[Avodah] Koach deHeteira Adif vs. Chumeros

[Micha Berger]

On Fri, Mar 11, 2011 at 08:55:55AM -0500, Prof. Levine wrote:
>> RYL asked me in a posting to Areivim about "kashrus lemehadrin" and
>> implicitly about chumeros in general. How can this be a good idea if
>> "koach deheteira adif"?

>> Yet AFAIK, RYL doesn't eat qitniyos on Pesach.

> I do not eat Kitniyos on Pesach.  I follow Ashkenaz minhagim.   However, 
> I do eat gebrokts!   I follow Ashkenaz minhagim! >:-}

Which are simply chumeros that one generation adopted at the objection
of those who were arguing that we preserve the old religion. The fact
that it happened something to the order of a millenium ago doesn't erase
the fact that it did happen. If it was okay then, why not now?

>> "Koach deheteira adif" is often misunderstood.
...
>> It's only used twice, Berakhos 60a and Beitza 2b. As Rashi puts it
>> in Beitza ("deheteira adif leih"), "tov lo lehashmi'einu koach divrei
>> hamatir".
...
> The following is from http://www.crownheights.info/index.php?itemid=28626

I should add that if you think about it, the actual concept as used by
Chazal argues in FAVOR of chumeros. Documenting the extent of the divrei
hamatir is more important. Doesn't that imbalance presume that we require
MORE proof before accepting a qulah than before accepting a chumerah?

The fact is, there is a limited list of dinim where we say things like
"halakhah kedivrei hameiqil be'eiruvin". Because the exceptions
need specific listing.

But this is a shift in topic. We moved from whether there is value to
accept upon oneself things they know to be beyond baseline halakhah
(e.g. not using whisky aged in stam yeinam sherry casks) to whether
one should assume the baseline itself is stringent or lenient.

The word "chumerah" is ambiguous that way.

:-)BBii!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger             Between stimulus & response, there is a space.
micha at aishdas.org        In that space is our power to choose our
http://www.aishdas.org   response. In our response lies our growth
Fax: (270) 514-1507      and our freedom. - Victor Frankl, (MSfM)