Q&A: Hello Rabbi
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Hello Rabbi
Question
Hello. Regarding the last lecture, about constitutive and directive definitions. I think that even if, for the sake of argument, the debate over how to define a Jew is a constitutive debate, it is still impossible to ignore how that concept has been defined over the years. Just as you cannot call a chair a horse and then dismiss the problem of all the people who are afraid to ride a horse. So Ariel Sharon can call his Jew “Jew 2.0,” and not use the term Jew.
Answer
Even if you are right, this is only a semantic question and therefore not interesting. The debate is about the use of a word/term. Why is that important or interesting?