IX. Alternative Views of the Mishna Berura’s Methodology

Simcha Fishbane’s The Method and Meaning of the “Mishnah Berurah” In his book The Method and Meaning of the “Mishnah Berurah,” Simcha Fishbane has provided an alternative view of the halakhic methodology of the Mishna Berura. He states that the Mishna Berura will seem to rule leniently in order to implicitly convey the message that it is not difficult to remain observant in order to prevent people from joining liberal movements in Judaism, yet in reality it is predominantly strict in its adjudication.1 He writes as follows: