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it’s not that they don’t know. le’havdil, the reform movement was run by brilliant men. they knew torah cold. that’s the only way they were able to thrive. would you call them gedolim?! no way! but no one ever said they were amei ha’aretz!
le’havdil, any modern orthodox rabbi might be brilliant. and he might even know shas. but he’s still not on the same level.
notice one thing. who are usually the ones arguing with gedolim? very often it’s the small-time rabbis. the other gedolim (who are far more competent) accept a gadol’s p’sak more easily. not that they never argue. but at least they’re better equipped.