[Avodah] Diberah Torah

[kennethgmiller at juno.com]

(ATTENTION MODERATORS! Please make sure to read this post before giving it the okay. I'll accept your judgement.)

R' Daniel Eidensohn wrote:
> ... Over time words and phrases acquire new connotations.
> For example Prof. Jacob Katz has an article of how the
> expression "[...]" was given halachic significance when
> it is not used that way by Chazal. I am not sure that
> there is a prohibition of using phrases differently than
> Chazal.

I think the objection being raised is that, yes, when one gives new meaning to old phrases, it could quite possibly be a violation of halacha. Specifically, geneivas daas. It assigns a Chazalic authority to something which Chazal never said or intended. The audience is thus misled into thinking that the statement has a greater authority and importance than it really does have.

On the other hand, (and may Hashem and the moderators forgive me for my cynicism) we're talking about a religion which allows a person to deliberately lie and say "Rav Ploni said so!" simply because the audience are fans of Rav Ploni, and would be less impressed if we used the name of the rav who *really* made that statement.

So maybe RDE is correct, that there is no issur involved.

Akiva Miller
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