Question

To Rabbi Dr. Michael Abraham,
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Over the last year and a half I read the trilogy Walking Among the Standing Ones, and on the morning of Rosh Hashanah I finished the third book. I read a page or two each day.a0
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I was very impressed by the content of the books. Some of the things really expressed my own thoughts.
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In my humble opinion I found only one typo in it: in Part 3 of Walking Among the Standing Ones, on page 589, note 25, you mentioned the battle at Mitla and noted that it was under the command of Rafael Eitan. To the best of my knowledge, that battle was under the command of Ariel Sharon.a0
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Questions:a0You wrote about homosexuality that it is not a scientific determination but a value judgment. Let us assume that is so. Even if it is an illness or a deviation, does Jewish law decree loneliness and no sexual relations at all upon the homosexual? Is this not somewhat similar to someone who takes his own life, whom we judge favorably, saying that the illness overcame him and therefore he committed suicide, and because of that our treatment of him is like that of any other deceased person? Is this not like a person who is under compulsion? And as is well known, one who is under compulsion is exempt.a0
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From your words it appears that Jewish law should be updated. If I understood you correctly, then you mean laws such as:a0the second day of Rosh Hashanah, which was not observed in the Land of Israel until the Middle Ages, when 300 rabbis arrived from what was then France and instituted their custom.a0a0
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Blowing the shofar on the Sabbath, since we have an eruv in all the cities of Israel, so what is there to fear? [Rabbi Ariel].
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Wine handled for idolatrous purposes. Reality has changed; there is no longer a Temple, and nowadays in the developed Western countries there is no concern at all that wine is produced for the purposes of idol worship. Nor is there concern that because of closeness with gentiles, alcohol will create social bonds between us. After all, in the same store where wine is sold, beer is sold as well. So wine of gentiles is forbidden but beer of gentiles is permitted? I am astonished!
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Electricity.a0Today there is LED lighting, which is not at all similar to the lighting of incandescent bulbs. Why is there no halakhic ruling on this matter? After all, there has been a change in the electrical reality?!
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Legumes on Passover.
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Every year I have an argument with my relative. Logic says that reality has changed and the whole issue of legumes is unnecessary. Rice is not included among legumes. So why be stringent? Until now I answered that for sociological reasons I keep this custom, even though my family comes from Holland, and in any case those people have the practice not to eat visible legumes [such as chickpeas]. But processed legumes are not a problem [for example, a Milky pudding where it says on the package: for those who eat legumes only]. I know your view [I saw it on YouTube and also what you wrote].a0
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My family and I are interested in annulling this vow. Is it enough for you to rule in writing, or to tell me, that from now on you are not obligated to keep this custom?
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With blessing and respect,
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I would be happy to receive an answer.a0