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<DIV><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" face=Arial color=#000000
size=2><BR>>>I realize this is just R' Yisrael Salanter's rationalism
talking, but<BR>leshitaso, are a spiritual pegam and a character defect
different things?<<<BR><BR>Tir'u baTov!<BR>-mi<BR><BR></FONT></DIV></DIV>
<DIV>>>>>></DIV>
<DIV>I believe they are two different things, but a spiritual pegam can manifest
itself in this world in a tendency to have certain character flaws.</DIV>
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<DIV>The most striking example of the difference between a spiritual mum (which
of course we in our physical lives cannot really grasp) and character is the
case of a mamzer who becomes a talmid chacham. He can be a godol
baTorah despite his spiritual "birth defect" but the blemish of mamzerus still
doesn't go away -- he is still "defective" for marriage. (BTW can a
mamzer get an aliyah? Just wondering.)</DIV></DIV>
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<DIV><FONT lang=0 face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2 FAMILY="SANSSERIF"
PTSIZE="10"><B><BR></B><B>--Toby
Katz<BR>=============</B></FONT></DIV></FONT><BR><BR><BR><DIV><FONT style="color: black; font: normal 10pt ARIAL, SAN-SERIF;"><HR style="MARGIN-TOP: 10px">See what's free at <A title="http://www.aol.com?ncid=AOLAOF00020000000503" href="http://www.aol.com?ncid=AOLAOF00020000000503" target="_blank">AOL.com</A>. </FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>