WOW! The emotions that this subject engenders! Before answering some of the points mentioned, I will say that,unequivocally, the opposition to Rav Goren zz’l was political. For all of you who accuse me (rightfully so) that I don’t know enough to argue with other great Poskim, I must tell you that Rav Goren learned in the greatest yeshivos (Chevron) ,was considered an “iluy” and, if he would have knuckled under to the chareidi establishment, would have been considered one of the great Poskim of his generation.
He chose another way- he became a zionist, went to the Army and became a vocal proponent of Medinat Israel. THAT – the chareidi establishment could not forgive and they hounded him througout his life.Way before the Langer case, Rav Goren was attacked for everything he did- from the kashrus in the Army, for his strong support of the religious Zionists and others. So please don’t come and tell me that opposition to him was sincere . It was political.
Sam2-Rav Goren had the same credentials as the other Poskim- he just did not fit into the little box that chareidim wanted. Others suffered the same way from the intolerance of the chareidi world.See Rav kook on Eretz Yisroel, see R’Moshe Feinstein on artifical insemination.See other “zionist” Poskim,including your beloved Rav.
As far as the Langer case and halocho. You can see from the hysteria of some posters that they have no clue about history and what Poskim have done to allow agunos to marry and children to be considered legitimate. They have gone to great lengths for this.
I have not read Rav Goren’s psak in full, this case being over fifty years old. Hence, I googled to familiarize myself with that case.
First of all, the person in question (Borokowsky) never was a shomer mitzvos-contrary to what “nitpicker’ says. Secondly, there were four reasons why Rav Goren said that the Langer children were not mamzerim- and only one was the overturning of a previous conversion.
Thirdly- as charliehall says- Rav Goren did it ONCE, and he did it with Kulos, something Poskim have done forever. Rav Sherman’s basi Din and Rav Attias invalidated ALL the conversions that Rav Druckman, without investigating any of them! Now, that is unprecedented. And Rav Attias wrote in the most intemperate way about Rav Druckman.
to mdd and Moshe-D: First, you should know that, through the generations, Poskim have done everything they can to allow children of suspected unions to marry. The main reason is simple:” Mamzer vadai omar rachmono vleo mamzer soffek” (If you don’t know what that means- zil gemor!).In many teshuvos, they go through contortions to find a hetter. R’Moshe did the same. I only said ‘outlandish’ to point out that Poskim grasped at every possibility and they were right in doing so. So, spare me the insults and go look up the many cases.
Beninungman= No one here ever went against halocho-certainly not Rav Goren. But he, like all other Poskim before him, looked for a way out and a kulo. He found it in one case and used it. R”Moshe used it in many cases, to his great credit!
As far as a bais din, look, you or others, dont have to be “meshadech’ with Langer’s children but you cannot “passel’ Rav Goren’s psak ,as he tried his best to help klal Ysroel.