[Avodah] The Knowledge Conundrum

[Micha Berger]

On Wed, Apr 29 at 7:50pm EDT, R Michael Poppers wrote:
:> It certainly seems true of effective kiruv techniques; a Shabbos or a
:> chavrusah in gemara have done more kiruv than all the philosophical
:> discussions combined.

: Yes, but perhaps that "Shabbos or a chavrusah in gemara" is also
: influential because the person you are being m'qareiv looks to you and your
: m'sorah (referring back to what RRW wrote) as a guiding light.  I know such
: is true in re to my longtime Aish haTorah chavrusas (officially, "students"
: to my "tutor"/"mentor"ing).

I think emunah is built on a feedback cycle. Shemiras hamitzvos leads to
emunah, and emunah leads to more shemiras hamitzvos. The point of having
chlidren perform mitzvos alst chinukh is to get that cycle started.

In the case of RMP's example, the Aish haTorah (or Partners-in-Torah)
chavrusah is already within that cycle. Where did the idea that mesurah
and your knowledge of it could guide him?

On Thu, Apr 30 at 12:19am GMT, RRW <rabbirichwolpoe at gmail.com> (who the
Maqom should grant nechamah) commented on RMP's words based on their
common connection to KAJ:
: One KAJ member (who is almost like an uncle to me) has been very
: persistent about the role of Mesorah in our system of Both belief
: and action.

: In Yekkishe kehillos the Maharil, Rema, etc. are as alive as Mishna
: Brura is in the Yeshivisher velt.

This has much to do with the vehement counter-push, that eventually
failed. Had the AhS won out, Litvaks would have a greater sense of the
rightness of our pre-lomdus pesaqim.

(BTW, the Rama, Maharil or AhS are books. They aren't mimeticism, rather
are texts that pay homage to the value of mimicry. One doesn't have the
motive to write a code when the copy-the-norm methodology is working.)

I guess I could rephrase my position about pesaq is with an eye to
maximize that feedback cycle. Push halakhah in the direction that for
the sho'eil would maximize his experience of "rightness". However,
balancing that with the fact that the other side must be preserved;
one can't got to the point of unanchoring it from mesorah. Without the
anchor, there is no a priori naaseh to cause that nishmah.

Gesher tzar me'od indeed.

:-)BBii!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger             Today is the 22nd day, which is
micha at aishdas.org        3 weeks and 1 day in/toward the omer.
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Fax: (270) 514-1507                 situation for the benefit of others?