QUESTION:
The Rav was asked if a person has to listen 100% to the view of Gedolei Yisrael when it comes to something that is not clear and if a person can rely on the ruling 100%, and the Rav answered that this depends on how much emunas chachomim (faith in the sages) that one has. What about in a case where a Gadol says that “Your right hand is your left hand, and your left hand is your right hand”? And if a person doesn’t have enough confidence in the words of a Gadol does that mean that he is not obligated to listen to the Gadol? Also, how can it be that this depends on “how much” emunas chachomim a person has?
ANSWER:
If it is a halachic matter and you asked the Gadol about it, then you are obligated to listen to him. But if you were merely asking advice on something, you are not obligated to listen.
A person never has complete emunah [not in Hashem and not in the sages and gedolim] and therefore a person always has to strengthen his emunah and make it clearer. This is a lifelong avodah, to make one’s emunah stronger and clearer.
[Elsewhere in a different response [No.4647 – Asking A Tzaddik For Advice, printed in sefer Shaal Libi], the Rav clarified: “If the questioner wants advice, then the Gadol’s answer is “advice” to him. If the questioner is seeking a psak (a halachic ruling), this will depend. If he is going to the sage because he wants an answer based on the Ruach HaKodesh of the sage, then this alone does not obligate him to listen to the sage’s answer. But if he asks the sage a question because he wants to hear the “word of Hashem” from him, and he believes that the word of Hashem is revealed through the sage who is worthy of hearing it, then that obligates him to listen to the sage.]
A person never has complete emunah [not in Hashem and not in the sages and gedolim] and therefore a person always has to strengthen his emunah and make it clearer. This is a lifelong avodah, to make one’s emunah stronger and clearer.
[Elsewhere in a different response [No.4647 – Asking A Tzaddik For Advice, printed in sefer Shaal Libi], the Rav clarified: “If the questioner wants advice, then the Gadol’s answer is “advice” to him. If the questioner is seeking a psak (a halachic ruling), this will depend. If he is going to the sage because he wants an answer based on the Ruach HaKodesh of the sage, then this alone does not obligate him to listen to the sage’s answer. But if he asks the sage a question because he wants to hear the “word of Hashem” from him, and he believes that the word of Hashem is revealed through the sage who is worthy of hearing it, then that obligates him to listen to the sage.]
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