to ‘I can only try”:
to a) and b) ABSOLUTELY. Yup, I believe that today’s roshei yeshiva want to stifle debate.I have no problems with that, because this is how they want to control their followers, just that I don’t have to follow them on this. As far as b) Truly, I prefer not to comment on that, because of my resepct to many Gedolim but in essence, yes, I do beleive this is the case.
As far as d) goes, Go and look up some of the arguments from the gro and the Chassidim. They did tell him that he was wrong. Not from am poshete bala habayis like me, but the talmidei habaal shem worked tirelessly to show that the Gro was wrong in his attitude to chassidim.
On 6) again, you are. memechilas kevod toroshcho, missing thepoint. NO baal habayis, or even Rov, should be holek on R”Mshe’s PSAK (althought many did).It is his opinion on other matters that we are discussing. R’Moshe, thank G-d, was never political, but imagine he has an opinion about Eretz Yisroel that you do not share (say whether to go to the army). Are you saying that I cannot have my own opinion on this?
h) I don’t know whether the Litivishe gedolim wold put chassidim in cherem today, they obviously have not.My point is that there were times that the oppostion to chassidus was virulent. Today, you have the same attitude to chabad. History will show the truth, but ,for now, Rav Beslky’s comments on chabad are a parrallel to the cherem of the gro.
g)I am happy to hear you went to a yeshiva that respected Rav Kook and R’Joshe Ber. This was not always the case.
f) The machlokes was VERY virulent and Rav shach zz’l once expressed this view, about not being “meshadechc’ with Chabad. I’ll do the relevant research and get you the exact quotation.
i)Again, interpretations on halachic matters are one thing, personal opinions are another. As I said, if Rav belsky shelita “paskens” that you cannot enter 770, then this is a halachic interpretation. If he thinks you should not go there, it is an opinion,which you have the discretion of accepting or not.
UJM. the concept of “daas torah’ to which you adhere is a modern invention. Before this century, the Poskim had the full authority to give Psak and people had to follow. However, in matters of general interest, people could listen to their vsrious rabbonim and them make up their own minds.
Let me give you an example of yesteryear.In Napoleon’s times, there was a bg machlokes between the Baal hatanya and other Russian gedolim whetehr to embrace napoleons’ regime when he set out to conquer Russia. The baal hatanya was against it becuase he was worried about the influence of emancipation on his chassidm. Ohter rebbes disagreed becuase they felt that, to be liberated from the czar, was worth the risk. Well, Napoleon lost but th question is, you could have espousud the Baal hatanya’s view or his opponents. Either way, you were a good jew. There was no compulsion to one side or another.
Today, if you follow Rav kook’s shittah, you are expelled out of the machaneh! if you followed Rav Joshe ber, today, you are almost a shaigatz! And if you question anything a rosh yeshiva says, you are an apikoros! THAT was never the case previously. I can give yo uother historical examples.
so, UJM, my view is that in halacha you MUST accept the Psak of your ROV. In matters of general interest, you still have a brain and if you feel that the godol does not ref;ect what you feel, you are not an apikorus if you question his view and do differently.