How about this: God commanded Avraham to sacrifice his son. But in the Achnai story, a bat kol simply stated that R Eliezer was correct; there was no command to follow R Eliezer's view.
I don't buy that. The heavenly voice stated that the halacha (or halakha if you're academic) is in accordance with R Eliezer. If we are commanded to follow halacha, and halacha is like R Eliezer... if A = B and B = C, A = C. Unless of course God never commanded us to follow halacha.
True, but why didn't the bas kol simply say -"You should all follow Rabbi Eliezer's view!"?
A different approach: Prophecy, which Avraham experienced, is very different from a Bas Kol. Prophecy is a direct encounter, a clear cut message from God (I know all the traditions we have that Avraham wasn;t dure, etc. - but stick with pshat for now). A prophecy, perhaps, is enough to override the general rule prohibiting murder.
A bas kol, however, is not a direct message from God. How exactly it is different? I can't say for sure, but it is more in the realm of "Oznecha tishma davar me'acharecha" (Isaiah) - we hear hear messages from 'behind', unclearly. Tosfos explain that a bas kol is an echo. By definition, an echo is not as clear as a diret message. And an echo is not enough to override a clear halachic principle - follow the majority.
How about this: God commanded Avraham to sacrifice his son. But in the Achnai story, a bat kol simply stated that R Eliezer was correct; there was no command to follow R Eliezer's view.
ReplyDeleteI don't buy that. The heavenly voice stated that the halacha (or halakha if you're academic) is in accordance with R Eliezer. If we are commanded to follow halacha, and halacha is like R Eliezer...
ReplyDeleteif A = B and B = C, A = C. Unless of course God never commanded us to follow halacha.
True, but why didn't the bas kol simply say -"You should all follow Rabbi Eliezer's view!"?
ReplyDeleteA different approach: Prophecy, which Avraham experienced, is very different from a Bas Kol. Prophecy is a direct encounter, a clear cut message from God (I know all the traditions we have that Avraham wasn;t dure, etc. - but stick with pshat for now). A prophecy, perhaps, is enough to override the general rule prohibiting murder.
A bas kol, however, is not a direct message from God. How exactly it is different? I can't say for sure, but it is more in the realm of "Oznecha tishma davar me'acharecha" (Isaiah) - we hear hear messages from 'behind', unclearly. Tosfos explain that a bas kol is an echo. By definition, an echo is not as clear as a diret message. And an echo is not enough to override a clear halachic principle - follow the majority.