[Avodah] Students Disagreeing with Teachers, Reb Elchonon

[Micha Berger]

On Fri, Oct 20, 2023 at 03:41:34AM +1100, Rabbi Meir G. Rabi via Avodah wrote:
> Meaning, why is the Amora not OBLIGATED to express his opinion as he
> understand the Halacha? Notwithstanding his Disagreeing with a Tanna?

I am going to repost a varient of an answer I gave you on a similar topic,
when we were discussing the Maharal's objections to codes.

I think the amora is indeed oligated to express his opinion. But
there is a difference between discussions of halakhah, and of lehakhah
ulemaaseh. There would be a duty to state "lo zakhisi lehavin", and
perhaps the beis medrash would conclude that the tanna was misunderstood,
or that his words were only about a specific umdena.

There is a difference between saying "they knew this so much better than
we do, odds are any error is on our part, not theirs", and shutting off
one's mind in blind obedience. Or, silencing oneself. Or assuming they were
/never/ wrong.

We need the dialog to continue (as per the Maharal) in order to get at
what they meant. Or a what they could have meant that we can live with,
that because of our assumption of a tanna's superiority is now the most
likely interpretation of the law. Or in the case of machloqes, which of
the "they" we can make ourselves at peace with.

> I believe it is also associated with Lo SachaNiFu.

With the issur against making idolaters at home in Israel?

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger                 When faced with a decision ask yourself,
http://www.aishdas.org/asp   "How would I decide if it were Ne'ilah now,
Author: Widen Your Tent      at the closing moments of Yom Kippur?"
- https://amzn.to/2JRxnDF                          - Rav Yisrael Salanter