Tuesday, April 12, 2016

Agaddah and Halacha

Aggadah is always young - freshness and youth hover about it. It has the burning fire of life that is excitedly renewed, the labor pains of never ending creation and the great beauty of blue skies and the sweet scent of blossoming trees and a field full of flowers. Halacha is the old one full of respect for the past. Old age infuses it, and it is based in ancient times in the early days of the formation of this nation at the holy mountain. Thousands of years have passed and it is a strong as ever guarding the appearance of the Jewish Nation like the Rock of Gibraltar. Eternity is chiseled into its furrowed brow.
It is an error to lean to one side or the other - to choose either Halacha or Aggadah . They are two sides of the same coin - of the spirit of Judaism, of the fullness of the Torah. Halacha is the fortress-wall of Judaism, of the Nation, family and individual that keeps them strong for generations exhibiting the same character as earlier generations. Agaddah is the constant fire within the soul. It burns in hearts that are awake, it gives light, warmth and inspiration. Together, they are the treasure that God gave us and we may not place one above the other.
Rav Yechiel Yaakov Weinberg, הגדה ואף אתה אמור לו

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