Q&A: Halakhic Autonomy
Halakhic Autonomy
Question
Hello.
The Rabbi’s approach to autonomous halakhic ruling is well known (especially chapter fourteen in the third book of the trilogy). I wanted to ask how the Rabbi relates to the story in tractate Yoma about the Sadducee (Yoma 19b):
The Sages taught: There was an incident involving a certain Sadducee who prepared the incense outside and then brought it in. When he came out he was rejoicing greatly. His father met him and said to him: My son, although we are Sadducees, we are afraid of the Pharisees. He said to him: All my life I was troubled by this verse, “For in the cloud I will appear upon the cover” (Leviticus 16:2). I said: When will this come into my hands, so that I may fulfill it? Now that it has come into my hands, shall I not fulfill it? They said: It was not many days before he died and was thrown onto the dung heap, and worms were coming out of his nose. And some say: As he came out he was struck, as Rabbi Hiyya taught: A sound like a voice was heard in the Temple courtyard, for an angel came and struck him on his face. His fellow priests went in and found something like the sole of a calf’s foot between his shoulders, as it is said: “And their feet were straight feet, and the sole of their feet” (Ezekiel 1:7).
On the face of it, the Sadducee really did have good intentions and truly understood the verse differently, yet there is very sharp criticism here of the fact that he deviated from Jewish law.
Is the resolution that there it was a deviation from the formal authority of that time, or is there another explanation?
Thank you very much.
Answer
First of all, this is a deviation from the Oral Torah, and after that from the authority of the Sanhedrin. Still, if that really is what he thought, he should not be punished for it. So it may be that the Holy One, blessed be He, knew what was in his heart and he really did sin. Beyond that, when you are dealing with a public rite, you cannot do whatever your personal reasoning tells you. Preparing the incense is a communal offering, and that has to be done in accordance with the view of the authorized sages.
And after all that, it is also possible that he simply died in the ordinary way, and the Sages interpreted it incorrectly, or just took advantage of the opportunity to educate the public to act properly.
Discussion on Answer
Someone killed by an angel doesn’t get thrown onto a dung heap; on the contrary, he gets the funeral of a holy man — “Through those close to Me I will be sanctified.”
And worms don’t come out of his nose; at the very least, gold and pearls do.
That דווקא is a hint that he really died naturally when his day came.
And this is just an educational message.
“And after all that, it is also possible that he simply died in the ordinary way, and the Sages interpreted it incorrectly, or just took advantage of the opportunity to educate the public to act properly.”
The Talmud says: “…and he was thrown onto the dung heap, and worms were coming out of his nose”…