[Avodah] (no subject)

[Micha Berger]

On Mon, Sep 26, 2011 at 05:49:08PM -0700, Harvey Benton wrote:
: raban gamliel was questioned for setting up pictures of the sun , moon, etc, 

"Was questioned"? The gemara had a hava amina that the issur would include
diagrams of the moon, and realized the assumption was false since R' Gamliel
had such diagrams. They therefore asked why that was, and Abayei explains
that the assumption is an overestimate of the scope of the issur. Abayei's
explanation is challenged because the gemara still assumes it is seeking a
single category, and therefore Abayei sounds like he's being too limiting.
Through this exchange we get the precise topics of pictures that are
prohibited.

But I guarantee you the amoraim aren't questioning the actions of
Rabban Gamliel, doubly not since Rebbe later enshrines his actions in
a mishnah. Amoraim take the halachic positions of tannaim as givens.


: for the eidim, and my question is why could he just not have set up tem-
: poraray pictures, or stick figures (etc) each month, so that though he had 
: to violate a possible (we hold differently nowadays) lav, he could have done
: it in a different way (and perhaps less of a lav??)

These were relatively precise diagrams, so as to include details a lying
Tzeduqi possibly wouldn't know. I think temporary pictures would have
required violated the same issur, but repeatedly.

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger             It is our choices...that show what we truly are,
micha at aishdas.org        far more than our abilities.
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