ppopa bar abba- I don’t want this to become a private dialogue although I am enjoying it. Basically, there are two ways of making piskei halocho. You can be a ‘collector”-looking at all the previous Piskei halocho and then taking what is the most prevalent. This is what many poskim do today but in truth, it is intellectually dishonest, because they allow someone else to make the decision for them. It is, howeverr much safer, as few people will disagree.
The other-more difficult- way of giving a psak is to delve into the whole sugya and come to a conclusion regardless of what previous Poskim (obviously acharonim) said before. Shaving chol hamoed is a prime example. The Nodah Jejehuda was the first who came up with the hetter of shaving on chol hamoed (I am not going into the details now). Before him, it was always understood that you cannot shave but he saw a change in everyday life and adapted his psak. In a more extreme way, the GRO’s psak that the zemanin are from Netz to shekiah and mincha must be davened before shekia went against the mechaber and the remo.
There are many examples I can give you. The second way is much much more difficult because you are challenging certain precedents and people are afraid to challenge the status quo. This is why R’Moshe’s psakim were so attacked in the beginning. Obviously, when the dor sees you as a giant, then some of your piskei halocho become the norm.
Every possek- I assure you- respects the previous generations. And if Rabby Broyde- as mentioned, comes to a different conclusion, I am absolutely certain that he knows that he is puny compared to the previous gedolim. Nonethelss, he is allowed to give his opinions. So, every cogent argument is allowed. You don’t have to follow it but it is intellectually honest and others are entitled to follow that Psak. I thank you for this interaction.