[Avodah] Apikores?

[Micha Berger]

On Tue, December 18, 2007 4:36 pm, Zev Sero wrote:
: Micha Berger wrote:
:> : But He permitted, and even commanded, judicial / executive
:> : enforcement of Halachah.

:> But when Sanhedrin saw that the masses weren't on the same page, and
:> oneshim would turn Inquisition-esque, they exiled themselves to
:> prevent the eventuality.

: Was that the reason?  Or was it because they were prevented by the
: Romans from carrying out their duty?

I'm worried that we're headed in a Historical School direction.

Regardless of what was the primary reason historically, as recorded by
Chazal, the reason was as I gave it -- they saw too much corporal
punishment. In terms of the lessons learned, finding historical
reasons that may have forced their hand anyway wouldn't change the
lesson the gemara tries to teach us via the timing.

IOW, if the Sanhedrin would have had to leave anyway, and thus the
good reason was ex post facto, the lesson could not be learned from
their action. But it would still be learned from the later member of
Chazal who gave the motivation cited in the gemara. There is no nafqa
mina to the historical theory's truth.

: (Consider a famous execution that was carried out by the Romans rather
: than the Jews, right around the time the Sanhedrin moved offices.
: Cause?  Effect? Just coincidence?  Or pure fiction?)

Likely the lattermost. If not the whole event, the dating certainly
is; but I'm inclined to think both, that the person executed was a
composite figure, historically not an individual.

SheTir'u baTov!
-micha

-- 
Micha Berger             One who kills his inclination is as though he
micha at aishdas.org        brought an offering. But to bring an offering,
http://www.aishdas.org   you must know where to slaughter and what
Fax: (270) 514-1507      parts to offer.        - R' Simcha Zissel Ziv