- Sections
- Ein Ayah
70
Ein Ayah: The purpose of the entire Torah and all its details is to instill its holiness and the depth of its great value in the hearts of the nation of Hashem. Therefore, the details of the mitzvot are the aspects that are most clear, and through them the nation as a whole expresses their inner feeling of how dear and great the Torah is in their hearts.
On occasion, it happens that a certain leniency will be the medium to cause an overwhelming feeling of honor and sanctity of the Torah. It is not necessarily by means of the specific halachic ruling but from a more holistic understanding that brings the people to respect the Sages who have a fear of Heaven and to sense their great value. In such a case, it is fine for there to be a decision that leans, even surprisingly, towards leniency. For the leniency itself that is connected to the honor of the Sages will give this lofty feeling of dependence on a great rabbi in a manner that is equivalent to the practical impact of an act of stringency.
The leniency can be even more powerful than a stringency. This is because the stringency will be based only on the specific detailed case while giving honor to the Sages who ruled leniently and heeding their words is based on the larger value of a mitzva that includes the foundation of all of the Oral Torah and is the basis for the covenant between Hashem and Am Yisrael. This mitzva is the obligation to heed the words of the Sages.
Rebbi found a need to be stringent regarding insulating cold foods on Shabbat, in order to strengthen people’s appreciation for the lofty sanctity of Shabbat. However after hearing that Rabbi Yossi ruled leniently on the matter, he declared: "The elder has already ruled leniently." This came about because Rabbi Yossi saw fit that in his time this was the correct evaluation. Rebbi now ascertained that there was a judgement that was more inclusive (than the specific mitzva of Shabbat), and this leniency itself would bring an abundance of holiness for those who cling to it. For it would strengthen in the hearts of the nation their appreciation and honor of the Sages. This would result in life and bring a strengthened sense of holiness. That is why Rebbi declared, "The elder has already ruled leniently."

Our 5 Levels of Life & Existence
Ein Aya Shabbat 5,21
Rabbi Ari Shvat | Iyar 5783

The Element of Hashem’s Name Needed for a Bracha
Various Rabbis | 5771

When to Downplay Physicality
Various Rabbis | 5770

The Good Smell that Comes from the Burning of Good Wood
Various Rabbis | Nisan 6 5778

How Does a Heter Iska Work?
Rabbi Yirmiyohu Kaganoff | 5770
Menachem Mendel of Vitebsk: The Pioneering Rebbe
Rabbi Eliezer Melamed | Iyar, 5763

The Mitzvah of “Duchening” - Birchas Kohanim
Rabbi Yirmiyohu Kaganoff | 5769

Flavor and Fragrance - The Bracha on Fragrant Fruits
Rabbi Yirmiyohu Kaganoff | 5771

Orchot Tzaddikim class 56, "Stay Quiet" i
Rabbi Ari Shvat | Nisan 5785
Daf Yomi Makkot Daf 15
R' Eli Stefansky | 25 Nisan 5785

BETWEEN YOM HASHOA & YOM HAZIKARON
Rabbi Ari Shvat | Nisan 5785
