Reply To: About the RCA, I do shudder.

‘milei d’alma’ means matters of everyday concern- not ruled by halacha. Examples (in modern terms): Do I support republicans or democrats? Do I join a demonstration against the medinah? (in historic terms): do I leave Europe for fear of the Nazis ,even though jewish life is not as developed in (say) the US?

Can you describe them a bit more in abstract please? Like are you referring to things that are part of how Hashem wants us to act and conveyed that to us through the Torah? What are these things?

My basic rule is that we have to follow the Torah, and the rabbonim know the Torah better than we do and are more equipped to determine what the Torah wants. So anything that is in the province of the Torah, is in the province of the rabbonim.

I don’t know if we have the same understanding of your examples, but here are my answers for them:

R’s or D’s: Depends on if the reason is something that has to do with Judaism. Like if D’s want to outlaw bris milah or something (in 20 years).

Protest Israel: Depends if the reason is something that has to do with Judaism. So if it is because we think they are making a chillul Hashem, that seems absolutely in the Torah’s province.

Leave Europe: Depends on if the reasons are something that has to do with Judaism. So if it is just political predicting, then no. But if it is related to the spiritual risks of America, then that is absolutely in the Torah’s province.

What is your distinguishing line? Do you distinguish between things that are “halacha” and other things the Torah demands of us? That seems like a strange distinction, and I doubt such a line can be consistently drawn.