An Amazing Solution When You Don't Know If You Have to Recite a Beracha

For example, if you were in doubt if you made a Borei Pri Ha'Etz you would say

(with the Shem): וַיְבָרֶךְ דָּוִיד אֶת ה' לְעֵינֵי כָּל הַקָּהָל וַיֹּאמֶר דָּוִיד בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה' אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אָבִינוּ מֵעוֹלָם וְעַד עוֹלָם: לְךָ ה' הַגְּדֻלָּה וְהַגְּבוּרָה וְהַתִּפְאֶרֶת וְהַנֵּצַח וְהַהוֹד כִּי כֹל בַּשָּׁמַיִם וּבָאָרֶץ לְךָ ה' הַמַּמְלָכָה וְהַמִּתְנַשֵּׂא לְכֹל לְרֹאשׁ בורא פרי העץ

A recording for the BHP daily Halachic Whatsapp group https://chat.whatsapp.com/Gz8rrxqRcfy9rMOXRLG6GS

 

Torah Im Derech Eretz: Rabbi Dr Isaac Breuer's Moriah pt 8: The State vs. Idolatry & Christianity

Fathom Summary:

To trace the historical evolution of religion's relationship with the state.

Key Takeaways

• Ancient Religion: A nationalized, state-sanctioned force with no conflict between religious and secular justice.
• Christianity: A messianic movement that, after its founder's failed return, became a Church. It separated religion from the state, offering only personal salvation and dismissing national law as irrelevant.
• Modern State: The state's power eclipsed the Church's. The French Revolution then introduced liberalism, making religion a private matter of conscience and separating belief from state-enforced law.

Topics

The Ancient State & Nationalized Religion

• A state requires three independent authorities for checks and balances:
  • Legislative: Determines laws (e.g., parliament).
  • Judiciary: Judges are independent, guided only by conscience.
  • Executive: The governing body (e.g., cabinet).
• Ancient religion was nationalized, serving as the state's official divinity.
  • This created no conflict between religious and national justice.
  • The state's priests were essentially civil servants.
• Example: The Tower of Babel was an attempt to create a universal, authoritarian nation. Its failure led to the "nationalization of divinity," where each nation adopted its own gods.

Christianity: From Messianic Hope to Church

• Christianity emerged from a historical "giving up of hope" after Rome's conquest proved the weakness of national gods.
• Core Beliefs:
  • Accepted the Jewish concept of a merciful Creator.
  • Rejected the concept of God as the "King of the nations" (Hashem Tzva'o).
  • Focused on personal salvation for the oppressed, symbolized by a single "son of man."
• Initial Stance: A messianic movement focused on an imminent end-of-days.
  • This led to a separation of religion and state: "Give to God what is God's, and to Caesar what is Caesar's."
• Evolution into a Church:
  • When the end-of-days did not arrive, Christianity became an institution.
  • It offered personal salvation for the afterlife, dismissing this world's affairs as a "veil of tears."
  • It mocked the importance of law, creating a gap between the "holy" and "profane."

The Modern State & Private Religion

• Medieval Power Struggle: The Church demanded supreme governance over states, leading to centuries of conflict.
• Reformation: Protestantism subordinated the church to the state, creating national churches (e.g., Anglican).
• Enlightenment & French Revolution:
  • The state's power eclipsed the Church's.
  • The French Revolution introduced liberalism, making religion a private matter of conscience.
  • Key Principles: Freedom of conscience and religious tolerance.
  • Rationale: Belief cannot be compelled; forced religious activity is unethical hypocrisy.

 

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Torah Im Derech Eretz: Rabbi Dr Isaac Breuer's Moriah pt 7: The Tower of Babel, Nations vs. Justice

Fathom Summary:

Moriah by Rabbi Dr Isaac Breuer 

Meeting Purpose

Reviewing Rabbi Dr. Isaac Breuer's philosophy on the modern state.

Key Takeaways

• The Sovereign State as a "Tower of Babel": Modern states are a materialization of the Tower of Babel's "let us make a name for ourselves" ethos, making them the primary source of war by recognizing no law higher than their own.
• International Law Is Powerless: "International law" is not true law but an arbitrary arrangement, powerless to compel strong nations because it lacks a sovereign enforcement mechanism.
• Sovereignty Corrupts Justice: The state's claim to absolute sovereignty replaces justice with loyalty ("my country, right or wrong"), creating both internal social conflict and external war.
• The Democratic Dilemma: Democracy's attempt to temper sovereignty with a separation of powers (Montesquieu) is fragile, especially in states without a written constitution, as seen in Israel's current judicial crisis.

Topics

The Sovereign State & International Anarchy

• Breuer (d. 1946) views the modern sovereign state as a materialization of the Tower of Babel's "let us make a name for ourselves" ethos.
• This sovereignty makes the state the sole source of law, recognizing no higher authority.
• Result → International relations become a "society of nations" based on might, not law.
  • Treaties are mere ceasefires, not true peace.
  • "International law" is an arbitrary arrangement, not true law, because it lacks a sovereign enforcement mechanism.
  • This powerlessness is evident in forums like the League of Nations and the UN.

Sovereignty vs. Justice

• Breuer argues that sovereignty replaces justice with loyalty ("my country, right or wrong").
• This creates a "double war":
  • Internal: Social conflict from a lack of absolute justice.
  • External: War between states.
• Breuer's 1940s perspective contrasts with earlier optimism (e.g., Rav Kook, Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch) about society's ethical evolution, recognizing that nationalism was not being superseded.

Types of States & Citizenship

• Breuer categorizes states by their national composition:
  • National State: Homogenous population; the state fully absorbs the nation's will.
  • Multi-National State: Multiple nationalities (e.g., Austro-Hungarian Empire); the state limits its will to benefit member ethnicities.
  • Covenantal State: A multi-national state formed by agreement among its constituent nations.
• Citizenship: A legal concept from the French Revolution intended to create unity by treating all people as equals.
  • Breuer's Critique: This ideal fails in practice, as states still grant different rights to citizens vs. non-citizens.

State Constitutions & the Democratic Dilemma

• Breuer identifies three constitutional structures:
  • Absolute State: Will is determined by a single leader (monarch, president).
  • Democracy: Will is determined by the people via a parliament.
  • Totalitarian State: Will is determined by a single party's ideology (e.g., Nazi, Communist).
• The Democratic Dilemma:
  • Democracy's attempt to temper sovereignty is the separation of powers (Montesquieu).
  • Purpose: To prevent the state's will from completely absorbing the individual.
  • Fragility: This system is vulnerable, especially in states without a written constitution, as seen in Israel's current judicial crisis.

Next Steps

• Continue the discussion, focusing on Breuer's concept of a "Torah state" and how it could function in the modern era.