Q&A: Midrashic Conservatism
Originally published:
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Midrashic Conservatism
Question
Hello Rabbi, I wanted to ask about the claim that a slippery-slope argument is not relevant because there is no body with authority that can enact regulations. But it could be that דווקא the absence of such a body is what motivates us to refrain, in certain cases, from one change or another.
Answer
I didn’t understand the question. My argument dealt with ability, not motivations. When there is no body that can enact regulations, then the regulations have no validity. If you want, voluntarily, to refrain from problematic things—health to you.
Just to clarify, this question refers to my remarks in lesson 1 of the series on conservatism, innovation, and tradition (which was given yesterday).