[Avodah] Does the psak of bet din evidence the ratzon hashem?

[Zvi Lampel]

>
>
> From: Joseph Kaplan Tue, 19 Sep 2023 18:56:27
>
> Doesn?t the Talmudic story of the tanur of Akhnai teach us that ratzon
> Hashem is not particularly relevant in halachic disputes?
>
> Joseph
>
> ------------------------------
>

The commentators take a much more nuanced view towards the relevance of
ratzon haShem in halachic disputes. Sefer Hachinuch (496:3) in his comments
on Bava Metzia 59b, acknowledges that halachic protocols them­selves
override the desire for following the true halacha. But he makes it clear
that identifying the true halacha is the initial goal the Sages strive to
reach.

Drashos HaRan adds that the incident of the tanur of Ackhnai represents an
extremely rare aberration where the majority opinion proved mistaken, yet
which we should nevertheless follow, despite the resultant damage done to
our souls. This, he explains, is because in the extremely rare instance
where the majority of Sages reach the wrong conclusion, the downside of
that damage is outweighed by the benefit of the nation uniformly following
the sages' conclusions.

We understand that the darchei pesak do lead us to the true ratzon haShem
in the vast majority of cases, and it is very relevant.

Earlier commentators are entirely dismissive of the possibility that the
Sages could be disregarding the ratzon haShem. Rabbeinu Nissim Gaon on
Berachos 19b  gives two explanations for why the sages disregarded the Bas
Kol. One is that the Bas Kol was NOT saying that Rebbi Eliezer's minority
opinion was the ratzon haShem. The majotity opinion was correct. The
Bas Kol was only announcing that in all OTHER cases Rebbi Eliezer's opinion
was correct or nearly so. (Perhaps he means the Bas Kol was standing up for
R. Eliezer's honor, even though he was wrong in this case.)

In his second answer, Rabbeunu Nissim Gaon asserts that the Bas Kol was
actually lying. The true halacha actually was as the majority decided.
Hashem sent the Bas Kol specifically to test the Sages whether they would
forgo the principle of “It is not any longer in Heaven,” similar to the
test posed by Hashem in allowing a false prophet to ostensibly perform
miracles.

(Apparently, this is also how the Rambam would explain the phenomenon of
Hashem releasing the Bas Kol opinionating on whose halachic stand is
correct.)

Zvi Lampel
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