INSIGHT 5780 - #20: THE GESTALT COLLECTIVE

For  Terumah
 
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Insight 5777-23: "Separation of Church and State"

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One may wonder how the ideas developed in the Insight may impact on the concept of Freedom of Religion which would seem to flow from this separation of church and state. Does the Torah, thus, accept no concept of Freedom of Religion? On one hand, this would seem obvious but given that the Jewish People have benefited from this concept as practiced by others, it would seem difficult to dismiss it outright. 

In this regard, please see my latest shiur on Koshertube on "Religion and Freedom of Religion" at http://koshertube.com/videos/index.php?option=com_seyret&Itemid=4&task=videodirectlink&id=23990 and also available on the new Koshertube of Youtube site at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9oy8aH5joo  

Insight 5776-21: Desire and Action

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Study Question

1) One area in which a recognition of the underlying motivations is of significance is often in our relationships with others. i have heard in the name of the Rav that in our practice of the laws bein adam l'chaveiro, amongst people, there is always the random factor of the person. As such, for example, the actual definition of honourable behaviour in regard to commands of this nature must consider the personal perceptions of what is honourable. Undertaking an act that a person would not define as honourable to him/her, even if the act is objectively presented as honourable within the halachic literature, as such, may have its limitations. This is something to consider.i

Insight 5775-21: The Dialectic of Repentance

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Study Question

1)

Insight 5774-21: Community and Individual

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Study Question

1) Implicit in the Insight's message is the necessary divergence in the behaviour of individual's in a community; not everyone can be a doctor, a lawyer, a farmer. Applied to the structure of Torah, if a relationship with God is a communal objective, not everyone can be the kohein. There is also a need for divergence. Included in the message of this Insight, is the uniqueness of the view of spirituality.

This was my message in regard to women and tefillin. It was with this in mind that I downplayed the desire of these women to wear tefillin. Mitzvot are not generic sources of spirituality. It is this view of them as such that motivates those on the outside to desire to adopt this behaviour. It is similar to the non-kohein wishing to be a kohein. The challenge is, though, that over the centuries women had adopted certain behaviours from which they were exempt such as listening to the shofar and taking a lulav and etrog. Based upon my argument, why would this have developed? Is there a place to draw the line on what can be assimilated and what cannot? This subject demands further investigation.

Insight 5733-22: The Three Crowns

For Terumah
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Study Questions

1) In the Insight, I presented a way of possibly showing how the Mizbe'ach could be seen as both connected to Malchut and the Kehuna based upon a distinction in focus between effect and basis of honour. One may wish to consider how this approach could be applied to the Shulchan.

2) Rabbi Hochman continues in his discussion with a focus on the final statement in the mishna regarding how the crown of a good name is superior to the other three. His question is: why is this fourth crown not then included in the count, namely the mishna should have began with a statement that there are four crowns? 
See comment from Rabbi Hecht