Avodah Mailing List

Volume 40: Number 26

Tue, 12 Apr 2022

• 1. Re: Maharsha - YeGiAh KaPeCha Ki Tov - The Superior System by which to Serve HKBH (Akiva Miller)
• 2. Secular Studies and Judaism (Prof. L. Levine)
• 3. The Importance of Secular Knowledge for Torah Knowledge (Prof. L. Levine)
• 4. Why is it Suggested that Gluten Free non-KLP Certified is not to be used during Pesach? (Rabbi Meir G. Rabi)

.
R' Meir G. Rabi wrote:

> ... There is plenty of 100% Kosher food to eat, we can easily
> manage without cola drinks during Pesach, and there are plenty
> of clothes that are free of the risk of sha'atnez.
>
> Or is it superior to take the approach that we research, examine
> and analyse every detail attempting to determine if this is in
> fact prohibited or permitted.
>
> Which is the greater?
>
> The Maharsha [Chullin 44:] explains that as great as is he who
> fears HKBH, and errs on the side of caution to scrupulously avoid
> any risk of violating the Divine Will, he who undertakes to study,
> research and analyse in order to determine the Divine Will, to see
> if it is permitted or not, and accept that determination, is
> superior to the former.

This is an important question, and I hope to look at that Maharsha over
Shabbos. Meanwhile, I would point out that there are two distinct kinds of
questions that he might be talking about.

I might have a situation where all the facts are very clear, but it is the
halacha which is unclear. I suggest that the bracha acharona on puffed
wheat is a good example.

Or I might have a situation where the halacha is clear, but the facts and
details of the situation are murky. For example, the precise manufacturing
methods of certain foods.

(Some situations will straddle both of the above. For example, the precise
start and end of Shabbos is primarily a question of halacha and simply
looking at the sky. But if I am at an unusually high or low altitude, then
looking at the sky might not be enough, and I have to do some non-trivial
scientific calculations.)

I would suggest that the Maharsha certainly applies in my example of puffed
wheat. Although the person does have the option of avoiding the puffed
wheat, he can also use this opportunity to delve into Hilchos Brachos, and
reach a better understanding of Torah than he had yesterday, and wouldn't
that be wonderful?

But as for the person who spends his time researching manufacturing
methods, I'm not so sure. He will claim that "Hashem put this delicious
food into the world, and if I fail to eat it then I am being ungrateful. So
I need to find out if it is truly kosher." But I'm not sure whether that's
his Yetzer Tov speaking, or his Frum Yetzer Hara.

Akiva Miller
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Please see the article by David S. Shapiro published in Tradition at

SECULAR STUDIES AND JUDAISM - traditiononline.org<https://traditiononline.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Secular-Studies-and.pdf>

YL
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The following is from

The Debate Over Secular Studies Among the Disciples of the Vilna Gaon by B. Raphael Shuchat
The Torah U-Madda Journal , 1998-1999, Vol. 8 (1998-1999), pp. 283-294B. Raphael Shuchat
Source: The Torah U-Madda Journal , 1998-1999, Vol. 8 (1998-1999), pp. 283-294

The Vilna Gaon (Gra) saw value in the study of secular knowledge and made a
point of educating himself in these fields. R. Israel of Shklov, the
youngest of his disciples, writes: This is what he [the Gra] said, "All
knowledge is necessary for our holy Torah and is contained therein." He
knew them all thoroughly and mentioned them; the wisdom of algebra,
trigonometry, geometry, and music which he greatly praised. He used to say
then that most of the inner meanings of Torah and the secrets of the
Levites' songs and the secrets of Tikunei Zohar cannot be understood with-
out this [knowledge of music]. . . . Only concerning medicine [did he limit
his study thereof]. He knew human anatomy and all things relevant to it,
but concerning the composition and prescription of medicines, which he
wanted to learn from contemporary physicians, his saintly father commanded
him not to study it so as not to diminish his Torah study in case he might
have to save lives . . . and of the wisdom of philos
 ophy he said that he had studied it thoroughly."

and

Despite studying philosophy "thoroughly", the Gra had an lent attitude
toward it; this, however, was not the case with the sciences in which he
showed great interest. It was this love for sciences which motivated him to
write an essay on geometry trigonometry called Ayil Meshulash, an unusual
act considering he wrote nothing else in book form.5 A further proof of the
positive attitude toward the sciences can be found in the introduction to
R. Baruch Shick of Shklov's translation of Euclid's geometry. tells the
following story: When I was in the holy and grand community of Vilna, by
Rabbi, that great light, the great Gaon, my master and teacher, illuminator
of the exile, the well-known saint, our honorable teacher Elijah, may God
guard and protect him, in 5538[=1778], I heard from his holy mouth that to
the extent that one lacks in knowledge of other wisdom, he will lack one
hundred fold in Torah know- ledge, for Torah and [general] knowledge are
linked to one another . . . and he com
 manded me to copy into our holy language whatever is possible from general knowledge.

Yitzchok Levine
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If 50% is Kitniyot
but not discernible to the eye at casual inspection
even though its taste is certainly identifiable, rice for example,
manufactured by a non-Y for the general population
Why might it be a problem to consume during Pesach?

So normal Cola and soft drinks - why is high fructose corn syrup an issue
at all??
unless it is sold under a Y brand, Glick's for example.

Gluten Free is invariably far less that 50% Kitniyos
mostly tapioca - Not Ch nor Kit
Why might there be a problem?





Best,

Meir G. Rabi

0423 207 837
+61 423 207 837
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