[Avodah] Reish Lakish

[Michael Kopinsky]

On 10/13/07, Daniel Eidensohn <yadmoshe at 012.net.il> wrote:
>
> Your discussion makes sense only according to the view of Doros Rishonim
> who holds that Reish Lakish was an ignoramous before he became frum. In
> this he specifically rejects the view of Tosfos (Bava Metzia 84a) that
> Reish Lakiesh was a godol before going off the derech and that R'
> Yochonon brought him back by offering him his sister in marriage if he
> came back to his original behavior.
>
> Daniel Eidensohn


At least for R' Micha's second 2 points, I would say that they work just as
well according to Tosfos.  While we think of a baal teshuva as someone who
was not frum initially, teshuva is really returning to the derech.
Someone who left the derech and then returned would know the power of
teshuva much more strongly than someone who was originally a tinok shenishba
(like today's "BTs"), or someone who was always frum (like R' Yochanan).
And Reish Lakish certainly knew what a negative environment was like -
that's what kept him from engaging in the Torah world.  He was not like
today's BTs who did not engage in the Torah world because they didn't know
better.

KT,
Michael
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