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From: am@vilya.UUCP (MALEK)
Newsgroups: net.religion.jewish
Subject: Re: Not a Proof
Message-ID: <174@vilya.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 7-Aug-85 12:48:52 EDT
Article-I.D.: vilya.174
Posted: Wed Aug  7 12:48:52 1985
Date-Received: Mon, 12-Aug-85 07:11:05 EDT
References: <628@sfmag.UUCP> <213@sesame.UUCP>
Distribution: net
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories
Lines: 29

> > > a)  Torah law is based on "consent of the governed", said 
> > >     consent having been given at Mt. Sinai.
> > 
> > I realize that there are midrashim that say (on the surface) that
> > the  acceptance  of  our  forefathers  is  somehow binding on us.
> > However, these can be  interpreted homiletically.  I know  of  no
> > source   which  interpret  these  midrashim  halachically.  (Does
> > anyone?)  				Yitzchok Samet
> 
> For whatever it is worth, in chasidus we learn that ALL jewish souls
> of all times were at Sinai and ALL accepted to Torah.  Therefore, every
> jew has already accepted to Torah.	Simcha-Yitzchak Lerner

This is not based on chassidus, but on a pasuk in Devarim, Parshat Nitzavim:
	Ki et asher yeshno fo imanu omed hayom lifnai adonai elohainu v'et 
   asher ainenu po imanu hayom. (sixth pasuk in Nitzavim).
   (free translation: whoever is here is standing with us today as we sign 
   this treaty with Hashem and whoever is not here is also with us today)

	The involuntary acceptence of the Torah by the Jews bothered the
sages throughout the ages; therefore the midrashim about a second
acceptence in the time of Mordechai and Esther and many covenants in the
time of Joshua, Nehemiah, etc. This is also part of the reason for the
great significance of the public acceptence of the "yoke of mitzvot" at 
the age of 13(12).
>>> Does anyone have a proper answer to Samet's question?
				Avi Malek
-- 
Avi Malek @ATT Bell Labs Parsippany, NJ