ROB – I never said a word about infallible. We just read last week about the special korbanos of a Nasi and of Beis Din that errs.
[Of course, this is even without taking into account the (very logical) assumption that a person with greater spiritual heights, plus a communal responsibility, will have more siyata dishmaya.]
Did you really not get me ? One of the main topics stirred up by the Slifkin affair was the binding nature of Agadda. He, and many others, quote several Rambams in Pirush haMishnayos, which they understand to mean that he won’t pasken divrei Agada. Of course, in Yad HaChazaka he paskens several of those same issues…
The basic problem with the position is that it is very halachically significant to know if someone is a kofer/min etc, and that depends if their beliefs are correct – but the issues of correct beliefs are (mostly) Agada!
Incidentally – if I quote you seforim from this past century, that’s not ok. If you decide not to follow, that’s your issue, but to say there’s no basis to – are you claiming that these many seforim (written by people whom, even if you don’t follow their opinions, I assume you acknowledge to be men of great stature) are therefore just foolish ?!
If you’d like to continue to discuss, lets move this out of this thread. I’m also reading the main topic, and its confusing!
(And do read the R’ Dessler I referenced – he puts forwards the ideas clearly, and you won’t be challenging me on points I’m not actually saying).