[Avodah] The Right Spiritual Level

[Micha Berger]

On Mon, Aug 01, 2022 at 06:15:18PM -0500, Jay F. Shachter via Avodah wrote:
> Now, it certainly cannot be the case that the qedusha of Israel has a
> uniform effect on both mitzvoth and `aveiroth, multiplying both your
> merits, and your demerits, by the same amount.  If that were the case,
> then there could not be someone who is all right in Flatbush, but who
> would not be all right in Israel, whereas the original poster ("OP")
> clearly states that there can be someone who is okay in Flatbush, but
> who would not be okay, if he or she were subjected to the increased
> level of qedusha that prevails in Israel...

You are assuming a straight scaling, like an act that moves you a foot
in chu"l would move you a meter in EY.

But what if temperature translation were the better mashal. That they
don't have the same zero point?

A Religious Zionist would say that just doing your job in Israel is
incredibly more spiritually significant than in chu"l. Going to work
in Manhattan carries with it the ability to provide for your family, to
give tzedaqah, do other mitzvos, etc... But working in Chaifa does all
that AND accomplishes yishuv EY. One doesn't just get more of the same
things done, there is a whole new factor. (In my mashal, correspondonding
to the difference in zero points going from Celsius to Farenheit.)

But the Satmar Rav argued the reverse WRT aveiros. When it comes to
cheit, doing it in Israel has a negative factor not present in chu"l --
chilul ha'aretz. Manhattan is chol; Chaifa isn't. So, there is a rei'usa
to sinning in Chaifa that isn't just a different scale than in chu"l;
there is no corresponding factor in chu"l altogether.

So, it's not just scaling up the same act whether positive or negative.
And there are non-linear factors like these on both sides. I see grounds
for a valid machloqes for saying that a non-tzadiq is net head or behind.

-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger                 Zion will be redeemed through justice,
http://www.aishdas.org/asp   and her returnees, through righteousness.
Author: Widen Your Tent
- https://amzn.to/2JRxnDF