Conflict between value systems
Hello Rabbi,
Recently, a question arose in my mind about the relationship between the value systems to which we are committed.
As I understand the Rabbi’s words – God Almighty has given us (among other things) two independent value systems. One of them is the system of morality and the other is the system of commandments. Since the two systems are different, there may be a conflict between them in specific cases.
My question is – if God is the one who gave us these two systems, why didn’t He “arrange” them so that there would be no contradictions between them? A – Let’s assume we have rule x in the moral system (a rule of “thou shalt not”), versus rule y in the system of commandments that tells us to transgress x in certain cases. So in the current situation – we act according to y despite the moral system (because the system of commandments, for the religious person, prevails over the system of morality). On the other hand – if the systems were “arranged” then when a person were to act according to y he would feel that it was obligated by both systems, or at least – obligated by the system of commandments but indifferent to the system of morality (i.e. – transgressing x is immoral only when rule y does not conflict with it).
Thanks in advance for any feedback.
First, there are contradictions within each of the systems. The separation of soul and Sabbath or action versus the Law, and the same goes for value-moral conflicts.
God did not arrange them to be compatible because these are systems that come to achieve different goals. Halacha comes to achieve religious goals and morality comes to achieve social-ethical goals. Sometimes the same act achieves a religious goal but harms a moral value, or vice versa. This is the truth and there is nothing to arrange here. In such a situation, a conflict is created and a way must be found to resolve it practically, but the mere existence of a conflict is not problematic.
The example I always give for this is a debate about eating chocolate. Reuven says to eat it because it’s delicious and Shimon says not to eat it because it makes you fat. Who is right? Both. It is both delicious and fattening. In practice, you have to decide which value is greater (refer to a scale of values).
Regarding the practical decision between halakhah and morality, it is impossible to give a blanket rule, since even moral leadership itself is not formulated in sharp and clear rules (see the MM at the end of the halakhic chapter on neighbors). Each situation is unique. And is there a blanket rule for how to decide in intra-halakhic conflicts? Every conflict, the sages get into the thick of it and make decisions, and there are several types of decisions.
I have a series of lessons (in the video lessons) on Halacha and morality, and there I went into a lot of detail.
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