Q&A: Make for Yourself a Rabbi
Make for Yourself a Rabbi
Question
I read that you do not see yourself as bound by the recommendations of the Sages. If so, then what about “make for yourself a rabbi”? Do you hold that, for any matter of Jewish law, one can simply follow the most lenient opinion, since there is no real need to adhere to a rabbi or to a halakhic ruling?
Answer
There are logical leaps in what you wrote—actually two.
First, even if I am not bound by the recommendations of the Sages, that does not mean I think they are all incorrect. It may not be obligatory, but choosing a rabbi is still very sensible.
Second, even if you reached the conclusion that you do not want or are not obligated to choose a rabbi, how did you get from there to choosing the lenient option? You should choose the correct option. Leniency here and leniency there—a wicked person.
Discussion on Answer
That is a case of doubt, and there are laws for cases of doubt.
But what if I don’t know what the correct option is, and I don’t have the tools to decide? Why shouldn’t I always go with the lenient option, as long as there is some rabbi who supports it?