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September 2004/Tishrei 5765
shma.com

4() 3 4( )335% /& 3( -! CELEBRATES MITZVOT HOW WE REFASHION A *EWISH MITZVAH PRACTICE BASED ON TRADI
TIONAL OBSERVANCE AND RENEWED WRESTLINGS WITH OLD QUESTIONS 4OGETHER WE EXPLORE THE MEANING OF PRACTICES BELIEVED BY
SOME TO HAVE BEEN DIVINELY PRESCRIBED AND BY OTHERS TO HAVE BEEN HUMANLY FASHIONED BUT STILL AT THE CORE OF A FAITH SUS
TAINED BY CONCRETE DAILY BEHAVIOR &OR MANY *EWS TODAY THE VERY FACT THAT THE PERFORMANCE
OF MITZVOT IS DEEMED VOLUNTARY MAKES THEIR PERFORMANCE ALL THE MORE URGENT COMPELLING AND
MEANINGFUL

)NSIDE -ITZVOT
,EONARD &EIN
#ONSCIENCE OR
#OMMANDMENT
!DAM -INTZ
2ELIGIOUS ,AW
*EREMY +ALMANOFSKY
%THICAL )MPERATIVES
AND -ITZVOT
*OSHUA (ALBERSTAM
#OMMANDING
2ESPONSIBILITY
'OD AND -ITZVOT
2OUND 4ABLE
%DWARD &ELD
-ITZVOT (EARING
'OD S 6OICE
!NDREW 2AMER
(ONOR
.AHMA .ADICH
,OVE 9OUR
.EIGHBOR
*EFFREY 3AKS
,EARN 9OUR
#HILDREN 7ELL
,ORI ,EFKOVITZ
+AVANAH FOR A
.EW -ITZVAH
3AUL 0 7ACHS
.URTURING
-ITZVOT
-ICHAEL 2OSENAK
4EACHING -ITZVOT
$ANIEL 3OKATCH
"OOK 2EVIE W
2ACHEL #OWAN
.EW 6ISIONS
$ISCUSSION 'UIDE
*OSHUA ,OOKSTEIN
.I3HgMA
3USAN &ENDRICK
3HgMA %THICS

3H MA S LONGEVITY OWES MUCH TO THE WISDOM AND DEVOTION OF ITS FOUNDING EDITOR %UGENE "OROWITZ TO .INA #ARDIN EDITOR AND TO ITS MANY EAGER ENGAGED READERS !S ) WISH YOU OUR READERS A SWEET AND HEALTHY YEAR ) D ALSO LIKE TO INVITE YOU TO JOIN A SPE CIAL TH #ELEBRATION APPEAL 7E ACKNOWLEDGE THE LEAD DONORS ON PAGE NINE AND ON PAGE NINETEEN YOU LL lND OUT HOW YOU CAN JOIN IN CELEBRATING THE TH ISSUE OF 3H MA 4HANK YOU FOR THE MYRIAD WAYS IN WHICH YOU HELP SUSTAIN THIS JOURNAL AND EXPAND THE COMMUNAL CON VERSATION 3HANA 4OVA 3"

#ONSCIENCE OR #OMMANDMENT ,EONARD &EIN

7 ( 4 . h / - - . - . 4v ERNED BY SOMETHING OTHER THAN THE HEAVENLY POSSIBL Y MEAN IN THE ABSENCE OF A COM #OMMANDER

MANDER 7HICH IS ESSENTIALLY THE SAME RIGHT THAT 4HE COMMON PRESUMP TION IS THA T A IS EXERCISED BY THOSE OF US WHO HAVE NOT DE MITZVAH MITZVAH AS COMMANDMENT NO T VELOPED AN ENVELOPING THEOLOGY 4HE ISSUE AS GOOD DEED BECOMES A MITZVAH BECAUSE IS CONSCIENCE NOT COMMANDMENT

OF THE M TZAVEH ITS AUTHOR 4HAT AFTER ALL IS

HOW WE EXPLAIN MITZVOT THAT ARE OTHERWISE

ENTIRELY CRYPTIC 4HE REASON WE DON T EAT PIG

IS NOT BECAUSE EATING IT CREATES A RISK OF TRICHI

NOSIS RA THER WE HAVE BEEN TOLD NO T TO EA T PIG

/NE CAN GENERATE REAMS OF -IDRASH ON THE

LAWS OF SHATNES MIXING LINEN AND WOOL BUT

4HE SOURCE OF THE URGE TO
SUCH BEHAVIOR IS NOT THE
KEY QUESTION THE KEY
QUESTION IS THE BEHAVIOR

THE ULTIMATE TRUTH IS THAT THEY ARE ARBITRARY

AND MAKE NO SENSE TO US SAVE THA T THE Y ARE "U T IS NO T CONSCIENCE A VER Y UNCER TAIN COMMANDED FOUNDATION FOR A RIGHTEOUS LIFE

7HAT THEN OF THOSE OF US WHO CHOOSE TO 9ES AND NO .EITHER PUNCTILIOUS OBSER CHOOSE THAT IS TO BE SELECTIVE IN OUR OBSER VANCE OF EXTERNALLY DERIVED COMMANDMENTS VANCE OF THE LAUNDRY LIST OF COMMANDMENTS NOR INFORMED CONSCIENCE GUARAN TEES LIFE 7E CAN AND SOME OF US DO DEVELOP A THEOL WI THOU T ERROR WI THOU T SIN -AIMONIDES OGY THAT COMES WITH A SMALL PEN AND A LARGE 9OU CAN OBSERVE EVERY COMMANDMENT AND ERASER TREATING SHATNES FOR EXAMPLE MUCH S TILL BE A SCOUNDREL 3OME THING MORE IS AS WE TREA T ANIMAL SACRIlCE %RASER PLEASE AL WA YS NEEDED AND THA T SOME THING IS A 4HE PEN IS SMALL BECAUSE ALTHOUGH IN THEO SYSTEM OF SOCIAL SUPPORT (UNCH GOOD RY SUCH A THEOLOGY ALLOWS FOR THE ADDITION OF HEART IS NOT A GENETIC MUTATION BUT A LEARNED NEW COMMANDMENTS NEW COMMANDMENTS BEHAVIOR %VERY LIFE IS lLLED WITH CHALLENG ARE ALMOST NEVER ADDED .EW INTERPRETATIONS ES EACH DAY BRINGS NEW TEMPTATIONS AND ARE AS FAR AS WE GET MOST DAYS BRING NEW LAPSES FAILURES 4HE