[Avodah] manipulating bodily energies

[Richard Wolpoe]

On Jan 14, 2008 5:47 AM, Micha Berger <micha at aishdas.org> wrote:

> On Sun, Jan 13, 2008 at 10:58:24PM -0500, Zev Sero wrote:
> :                                   I think what RRW has done is go from
> : a concrete to an abstract, become attached to that abstraction,
> : analysed it, and then used it to criticise the original.
>
> On the contrary. I read RRW as asserting the Rambam's version of the
> 5th ikkar (the one about not praying to anyone or anything but Hashem,
> not to introduce a middleman between oneself and the Borei). The Gra too
> had much objection to the distance from that version taken by Chassidim.
>

I simply thought I was re-inforcing the concept of Echad as in Shema Yisroel
- Hashem Elokeinu Hashem Echad. The MON in Monotheism is simply teh Echad in
the Shema
But if you want a dissertation on the Yichud of HKBH see the Kesser Malchus
of ibn Gabirol - recited by some on Kol Nidrei night



>
> And yes, many of the masses certainly do cross the line. Think how
> precise one's kavanos at a qever have to be in order to be mutar. How
> many people are aware of capable of towing that line?
>
> The comparison to R is heavy handed to the point of falsity, though. One
> misteaches the concept of mitzvah and aveirah, and leads people astray.
> The other is people unable to understand a subtle philosophical
> distinction.
>

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

I was quoting someone on our OWN list many years ago. I don't recall the
entire thread but it should be there in the early years.

Nevertheless, WADR, isn't this a specious argument?  i.e. how is attacking
the attacker a defense?. The fact that Reform does more egregious things
does not at all excuse Ortho's for condoning questionalbe practices re: AZ
just beucse they are more machmir re: Shabbos.  Two wrongs do NOT a right
make

I still hear the Navi saying "v'tofsei Troah lo Yeda'uni" ringin in my ear
obssesively every time one uses Torah as shield to violate core Halachic
beliefs and the "big 3" are certainly in that category.

It's one thing to melamed zechus when people violate a gzeira [codified in a
Mishna Beitza as well as the SA]  by dancing on Shabbos by coming up with
various rationales - although Rav Hai Gaon was ONLY mattir dancing on
Simchas Torah. [see an excellent article in a 2006 RJJ Journal]

 It is imho the WORST case of circling the wagons to condone borderline AZ
in the name of Torah/Minhag/Morasha  etc.

There are approrpriate times when "people do it" is a legitmate ta'ana. But
I fail to see that here at all.

-- 
Kol Tuv / Best Regards,
RabbiRichWolpoe at Gmail.com
see: http://nishmablog.blogspot.com/
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