Readers tell me the Manifesto disagrees with the Ritva (oho!), so the Ritva must be right and the Manifesto wrong…
Here’s the relevant quote (right before the ending, pages 7-8):
Perhaps this is also Rava’s intention, Makos 17b:
… אמר רבא דילידא אימיה כרבי שמעון תיליד ואי לא לא תיליד…
… Said Rava: When one’s mother is giving birth, he should pray the child be like Rabbi Shimon [bar Yochai], and if the child is not going to be like Rabbi Shimon, she should not give birth at all…
Of course, Hashem will then do as He deems fit in His infinite power and unfathomable wisdom with each and every soul (which would dissolve the Ritva’s obvious question on the universal girsa: ולא גרסינן ואי לא לא תלד כי הרבה יש למטה מר”ש שטוב להם להוליד).
End quote.
Nu, give me a break!
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