[Avodah] Halachah, Mussar, Qabbalah

[rabbirichwolpoe at gmail.com]

This title could trigger an entire book!

My objections to some halacha sefarim is that some have blurred/conflated
halachah with mussar (EG Mishna Brurah) and/or with Qabbalah (EG Ben
Ish Chai)

Disclaimer:
This in no way means that Mussar and Qabbalah have no value! Aderabbah,
they represent to me the Drash And Sod of Pardes! They are vital for
a holistic Judaism

In the Bavli Halachah and Aggadah is dispersed. However the Yerushalmi
has little Agaddah. I once suggested to R. E. Kanarfogel that Midrash
Rabbah might be the Yerushalmi's "missing Aggadah" in a sense.

So my objection of inserting mussar/qabbalah into Halacha is about
blurred distinctions and conflations. Not about being illegitimate

I once posted "but this is ONLY al pi Midrash". That was a bit careless
of me. What I SHOULD have posted would have been Rashi-like "zehu
midrasho, aval peshuto..."

To my mind Halacha should be more scientifically based - but for hanhagga
(lema'aseh) a mix is good.

Example:
I hold on Shabbos it is OK to brew tea in kli shlishi, but I make sense
anyway (so about once a week I make sense! :-)

Plus for hashqafic purposes, Midrash and Mussar is vital.

Under Micha's influence I started learning Tanna devei Eliyahu. I also
started Hovos Levavos partially due to Micha and also due to the influence
of another Rav.

Warning: a Halachic person devoid of any system of religious machshava
could-would C"v lead into "naval birshus Hattorah land". Thus
The recent arrests in NJ -imho - highlight the shortcomings of "head
learning" w/o heart feeling
+++++++++++++++

Also note that
Even though RYDS was not a "ba'al-mussar" in the RYS sense, he was a
Ba'al Machshava and went way beyond the letter of the law.

##############

I suspect that others are not so makpid on these Halachah-mussar
boundaries, that - Bavli-like - the melange is a good thing. I think
it may lead to "undisciplined" pesaq.

KT
RRW
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