(c) Apr 18 2001 RashiYomi Inc. MY COLLECTED & INDEXED MAIL JEWISH POSTINGS-Ver #1
Individual Postings 1st appeared(& were copied in html form) on the Email List Mail Jewish

From: Russell Hendel <rhendel@saber.towson.edu>
Date: Sun, 7 May 2000 21:57:53 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: RE: Obligatory vs Pious-Voluntary acts--What is the difference

Roger Kingsley in Volume 32 Number 17 makes some excellent comments
about my attempt to introduce the concept OBLIGATORY VS VOLUNTARY/PIOUS
into the discussion about going to Israel. However Roger refuted my
examples not my logic. Let me briefly summarize the argument, indicate
Rogers point and give new examples.

Some people had argued that it was OBLIGATORY TO GO TO ISRAEL by citing
sources to that effect. But many postings argued that SINCE it was good
to go to Israel and it had many benefits (eg increased atmosphere and
mitzvah performance) THEREFORE it was OBLIGATORY.

I countered by suggesting that the BENEFITS of going to Israel don't
justify it being classified as OBLIGATORY--rather perhaps it only
justifys classifying going to Israel as being a PIOUS/VOLUNTARY act.

I then (erroneously) tried to show that BENEFITS of an act can imply its
PIOUS BUT VOLUNTARY nature by citing acts that are QUANTITATIVE in
nature-- eg it is GOOD to study Torah all day, to give alot to charity,
to visit sick all day, to work for ones synagogue etc...but none of
these acts are OBLIGATORY. Roger correctly pointed out that I was
incorrectly generalizing from examples that were QUANTITATIVE in nature.

So I now restate my argument by bringing in examples of PIOUS BUT
VOLUNTARY that are QUALATATIVE (eg a) Rambam Monetary Torts 13:22 Pious
people use to burn their broken glass or bury them 9 inches so they
shouldn't accidentally damage people; b)it is PIOUS VOLUNTARY to return
a lost article (with a name on it) that was lost in a non jewish sector
(it is not obligatory because the owner gave up hope of finding it
(Robbery/Theft 11:7); c) It is PIOUS VOLUNTARY if someone put his
objects on my property (without my permission) to sell the objects and
hire a place to keep them till this person comes Hire 8:7).

I could go on---I think the crucial issue here is many acts have
benefits-- some of them are OBLIGATORY and some of them are
VOLUNTARY/PIOUS. Why?  Is the answer because 'they go beyond what is
strictly required'? But then 'increasing atmosphere' or 'increasing my
capacity to do Mitzvoth' which are the major benefits of going to Israel
should also be so classified.

Russell Jay Hendel; Phd ASA; RHendel@Towson.Edu
Moderator Rashi is SImple
http://www.shamash.org/rashi/