Q&A: The Authority of the Sages
The Authority of the Sages
Question
Where does the authority of the Sages come from?
I would be happy to get a rational answer.
And whom am I allowed to disagree with? For example, am I allowed to disagree with the Malbim, or with Rabbi Kook, or with Ramchal?
If not, why not?
When I say that I disagree, I mean on a matter of worldview / outlook: I’ve researched it thoroughly from every angle, and it seems to me different from what that rabbi says.
Or I think that he looks at reality and rules one way or another because of the world he comes from (Haredi, liberal, Religious Zionist), and that affects his ruling.
Answer
You may disagree with any person. The Sanhedrin has authority by virtue of “do not deviate,” and the Talmud by virtue of the fact that we accepted it upon ourselves. As for everyone else, you may disagree. All this is in matters of Jewish law. In matters of worldview, there is no authority at all. I’ve discussed this quite a lot here on the site. Search for “authority.”
Thank you, Rabbi, I’ll check that.