Igros Moshe (O.C. 01:109): This that you apologize for disagreeing with me in a halachic issue – this is totally unnecessary. That is because this is the way of Torah that it is necessary to establish the truth. Chas v’shalom to silence one who disagrees with you – whether he is being more lenient or more strict. [While there is a discussion about disagreeing in a formal court session Sanhedrin 36 where the court is deciding on the guilt or innocence…] it is not a problem to disagree with the gadol (greatest scholar) when he is saying something in the course of teaching the material or even if he is making a practical halachic ruling but he is not part of a formal court. We see this in many places in the gemora where students question their teacher’s view. … It is obvious in these cases the rulings were not part of a formal court session. Furthermore it is apparent that there is no one today who has the status of gadol for this law that no one can disagree with him… Therefore even if you consider me to be a gadol – it is permitted to disagree with me and consequently it is required that you express your opinion and there is no need to apologize. Nevertheless regarding the halachic question that was raised, my view -that I wrote that it is prohibited - is the correct one.
There are those that would disagree with him about disagreeing 😆
ReplyDeleteWho is big enough aside from yourself?
DeleteGenerally, the post Rav Moshe era was monolithic and nobody could disagree.
DeleteTwo thoughts
ReplyDelete1) A Rav I used to learn with (before CoVID took him, z"l) told me about his Rav who was a posek. He apparently asked once if it was okay to disagree with Gedolim. The Rav told him that, if he wanted, he could disagree with Rav Moshe, z"l. It's just he'd have to study day and night and make sure he put together a damned strong teshuvah before daring to do so. I think Rav Moshe was interested in truth, not dogma and if someone could show him a different way of looking at any issue that was grounded in Torah, he's have been thrilled to see the different point of view.
2) I think it was the Chasam Sofer I heard the story about where he was in an argument with another posek and it kept going back and forth and the posek had an answer for all the CS's challenges and someone asked him "Nu? Maybe he's right?" and the CS's answer was "He may be right but I'm the Chasam Sofer and the halakha always follows me."
I asked Rav Dovid Feinstein about his fathers use of Daas Torah to justify his psak. He answered he had never heard his father say that since he was the gadol hador his psak was to be accepted. he always insisted on the primacy of reasoning and proofs. While the supreme authority of gedolim seems to be accepted today in reality there is no halachic basis except for a minority view of the Chinuch which equates gedolim to the Sanhedrin. This clearly was not Rav Moshe's view. While Rav Rappapot., Rav Moshe Tendler's son in law agreed with Rav Dovid, Rav Mordechai Tendler told me that at one time his father wanted to create a medical school which Rav Moshe opposed. When his father would not back down, Rav Moshe told him "That as the gadol Hador he prohibited the plan."
DeleteBottom line the supreme authority of gedolim is a modern creation and has no clear basis in tradition or mesora
In the conflict between the Chasidim and Misnagdim, the Chasidim won. Rebbes become Gedolim. Ruach HaKodesh becomes Daas Torah. Supreme authorities that can say whatever they want and cannot be questioned. And hats instead of shtreimels
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