[Avodah] . Re: Characterizing our era (Micha Berger)

[Ezra Chwat]

The definitive methodic article on Halakhic periodization (era division):
R. SZ Havlin, Al HaHatimah Hasifrutit KeYesod HaHalukah LeTkufot B'Halakha, Studies in Talmudic Literature<http://aleph.nli.org.il/F/?func=direct&doc_number=000927001&local_base=NNLALL>, 1983, pp. 148-192.
This includes much focus on what  Micah Berger observed: "The mishnah was a kind of line, but there was blurriness around it." Rav Havlin tends to over-emphasize the centrality of the canonized Halakhic literature as the primary element. But this is Lisheetaso.

As for The Shoah as a dividing line, this does not fit Rav Havlin's model. Nonetheless, a general observation can be raised. One need simply compare to the control group- the Sephardic poskim. Rav Ovadiah has no qualms about taking a stance against the Ben Ish Hai, or even RH Palagi. Whereas Ashkenazic poskim after the Hazon Ish will be adverse to disagreeing with the Mishnah Brurah without backup from other Ahronim (even though the MB is clearly not intended to be a corpus of psak, rather a summary of ahronim). The destruction of the Yeshivot in Europe can be seen as the central element, a schism  that the Sephardic Halakhic realm did not suffer.

On the remark : " ...the line between ge'onim and rishonim. It had no characterizing text...".  The Rif is one of the most landmark demarcation lines in Halakhic periodization. Simply put, no one after the Rif  allows himself to ignore the book referred to by the Rishonim as  "the Halakhot". In the generation after the Rif, the RI Migash (Tshuvot, Warsaw 1870 no. 104) already determines that now that the Talmud has been summarized, no one  is permitted to poseq based on Talmudic scholarship.



Dr. Ezra Chwat
The Department of Manuscripts/
National Librarhy of Israel
blog: Giluy Milta B'Alma: http://imhm.blogspot.com




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