Q&A: Stringencies
Stringencies
Question
Hello Rabbi, I wanted to know whether the Rabbi is stringent in certain matters of Jewish law, and if so, what they are; and whether there are matters in which, in his opinion, it is appropriate to be more stringent in general (not for himself personally, but generally) than the customary Jewish law practice.
Answer
The question isn’t well defined. For example, I don’t count secular people toward a prayer quorum. Is that a stringency?
Discussion on Answer
They once asked the rabbi who shook hands with a woman (I forgot who) whether he was lenient about refraining from physical contact, and he answered that he was stringent in interpersonal matters. Our rabbi too is stringent in interpersonal matters; that’s why he extends his hand as an answer to almost every question. He is also stringent about the commandment of “And you shall know the Lord,” and therefore he brings up almost every argument for proving His existence. The Rabbi is stringent about the commandment of Torah study, and therefore he teaches men and women. And finally, the Rabbi is stringent about not being stringent, so that the full measure of energy will be spread across all 613 commandments. You should ask in what matters the Rabbi is lenient.
It seems to me it was Rabbi Unterman.
Here it is from Wikipedia about him: when a woman extended her hand to him, Rabbi Unterman shook her hand, saying: “I am not lenient about touch; rather, I am stringent about human dignity.”[6]
For example, I don’t count Haredim toward a prayer quorum. Is that a stringency?
P.S. I’ve taken it upon myself until 120 and beyond not to pray with a quorum in which there aren’t ten besides the Haredim.
To Binyamin he said —
So then you can say in your prayer: ‘See our standing, for we are poor…’
With blessings,
Samson son of Hushim
You can make a quorum with your ten sons: Bela, Becher, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim, and Ard 🙂
To be precise: not a stringency, just frum.