teaare

rebdoniel: Sounds to me like you already made up your mind, now you just have to cherry-pick sources that defend them. I have a better idea: How about learning lishmah? (I am willing to concede that from an environmental or feminist perspective, that is dangerous.)

Reminds me of the person who asked the Satmar Rebbe how he could be so vehement when talking about those he felt were rashaim (e.g., the Zionists who the Satmar Rebbe believed caused the holocaust) – didn’t Avraham daven for Sodom? The Satmar Rebbe answered, how do you know what Avraham said to them in public, or what I say in my tefillos?

More likely a memuar l’teiavon. I will note that unlike some “Orthodox” people today, he opposed women rabbis. As far as I know, though, he did not object to more serious violations of halachah.

Speaking lashon hora is only prohibited when speaking out against sinners, not Orthodox Yeshivos like YCT or the leading Talmudist of the last dor. See Chofetz Chaim Hil. LH, part 4.

Shaila: Is it permitted to serve non-kosher food at synagogue functions?

Teshuvah: Obviously, to do so would seem to be a problem, because historically the Bible has been interpreted by rabbis to mean that one may not eat or serve others non-kosher food. However, since I gather from your question that you desire to so, and presumably you believe that there would be spiritual benefit from doing so, and “her ways are ways of pleasantness”, I will not be remiss in seeking out a dispensation for you.

As is well known, the Torah obligates one who has received religious guidance from the Great Court to follow it, even if it has ruled that left is right and right is left. Thus, if you rule that it is permitted, your synagogue employees are religiously bound to follow your ruling. While it may be true that the Great Court does not function today, that may only be because the broader Jewish population would not follow its guidance, since they recognize that contemporary rabbis are out of touch with modern realities. However, since, as I can gather from your question, you are in touch with modern realities, I have no doubt that if the general population knew of your piety and scholarship, they would accept you quickly. And while you alone may only be one rabbi, today we have a large community of at least 70 YCT rabbis who effectively function as the Great Court, teaching all Israel about that which is permitted and prohibited, the sacred and profane.

At the next YCT conference, we will vote to rule that it is permitted to serve non-kosher food, which is no prohibition, since we are ruling on the theoretical level. As the Talmud says, ancient scholars had hundreds of arguments to permit the rodents. After we rule, those prohibitions will disappear. And since another questioner has inquired concerning the prohibitions of eating food on the Day of Atonement and sorcery, we will abolish those as well. And any later scholar who will seek to disagree with our rulings will be a Zaken Mamre.

Upon further analysis, it would seem that such a conference is unnecessary, since the CCAR has already done so in its Pittsburgh Platform.