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Halakhic morality

שו”תCategory: philosophyHalakhic morality
asked 4 years ago

1) Why don’t you see the commandment of “and walk in His ways” (which deals with behavior and not mental work, as you say) as a halakhic commandment to behave in a moral way? Again, your distinction between halakhic law (God’s will) and morality (God’s word) would not exist because morality is part/one of the halakhic commandments? (Why is it that “and do what is right and good” is listed among the commandments, but “and walk in His ways” is difficult).
 
2) You wrote that Halacha deals with the obligation of what is permitted and forbidden. But morality also deals with this, right? It is forbidden to murder, it is obligatory to help others, etc.


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0 Answers
מיכי Staff answered 4 years ago
  1. I didn’t understand the question. My division that you quote says exactly this: To walk in his ways is a mitzvah (Acts 8 in Rambam), but to correct one’s manners is not a mitzvah but a meta-halakhic moral matter.
  2. That’s right. Halacha is about the halachic forbidden and the permissible, and morality is about the moral forbidden and the moral permissible.

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אבי replied 4 years ago

So what does it mean to follow in his ways? Isn't that a directive to behave morally?

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