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<DIV><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" face=Arial color=#000000 size=2>From: David Riceman <driceman@att.net><BR>>> So what's
the function of the gzeirah of shniyos?<BR><BR>The Maharal's answer is that
shniyos are inherently immoral, but less <BR>immoral that Biblical prohibitions,
so the Torah left it to the Rabbis <BR>to prohibit them. But according to
the normal explanation, that this <BR>somehow prevents violations of Biblical
law, how does the decree work? <<<BR><BR>David Riceman</FONT></FONT></DIV>
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<DIV>>>>>></DIV>
<DIV>It doesn't work like having separate pots for milchig and
fleishig. It works more in a community-wide, cosmic way. It makes
people in general aware that there a lot of people you can't marry and
especially that you can't marry most of the people with whom you have close,
family relationships, the people you run into all the time and have a
degree of emotional connection with -- aunts and uncles, in-laws, whatnot.
That generalized awareness of "can't marry relatives" makes people a little more
wary in an incest-taboo kind of way about getting themselves involved
romantically with MOTOS with whom they have more than passing contact (precisely
because they /are/ "family").</DIV>
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<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff><BR></FONT><B><FONT color=#0000ff>--Toby
Katz<BR>==========<BR><BR></FONT><FONT lang=0 face=Arial color=#000000 size=2 FAMILY="SANSSERIF" PTSIZE="10"></B>--------------------</FONT></DIV>
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