by Joel Rich
A community has a practice which might be deemed “mutav sheyihiyu shogigin†(better they should violate without knowledge). If they are told to stop the practice, X% will stop, Y% will continue (now with knowledge that they are in violation).
Would you agree if x=100, y=0; they should be told?
Would you agree if x=0, y=100; they should not be told?
If yes, at what point (x=a, y=100-a) is the crossover between telling and not telling?
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From R’ Aviner (Yes R’ Gil – Kach Mkublani Mbeit avi abba :-)): Faith in the Sages should not make one into something he is not, quite the opposite – his faith should help him refine and develop his own unique self tenfold. Sometimes, when one begins a rabbi-student relationship, he relinquishes his own personality as if he was an infant, but this is merely a transitional period until he undergoes a process of self-refinement. He then becomes his own man, able to think critically and freely for himself.
Starts off with discussion of “one-time†utensils – what is a kli (utensil), really? There are implications beyond whether it needs tvila. Some surprising opinions.
R’Aryeh reminds me why I go to electricians for electrical advice (not Rabbis, unless they are electricians, keep up to date on electric advances or are granted sod hashem l’yereav) as part of whether electrical appliances need Tvila (BTW, it’s called an immersion coil) CYLOR
A longer presentation on the subject (see last week’s summary). Some interesting tangential issues including mid-day 2nd day Yom Tov – what if one decides to stay in Israel, is he a ben eretz yisrael? Mitzvah trade-off issues as well. R’HS e-mail tshuvah on wearing tfilin at mincha (don’t).
R’Aryeh – wouldn’t the “why did you live to an old age†proof cut the other way (these were usually extremely out of the ordinary practices).
Reish Lakish and Rav Yochanan – personal histories (part of a series).
There are many types of beauty – physical and spiritual. Some beauty is fleeting (sheker hachein v’hevel hayofi), but it is still beauty.
What does HKBâ€H want from us?. If fear of heaven was only a small thing for Moshe, how does that help us? Use him as role model – Yirat Hashem (fear/awe of HKBâ€H, not of punishment) is ultimate.
Reason and revelation as twin sources of truth. Rambam felt highest level was to apply reason (philosophic) to revelation to achieve highest religious accomplishment (i.e. learning gemara all day isn’t it).
This is based on “philosophy†being part of oral torah which wasn’t written down but was part of mesorah (tradition)! (many disagreed).
Part of a series.
This was first in a series which dealt with the study of philosophical wisdom and how one should be affected by such wisdom.
Health advice from Chazal (focus on Rambam) including eating, drinking, sleeping, eliminating…. Specific examples where modern medicine has affirmed Chazal’s wisdom in these areas (I’ll leave it at that).
Rules of eating/drinking before prayer, Kiddush (morning and evening) and havdalah.
Discussion of the nature of the chiyuv (requirement) of prayer for men and women and the impact on rules of eating/drinking before prayer/Kiddush, as well as on what prayer you say if you haven’t davened shacharit and the congregation is davening mussaf (it’s a disagreement!)
Part of a series on halachot of elul, etc. here slichot – talit & shatz issue.
Lots of laughing – general theme is that you need to live a life you want to be remembered for, thus continually reevaluate and bring spirituality into your life. (side point – R’Orlofsky seems to realize the notoriety of his “platonic relationship†tape) [here it is – only for on-line listening – link (Platonic Relationships)
we report, you decide]
1st two in a series about the Gaon as seen primarily through the eyes of his talmidim (Peat Hashulchan). Stories of phenomenal knowledge, tzidkut……
Understanding the reasons for lighting Shabbat candles and then evaluating electricity/light blubs (incandescent) in that context (especially hotels).
I’m not sure maariv after Tzeit is a chumrah but this is a worthwhile listen for today’s day and age. Some examples of where chumrah leads to more problems problems.
One of my favorite R’Amital quotes (my version – if you see a “baal nefesh†in the mirror it usually means you need glasses).
Me – understand why Mar Ukva didn’t wait 24 hours between meat and dairy – he understood his level and knew where his battle was versus blindly copying his father.
I once spoke to a special ed high school class on chol hamoed sukkos – yahrzeit of Gra – about the Gra, and the head of judaic studies asked me if I wrote a thesis about the Gra and I said No, I just read the hakdama of Pe’as Hashulchan.
R’JR-Where did R’Aviner say this?
R’DT,
In the weekly email.
KT
Regarding mutav she’yihyu shogegim when some in the community will listen but others will not, I wrote an essay in the RJJ journal a few years ago which touched on this topic. The question was do you announce that the eruv is down. My feeling was that we should to account for those who will not carry with the awareness that the eruv has fallen. This was the opnion of Magen Avraham citing Sefer Chasidim that we don’t say mutav she’yihyu shogegim in Shul. (Rabbi Rosensweig however once commented to me that he believes the pshat in Magen Avraham is that in Shul we must always abide by higher standards- this is relevant for Rabbi Broyde’s post today.)
R’ Schwartz,
Firstly thanks for all the torah you have shared. So would R’MR be saying that in shul even if it were 100/0 you’d still say it? Also does the sefer chassidim cite a reason? (do you have maareh mkomot for the m”a or sefer chassidim – this sounds like another PHD topic for me when I retire :-))
KT
The Sefer Chasidim is number 262 and MA 263:30, I’m not sure that rabbi Rosensweig would say mutav sheyihiyu shogegim when it is 100 / 0 he was only saying the Sefer Chasidim isn’t compelling.
EYS