Dear bp27,
I try to be intellectually honest and to tell it the way I see it. I am old enough to have lost the fear of what people will think of my ideas. So, if a compliment is deserved,it is served. Naturally, I am limited by the rules as to what I can express.
As far as Rabeinu Tam goes, I simply cannot accept the traditional interpretation of his Bein hashmashot. I am relieved that although Rabeinu Tam’s shittah is scientifically incorrect, the new understanding of his position is intuitively attractive and makes perfect sense. His innovation that the zmanim can be independent of the position of the sun but rather be dependent on how much light there is , is wonderful and brilliant. I am sorry that large sections of pious Jews still think that it can be dark but halachically day. As I said before, no bizui chachomim is ever intended,they knew science as it existed then. And almost by definition, halachah is what we do, not what science says.