@beast: learn about the topic and discuss it with others in the area. make an educated disission and please don’t be influence by political motives. In my eyes it’s so silly for political issues to stop one from fulfilling a mitzvah d’oraiysa
@ShlomoZalmanMeir: There are infact gedolim that do where techeilles, however, not many of them. Keep in mind that there are many factors that are involved in a gadol’s decision. (economics, political, etc.) Something which is a safek, gedolim may not be so quick to jump on right away. There is a story Rav Shachter tells over that a Rav from Farakway went to go ask Rav Elyashiv about techeilles. Rav Elyashiv said that he holds like the printed version of the Beis Halevi’s letter (inside the Radzyner Rebbe’s sefer). Given that and given all of the scientifc proof for the murex trunculus he asked Rav Elyashiv what to do about this Techeilles. Supposedly Rav Elyashiv’s response was “That’s a good question, I need to think about it.”
@besalel: why are there no halachic tools available to assist poskim about this decision? There are many meforshim who write that scientific knowledge is indeed a reason to reinstitute a mitzvah, implying that we should wear the murex trunculus techeilles. Furthermore, why would kabbalistic beliefs overpower halacha, especially those on a d’oraiysa level!? Lastly, depending on how you learn the sugya halacha can indeed obligate us to wear it. Rav Shachter says that the whole shaiyla is “are you mechuyav to spend money on it.” It doesn’t hurt (says gemara in menachos) so why not wear it? There is such a high percentage of a chance that we could fulfill a mitzvah d’oraiysa!
@sam4321: if everyone agrees to wear it there won’t be any “lo sisgodidu” anymore. However, because not everyone wears it, that’s why most people that do wear it don’t wear it explicitly for everyone to see. It’s something that’s done more betzinah.
@YehudahTzvi: I have heard that there are those close to Rav Sheinberg who say that he does indeed wear it.
@Sam2: are you sure rav shachter said that? can you please directly me to that mekor?
@Sam4321: CORRECTION – i believe what you said, “According to the Bais Halevi one needs a postive mesora which we lost.” It depends what version you hold by of the letter – the printed version in the Radzyner Rebbe’s sefer or the oral tradition by the Soloveitchik family. Supposedly Rav Elyashiv was asked what version he holds by and the response was: “oral tradition doesn’t make sense.”
“And with the help God it has come to my hands to extract, from the blood of the cuttlefish which is] black as ink, the color tekhelet in a manner which nothing affects the color other than the blood of the hillazon; and the chemical additives are colorless and only work to extract the color from the blood” (Sifrei HaTekhelet, Ptil Tekhelet, p.168).
@ mms601: If chus v’shalom there were extenuating cirmustances and people weren’t able to keep shabbos for whatever reason for a long period of time. Does that mean that when the bad times ended they shouldn’t keep shabbos anymore? ?