[Avodah] halachic intuition

[Eli Turkel]

<<>> Similarly concerning artificial insemination, Satmar argued that even
>> the Catholic bishop knew that it was disgusting and therefore it was
>> obviously prohibited. In response Rav Moshe (E.H. 11 page 322): "I thank
>> G-d am not from them and not from the masses. All of my hashkofa is only
>> from my knowledge of Torah without any contamination from external
>> ideas. The Torah's judgments are true whether they are harsh or
>> lenient. The ideas from alien hashkofa or those which spontaneously
>> appear in a man's heart are all of no significance - even if they are to
>> be conservative and strict. It is simply a false illusion to view these
>> alien ideas as being more pure and holy...">>

RAL has an extensive article on the existence of basic morality outside of
the Torah. There is a story about RMF that he was joined by a talmid to
collect
charity and insisted on paying the talmid's travel expenses. The talmid was
not
happy but told RMF that this must be based on SA. RMF answered that it is
not - it is based on what is the right thing to do.

On a more fundamental I disagree with the SR that there is such a concept
as "knowledge of Torah without any contamination from external ideas".
Different poskim take the same gemara and come to opposite conclusions
based on their own inner feelings or background.

One of my favorite examples is the question whether one can take a sefer
Torah outside of shul for dancing (this is common in EY for hakafot shniyot
on the night after simchat torah).
One posek allowed it because it is kavod haTorah for everyone to dance with
the Torah. Another posek prohibited because it was a chillul haTorah for
everyone without any control to dance with the sefer Torah.
Thus, both agree that one can take out the sefer Torah if it is for Kavod
HaTorah.
What is kavod HaTorah is now a subjective decision.

On more serious issues it is impossible to define what is a Torah thought
and what
is an alien idea. Is a psak of Rambam alien because he learned Greek
philosophy?

-- 
Eli Turkel
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