[Avodah] Leading Charedi Posek Says metzitza' Should Not

Micha Berger micha at aishdas.org
Tue Apr 17 07:14:47 PDT 2012


On Tue, Apr 17, 2012 at 07:11:53AM -0400, Joseph Kaplan wrote:
: I'm not sure that's true from a methodological viewpoint for 2 reasons...

You should see the question the CS was asked (available at the link in
the post from RYL that I just approved). The whole thing came up to
a question because R' Chaim Chezqiah Medini held metzitzah bepeh was
halakhah leMoshe miSinai.

The sho'el tries to forestall this argument by taking the time to prove
that there are times when "mayatz" (the word used by R' Papa) is used
to mean extraction by means other than suction. The CS, though, just
rejoins with more such arguments. But surely the default definition of
metzitzah usually involves sucking, thus the whole assumed burden of
proof that it could, at times, mean something else.

And of course, the mequbalim finding a meaning in metzitzah that only
works if one is talking MBP (the power of sefasayim and peh to subdue
middas hadin) means that posqim who look at qaballah when they pasqen
will consider this idea to be central to what metzitzah is all about.
Why would they think R' Papa meant anything else, or that anyone ever
did anything other than what we have record of.

Last, the Rambam knew enough hygiene to know you don't put a mouth on
a wound if you could simply bloodlet in other ways. IOW, he knew his
Galen, who is both the leading source on bloodletting and writes about
keeping wounds clean. The Rambam let blood all the time in his practice,
and yet he still speaks of metzitzah as being bepeh in particular.

It was de rigure that that's what metzitzah means. One would need to
prove it ever meant anything else. I feel like a broken record, but I
feel a need to say it again: The burden of proof is on us innovators.
The CS understood that. You're placing it on those who want to keep what
was done miyamim yamimah.

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger             Today is the 10th day, which is
micha at aishdas.org        1 week and 3 days in/toward the omer.
http://www.aishdas.org   Tifferes sheb'Gevurah: When does strict
Fax: (270) 514-1507                  judgment bring balance and harmony?



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