"Anyone not commanded to do something, yet does it, is called an idiot"
--Yerushalmi Shabbat 2:1
No, I am not marvelously well-read in Talmud.
I found this splendid quote in an old posting by ADDERabbi (blog here: http://adderabbi.blogspot.com/ ; see the posting entitled 'ON CHUMRA' dated 02/08/05 here: http://adderabbi.blogspot.com/2005_02_01_adderabbi_archive.html).
He writes: "If one assumes that the content of a mitzvah is determined exclusively by God's commandment, then the act is rendered meaningless in the absence of command."
Which, of course, reminds me that a goy who keeps shabbes is according to some of Chazal, chayav misah.
Apropos thereto, a meise:
...Rav Yitzhok ben Shloime had an old friend with whom he would go out drinking during the week. One year he asked his friend to join him for Peysach, but his friend declined, saying that he could not come as he was not Jewish.
"You’re not Jewish? We’ve been studying Toireh together for years – vos meinstu, you’re not Jewish?!?!"
"Azoy", sogt der Goy, "who else should I discuss tiefe sheyles with in this farkakte village filled with ignorant mediaeval peasants, prior to the invention of printing, widespread literacy, and the internet?"
"But you’re shomer shabbes! A goy who keeps shabbes is chayav misah!"
"Actually, I never kept shabbes – I always put my keys in my pocket when I went out."
"Ober, ober.., mir hobn an eruv!"
"Myeh…., I don’t hold from that eruv".
-----B.O.T.H.
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3 comments:
I've always enjoyed that joke.
More importantly... I think the Jewish world would be a better place if more people learned the first part of this post. MUCH better place.
I have also always enjoyed that joke.
My question is, if keeping unnecessary hhumras is hidiotic because of that Talmudic quote, what about women performing commandments that they are peturot from?
My question to them would be 'why?'
Given the limitations on their involvement in certain mitzvos because of their gender - whether or not that limitation is arguably dis-adhered to or not is immaterial - what they need to determine is whether performing those other mitzvos strengthens observance.
Assuming, of course, that there is no halacha which would keep them form performing those mitzvos in the first place.
An inquiry could also be launched into whether certain practises are, in all details, according to halacha, or whether certain particulars are cultural in origin - the minhag of the makom, as it were (and yes, I know makom is also a stand-in for the Name, but not here).
If the details are culturally based, then there would be less of a stringency.
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