Klalei HaPsak (Halachic Decision Making)

Overview

בית יוסף - הקדמה

ועלה בדעתי שאחר כל הדברים אפסוק הלכה ואכריע בין הסברות כי זהו התכלית להיות לנו תורה אחת ומשפט אחד. וראיתי שאם באנו לומר שנכריע דין בין הפוסקים בטענות וראיות תלמודיות הנה התוספות וחידושי הרמב"ן והרשב"א והר"ן ז"ל מלאים טענות וראיות לכל אחת מהדיעות. ומי זה אשר יערב לבו לגשת להוסיף טענות וראיות. ואיזהו אשר ימלאהו לבו להכניס ראשו בין ההרים הררי אל להכריע ביניהם על פי טענות וראיות לסתור מה שביררו הם או להכריע במה שלא הכריעו הם. כי בעונותינו הרבים קצר מצע שכלינו להבין דבריהם כל שכן להתחכם עליהם. ולא עוד אלא שאפילו היה אפשר לנו לדרוך דרך זה לא היה ראוי להחזיק בה לפי שהיא דרך ארוכה ביותר:

ולכן הסכמתי בדעתי כי להיות שלשת עמודי ההוראה אשר הבית בית ישראל נשען עליהם בהוראותיהם הלא המה הרי"ף והרמב"ם והרא"ש ז"ל אמרתי אל לבי שבמקום ששנים מהם מסכימים לדעת אחת נפסוק הלכה כמותם אם לא במקצת מקומות שכל חכמי ישראל או רובם חולקין על הדעת ההוא ולכן פשט המנהג בהיפך:

In his acclaimed introduction to the Beit Yosef, Rav Yosef Karo sets down his monumental rules of Pesak, to follow the three Amudei Horaah, the Rif, Rambam, and Rosh, upon whom the entire Jewish nation relies. We are simply incapable of decide for ourselves who is correct from among the dominating figures of the Rishonim. There exist a number of approaches to understanding the Beit Yosef's approach to Halacha and the extent to which it has been accepted among the Jewish people. Such discussions also appear regarding the acceptance of the Arizal's rulings. These are some basic approaches to elaborated on further below.

Sepharadim

1. Chacham Ovadia Yosef: The rulings of Shulchan Aruch have been accepted in any case, lenient or strict, even Lechatchilah. In a case of "Stam vaYesh," the Halacha follows the Stam unequivocally.
2. Chacham Ben Tzion Abba Shaul: The Shulchan Aruch's rulings are not absolute "BeTorat Vaday. Although he decides debates between the Rishonim, if one side was not completely rejected, the Shulchan Aruch will present the more correct one as "Stam" and the less correct but still significant view as a "Yesh Omrim" to recommend one be stringent if easily possible. If the "Yesh" is more lenient, then it's worthy of being included as an additional reason to be lenient in situations of need. This understanding resolves numerous contradictions in Shulchan Aruch and stringencies in Ben Ish Chai. Similarly, in a "Yesh veYesh" - two Yesh Omrims - the Halacha follows the latter, but the former was written for the above reasons. Essentially, the rulings of the Shulchan Aruch were accepted "BeTorat Safek;" therefore, one can better understand how Acharonim can rule stringently against the Shulchan Aruch in cases of Torah level prohibitions, such as by employing the principle of Safek Berachot leHakel Neged Maran.
3. Chacham Mordechai Eliyahu: The Ben Ish Chai unified Nigleh and Nistar, the rulings of Maran Rav Yosef Karo with those of the Zohar and Mekubalim, with the Arizal at their head, and he was accepted as the Posek Acharon.

Ashkenazim

1. The Ashkenazi custom is to follow the rulings of Rav Moshe Isserles, known as the Rama. In places where the Rama did not write glosses on Shulchan Aruch, Ashkenazim revert to following the positions of the Shulchan Aruch. The Rama and Maharshal admit to the magnificent work that is the Beit Yosef; they argue that the way opinions of the Baalei HaTosafot, Mordechai, etc. are weighted leaves their Minhagim in question.

Teimanim

1. Peulat Tzaddik (Maharitz): Minhag is to follow Shulchan Aruch in general in addition to the stringent opinions of the Rambam.
2. Shtilei Zeitim and Revid HaZahav: Teimanim follow Shulchan Aruch completely, with a sprinkling of Minhagim like the Rama, but not the Rambam.
3. Rav Yosef Kapach: The custom in Teiman was to follow the Rambam almost exclusively.

Shulchan Aruch

Acceptance of Shulchan Aruch for Sepharadim

1. In general, if a community with Minhagim is removed from its location for whatever reason and another community (not just individuals) eventually takes its location, the second community maintains its own traditions and is not bound by the traditions of the original one. However, in Eretz Yisrael, where the Minhag has been like the Shulchan Aruch, the lack of current Sepharadic community following the Shulchan Aruch does not mean that the new Sepharadic communities to settle there are independent of its rulings, because the Sepharadic acceptance of Shulchan Aruch is not a function of Minhag HaMakom or Mara deAtra, which could be lost, but rather, acceptance on the community and all its descendants. Therefore, the communities moving to Eretz Yisrael are themselves communities that already live under the banner of Shulchan Aruch, as they have for centuries, and continue to do so. Of course, if they never accepted the Shulchan Aruch, that's a different story. With respect to the Rambam, however, the acceptance was a function of Mara deAtra, so the acceptance is not binding on new communities.

Further Reading

• Yad Malachi, especially the Machon Yerushalayim annotated edition
• Ohr LeTzion vol. 2 "Yesodot Darkei Horaah."
• Ein Yitzchak, by Rav Yitzchak Yosef
• Orot HaTahorah, by Rav Zecharia Ben Shlomo, page 474, "Darkei Horaah - LeShitat Sepharadim, Ashkenzim, veTeimanim"