Q&A: The Overlap Between Beliefs and Jewish Law
The Overlap Between Beliefs and Jewish Law
Question
Hello.
I want to stress that I’m not trying to be provocative; I’m genuinely interested in your view.
From what I understand, you do not believe in the resurrection of the dead. And you are committed to Jewish law.
I’m interested in how you relate to the points of contact between those two worlds.
For example (and sorry if this sounds blunt and personal), if you are the tenth man for a prayer quorum, do you see a need to tell the congregation, “From a halakhic standpoint I do not count toward the minyan because I do not believe in the resurrection of the dead”? Do you have a problem touching wine, and the like?
Thank you in advance a0
Answer
You misunderstood. I do not have a position on these questions, because I am not at all sure that their source is in the tradition. If it was indeed transmitted at Sinai, then I do believe in it. Therefore I do not generally occupy myself with them. This should not invalidate wine or prevent someone from being counted toward a minyan.