
Exploring the legacy of the rationalist Rishonim (medieval Torah scholars), and various other notes, by Rabbi Dr. Natan Slifkin, director of The Biblical Museum of Natural History in Beit Shemesh. The views expressed here are those of the author, not the institution.
Wednesday, July 5, 2017
Is There a Disconnect between Torah Learning and Torah Living?

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The Dirtiest Trick
In the 1990s, some Jewish recalcitrant husbands hit upon a new and particularly horrible tactic for hurting and blackmailing their estranged...

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Over the last few days I have seen a number of Jews, who purport to care about the well-being of the State of Israel, criticize Israel over ...
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There is a popular myth that Orthodox (and specifically charedi) Judaism represents a basically unaltered approach to Torah and Judaism that...
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When I first began exploring the differences between the rationalist and mystical schools of thought, my impression was that it related prim...
While "The Lakewood Disaster: The Insiders' Take" was not the first post you've retracted, if my memory serves, you usually comment in a subsequent post on what led you to reevaluate your earlier post. Will you share with us why you retracted the previous post?
ReplyDeleteDeleted does not necessarily equal retracted.
Deletebut with no other information anyone can,and will, draw their own conclusions
Deletekt
joel rich
As you pointed out, it only deals with very specific aspects of the Lakewood situation.
ReplyDeleteIt completely fails to address one of the biggest elephants in the room. Unfortunately, the Torah and Chazal send a very mixed message as to how we should relate to non-Jews. Does anyone really believe that it's possible to read the Mishna Berurah's lamentations on Jewish doctors who are, nishtugedach, mechallel shabbos to travel and treat non-Jews without that impacting one's attitude towards the same non-Jews? The stories of Rav Yaakov Kaminetzky are nice, but they're easily counter-weighted by all the statements and even halachot which paint a different picture of our relationship with non-Jews.
As far as I know, there is a clear division in Halacha. Actions which harm non-Jews is forbidden. Inaction which harms non-Jews is permitted. And then there's Darchei Shalom, which generally overrides any considerations of inaction, and forces one to act.
DeleteYou would think those who learn Talmud all day would be able to discern this and act accordingly. Unfortunately, as CHaZaL well knew, no amount of book learning teaches Derech Eretz.
Not to detract from the Ikkar, but he kinda lost me on the second page when he was too frum to mention Ben Gurion's unspeakable name ("A friend of mine was davening with a minyan at Lud airport.")
ReplyDeleteTo give him the benefit of the doubt, many Israelis, especially those over a certain age, call the airport Lud. Go into any hotel and ask for a sheirut to Lud and you'll wind up at the airport, not the town.
Deletei think it is ultimately not a middos issue but a finances issue. Im ein kemach, something has to go . treif is cheap but issur deOraita. but dina demalchuta , that in many circles is not even felt to be halachic . learning 24/7 and building mosdos isn't done with Manna and Pennies from Heaven....
ReplyDelete"Rapture and Reconstruction" should be required reading in many Jewish communities.
ReplyDelete