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From
<a href="http://www.hakirah.org/Vol%2016%20Walter.pdf" eudora="autourl">
http://www.hakirah.org/Vol%2016%20Walter.pdf</a><br><br>
<font size=3>The precision and alacrity exhibited by
21</font><font size=1>st</font><font size=3>-century Jews in adhering
to<br>
the detail and minutiae of <i>halachah </i>is a reason to rejoice. Many
areas of<br>
<i>halachah </i>and <i>mitzvah </i>observance which, historically, could
feasibly be fulfilled<br>
only according to the baseline position or minority opinion are
today<br>
fulfilled <i>l’mehadrin</i>, in optimal fashion.<br><br>
Jewish communities classically owned one or two sets of the four
species<br>
for Sukkot<i>, battim </i>(leather casings) for <i>tefillin </i>were not
manufactured<br>
to the same degree of excellence as are those of today, and the
<i>kashrut </i>of<br>
a contemporary <i>mikvah </i>is far superior to <i>mikvaot </i>of
yesteryear. The opportunity<br>
that now exists to perform <i>mitzvot </i>to perfection often replaces
halachic<br>
principles such as <i>b’dieved, she’at hadechak, ikar hadin</i>, and
<i>she’at hasakanah<br>
</i>with halachic terminology such as <i>machmir tavo alav berachah,
l’chatchilah<br>
</i>and <i>mehadrin</i>.<br>
<hr>
Is one to deduce from this that religious observance today is on a higher
level than it was in the past? YL</font></body>
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