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מכרכר בכל עוז's avatar

HGL, you've done it again. Thanks for the incredible post!

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Happy's avatar

Update!

Nathan responded with his own parable, here

https://irrationalistmodoxism.substack.com/p/the-parable-of-the-drowning-man/comment/13680028

Now, even though Nathan reveals in his parable that he believes Tefilah is useless (surprise, surprise), I think we can modify his parable to make it historically accurate.

1. The irreligious workers, after many fruitless searches, had not yet found the power saw or materials.

2. Meanwhile, they repeatedly tried interrupting the religious man's prayers.

3. Furthermore, the religious man had several sons and daughters. The irreligious workers constantly tried to influence them to abandon the religion, and constantly tried to seduce the daughters. Unfortunately, they were successful with some of the children.

4. Eventually, in the merit of the religious man's prayers, they found the power saw and materials.

5. Once they found the materials, they asked the man to send the rest of his sons and daughters to live with them so that they could help with the labor. Meanwhile, they became even more audacious in their attempts to interrupt his prayer and get the remaining children to abandon religion. He refused, and he and his family kept praying.

6. After the boat was built, it was found that the irreligious workers had actually STOLEN many of the materials. The workers, who were ethnically Jewish, begged the judge to be able to keep the boat, on the grounds that Jews had historically been discriminated against. They originally were not going to let the useless religious man on the boat, but now, in desperation, they begged him to join in order to bolster their case.

7. He agreed, and thanked God that his prayers had been answered.

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