Q&A: Law and Beyond the Letter of the Law
Law and Beyond the Letter of the Law
Question
Hello Rabbi,
I was thinking a bit about the concepts above, and a question came to mind:
I assume that it is more positive to act beyond the letter of the law than merely according to the law, when that is possible, of course. That is the right thing to do.
If the more “right” / positive / moral thing is to act beyond the letter of the law, why doesn’t that then become the law itself?
If a person can do better than what he is currently doing, isn’t he required to do so? Required in the sense of law.
True, this feels a bit like hair-splitting argumentation (the conclusion doesn’t seem reasonable), but I’d be happy to hear where, in your opinion, the flaw is.
Thank you,
Answer
It is indeed hair-splitting. I didn’t understand the question. There are things that are required of everyone as an obligation, and there are things that are a special virtue and not an obligation.