[Avodah] [Areivim] L'sheim shmayim

[Micha Berger via Avodah]

On Thu, May 25, 2017 at 05:03:41AM +0200, Ben Waxman via Avodah wrote:
: If it helps, those who oppose hiring a maharat are also quickly
: accused of being agenda driven.
: 
: Unity: we all assume that's the person we see in the mirror is OK.

I think it's more accurate to say those in favor of hiring a maharat
believe that a certain trend is unchangable and positive, but their
halachic response to that metzi'us is a pure halachic response.

Unfortunately too many who are opposed think that there is an agenda
to make halakhah more feminist. Rather, I see it as trying to have
a halachic response to a progressively more feminist reality.

Whereas those who are pro think that talk of "mesorah" is just a means
of cloaking agenda into jargon, so that the antis are following a
non-halachic agenda by making it look holy.

(My own reason for being anti is in line with my general monomania about
fighting this identification of Torah with halakhah; halakhah is "only"
a subset. And without aggadita and a study of values, there are halkhos
that cannot be followed -- qedushim tihyu, ve'asisem hayashar vehatov,
etc... So, I feel it critical to ask: Are we supposed to respond or
resist certain kinds of feminism? What does the flow of tradition and
general feel that emerges from halakhah say?)



On Thu, May 25, 2017 at 11:57:32AM +0000, Rich, Joel via Avodah wrote:
: Aren't we all agenda driven? IMHO the challenge is living in "post
: modern" times where there is little objective right and wrong, thus all
: agendas are viewed as equally valid (or invalid)

But there are limits to eilu va'eilu divrei E-lokim Chaim. When in a
halachic debate, one should be limiting oneself to the various answers
that are objectively right. Thus presuming there is an objectively right,
while still not being absolutist about it. And if we assimilated too
much postmodernism to be able to see where eilu va'eilu ends (tapers off),
we should be leaning on posqim who can.

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger             Today is the 44th day, which is
micha at aishdas.org        6 weeks and 2 days in/toward the omer.
http://www.aishdas.org   Gevurah sheb'Malchus: What type of justice
Fax: (270) 514-1507                            does unity demand?