[Avodah] The Main Idea of Judaism

[Micha Berger]

On Tue, Jul 10, 2012 at 07:06:25PM -0400, David Riceman wrote:
> If you think, as I do, that the categories of mitzvah and aveirah are  
> central to Judaism, this is a a troubling attitude.  If a change in  
> perspective can transform a neutral act into a virtuous act, why can't  
> it also change a prohibited act into a virtuous act?

Along the lines of what others posted, here's RSShkop from the haqdamah
to Shaarei Yosher:
    And as understood, all holiness is being set apart for an honorable
    purpose which is that a person straightens his path and strives
    constantly to make his lifestyle dedicated to the community. Then,
    anything he does even for himself, for the health of his body and
    soul he also associates to the mitzvah of being holy, for through
    this he can also do good for the masses. Through the good he does
    for himself he can do good for the many who rely on him. But if he
    derives benefit from some kind of permissible thing that isn't needed
    for the health of his body and soul, that benefit is in opposition
    to holiness. For in this he is benefiting himself (for that moment
    as it seems to him), but to no one else does it have any value.

As for "chang[ing] a prohibited act into a virtuous act", isn't that the
whole thorny topic of aveirah lishmah? Nazir 23b:
    R' Nachman bar Yitzchaq said: An aveirah lishmah is greater than
    a mitzvah shelo lishmah.
    But didn't Rav Yehudah say that Rav said that a person should toil
    in Torah and mitzvos even shelo lishman, because from lo lishman
    one comes to lishman?
    Rather say like a mitzvah shelo lishmah...

Like, rather than greater than.

In any case, the sugya generated reams of conversation, and I don't
claim to have a position. RYGB brought it up often, particularly R'
Tzadoq's shitah, in the early years of Avodah.

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger             The greatest discovery of all time is that
micha at aishdas.org        a person can change their future
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