logic vs wise

French Polynesia / Tubuai / Rapa /
 polygon art  Add category
 Upload a photo

A young Jew went to a famous New York rabbi and said he wanted to study the Talmud.
- Do you know Aramaic? The rabbi asked.
- No.
- And Hebrew?
- No.
- Did you teach the Torah as a child?
- No, rabbi. But don't worry. I graduated from the Berkeley Philosophy Department and just completed my Ph.D. in Logic in the philosophy of Socrates. And now, in order to fill in the blank spots in my knowledge, I want to teach a little Talmud.
“You are not ready to teach the Talmud,” said the rabbi. “This is the deepest book ever written by people. But since you insist, I will give you a logic test: if you cope, I will study with you.
The young man agreed and the rabbi continued.
- Two people go down the chimney. One comes out with a clean face, the other with a dirty one. Which one of them will go to wash?
The young philosopher's eyes widened.
- Is this a logic test ?!
The rabbi nodded.
- Well, of course, the one with a dirty face!
- Wrong. Think logically: someone with a dirty face will look at someone with a clean face and decide that his face is also clean. And the one with a clean face will look at the one with a dirty face, decide that he himself is also dirty, and will go to wash.
- Cunningly thought up! - the guest admired, - Come on, rabbi, give me one more test!
- All right, young man. Two people go down the chimney. One comes out with a clean face, the other with a dirty one. Which one of them will go to wash?
- But we have already found out - the one who has a clean face!
- Wrong. Both will go to wash. Think logically: someone with a clean face will look at someone with a dirty face and decide that his face is also dirty. And the one who has a dirty face will see that the second one has gone to wash, will understand that he has a dirty face, and will also go to wash.
- I didn't think about it! Amazing - I made a logical mistake! Rebbe, let's take another test!
- Okay. Two people go down the chimney. One comes out with a clean face, the other with a dirty one. Which one of them will go to wash? - Well ... Both will go to wash.
- Wrong. None of them will go to wash. Think logically: someone with a dirty face will look at someone with a clean face and will not go to wash. And the one who has a clean face will see that the one who has a dirty face does not go to wash, will understand that his face is clean and will not go to wash either.
The young man was desperate.
- Well, believe me, I can teach the Talmud! Ask for something else! - Okay. Two people are going down the chimney ...
- Oh my God! None of them will go to wash !!!
- Wrong. Now you are convinced that knowledge of the logic of Socrates is not enough to teach the Talmud? Tell me, how can it be that two people go down the same pipe, and one of them gets his face dirty, and the other doesn't ?! Do not you understand? This whole question is nonsense, and if you waste your life answering meaningless questions, then all your answers will also be meaningless!
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   57°57'43"S   157°48'38"W
  •  215 km
  •  4096 km
  •  4337 km
  •  4550 km
  •  4553 km
  •  5053 km
  •  5056 km
  •  5071 km
  •  5090 km
  •  8647 km
This article was last modified 6 months ago