attack another. No nation would be secure on its native soil. The fact is that such a capability would have been a defect." "A Medieval Commentary to Sifre Ha'azinu," Piska 307, On the phrase: <I>As for God, His work is perfect.</I> 2 Psalms 18:30 (also found in Samuel 22:31); printed in H. W. Basser, <I>In the Margins of the Midrash,</I> (Atlanta: Scholars Press, 1990), p. 168.

The Perils of Flight

His work is perfect:

Here pe'ulato is explained as "craft". The point is that everything He designed for His creatures was entirely complete. No creature lacks any essential and useful limb. We may dismiss as irrevalent what as first glance seems obvious. That is, man would be better off if he could fly in the air. This is not so. If one could fly then others like him could fly also. This would result in direct flights of one group to suddenly attack another. No nation would be secure on its native soil. The fact is that such a capability would have been a defect."

"A Medieval Commentary to Sifre Ha'azinu," Piska 307, Commenting on the phrase: "As for God, His work is perfect." 2 Psalms 18:30 (also found in Samuel 22:31); printed in H. W. Basser, In the Margins of the Midrash, (Atlanta: Scholars Press, 1990), p. 168.

HOME