Sunday, August 20, 2023

A prominent Baltimore Rav comments to me, "You should know that Rav Dovid Feinstein and Rav Nota Greenblatt are good friends"

This morning I had a discussion with a prominent Baltimore Rav who I have known for many years. He is known for not only for his knowledge of Torah, but as having sharp insights into complex situations and an ability to deal with all types of people with sensitivity. He also is known to keep his cards close to his vest and that he reveals only a fraction of what is actually on his mind. Equally as important he has been involved in this issue.

I hadn't seen him in a long time, but after davening he came over and asked how I am doing. He listened patiently as I explained my distress over the Kaminetsky-Greenblatt heter. I told him that the heter was clearly obtained through the use of a false psychiatric report and was not valid. 

He asked me what my involvement was in this matter and I explained that I had made a major contribution to publicizing the matter which had led to the involvement of many rabbinic authorities. 

I noted that it was commonly agreed that it was not just a problem with the immediate case but it was the fact that this was setting a precedent for other cases. He interjected that there was such a thing as a valid heter because of kiddushei ta'os. I agreed but noted that when the Rackman and the Krause beis dins had tried to create leniencies - there was an uproar against the beis din itself. I noted that in this case those who had created the heter are not being criticized. It is just being said that the heter is no good this time.

I noted that things had come to a stand still in dealing with the wider concerns, after Rav Dovid Feinstein had issued his psak that the heter was no good and that Rav Shmuel had simply said that he would abide by his psak. Rav Kaminetsky had not expressed any regret. There was no statement that the process of producing the heter was wrong. There was no redressing of the harm that had been done against Aharon Friedman. Of greater importance - nothing was being done to protect the community against this being used as a precedent for other cases.

When I noted that Rav Greenblatt had not retracted and the couple was still living together - he expressed suprise. I explained that Rav Greenblatt had stated that once he gave the psak it is valid independent of the quality of the facts that the psak was based on. 

I noted that at the present time as a result of the psak of Rav Dovid, the validity of the heter has simply become a machlokess in halacha between Rav Greenblatt and Rav Dovid Feinstein. As long as Rav Dovid does not criticize Rav Nota for producing the psak there will be no progress and the matter will not be properly dealt with.

Before the Rav turned to take care of some pressing business he said the following, "You should be aware that Rav Dovid Feinstein and Rav Nota Greenblatt are good friends."

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