smartcookie – Exactly. It wasn’t anythng major this time around, cause the Rabbonim made sure the letzanus that was prevalent in the run up to last years, was absent this time. This is why it was allowed to proceed.
Jothar –
“represent the opinion of the askan who forced it on them”
No Askan can “force” anything on the Gedolim, let alone so many of them.
“we Yidden don’t believe Daas Torah means papal infallibility.”
No one ever said otherwise. The Gedolim themselves admit as much. Can a Godol make a mistake? Of course he can. But the problem is, so can we. And so, although a Godol can theoretically make a mistake, if we see thingss differently than the way a Godol did, then the only reasonable conclusion is that we are wrong, not the Gedolim, since his words were statedwith siyata dishmaya, as well as with the interpretative skills possesed by a Godol. Compare it to a little kid who falls and dislocates his shoulder. A doctor comes and starts to snap it into place. The kid feels the pain and refuses to allwo the doctor to snap it back. The kid says, “You dont know what youre doing. I learned in 5th grade form my teacher who is reliable that pain is the bodiy’s way of saying somethgin is wrong, and if what youre doing is causing pain that memas my body says its wrong. You doctors arent infallible! I dont believe in the Christian concept of papal infallibility! Go away!” The kid is an idiot, of course. If someone thinks a Godol makes a mistake, people can ask the Godol and point out what he thinks the mistake is, and the Godol will retract or restate if indeed their was an error. You and I cannot state or determine that a Godol made a mistake.
(BTW the Rema in Toras HaOlah (1:2) states clearly that we assume rabbinic science to be infallible, and ancient rabbinic knowledge of astronomy complete.)
Also, you are mixing up your story about the Chazon Ish. He said no such thing about the NK. In fact the NK never “hugged Jew-haters.” These people you see in the news these days that call themselves NK are fakes. The true NK was established in the ’30’s by the recognized Gaon HaTzaddik Rav Amram Blau ZT’L, who lived until the ’70’s I believe.