Re: Celebrating American holidays
Daniel Eidensohn (yadmoshe@netmedia.net.il)
Fri, 08 Aug 1997 00:33:21 -0700
Elozor Preil wrote:
>IMHO,'baal nefesh' does not include anyone who went to
>yeshiva. From Rav Moshe's standard line: "u'baal nefesh yachmir al atzmo",
>it seems to me that it refers to a person who feels this chumra is "ra'uy"
>(appropriate, fitting) for him/her. If, in fact, it is a chumra, then it
>is irresponsible to present it in a general "Torah forum" as standard or
>required halachic procedure.
I just wanted to support Elozor's opinion. I was told by one of Reb Moshe's
grandchildren that Reb Moshe never had a specific standard for Baal Nefesh
- such as all Yeshiva students. He understood that Reb Moshe meant that it
was dependent entirely upon the individual's self awareness.
Daniel Eidensohn