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From: fsks@unc.UUCP (Frank Silbermann)
Newsgroups: net.religion.jewish
Subject: Re: Controlling one's ([homo]sexual) urges and Halakha
Message-ID: <254@unc.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 18-May-85 16:26:07 EDT
Article-I.D.: unc.254
Posted: Sat May 18 16:26:07 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 19-May-85 05:41:05 EDT
References: <ucdavis.161> <411@oakhill.UUCP> <564@sfmag.UUCP> <1672@cornell.UUCP> <ucdavis.191>
Reply-To: fsks@unc.UUCP (Frank Silbermann)
Organization: CS Dept., U. of N. Carolina at Chapel Hill
Lines: 19
Summary: 

In article <ucdavis.191> ee181s009@ucdavis.UUCP (ee181s009) writes
(with respect to controlling one's sinful urges and Halakha:

>	Surely the prohibition and punishment given from the mouth of G!d
>	has precedence over ANY interpretation found in the Talmud.

If the Talmud preaches tolerance for secret sinners, it does not lessen the sin.
It merely states that the punishment to be delivered need not always be as
strict as the punishment deserved.  Ever heard of mercy?

>	Perhaps we are spending far too much time studying the wisdom of men
>	and not enough time obeying the word of God.

Orthodox Jews believe that the Talmud IS the word of God,
told directly to Moses and the Israelites, and passed from
generation to generation by word of mouth until it was finally
written down by Jewish scholars a over a thousand years ago.

	Frank Silbermann