Q&A: The Sefer HaChinukh on Listening to the Voice of the Sages
The Sefer HaChinukh on Listening to the Voice of the Sages
Question
Hello Rabbi,
As is well known, the commandment “and you shall do according to what they instruct you” was stated only with regard to the Sanhedrin, and likewise regarding the sages of the Talmud; from that point on, the sages no longer have sweeping authority that obligates the entire Jewish people in every matter of Jewish law. But some have wanted to argue (the Haredim, as is well known) that this obligation applies in every generation, and even in matters of worldview. And their source is Sefer HaChinukh, which interprets the commandment that way. In one of your lectures (I think in the series on Torah-level and rabbinic law), you referred to this Chinukh and argued that he is not saying that in every generation one must obey blindly every claim that occurs to the sages, but you didn’t explain what his words mean. Could you explain what the Chinukh means in this commandment, and whether you addressed this in one of the lectures?
Answer
I no longer remember, but it isn’t complicated. First, this Chinukh is a puzzling and non-consensus position. Second, it is not clear who the sages are in this generation that he is talking about. And third, even he is speaking about Jewish law, not about things outside Jewish law.
Discussion on Answer
Very reasonable. So today among the Haredim, is there really some supreme authority? No. Therefore it’s really not reasonable. If there is no agreed-upon and authorized institution like the Sanhedrin, there is simply no way to implement “do not deviate.” Some spoke about the authority of the leading sage of the generation or the supreme religious court of the generation, if there is such a thing. But that is almost never the situation anywhere.
Actually, the Chinukh’s position is very straightforward logically; it’s simply reasonable that, at least in decisions concerning the public, there should be some supreme authority—