Halakhic Thought

[debka_notion]

So the egal minyan at JTS does not give the first and second aliyot to a kohen and levi, respectively. However today the person to whom they gave the first aliyah was a kohen. And they went on about their usual progression, so the next person was not a levi, nor did they give the second aliyah to the same person. And I understand not giving out aliyot based on that status issue, and since it was established for the sake of peace, I wouldn't complain about a minyan that does not hold by it for the sake of peace. But once you do call a kohen for the aliyah- I do wonder what the best choice of action would have been. On the other hand, they had handed out the aliyot in advance, and I know that once you call someone, you don't replace them, even if you should have called someone else- so maybe handing out the aliyot has some of the same status. It's just an interesting thing to think about.

Comments

[debka-notion.livejournal.com]

The question is- have most people with doctorates created something of real worth that is a real achievement by doing so. If so, then I at least think that that's a worthwhile distinction (even if as far as I know, no one with a doctorate should go by Dr. in social contexts). But as far as "who says"- with rabbinic titles, presumably that does apply. I don't know- if someone is ordained by an insitution or individual rabbi you think is heretical/unqualified to ordain/a bunch of idiots with carrots in their ears- would you call them up for an aliyah sans title?

"hilkhata de-meshihata"- this is a new term for me. Define/translate, perhaps?

For me the goal is to recognize uniqueness and at the same time to offer a fairly level playing field for those who want it. And I don't see how specifically not being able to get a particular aliyah really makes a difference in someone's feeling of religious empowerment. And it's traditional, and it does serve a function of identification and a reason to remember our roots- hence I see no reason why giving out a kohen and levi aliyah is such a problem. On the other hand- well, clearly I feel differently about gender-egalitarianism, but perhaps if I hadn't grown up in an egalitarian setting I might feel differently. As it is- in Orthodox contexts, it isn't the seperate seating that I mind, it's not having a Use.

[hotshot2000.livejournal.com]

I think it's tricky; on the one hand, being identified for an aliyah by one's title is a mark of communal acceptance/respect for that person to have that title, and on the other hand, one ought to respect people's individual preferences for being called up. (I wrangled with an Orthodox shul -- where I was visiting as an intern type! -- about calling me up with both my mother's and father's name, as is my minhag. In the end they refused, and I was royally pissed, so I quoted the New Testament by name in my "sermon.")

My point is to say that we often go by presumptions about people without really knowing them and whether they deserve it, and this undermines the sort of true egalitarianism that some people advocate.

Hilkhata de-meshihata = halakha shel ha-mashiah, i.e., a law that will only be enacted in Messianic times.

And your last paragraph, well, right on!