Thanks, I know the imperative; I’ve read a lot of your writings. But for someone who hasn’t been persuaded that the categorical imperative is a binding reason to go into a shelter (if there are no people around), do you agree that rationally, for him, it makes more sense not to go down to the shelter? As an aside, I admit that personally I wasn’t convinced that it’s a binding reason in the situation I described. Maybe that’s due to my own limited understanding, but you’ve already taught us, Rabbi, that a person should think independently and not accept things just because a rabbi said them, so in that sense I’m actually acting in accordance with your approach :))

A strange question. Are you asking me whether to act according to your view or according to mine? Answer: according to mine.

Let me sharpen the question. I’m asking: assuming I do not accept the categorical imperative, is not going into a shelter the more warranted and rational act? I didn’t claim that this is your position.

You definitely didn’t claim that, and you also didn’t sharpen anything. You’re again asking me whether to act according to your view. My answer: no.

I don’t think, Rabbi, that my question is unclear. I’m asking you for an analysis of the issue, not for your personal conclusion. I’ll try one last time with different wording; if you think it’s the same question, I’ll stop here. I’m not asking whether you think one should act according to my opinion—that I already know you don’t—but rather, assuming this is my position (that the categorical imperative is not, in my personal view, a convincing reason), does it follow that rationally I should not go down to the shelter? See this as similar to what is written in the Talmud: “he says it according to that view, but does not himself hold it.”

Good night

I truly can’t understand the question. It seems to me that you can’t either. You’re asking: if in my opinion I don’t need to go down to a shelter, should I then not go down to a shelter? Doesn’t that sound strange to you? If this is a question in logic, the answer is obvious: if you think you don’t need to, then you think you don’t need to. If you’re asking whether you are right, you know my answer is: no. So what exactly are you asking?

It seems to me he means to ask whether there is another reason besides the categorical imperative that obligates him to go down to the shelter

Indeed, as Noam wrote, that is my question, thanks

Yes, if they’re showing an interesting movie in the shelter, for example.

Hahaha, amazing!