[Avodah] Ethics independent of the Torah (was Re: Rav Schwab on Chillul Hashem)

[Lisa Liel via Avodah]

On 11/15/2015 1:41 PM, Marty Bluke via Avodah wrote:
> R' Zev Sero wrote:
> "Any claim that some moral imperative exists that the Torah does not 
> mention or seem to hold is by definition a contradiction to the Torah."
>
> It is not so simple. Please see R' Aharon Lichtensteins essay Does 
> Judaism Recognize an Ethic Independent of Halakhah, 
> http://www.scribd.com/doc/16263866/Does-Judaism-Recognize-an-Ethic-Independent-of-Halakhah-by-Rav-Aharon-Lichtenstein#scribd 
> where he quotes many sources that can be interpreted that way.

I'm kind of surprised that RAL didn't cite Radak on Breishit 20:6. He 
says "And even though he wasn't commanded about it specifically, reason 
directs him, and the One who gave reason to humankind, it is as if He 
has commanded us to do as reason directs, because reason is the emissary 
of God, and it warns a person against all bad things, and the violence 
one does to his fellow is contrary to reason and destroys the order of 
the world and its habitation."

Lisa