<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">In Avodah V27#117, RSZN posts:</font>
<br><tt><font size=2>> a leitz blogger makes the folowing point-----<br>
<< what is the fundamental principle of faith that defines Orthodoxy?<br>
<< Clearly, most people would say TMS - Torah Min Hashamayim. Yet
that is <br>
very vague and insufficient. Christians also believe in TMS, and so do
<br>
Kairites. The real fundamental of Orthodoxy is in fact that Torah Shebal
<br>
Peh AS INTERPRETED BY CHAZAL, is ultimately Min Hashamayim (even if not
<br>
from Sinai)....>><br>
> ---- the premise seems to be true. so here's the takeoff
on the question <br>
he asks: why does the RMBM not include unassailing emunas
chachamim [ <br>
ie total submission to their daas tora] as one of the ikkarim
of the <br>
faith? <</font></tt>
<br><font size=3 color=#000080 face="Verdana">I disagree with that premise.
I would say the "real fundamental" differentiating "us"
from "them" in re to TMS is that when we say "Torah"
as part of TMS, we mean not just Torah shebiKsav but also Torah sheb'Al
Peh, and that point RaMBaM encodes in his eighth ikkar (available online
at </font><a href="http://hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?req=11597&st=&pgnum=108"><font size=2 color=#008000 face="Verdana">http://hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?req=11597&st=&pgnum=108</font><font size=3 color=#000080 face="Verdana">
; a translation can be found in RJJB's Webpages at </font><a href=http://www.panix.com/~jjbaker/13yesodos.html><font size=2 color=#800000 face="Verdana">http://www.panix.com/~jjbaker/13yesodos.html</font><font size=3 color=#000080 face="Verdana">
).</font></a></a>
<br>
<br><font size=3 color=#000080 face="Verdana">All the best from</font>
<br><font size=4 color=blue face="Monotype Corsiva">Michael Poppers</font><font size=4 color=blue face="Verdana">
</font><font size=3 face="Verdana">*</font><font size=4 color=blue face="Verdana">
</font><font size=4 color=blue face="EngraversGothic BT">Elizabeth, NJ,
USA</font>