[Avodah] ‘Kzayit’: Torah, as Real as it Gets

[Micha Berger]

On Thu, Mar 29, 2012 at 01:50:51PM -0400, Prof. Levine quoted R' David
Bar-Haym's article in the Jewish Press (which Lisa also pointed to).

One prefacing thought:
> From http://tinyurl.com/7887hz9  This article is written by Rabbi David 
> Bar-Hayim is the head of Machon Shilo, a centre of Jewish learning in  
> Jerusalem dedicated to the exposition and dissemination of Torat Eretz 
> Yisrael. The teachings of Rabbi Bar-Hayim may be found at 
> www.machonshilo.org

RDBH and Machon Shilo represent a very idiosyncratic notion of how
halakhah works. E.g. RDBH published Nusach EY siddurim, based on quotes
from the Y-mi and snippets found in the Cairo Geniza. (The Geniza has
remains of numerous different siddurim, so I'm not sure how RDBH chose
between them in cases where the Y-mi doesn't quote something only in
one.) Point being, everyone else (Yekkes to Yemenites) davens in various
evolutionary descendents of R' Amram Gaon's siddur, but RDBH doesn't
consider that binding, now on our return to EY.

I think this is very relevent here....

> Rashi almost certainly never saw an olive. The same goes for other 
> medieval authorities in Ashk’naz (Germany-Northern France)....

RNSlifkin's recurring theme as well.

> It is a simple matter to ascertain, or describe to another, the volume of 
> an average olive, a 'k'zayit'...provided you have olives...

And providing you don't think breeding could have changed things.
Do you want to compare my teens' favorite Asti with the wine chazal had
to dilute and often sweeten or spice in order to make drinkable? If the
grape changed that much, we need proof to know that olives hadn't.

Lemaaseh, we have pits from Masadah and pits from olives of similar
breeds grown today. We have strong indication they haven't changed. I am
objecting to the argument and the attitude it betrays, not the conclusion.

When rishonim hold differently than what you consider obvious, shouldn't
the first step be to explore ways in which you might be wrong?

But my real objection is to the opening question: "Is Halakhic Judaism
rational and rooted in reality, or is it a hypothetical construct
unconducive to engaging the real world?" False dichotomy. I would assert
that halachic Judaism is rational, and rooted in what shapes souls, what
promotes self-refinement, closeness to G-d, and redemption. Realities,
albeit not empirical ones.

RYBS, in Lonely Man of Faith, points to Adam I's (Cognitive Man, man
as pinacle of creation whose calling is that of Adam in Bereishis 1 --
"veqivshuha) success at science and technology as a common cause for
confusing the domain science studies with the totality of reality.

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger             The true measure of a man
micha at aishdas.org        is how he treats someone
http://www.aishdas.org   who can do him absolutely no good.
Fax: (270) 514-1507                   - Samuel Johnson

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger             The true measure of a man
micha at aishdas.org        is how he treats someone
http://www.aishdas.org   who can do him absolutely no good.
Fax: (270) 514-1507                   - Samuel Johnson