Kefirah Clarification
It has been pointed out that the FrumTeens moderator does not state that Religious Zionists and the Modern Orthodox are Kofrim (in fact he believes that they are not kofrim), merely that they formally follow hashkofos that are kefirah. But how can a person espouse and practise kefirah all their lives and yet not be a kofer? Regardless, those who somehow make this distinction should read titles of "kofer" on this blog as shorthand for "espousers of kefirah." Someone who believes in Republican policies and implements them in his life can be described as a Republican even if he isn't a registered voter.
posted by Schaefer @ 6:09 AM
3 comments
3 Comments:
The Moderator makes the following point:
There are 2 levels of Apikorsus: (a) When someone purposely argues with the Torah, and (b) when someone mistakenly believes the Torah holds like him.
In case A, the person is an Apikores no matter what the point is that he disagrees with the Torah about. Once someone says "I know the Torah believes this but I disagree," hes an Apikores.
In case B, where a person says "I would never disagree with the Torah, and since the Torah says that G-d has a nose, I believe that" --- which is analogous to most Zionists --- then you are an APikores only if you disagree with or ar doubtful about one of the 13 Ikarim. SO if you believe Hashem has a nose because it "says so in the Torah" then you are an Apikores since one of the 13 priciples is that G-d is incorporeal. However, if you believe, let's say, that Haman lived in the days of Moshe (which the Koran actually says! I guess Mohammad didnt know too much Tanach) then even though your belief is Apikorsus (since it disagrees with the Torah) you are still entitled to be counted in a Minyan etc. because you do not intend to disagree with the Torah.
http://www.frumteens.com/topic.php?topic_id=3698&forum_id=45&topic_title=If+Zionism+is+Apikorsus+and+Avodah+Zorah...&forum_title=Zionists%2C+and+Arabs%2C+and+Eretz+Yisroel&M=0&S=1
Mind you, the author of FrumTeensWatchWatch argued in a post (aimed at insulting me for something I wrote here) the converse:
That when the Rambam writes anyone who believes X is a kofeir, that doesn't imply that X is kefirah.
Yes, it's true that not everyone who believes in kefirah is culpable for it. (Although according to R' Chaim Brisker, they would be "nebich an apiqoreis", still applying the title.) This is why a Jew who believes in heresy who was raised in a home where heresy was taught still can't touch your wine.
However, the converse is not true: If the Rambam describes a set of beliefs as the sole qualification for being a kofeir, that set is the sole qualification for kefirah.
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