The second role of the rabbi is to rule in questions of halacha, Jewish law. Many great scholars in previous generations were capable of great scholarship but lacked the ability to be a moreh horaah. Besides the knowledge base of the scholar, the halachic decisor requires a certain intuition to know how, where and when to apply the law. The decisor needs to think outside the box, as not all questions and answers are explicitly stated in the Shulchan Aruch. We make a major mistake when we assume that modern rabbis do not require a firm halachic grounding. Rabbis in the current generation are presented with questions that previous generations never dealt with. For example, many of the questions regarding marriage, divorce, conversion, medical issues and ethics presented to the current rav were never imagined in previous generations. In previous generations, these questions would be presented to a gadol like Reb Yitzchak Elchanan, who would rule with great trepidation and then forward his opinion to other gedolim to seek their agreement after which they would rule.
Today many of these fundamental and basic questions are presented to a rabbi on the telephone and the rabbi becomes frightened if he cannot answer immediately lest he will develop a reputation that he does not know the halacha. These are questions that go to the core of halacha and cannot be ruled on immediately. How can one rule on the spot on questions of seder tefillah or synagogue practice modifications? How can one answer immediately on questions of artificial insemination and associated potential issues of mamzerus? The Rav was presented with such a question and when he was asked what is the status of the child he answered I don’t know, I have to investigate the issue and after careful investigation I can answer your question.
The Rav wondered aloud, who was answering the many difficult questions that go to the core of Judaism that rabbis were being presented? These questions should be presented to a body of competent rabbanim who should answer these questions, they should not be answered by the individual rabbi who is not qualified or equipped to handle them.
Questions regarding interfaith issues must be referred to competent halachic authorities that not only understand the issues but also know where the boundaries are. Not only must we consider the stated halacha, but we must look how Jewish history ruled in these issues. The Rambam rules that surrendering one’s life is forbidden unless one is faced with violating one of the three cardinal sins of idolatry, murder or proscribed relations. The Ramban raises a question on this opinion from the story of the hundreds of Jewish children who were captured and shipped to Rome where they feared they would be violated. The children decided to commit suicide by throwing themselves into the sea and drowning. How can we bring a proof from 300 children against the great halachic decisor, the Rambam? Apparently, Jewish history and these 300 children have more to say about the appropriate practice of martyrdom than the halachic opinion of the great Rambam.
The massacres and the pogroms that the we have suffered over the millennia that might have been avoided had Jews submitted to attend a foreign house of worship or bowed their heads as part of a service that they had absolutely no intent or desire to partake in, tell us that we must not surrender to the need to go along to get along in interfaith religious issues. These important questions in all these areas must be considered carefully not only for the immediate purpose of providing an answer to the individual asking the question but for the impact that decision will have on future generations.