Yevamos 90a: Rav Elchanan Wasserman’s Chakirah: Did Chazal Uproot the Mitzvah—or Does It Remain?

Rav Elchanan Wasserman's Chakirah: Does Chazal Uproot the Mitzvah—or Does It Still Exist?When Chazal tell us to refrain from fulfilling a Torah mitzvah through שב ואל תעשה, what exactly are they accomplishing?Did they actually remove the Torah obligation, leaving no mitzvah to perform? Or does the mitzvah remain fully intact, with Chazal merely instructing us not to fulfill it in that particular circumstance?This profound chakirah of Rav Elchanan Wasserman (Kovetz He'aros, Siman 69) reshapes the way we understand the authority of Chazal and the relationship between Torah law and Rabbinic enactments. Through classic examples such as shofar, lulav, and tzitzis, we'll uncover a fundamental machlokes that has far-reaching implications throughout Shas.A deep, elegant lomdus that changes the way you'll think about "יש כח ביד חכמים לעקור דבר מן התורה בשב ואל תעשה."