Whiteberry – “These “how to” books such as Rav Falks do not take that into consideration [Cultural norms], nor can they, as they offer a one size fits all approach.”
Rav Falk is a posek, he knows EXACTLY how and if “cultural norms” impact halacha. When appropriate, he incorporates them into his sefer. (e.g., Women diving a car or riding a bicycle is dependent on cultral norms etc.).
It is an ultimate chutzpah to say that a possek is giving a “one size fits all” psak. That interprets into the equivalent of saying that the posek is incompetent!
Get a copy of R. Falk’s Oz V’Hadar Levushah!!
just my hapence – “Rav Falk, major Talmid Chochom though he is, is by no means the sole arbiter of what is casual or dignified. He isn’t even the sole arbiter of what is or isn’t tzanua, plenty of Rabbonim do not agree with him on many things.”
Can you name ONE single Rav/posek who disagrees with Rav Falk on THIS issue??? I don’t think so!
As frum yidden it bothers us to admit when we fail to keep halacha. Instead we sweep it under the carpet and say that we follow “other” shitos.
Better to come clean and say we are weak and followed our yetzer, one day hopefully we will do teshuva for it, but let’s not try to give our shortcoming a hechsher, and no need to feel guilty or seek teshuva, and spread to others our poison, being machshil others by saying it is mutter, as the Conservatives and Reform do.