<div dir="ltr">To R' David,<br>Thank you for writing; all feedback is appreciated. I am however unsure why you are addressing me in third-person. I also am unclear about your comments. Unfortunately, there are many out there who first pick up a magnifying glass or microscope and then <i>assur</i> something due to a problem that was only able to be detected using this visual aid. The main point of <a href="http://ohr.edu/this_week/insights_into_halacha/5043">this article</a> (and stressed further in its <a href="http://ohr.edu/5032">companion article</a>) was exactly your point, that not only is this unnecessary, but it is not even following the <i>halacha pesuka</i>, as '<i>lo nitna haTorah Lmalachei Hasheireis</i>' and we do not rely on a microscope's use '<i>bein lehakel bein lehachmir</i>" unless the problem can already be detected with the naked eye. I am not sure where phobias would seem to fit in with all this.If anything, the articles should serve to allay fears, and not cause them.<br>
I hope this helps clarify,<br><i>Kol Tuv</i> and Good Shabbos.<br>Y. Spitz<br>Yerushalayim<br><a href="http://ohr.edu/this_week/insights_into_halacha/">Insights Into Halacha</a><br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Fri, Jan 18, 2013 at 2:24 AM, David Wacholder <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:dwacholder@gmail.com" target="_blank">dwacholder@gmail.com</a>></span> wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><div dir="ltr"><div><br></div>Rabbi Spitz captured the theory of the halacha very very well. He is microscopically correct. The only problem is he is sociologically "putting the cap on the lens" . He is MACROscopically incorrect. <div>
<br></div><div>If I buy billboards and put pictures of ;microscopic mites or "you-name-its" - I will create a "mite phobic " population who will be unable to eat food associated with mites. </div><div>
<br></div><div>If you tell people that water has invisible [except to the superior more perfect among us] beings - you will induce phobia of water. </div><div><br></div><div> Rabbanim and others must be cognizant of this. </div>
<div><br></div><div>Is it worth adding phobias? Do we need more of them? </div><div><br></div><div>inducing the phobia is most effective with those who did not grow up with microscopes. <span class="HOEnZb"><font color="#888888"><br clear="all">
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