[Avodah] R Avraham

[Zev Sero via Avodah]

On 09/09/16 08:30, Ben Waxman via Avodah wrote:
> On 9/9/2016 11:48 AM, Eli Turkel via Avodah wrote:
>> Thus there are 3 steps in any psak. 1) derive the graph and statistics - this is the job of the expert
>> 2) decide what level of risk is acceptable - this is the job of the rabbi

> How can a rav decide what level of risk is acceptable if he isn't an
> expert in the field?
>
> Meaning, if the doctor says "there is a high probability (or even a
> good probability (does anyone expect a doctor to say 52.3% chance?))
> of the patient suffering consequence X* if he fasts" on what basis is
> a rav going to say "that's acceptable"?

On the contrary, how can expertise in a field give a person *any* insight
into what is acceptable?  What is acceptable is a moral decision, not a
technical one, and technical expertise is neither necessary nor sufficient.

Suppose you live somewhere where etrogim are unavailable, so you consult
a shipping consultant to give you an estimate on how much it would cost to
import an etrog, get it through customs, etc., but instead of giving you a
cost he tells you it will cost "too much".  How can he possibly know how
much *you* would consider too much?



-- 
Zev Sero               Meaningless combinations of words do not acquire
zev at sero.name          meaning merely by appending them to the two other
                        words `God can'.  Nonsense remains nonsense, even
                        when we talk it about God.   -- C S Lewis