The problem with Logic

A Harvard scholar, Mr. Sean
Goldstein approaches a learned Rabbi telling him that he has a Doctorate in philosophy,
and would now like to learn the Talmud to round off or complete his knowledge. After
summing him up for a few minutes, the Rabbi told him " I seriously doubt that you are
ready to study Talmud. Its the deepest book of our people. If you wish however I am
willing to examine you in logic, and if you pass the test I will teach you Talmud. "The
young man agrees. Rabbi holds up two fingers " Two men come down a chimney. One comes
with a clean face and the other comes out with a dirty face. Which one washes his
face?
The young man stares at the Rabbi. " Is that a
test in Logic? The Rabbi nods.

" The one with the dirty face
washes his face" He answers wearily.
" Wrong.
The one with the clean face washes his face. Examine the simple logic. The one with the
dirty face looks at the one with theclean face and thinks his face is clean. The one
with the clean face looks at the one with the dirty face and thinks his face is dirty.
So the one with the clean face washes his face."

"Very clever" Says Goldstein. .
" Give me another test."
The Rabbi
again holds up two fingers " Two men come down a chimney. One comes out with a clean
face and the other comes out with a dirty face. which one washes his face?

" We have already established
that. The one with the clean face washes his face"

" Wrong. Each one washes his
face. Examine the simple logic. The one with the dirty face looks at the one with the
clean face and thinks his face is clean. The one with the clean face looks at the one
with the dirty face and thinks his face is dirty. So the one with the clean face washes
his face. When the one with the dirty face sees the one with the clean face washing his
face, he also washes his face. So each one washes his
face"
" I didn't think of that! "
Says Goldstein. " Its shocking to me that I could make an error in logic. Test me
again!."
The Rabbi holds up two fingers
" Two men come down a chimney. One comes out with a clean face and the other comes out
with a dirty face. Which one washes his face?

" Each one washes his
face"
" Wrong. Neither one washes his
face. Examine the simple logic. The one with the dirty face looks at the one with the
clean face andthinks his face is clean. The one with the clean face looks at the one
with the dirty face and thinks his face is dirty. But when the one with clean face sees
that the one with the dirty face doesn't wash his face, he also doesn't wash his face So
neither one washes his face"
Goldstein
is desperate. " I am qualified to study Talmud. Please give me one more
test"
He groans when the Rabbi lifts
his two fingers "Two men come down a chimney. One comes out with a clean face and the
other comes out with
a dirty face. Which one washes
his face?
" Neither one washes his
face"
" Wrong. Do you now see, Sean,
why Socrates logic is an insufficient basis for studying the Talmud? Tell me, how is it
possible for two men to come down the same chimney, and for one to come out with a clean
face and the other with a dirty face? Dont you see? The whole question is narishkeit -
foolishness - and if you spend your life trying to answers foolish questions, all your
answers will be
foolish."

Disclaimer:
I do not own this story. I don't know if some one is copyright holder for this story. If
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