Prohibitions that have lost their validity
Hello Rabbi,
I noticed that sometimes there are prohibitions that the world does not usually fear, even though there is no actual halakhic permission to transgress them. For example, there is the prohibition “not to be heard by you” which is written in the Shulchan Shulchan Yod 147, section 1: “It is forbidden to mention her by name, whether necessary or unnecessary,” and the world does not fear it at all, according to what I have noticed. Or, for example, in the laws of honoring fathers and mothers, it is written in the Rambam as follows:
3 What is fear, and what is honor? Fear does not stand in his place, nor sit in his place, nor contradict his words, nor decide his words, nor call him by his name either in life or in death, but says, “Abba, Mary.” Whether it is the name of his father or the name of his teacher, as well as the name of others, he changes their name .
And here too, I haven’t seen the world doing this (at least regarding the highlighted part). Do you think it’s okay to relax prohibitions that the whole world no longer strictly adheres to? And if so, why?
Best regards,
Discover more from הרב מיכאל אברהם
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Regarding honoring one's father and mother, how do you determine the accepted norms? Each community or sector on its own (what are the criteria for being included in a particular sector in this regard)? Or according to the majority of Jews in the world? Etc.
Thank you.
Common sense. There are no hard and fast mathematical rules for this.
“The accepted norms of respect”, should be said “The accepted norms of disrespect”
Okay, but each community/sector has its own norms or does it have to be sweeping for all of Israel?
To what extent is it each sect and its own norms nowadays, and will they define the details of the laws for all of Israel during the Sanhedrin?
Every place and time according to the norms that are practiced there. When a Sanhedrin is established, they will do whatever they decide. I have already written more than once that I have no interest in deciding disputes and striving for uniformity in halacha, except in a place where changing customs interfere with conduct. This is not the case here.
When a Sanhedrin is established, will it be sweeping for all Jews wherever they are?
And where did you write about this? And in short, why is there no point in striving for uniformity in Halacha (and do you mean only the period when there is no Sanhedrin?
Thank you
I wrote this here: If the Sanhedrin decides yes, then yes, the question is whether it will decide. I think not.
There is no point in striving for uniformity because there is a value in autonomy, where everyone will do what they understand. I have written about the value of autonomy in several places. Search here for articles: “Autonomy and Authority in Halacha Ruling”, and “Is Halacha Pluralistic”, and “The Price of Tolerance” and more.
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