Igros Moshe (OC V #24.6) In situations where the Gra disagreed with the prevalent custom even when Ashkenazim agreed with the Sefardim, the poskim of his generation agreed that since he was much greater than the other poskim of his genersation even though they were also very great and he was also greater than the poskim even of many previous generations and therefore he had the right to disagree with them Furthermore all his students who were also gedolim in that generation agreed that the Gra could also be viewed as authoritative as a Rishon Since he was the latest posek the halacha should be according to his ruling People started accepting the Gra’s rulings in all matters even against the accepted custom. A great man and genius like the Gra is able to make changes even for Sefardim even against the rulings of the Rambam, Rif and all other Sefardi Rishonim. However no other Gedolim of the Achronim are able to do this. Nonetheless the customs of the Gra were not accepted by everyone even in Vilna and they were not insistent that his customs be observed
I thought he wasn't a dayan and didn't give practical rulings?.or is that not accurate?
ReplyDeleteEven if you claim he was that great, he still wasn't greater than the rishonim.
People make frenzied claims about their own Gedolim. Eg Rav soloveitchik made the wishful claim that his grandfather was greater than the Gra.
Not a dayan? Dude, he didn't even have semicha.
Deletea few years ago I read an interview with the Rogatchover Gaon, so it was 1930s just before the war. He was saying that there is some local Talmid chacham who is greater than the Gra.
DeleteSo this whole Gra-dolatry thing is nonsense, it is just a way of domineering over people. Everyone else is saying " i know someone who is even greater than the Gra.
Like i heard in Lubavitch once, the 7th Rebbe was greater than all the previous rebbes, even the first one...
A Lubavitcher once told me that the Rebbe wasn't just greater than the Freidiker but the greatest human being to ever live, holier than Moshe Rabeinu, smarter than Shlomo Hamelech.
DeleteI despite hero worship. I think the reason I liked Rav Steinsaltz, zt"l, so much is because, despite being one of the greatest Jewish educators and commentators, like, ever, he was incredibly humble and wanted no cult of personality.
Of course they had it easy.
DeleteWhen I were a lad, they'd wake me up 3 hours before I went to bed...
Btw, the Torah says that Moshe was the greatest Navi ever. Anyone who disputes that is an apikorers
DeleteWow! who says you need semicha or to be a dayan to posken?
DeleteThe point is, a lot of people say that the Gra was not involved in halacha, and there was a different dayan in vilna. So he wrote chiddushim.
DeleteWell as you already posted several times today, semicha since the time of the Gemara is symbolic. Judaism has survived on an amazing voluntary acceptance of authority by the masses of leaders who don't actually officially have that authority. That its held things together for so long is an incredible testament to Jewish loyalty to Torah and its experts.
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