[Avodah] chumrah and kulah

[Ben Waxman via Avodah]

On 5/3/2016 8:12 PM, Eli Turkel via Avodah wrote:
> In a recent shiur Rav Michael Avraham has attacked several chumrot on 
> the grounds that one is frequently a chumra on one side is a kula on 
> the other.
>
> Some examples (mine not necessarily from RMA)
>
> 1) in out recent discussion of kitniyot. In many cases one can be 
> machmir about the various questions we have raised and live without 
> kitniyot for a few days. However, in other cases it may take away from 
> simchat yomtov especially when it prevents families (or friends)  from 
> joining together for a meal. If the parents of a Sefardi son in law 
> can provide him with halaq meat 52 weeks out of a year, he can deal 
> with their rice issue one week a year.

I know that I sound like a broken record but . . .

We have a long history of chumrot in kashrut and a long history of 
dealing with them. Kintiyot can be dealth with, halachakly and 
culinarily, just like almost all of these issues.  Having an in law with 
food allergies is going to present much more of a challenge to a host 
than having an in law who doesn't eat rice.
>
>
> 4) Several Bnei Brak poskim were machmir in not accepting DNA for most 
> halachot (siman benoni) even in cases where the scientific evidence is 
> overwhelming. RMA pointed out that not accepting DNA for paternity 
> might be depriving a son from his rightful inheritance. Everyone 
> agrees that in monetary matters there is no chumra/kulah. However RMA 
> points out that this is true even in many yoreh deah questions as 
> inheritance rights. Releasing an agunah from her chains is also 
> important even when it relies on DNA evidence.
>
For every inheritance case that would be solved, we'd probably be 
declaring someone else to be a mamzer if we accept DNA. Is it worth it?

Ben