A major point of interest was Rav Moshe's influence on gedolim. Concerning wearing a plastic rain covering on a hat Rav Moshe said it was prohibited. In contrast Rav Aharon Kotler viewed that it was permitted. However Rav Aharon told people not to use it in deference to Rav Moshe. Similarly I once visited Ner Yisroel and observed Rav Ruderman learning from a sefer during the repetition of the Amida. When I came the following year he didn’t pick up a sefer and learn during that time. I asked one of his students who said that Rav Ruderman had heard that Rav Moshe was against the practice so he stopped. The son of a major rabbi from California told me that his father had gone to Rav Moshe a number of times regarding cases of Aguna and that he had got a heter based on mekach ta'os. After Rav Moshe was niftar he had a new but similar case so he went to Rav Eliashiv to get a heter. Rav Eliashiv told him that he didn't agree with the heter and would not give it. But those given by Rav Moshe were valid in spite of his disagreement with the justification.
I've heard that in Israel, he was less influential, highly respected but poskim were more independent...?
ReplyDeleteWhen I came to Israel he was viwed here promarily as a tzadik and posek for primarily for Americans. there were already many major poskim in Israel as opposed to America. That has changed
DeleteIt's interesting how the system has evolved since then.
DeleteBack then, America had its poskim and Israel had its poskim and zeyer shein.
Today there's a deference in America - sure they have their poskim and their Agudah but the understanding it that the Israeli poskim and Agudah are the ones in charge and the Americans have to accede to their lead.
So the last bit about Rav Elyashiv
ReplyDeleteIs quite strange. He's basically saying that there's no inherent truth to halakha, but rather it's all about personality.
He's saying that the heter is "reform" , but because Rav Moshe was a Gadol hador, then he will allow it.
Which in actual fact shows the corruption of the hareidi world and Daas Torah.
It's all a game, isn't it? It's all hypocrisy
Be honest.
I wrote about this years ago, that halakha needs to be approached in a science-style manner.
DeleteIf a person presents at a scientific or medical conference, he is expected to back up anything in the lecture with appropriate research references. If he said anything novel or controversial, it has to be supported by evidence. Otherwise he's laughed off the stage.
So if a Gadol(tm) announces that he's issuing a different p'sak than another Gadol(tm), he needs to lead with "I am disagreeing with him and here's why." If he can refute the other authority, let him present his reasoning. If he had a different approach to the sources, let him say that his analysis led to a different but equally legitimate conclusion.
Saying "The heter is no good but because it was Rav Moshe" is like saying "Well the brain surgeon wants to do the wrong procedure but since he's so famous"
In the "Sefer Chassidim al Hatorah" controversy, RMF referred the case to Rav Elyashiv cause the Sefer was published in Israel. So they did work with each other.
ReplyDeleteOf course, that only applied to copies sold in Israel. Which led to differences in copies sold in chu"l and those sold in Israel.
What was that about and when's did it take place?
Delete