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From: abeles@mhuxm.UUCP (J. Abeles (Bellcore, Murray Hill, NJ))
Newsgroups: net.religion.jewish
Subject: Re: The Mitzvot and Humanistic Judaism - round two
Message-ID: <344@mhuxm.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 13-Mar-85 10:54:33 EST
Article-I.D.: mhuxm.344
Posted: Wed Mar 13 10:54:33 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 14-Mar-85 04:57:25 EST
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Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Murray Hill
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> > I keep the Mitzvot, as I understand them, because I am a Jew.
> > (unreferenced by name)
> 	Who says you understand them correctly ?  (Teitz)
The same question could be put to anyone:  Who says the Rambam understands
them correctly?  Who says Feinstein undertands them correctly?  Who
says Teitelbaum or Schneerson (sp?) or Brickner, or even Joseph Caro
understands them correctly?  It's all open to discussion.  The point
is therefore not "who is the correct one true interpreter of what
constitutes Judaism?" but rather "what do I regard as the most correct
interpretation of what constitutes Judaism?" since this latter question is
logically antecedent to the first one and is not trivial by any means.
Though it is logically antecedent, one should expose oneself to others'
opinions in the attempt to form one's own opinion.  The amount of
attention devoted to this question is obviously also an issue which
gets decided based upon factors not related to Judaism. This
is as it should be, as I regard it as inappropriate to think only
of halachkic issues in life.

--J. Abeles