Q&A: One Hundred and Fifty Reasons to Declare a Creeping Thing Pure
One Hundred and Fifty Reasons to Declare a Creeping Thing Pure
Question
Hello Rabbi!
Is there a problem with declaring a creeping thing pure? If we found a basis in Jewish law from which it could be declared pure, then that would be the Jewish law—so what’s the problem?
(I’m asking because a friend rebuked me, saying that my pointless casuistry will eventually lead me to declaring a creeping thing pure.)
Thank you!
Answer
There are one hundred and fifty reasons to declare a creeping thing pure, and one hundred and fifty reasons to declare it impure. The bottom line is determined by the relative weight of the arguments against one another. All 300 reasons are valid, and this is definitely not empty casuistry. Maharal already made this point (against Rabbenu Tam, who understood the Talmudic passage about one hundred and fifty reasons to declare a creeping thing pure as empty sophistry).