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{weblog_name} - Pluralism in Action
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As we were studying the first mishna in Berachot and came to Rabbi Eliezer’s opinion that we may recite the evening shema “when the kohanim enter the Temple to eat their teruma”, the hands shot up in the air. “We looked at the commentary”, the students said, “and we see that Rabbi Eliezer means that we can say the shema at nightfall, when it’s dark, because that is when the kohanim could eat their terumah food.” I congratulated them on figuring that out. They continued, “but if he meant nightfall, why didn’t Rabbi Eliezer just say that? Why the reference to the destroyed Temple and to no longer viable kohanim and teruma foods?” “Excellent question,” I said. Just then Rabbi Seltzer walked into the room…and a magical moment of pluralistic Torah learning began. I, an Orthodox rabbi, answered the… read more