[Avodah] Eishet Yefat Toar

[Zev Sero]

On 12/08/2013 6:13 AM, Liron Kopinsky wrote:
> A few questions:
>
> Are there any other examples of "Lo Dibra Torah Ela K'neged Yetzer Hara"? If not, why is this different from all other mitzvot?

I can't think right now of any other examples in the Torah, but there are
examples where the rabbanan relaxed their rules because human nature would
make people do something anyway, and if the chachamim didn't give us a
permitted way to do it we might end up violating Torah law.  I'm thinking
specifically of the heter, when ones house is on fire, to rescue ones
belongings into a karmelis, or into a courtyard with no eruv, because if
this was not permitted a person might decide to put out the fire instead.


> If someone were to use the Heter of Eishet Yefat Toar, which the Gemarra (Kiddushin 21b) analogies by saying "better you should eat Temutot Shechutot than Temutot Neveilot", should they then feel guilty and wish they were on a higher spiritual level where they didn't fall captive to their yetzer and need to use this Heter, or should they just say "mutar is mutar, end of story"?

 From the fact that David took advantage of it, it seems to me that once the
Torah permitted it, it's permitted to everyone, even one who has no particular
yetzer hara for it, or who could easily have resisted the yetzer hara.


> At what point in the process does the Eishet Yefat Toar become Jewish?

Presumably she needs to go through a proper giyur before a beis din.  The
Torah doesn't say so because it's obvious.  But that would be when she
becomes Jewish; how *else* could it be?


-- 
Zev Sero               A citizen may not be required to offer a 'good and
zev at sero.name          substantial reason' why he should be permitted to
                        exercise his rights. The right's existence is all
                        the reason he needs.
                            - Judge Benson E. Legg, Woollard v. Sheridan