Up For Debate - Ongoing Halachic Disputes

“Up For Debate” explores enduring Jewish philosophical controversies that have sparked passionate discussion and debate over the past two millennia, from questions about learning halacha from heaven to debates over secular studies, paid Torah learning, and the reconciling science and belief. In this series with Rabbi David Sedley examine how these fundamental halachic disputes have evolved across generations and shows how they are still being argued and debated today.
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Up For Debate - Ongoing Halachic Disputes: Machloket – Dispute
In this class we look at the machloket about the nature of machloket.
If the entirety of Torah was given to Moshe at Sinai, and was transmitted faithfully to the leaders of each generation, how did we end up with different opinions in halacha?
I discuss three possible answers, each of which is espoused by a Rishon (medieval rabbi):
- There is virtually no dispute at all. Everyone agrees about the fundamentals. Dispute is only on the details, and because those details were forgotten or not learned properly.
- Very little of the halacha comes from Sinai. But there is no disagreement about the halachot that were given at Sinai. However, most of the halacha is derived from principles that were given at Sinai, and different rabbis applied those principles in different ways.
- All the various opinions were given to Moshe at Sinai. Whatever any later rabbi says was already said at Sinai. The task of the rabbis is not to remember and pass on the halachot, but to rule, based on majority, which of the heavenly opinions to follow.
I then look at ways this dispute about dispute plays out in the modern era, with different approaches to Torah and dispute.
Up For Debate - Ongoing Halachic Disputes: Up For Debate? Ongoing Halachic Disputes
Up For Debate - Ongoing Halachic Disputes: Up For Debate? Ongoing Halachic Disputes
Up For Debate - Ongoing Halachic Disputes: Up For Debate? Ongoing Halachic Disputes
Up For Debate - Ongoing Halachic Disputes: Up For Debate? Ongoing Halachic Disputes
Up For Debate - Ongoing Halachic Disputes: Up For Debate? Ongoing Halachic Disputes
Up For Debate - Ongoing Halachic Disputes: Up For Debate? Ongoing Halachic Disputes
Up For Debate - Ongoing Halachic Disputes: Up For Debate? Ongoing Halachic Disputes
Rabbi David Sedley lives in Jerusalem with his wife and six children. He was born and raised in New Zealand before coming to Israel in 1989. He left Israel temporarily (for eight years) to serve as a communal Rabbi in Scotland and England and returned to Israel in 2004. His latest book is "The Elephant of Deliberate Forgetfulness: and other unexpected interpretations of the weekly Torah reading". He has also translated Rabbeinu Yonah's commentary on Pirkei Avos and is the co-author of Sefiros: Spiritual Refinement Through Counting the Omer (both Judaica Press). Over the years Rabbi Sedley has worked as a journalist, a translator, a video director and in online reputation management. He also writes a weekly Torah blog on the Times of Israel.