Should Questions Without Practical Implications Be Discussed
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Opening post by the rabbi
Should questions without practical implications be discussed?
Posted on 29/11/2013
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Should questions without practical implications be discussed?
Hello everyone. There is a belief/assumption/convention that every Talmudic/halakhic discussion must have a practical implication. The assumptions underlying this belief certainly deserve extensive discussion (whether, absent such an implication, it is not Torah study, or whether, without a practical implication, it is a logically empty discussion). But before that, I have two questions related to this issue: 1. Are there sources that reflect this belief—that one should not engage in discussions without practical implications—whether from the Talmud or from the medieval and later authorities? 2. I would appreciate sources that discuss esoteric topics (such as a flying camel, or wheat that descended from the clouds), together with explanations from the medieval and later authorities as to why they discuss them. Many thanks.
Source (the Atzor Kan Choshvim forum): http://www.bhol.co.il/forums/topic.asp?topic_id=3032309