AJ: The real danger, as so eloquently articulated by our former DefSec R’ Rumsfeld, is because chazal bring down that there are inyanim the facts and consequences of which we are very confident (aka “known knowns) But there are also inyanim which are really” known unknowns” where we know in advance that there are parameters of a situation in which we may not know until that event is upon us. In the latter case, we can discuss with a Rav the various hypotheticals about what daas torah would have us do under different scenarios….in other words, we learn how to analyze new facts and circumstances to guide our behavior. The real challenge are inyanim which R’ Rumsfeld referenced the “unknown unknowns”—the ones we don’t know we don’t know. In those cases, a man will typically push forward and pasken for himself and his wife incorrectly based on what they THINK they know whereas a woman will tend to be less aggressive and pause to consider their options or defer action until they can consult with their LRP.
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