[Avodah] Love/Mercy as a Factor in Halakhic Decision-Making - Rabbis Uziel and Halevy

[Yitzhak Grossman]

On Fri, 1 May 2009 18:39:48 +0300
Michael Makovi <mikewinddale at gmail.com> wrote:

...

> Rather, people took offense at the assertion that Sephardi rabbis were
> more lenient **in halakha**; this was said to be the sort of assertion
> that Conservative scholars would make. Similarly, people take far more
> umbrage at Dr. Berkovits's Not in Heaven, than they do at his God,
> Man, and History; people are more offended by leniency and
> independent-mindedness in halakha than in hashkafa.
> 
> A few remarks, then. Now, I don't presume to actually convince anyone
> that these views are correct. But I wish to demonstrate at least, they
> these views have solid basis in the thought of Rabbi Benzion Uziel
> (Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Tel-Aviv/Jaffo at the time of Rav Kook,
> Sephardi Chief Rabbi of Israel at the time of Ravs Kook and Herzog)
> and Rabbi Haim David Halevi (Sephardi Chief Rabbi of Rishon Letzion
> and Tel Aviv, author of the standard Israeli Kitzur Shulhan Arukh used
> today).
> 
> Rabbi Angel, in Foundations of Sephardic Spirituality, and also in his
> The Rhythms of Jewish Living: A Sephardic Approach, in both books, he
> cites the Hida as saying that Sephardic poskim are guided by hesed,
> whereas Ashkenazim, says the Hida, rule by gevura.
> 
> I just read Rabbi Angel's book about Rabbi Uziel (Loving Truth and
> Peace: The Grand Religious Worldview of Rabbi Benzion Uziel), and one
> is struck by the degree to which Rabbi Uziel wished to make halakha
> and Torah bearable for all, and the tremendous respect and love he had
> for everyone, and how he actually used this in his halakhic
> decision-making. The same conclusion is apparent from Rabbi Angel's
> book about Rabbi Haim David Halevy, in the chapter about Rabbi Uziel.
> A few examples, then:

I discuss some of these issues here:

http://bdl.freehostia.com/2008/11/06/two-chief-rabbis-on-rabbinic-wills-and-halachic-ways/

My piece revolves around a responsum of Rav Uziel in which he takes the
*exact opposite* position to the one you ascribe to him here; it
contains a lengthy and eloquent diatribe insisting that it is utterly
illegitimate to base rulings on considerations of compassion.

[At the end of the post, I link to some Avodah controversy about my
analysis.]

Yitzhak
--
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