Religious Coercion
Is there room in an ideal, religious world to coerce Jews to obey the commandments of the Torah? Can force be employed to guarantee that everyone fulfill the mitzvot and refrain from the prohibitions of the Torah? If a person is forced to sit in a sukka or eat matzah against his will, is his performance of the mitzva of any value? These questions are especially important in medical cases. Can a patient be forced, against his or her will, to accept medical treatment? Join Rabbi Dovid Fink as he surveys the writings of the greatest authorities (פוסקים) on these issues.
Religious Coercion: Lesson 1
Forcing Fulfillment of Mitsvot Is there room in an ideal, religious world to coerce Jews to obey the commandments of the Torah? Can force be employed to guarantee that everyone fulfill the mitzvot and refrain from the prohibitions of the Torah? If a person is forced to sit in a sukka or eat matzah against his will, is his performance of the mitzva of any value? In our first class we will begin the discussion of Rabbinical courts forcing men to divorce their wives and related matters.
In addition to being one of Rabbi Brovender's first students, Rabbi Dovid Fink is an outstanding expertﾠand teacher of Halacha. Rabbi Fink received his Rabbinic ordination from ITRI and the Mir and was awarded his Ph.D in Semitic Languages and Linguistics from Yale University. Rav Fink has taught thousands of students from all over the world for over 35 years.