Guest post
Hi R’ Eidensohn,
I enjoy your blog very much. I wanted to send this to you re: your recent posts about Daas Torah, especially since the Chazon Ish was used as an example…
I attached the relevant positions of Chazon Ish Emunah U’Bitachon for your convenience.
The Chazon Ish defines a Talmid Chacha as someone who is an expert in most of Shas to the point of Halacha Lema'aseh (see 3:23). This already precludes your average shul Rav or Rosh Yeshiva from the mix of Da’as Torah.
Further, the Chazon Ish writes (3:30) that the logic behind Emunas Chachomim is that a Talmid Chochom greatest concern is his own spiritual well-being, and therefore he will not alter the truth for money or for what people think.
He further differentiates between negius - partiality and shochad – bribery. Why is it that a Rov is allowed to rule on his own question of chometz sheovar alav haPesach no matter how valuable the merchandise is, while when judging, even one penny’s worth of bribery disqualifies him?
He explains that this is a gezeiras hakasuv - a chok that we do not understand.
My understanding of this is that when one is seeking advice, his worst enemy is his own bias. Finding someone to seek advice form who is above the bias would be wise and worthwhile. However, someone who is not educated or experienced enough to fully understand the matter at hand will be of no help no matter how little bias he has.
There is a story with R’ Chaim Brisker where his community was seeking a new chazon. They asked R’ Chaim to choose between on who had a good voice but not all the ma’alos listed in Shulchan Aruch and another who didn’t have such a melodious voice but had all the other ma’alos. R’ Chaim selected the one with the good voice because a good voice is essence of a chazzan where the ma’alos are just side benefits. So to, with an advisor. Knowledge and understanding of the matter at hand are the essence of someone who can give good advice.
Of course, hafoch ba vehafoch ba dekulah ba! Those on the level of having knowledge of worldly matters through Torah study can make fine advisors too.
Unfortunately, I have not encountered many people who are completely above being influenced by money. I heard from a Grandson of R’ Avigdor Miller who was close with Reb Moshe z”l who said that R’ Moshe praised R’ Miller as having this quality since he was not beholden to anyone. Any Rabbi who needs to fundraise etc. is beholden to many. Hence, their opinions may not be true da’as Torah.
The Chazon Ish defines a Talmid Chacha as someone who is an expert in most of Shas to the point of Halacha Lema'aseh (see 3:23). This already precludes your average shul Rav or Rosh Yeshiva from the mix of Da’as Torah.
ReplyDeleteThat's a bit of a leap of faith. The poskim discuss in several areas whether anyone has the halacha of a Talmud Chacham nowadays - meaning the from the days of the Magan Avraham etc.
My understanding of this is that when one is seeking advice, his worst enemy is his own bias. Finding someone to seek advice form who is above the bias would be wise and worthwhile. However, someone who is not educated or experienced enough to fully understand the matter at hand will be of no help no matter how little bias he has.
You have actually violated the Chazon Ish's principle in your conclusion!! It seems as if your own bias has brought you to a wrong conclusion. If a person who has properly removed his negios or bias, then he will have no problem answering what he knows, and deferring on what he does not know. For me, or you, to decide what a serious Osek B'Torah's area of expertise is, is not wise. For me to conclude that he would not have the intellectual honesty to tell me that he does not know in an area that he does not know, is only my own bias of seeking to discard the authority of Torah and it's learners in my life.
The Alter from Slabodka in the sefer Or Ha'tzafoon deals with the issue
ReplyDeleteof Sho'chud. In life we are always being
challenged by self-interest and doing the right thing, so acting
inappropriately because of bribery or conflict of interest is not something the
wise and saintly among would do. The
problem of sho'chud is with litigation,
that we identify with one party so much that we cannot imagine them doing
something wrong. We have no problem with losing money when we decide my cow is
treif or a mezuzah is pasul as we are not judging ourselves, judging an object.
According to the Chazon Ish it is a gezeiras ha'katuv – you have God's help with
orach chaim and not with mishpat