Repeatedly asked questions
Question
Dear Rabbi, I have asked you the same question about the ashkenazic minhag with regard to kashering two times. The reason I have asked is because many of my friends who follow the prevalent custom feel uncomfortable with recommendations derived from your site and I want to give them an answer as to why it is OK to follow the rov tashmish rule. I communicate with you via this board all the time and you should know by now that my questions are asked with full knowledge of your father's stature as a talmid chacham and posek as well as your trustworthiness and integrity. They are honest questions from a person who has done research to the best of his ability in the sources and is seeking the truth. I am not some frummie sitting around searching for chumros in order to inflate my ego. I am an outspoken proponent of your website who encourages everyone I know to investigate it. However, I often find myself defending the site against charges that you speak in a harsh, demeaning way to people who have addressed serious questions to you. I must admit that I have a hard time explaining why you behave in this way. Your flippant and often disrespectful responses are not helpful to anyone and have been a discredit to you and your website. Many people are unfortunately turned off by your harsh manner and as a result fail to benefit from your father's Torah knowledge and guidance. Divrei pi chacham b'nachat nishmaim. Please respond to my initial question when you have the opportunity rather than make fun of it or me. Thank you for all your hard work.
Answer
Answered by Aaron AbadiI apologize for insulting you or anyone else. I respond harshly to questions that are statements. This is a Question & answer forum. Anyone is welcome to ask questions and get answers. We are not in the sales business to convince anyone to join our group, or something. Most times that I give a harsh answer is when the person makes a statement of fact that this is the Halachah, and then expects me to justify why I said what I said. Usually it comes with a series of statements based on the person's view of the Halachah. If you want your view, why do you ask us? Most times it is obvious that the person didn't open a Gemara (Talmud), doesn't even know where to find it in the Shulchan Aruch, and clearly has no real info to present. Then I am asked to convince them of my opinion. This is disruptive & disrespectful. It has become the nature of society to such a point that you are taking me to task, asking me how I can be so flippant. The Talmud has many situations where Rabbis were asked questions in an unacceptable way and they responded harshly. Today we think we can talk to anyone in any way and they must tolerate it. You say yourself that you have "full knowledge of my father's stature as a talmid chacham and posek as well as my trustworthiness and integrity," yet you are comfortable to question my father's Pesakim (Halachic decisions) without less than 1% of his knowledge. I don't mean to hurt you in any way, but you need to think into this clearly and try to get out of the society's negative Midot (character traits). This is a trait of Azut (arrogance), that is said to be the trait of the generation right before Moshiach (messiah). The Rabbis who in the past where the leaders are treated otherwise. Your last question was.......... "Ashkenazim are machmir not to rely on the principle of rov tashmish when it comes to kashering. They go by the strictest form of bliah, even if it only happened once. What is the reason why your father recommends not observing this minhag?" was that not a halachic statement? Was that not you requiring me to explain my father's opinion in order to convince you, since you are so learned? Was that not arrogant? This wasn't a question of Halachah to me. Please be honest; with your self at least. Are you an Halachic authority questioning my father's decision? People that are turned off by my harsh manor are welcome to go elsewhere. If you look carefully at the questions that I answered harshly, you'll see that they were uncalled for. People need to learn basic Derech Eretz. ....and no, I will not answer that ridiculous question. Shame on you. AA