SOLVING THE FAITH-REASONING CONUNDRUM

Selected Halachos from the “One Minute Halacha” project

By HaRav Yosef Yeshaya Braun, Shlita,
Mara D’asra and member of the Badatz of Crown Heights

EMUNA (FAITH) OR YEDI’AH (KNOWLEDGE) OF HASHEM: WHICH IS THE MITZVAH?

The first of the Aseres HaDibros (Decalogue, Ten Statements Hashem said at Har Sinai), “Anochi Hashem Elokecha” (I am Hashem your G-d), has been understood by many Rishonim as a mitzvah to acknowledge Hashem. This mitzvah was interpreted two different ways by G’dolei Yisroel: some said the mitzvah is l’haamin (to believe in Hashem); others maintained that the mitzvah is leida (to know Hashem).

Those who interpreted the mitzvah as leida argued that being commanded to believe in Hashem—l‘haamin—is problematic for the following reasons:

Emuna is a feeling that’s either present or isn’t; it can’t be conjured up by way of command.

Emuna in the Eibeshter (G-d) is a prerequisite for obeying His commands, so the mitzvah to believe paradoxically presupposes that the one being commanded already believes that there is a metzaveh (One who commands).

Emuna is limited: it isn’t powerful enough to affect a person b’p’nimius (internally).

Therefore, they say, the mitzvah must be leida: to achieve a personal, intellectual recognition of Hashem’s existence through logical inquiries and by using our own powers of reasoning.

On the other hand, those who argue that emuna is the correct interpretation of the mitzvah make the case that emuna expresses the unvarnished truth, reflecting exactly what Torah tells us about Hashem, whereas yediah is colored by our own understanding. In fact, left to our own devices, our intellect might lead us to the wrong conclusions.

The preferred approach is to merge the two: we should achieve as much as possible with our own seichel (intellect), and allow faith to take over from there. The unique approach of Chassidus—Chassidus Chabad in particular—is to take concepts from the world of emuna and utilize the power of our seichel (mind) to internalize them.

MAY RECENT MODELS OF URNS BE USED ON SHABBOS?

Many recent models of urns come with a gauge which indicates how much water is in the urn. Since it’s connected to the main chamber, its water level rises and falls accordingly; thus, whenever water is taken from the urn, some water leaves the gauge and re-enters the main chamber of the urn. If the water in the gauge isn’t heated before Shabbos, then letting water out of the urn will cause cold water from the gauge to enter the main chamber and be heated up, which is a very serious problem of mevashel (the prohibition of cooking) on Shabbos.

Fortunately, the water in the gauge of many models is heated when the water in the urn is boiled for the first time; it then gradually cools off and isn’t maintained at boiling point like the rest of the water. If the water in the gauge hasn’t cooled down completely and is still warm enough to be served as a warm drink, there is no problem with it being reheated when it re-enters the main chamber of the urn. In many models, all that needs to be done initially is to let a bit of water out of the urn before Shabbos begins, or to tip the urn backwards; doing so causes all of the water to heat up before Shabbos. However, if the water in the gauge cools off completely over the course of Shabbos, it becomes a problem again.

There are certain urns on the market that come with rabbinic approval for Shabbos use. Alternatively, one should use an urn without a water level indicator, or examine how the gauge in their urn operates to determine whether it’s permissible to use it on Shabbos. One can also seal the hole of between the water gauge and the main chamber of the urn with duct tape which will prevent the water in the gauge from entering the main chamber.

SHOULD SCHOOLS TAKE CHILDREN TO A LEVAYA OF A PROMINENT PERSON?

The halacha is that despite the fact that, under certain conditions, mevatlin talmud Torah (the study of Torah is interrupted) for hachnasas kalla (participating in a wedding) and halvayas hameis (attending a funeral), the Torah learning of tinokos shel beis rabban (children studying Torah) should never be interrupted for any reason, even for building the Beis HaMikdash.

Nevertheless, it’s not uncommon for yeshivos to allow their students to attend levayos of certain prominent individuals. Poskim agree that there’s room for leniency if the levaya is for an exceptional gadol b‘Yisroel (a great Torah leader), or a major supporter of the yeshiva whom it’s important to show recognition to.

The reality is that schools today often close for far less important reasons. However, each case should be given serious consideration to determine whether the particular funeral calls for making an exception; otherwise, regular classes should continue without interruption even when there is a levaya.

IS CHINUCH THE MITZVAH OF THE FATHER OR THE MOTHER?

There are some mitzvos that involve women, often in crucial roles, although they aren’t obligated to perform them. One example is peru urvu (the mitzvah of bringing children into the world), which is the obligation of the husband, yet the wife is clearly the key person in implementing it, and she gets a special s’char (reward) for being mesayeia (assisting) and enabling her husband to fulfill the mitzvah.

Similarly, the mitzvah of chinuch (Torah-based education) is incumbent upon the father, yet it’s indisputable that the ikar (primary) chinuch is accomplished by the mother who is the akeres habayis (mainstay of the home). This phenomenon is confirmed by the Shaloh who states that she carries the main responsibility for instilling yiras Shamayim (fear of Heaven) into her children.

One chassidic explanation for the seeming discrepancy between who the mitzvos are addressed to and what happens in reality, is that the woman’s role in the family is a given; she inherently understands the importance of bearing children and having a large family, and she also possesses an innate sensitivity and the skills needed to educate her children. Thus, there is no need to explicitly command her to do so.

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