Avodah Mailing List

Volume 41: Number 91

Sat, 30 Dec 2023

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Subjects Discussed In This Issue:
Message: 1
From: Rabbi Meir G. Rabi
Date: Wed, 27 Dec 2023 12:06:58 +1100
Subject:
[Avodah] What is it that HKBH asks of us - Students Teachers


The earlier post,
Rav Elchanan Wasserman (Kovetz Shiurim Bava Basra 633) in the name of Rav
Chaim Soloveitchik - an Amora HAS THE POWER to disagree with a Tanna but
would not do so in general. We therefore assume an Amora who disagrees was
unaware of the Tanna' opinion.
is in fact addressed by the Beis Yosef [Mamrim 2:1] answering his Q, why do
the Amoraim not argue with the Tanaim?, because there is a CONVENTION not
to argue;

WHY is that not an adequate answer?
WHY is it better to suggest that they did not know and HAD THEY KNOWN they
probably would not have disagreed?

 but of course they CAN and SHOULD/MUST disagree when necessary.

If I may, R Micha is saying, we MUST argue, but only when we're absolutely
certain or 99% certain. If it's less than that, we must accept their
superiority and that we have failed to understand them.

Although R Micha wrote - the Amora is indeed OBLIGATED to express his
opinion -

but it seems you've missed the point.
 I don't think there was ever a Q about "expressing an opinion", it was
about Paskening contrary to the Tanna,

Reb Ch Volozhiner writes that it is FORBIDDEN/ ASSUR to accept the
teacher's ruling when one has a Kasheh that is not answered satisfactorily.

R Micha is right in saying,  "they knew this so much better than we do,
odds are any error is on our part, not theirs",
But that is the point we must make here,
HKBH is not playing a games with us, "Let's see if they can get this
right!"
like pinning the tail on the donkey whilst blindfolded.

As the Maharal writes, it's better [meaning THIS is the Ratzon HaShem] that
people not consult Halacha Seforim but learn
EVEN IF THEY COME TO THE WRONG CONCLUSION,
than they do the right thing by use of Halacha Seforim.
It is a miracle that the editors, the Kanoi vigilantes, missed this and did
not have it expunged.

HKBH, as the Maharal explains, wants us to explore and search even though
so many who are so much greater than us in dedication, perseverance, wisdom
and righteousness, have already explored these deep waters;
but this infinite sea of the Talmud still holds mysterious truths that we
can and should be searching for.
and THAT is the way HKBH wants it.

The search is Avodas HaShem
The performance is not the Ikkar.

Unfortunately, that essential aspect of Avodas HaShem has for many been
abandoned in favour of dancing, exulting and living in a fake world of
cosmetic and in some cases comedic make believe Yiddishkeit.
There are unfortunately many who cannot read and make sense of a Blatt
Gemarah, even an ArtScroll Gemara, who honestly believe they need know no
more because they know the Penimiyus of Toirah.
I believe this is not so much THEIR problem as it is OURS
we have allowed the eminence of Torah to be relegated to the point that the
ordinary person no longer sees the greatness of Toirah.

Lo Sachanifu includes accepting the wrong interpretation or ruling because
it's been said by a superior.
When we bow just as deeply or even more deeply to the wealthy and powerful
as we do to Toirah and its Lomdim
When we bow just as deeply or even more deeply to the Darshanim and
BaAlie Gematriya as we do to Toirah and its Lomdim

WE have fed the misrepresentation


Best,

Meir G. Rabi

0423 207 837
+61 423 207 837
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Message: 2
From: Joel Rich
Date: Wed, 27 Dec 2023 05:51:49 +0200
Subject:
[Avodah] faith and doubt


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Regardless of what issues--moral, theological, textual or historical--vexed
me, I was confident that they had been raised by masters far sharper and
wiser than myself; and if they had remained impregnably steadfast in their
commitment, so should and could I. I intuited that, his categorical
formulations and imperial certitude notwithstanding, Rav Hutner had surely
confronted whatever questions occurred to me. Later, I felt virtually
certain the Rav had, so that the depth and intensity of their service of
God was doubly reassuring.

bsorot tovot

joel rich
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Message: 3
From: Micha Berger
Date: Wed, 27 Dec 2023 11:53:48 -0500
Subject:
Re: [Avodah] talmud torah is pushed off by another mitzva


On Wed, Dec 20, 2023 at 06:30:57AM +0200, Joel Rich via Avodah wrote:
> The Rambam (talmud torah 3:4) states that mitzvot talmud torah is pushed
> off by another mitzva if the other mitzvah can't be done by someone else.

The Meshekh Chokhmah on Devarim 28:61 makes the case that there is a
difference between the text that is called Torah, and that which is
called Sefer Torah. The sefer must have an appendix of text after the
Torah itself. And this is the whole reason why there can be a machloqes
about whether Moshe wrote the last pesuqim. But the final pesuqim has
to be there like the space between the columns does, or the atzei chayim.

What is so important that we need an appendix to Toras Moshe?

From my study of this MC at https://aspaqlaria.aishdas.org/2021/08/27/learning-and-teaching

   Rav Meir Simchah haKohein zt"l prioritizes mitzvos as follows:

   Among mitzvos, learning has the lowest inherent priority in life,
   since we could do that even without being born.

... with all the advantages of an angelic rebbe.

                                               ... Learning derives its
   value from its being necessary in order to be able to do anything else.

That last idea is from a Yerushalmi, don't blame the MC or me for that
one.

   Then come other mitzvos.

   Then comes teaching. And not just the teaching of facts, but the
   internalization of modes of thought that can come only through
   shimush, apprenticeship. This is the spiritual development of the
   next generation, our entire purpose in having been born.

   This was the great truth Yehoshua needed to record in the last eight
   verses of the Seifer Torah. Just as Rav left behind his seifer, his
   academy and students. Moshe Rabbeinu was just that -- rabbeinu, our
   mentor. He contributed to the spiritual development of the species,
   and in that way endures beyond his lifetime and his transmission of
   the Torah itself.

> What are the halachic considerations taken into account (by an individual
> or community leadership) to determine the application to mitzvot that
> require group effort? (eg protests, home front support efforts...)

Since R Yisrael Meir haKohein get his prioritization from the concept
of lilmod al menas laasos (or ... lelameid) as being the true point
of learning Torah (while alive), I would favor action -- as long as it
contributes to the betterment of the universe. Like one more person
at the protest.

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger                 I slept and dreamt that life was joy.
http://www.aishdas.org/asp   I awoke and found that life was duty.
Author: Widen Your Tent      I worked and, behold -- duty is joy.
- https://amzn.to/2JRxnDF                      - Rabindranath Tagore



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Message: 4
From: Micha Berger
Date: Thu, 28 Dec 2023 11:40:30 -0500
Subject:
[Avodah] Techeiles and Shaatnez deOraisa


A maqor for asei dokheh lav is the fact that shaatnez and tzitzis are
juxtaposed when each are repeated in Devarim (22:11-12). (Yevamos 5a-b)

"Dawidh Yoseph Aguirre" asked about this last night on the Techeiles
Facebook group.

Later on the same amud, we learn that the reason why the pasuq says both
"shaatnez" and "tzemer ufishtim yachdav" is because the former limits
the issur deOraisa to when the fibers are "shua tavui vanuz - combed
spun and connected" together.

Tosafos (d"h "ad sheyehei...") note that with their shitah that tekheiles
is two full strings (4 ends) per corner, tzitzis wouldn't violate shaatnez
deOraisa, and thus no need for asei dokheh lav.

Rabbeinu Tam concludes that the "va-" is or -- the issur deOraisa is
when the threads are combed OR spun OR connected together.

RDYA's question is with Rashi.

Rashi also holds the strings are 2:2. And he takes "va-" to mean "and"
in (see
d"h "shua tavui vanuz". And in Niddah 61b, where the same expansion of
the word "shaatznez" appears, Rashi ("vanuz") makes a point of saying that 
nuz alone is only derabbanan.

Rashi also holds the strings are 2:2.

The Rambam has 1:7, which mean that there actually is a string that is
half laven and half tekheiles, and therefore making Rambam tekheiles
strings where the lavan is linen actually could involve
"shua tavui vanuz".

So the question is, how do we explain Rashi?

Raavad - 1:3. Same problem, there is no thread that would be combed and
spun from both lavan linen and tekheiles (which by definition is wool).

And.... isn't pashut peshat in the gemara a raayah for the Rambam?

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger                 Man is capable of changing the world for the
http://www.aishdas.org/asp   better if possible, and of changing himself for
Author: Widen Your Tent      the better if necessary.
- https://amzn.to/2JRxnDF          - Victor Frankl, Man's search for Meaning


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