[Avodah] Hypocrisy in halakhah

[Micha Berger]

On Mon, Nov 03, 2008 at 02:39:04PM -0500, Zev Sero wrote:
: >1- There is a difference in one's responsibility to a brother
: >and one's responsibility to others...

: I'm glad to see that you agree with this point, since it's the one I've
: been making here for years, apparently to your disapproval...

There is a difference between increasing our responsibility to brothers,
and minimizing our general responsibility to tzelem E-lokim, or reducing
the scope of those words.

There is also a difference between making ontological statements about
the nature of various umos, and making statements about how we ought to
relate to them.

These are two distinct issues that divide us. E.g. the Kuzari says the
difference is ontological, not due to lack of common beris and eidah,
and yet does so by aggrandizing the Yehudi's nature, not playing down
the others'.

See the second half of my post at
http://www.aishdas.org/avodah/vol25/v25n360.shtml#08 , where I note
pretty much the same position as yours is in the Tanya, pereq 1.

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger             The waste of time is the most extravagant
micha at aishdas.org        of all expense.
http://www.aishdas.org                           -Theophrastus
Fax: (270) 514-1507