Finally, although the Mishna Berura was written by a great sage, he was not a practicing rabbi. The author of the Aruch Hashulchan, however, was both a great sage and a practicing rabbi. As such, Rav Epstein was much more involved with the community and had first-hand familiarity with the problems and challenges that people faced. Because of this, he had much more skill and experience in applying halacha to real-life situations and individual needs. Indeed, Rav Moshe Feinstein is reported to have said that the Aruch Hashulchan is to take precedence over the Mishna Berura for this reason alone.[4] There is a growing list of other contemporary halachic authorities who concur, as well.
very interesting
ReplyDeleteSo did rav Aharon singlehandedly put the MB on the map?
Rav Heineman said his rebbe Rav Aharon always carried the Mishna Berura with him to give it greater status
ReplyDeleteShould note that rav Eliyahu Henkin, zt'l, also prioritized the AH over the MB
ReplyDelete