Q&A: Culture / Westernness
Culture / Westernness
Question
What is the Rabbi’s definition of a legitimate change that stems from a positive change in culture (= moral), and distinct from it, what is a cultural change (you could say Western) that is not good?
Seemingly, in Jewish law one is supposed to incorporate (according to the Rabbi’s approach) good values that simply did not exist in the days of the Sages, and in those cases there is a need for a value-based change in Jewish law. So these definitions are important, because clearly there are eternal values that cannot change, for otherwise there would be no Torah here.
The question is: what are those values that should indeed be incorporated?
Answer
I don’t have general criteria. If you narrow it down, I can discuss it.
“An eye for an eye” = monetary compensation; that’s a bad change, but there was no choice.