[Avodah] Selling whiskey/bourbon

[Zev Sero]

Micha Berger wrote:
> On Tue, Mar 23, 2010 at 05:58:27PM -0400, Zev Sero wrote:
> : >I'm saying that those who have this minhag who then routinely rely on
> : >those who aren't machmir like them aren't avoiding the sale of chameitz
> : >gamur anyway, so why bother?
> 
> : Because they *are* avoiding it...
> 
> I'll try one more time, and then give up.
> 
> If the minhag were economically viable, the storeowner would be able to
> keep it.

But why should he?

 
> And if it's not economically viable, the minhag doesn't stick. Hefsed
> meruba was already built into it as a heter, aside from the general "ein
> hatzibur yekholim laamod bah".

Where are either of those terms coming from?  


> My not selling my own chameitz gamor therefore serves no purpose, once my
> world HAS TO contain people who do not do the same.

Huh?  Surely the purpose of your not selling the chametz is the same
as that of any chumra: although you have the right to rely on the sale,
you choose not to because you're worried that there might be something
wrong with it, or that the halacha might be like some strict opinion,
and if so you don't want to be nichshal in lo yeraeh velo yimatzei.
It has nothing to do with creating a world in which everyone is
similarly machmir.   So how is that purpose foiled by someone else
choosing (as you surely acknowledge is his right) not to be machmir?

Your point would only be valid if you were to hold that *nobody* may
sell chametz gamur, and that one who does deserves to be punished.


-- 
Zev Sero                      The trouble with socialism is that you
zev at sero.name                 eventually run out of other people’s money
                                                     - Margaret Thatcher