[Avodah] Appreciating Kedusha?

Micha Berger micha at aishdas.org
Thu Aug 1 14:23:49 PDT 2024


On Tue, Jul 30, 2024 at 08:44:03PM -0400, Joel Rich via Avodah wrote:
> The halacha (see S"A O"C 143:8) for tashmishei kedusha (eg the aron kodesh)
> to be donated subject to a condition that they be able to be used for a
> "profane" use as well... and even if no such proactive condition is made, we
> will act as if one had been made (so as to cause a stumbling block for the
> unwary).

I Understood the AhS's presentation as saying that because it's a sociatal
norm, the condition is made implicitly. A person has to announce when
they are doing something different, and inaction implies doing the usual.

> Question: what does it say about halacha and human nature that we do this
> rather than educate people concerning the sanctity of tashmishei kedusha?
> Similar question concerning talking divrei chol in a bet knesset?

I could think of a different parallel, one we've seen on Areivim --
warnings to avoid imports from Israel because of the complexity of
removing terumah umaaseros.

So, avoid the BALM of terumah and maaser, eating biqdushah, and the BALC
of supporting other Jews, because.... you think learning the halakhah
is too hard?

Lemaaseh, there are numerous web pages which describe the whole process
in two pages of printed text! So part of the avoidance is not even doing
the research to find out if it even is hard.

But either way, the question is when do we allow fear of issur allow us
to settle for trying to get less qedushah?

A case too extreme for us: If every marriage were pilagshus rather
than qiddushin, there would be no new lines of mamzeirim. But something
THAT fundamental to Qedushas Yisrael isn't getting avoided, even though
mamzeirus is a problem ledoros.

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger                 In the days of our sages, man didn't sin unless
http://www.aishdas.org/asp   he was overcome with a spirit of foolishness.
Author: Widen Your Tent      Today, we don't do a mitzvah unless we receive
- https://amzn.to/2JRxnDF    a spirit of purity.      - Rav Yisrael Salanter


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