[Avodah] Two Ideals

[Micha Berger]

I just sent a post which said (in part):
: I commented once on Aspaqlaria
: <http://www.aishdas.org/asp/2007/10/anger-and-the-golden-mean.shtml>
: about the Rambam invoking two different ideals in Hil' Dei'os. In
: pereq 1 he described the chakham, who always seeks the Golden Mean. But in
: pereq 2, the description differs, we find cases (in particular avoiding
: gaavah and kaas, but also in any middah which needs correction) where
: one goes beyond the mean. This is the chassid.

I forgot that I'm sitting on a possible maqor for the Rambam -- Shabbos
125a:
    A beraisa was repeated before Rava bar Rav Huna: Someone who kills
    snakes or scorpions on Shabbos, the spirit of chasidim are not
    content with him. He said to him: And those chasidim, the spirit of
    chakhamim are not content with them.

Thus we see a concept of two different balances between conflicting
priorities (here, between risk and shemiras Shabbos) -- the chassid and
the chakham. The Chassid hyperprotects Shabbos in ways the Chakham finds
incorrect.

This in turn might be related to the Chassidim haRishonim and their
initial refusal to fight with the Makabiim on Shabbos (Makkabiim I 2:39),
although they did later join (v. 43).

(BTW, you might recall that last Chanukah I was fascinated by this
movementm and even suggested that Yosi b Yoezer ish Tzereidah was a
member, as he is called "chassid shebikehunah" (Chagiga 2:7) and is
crucified about the same time as the slaughter of the Chassidim haRishim
discussed in the Seifer haMakkabiim mentioned above.
See http://www.aishdas.org/asp/2009/12/1st-chassidim.shtml )

But in any case, the defining feature of a Chassid wasn't only his
davening 9 hours a day, or his shemiras Shabbos. It was also his concern
for others, "The early Chassidim would hide their thorns and broken
pieces of glass in the middle of their fields 3 tefachim [roughly one
foot] deep, so that it would not [even] stop the plowing." (BQ 30a)

It appears the Chassidim haRishonim and the Rambam Hil Dei'os were
describing the same ideal.

:-)BBii!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger             Here is the test to find whether your mission
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