[Avodah] New king

[Micha Berger]

On Mon, December 31, 2007 10:37 pm, Richard Wolpoe wrote:
: When the Torah says don't eat BLOOD are we entitled so say we LIKE to
: eat Blood?
:
: The Gmara says YES

I find this startling. We have discussed in the past whether a mitzvah
implies that it is desirable for the person to align his middos
accordingly (the position of RYS), or whether that's only true for
mitzvos sichliyos (the Rambam).

You seem to be saying the Rambam's position is an open-and-shut
gemara. Wouldn't RYS and his meqoros have to address that?

: Kal Vachomer if hazal PASKEN one way does not mean I have to check my
: brain
: at the door and say I like the other way beter, Hazla merely ask us to
: FOLLOW the psak not to "obsequiescently" agree to it.

This is the difference between the ontological question (what's really
out there) and the legal/authority one, no? Assuming the position is
within eilu va'eilu, the ontological answer is that it's no more wrong
than any other answer. But the authority question determines which
we're expected to do.

Whether that's because pesaq constructs halakhah, or selects which
simplified model of an infinite supernal truth we use is a machloqes
that AFAIK started among the geonim and is still active among
acharonim.

SheTir'u baTov!
-micha

-- 
Micha Berger             One who kills his inclination is as though he
micha at aishdas.org        brought an offering. But to bring an offering,
http://www.aishdas.org   you must know where to slaughter and what
Fax: (270) 514-1507      parts to offer.        - R' Simcha Zissel Ziv