I am not a fan of being strict in Jewish Law Halacha. But neither am I in favor of being lenient.
While Reb Chaim from Voloshin and other people like the Maharshal and Mahrasha go with the idea that דינא דגמרא the law of the Talmud is what is binding [and later halacha authorities are only to make it clear what the Talmud is saying but have no authority on their own.] still my way of looking at Halacha is that I go by Rishonim [Medieaval authorities].
This is a major source of confusion nowadays so I thought it is worth my time to clear up the issue.
In any case the Halacha [Law] is certainly like the law of the Talmud דינא דגמרא but it is just because it is often hard to know what that is that I go by Rishonim [Mediaeval authorities].
Achronim --are for some reason very flaky thinkers with only a few exceptions.
Even Rav Ovadiah Joseph instilled and reinforced deep hatred of Ashkenazim in all Sefaradim. [You just don't find an ashkenazic Jew in a sephardi yeshiva for this reason.] I would consider that to be characteristic of all achronim. They all have some hidden agenda and under the surface are pushing some kind of political trick.
So in spite of what people say, "We don't Poskin by the Gemara," the truth is the exact opposite. We poskin only by the Gemara. The only thing which determines halacah is דינא דגמרא. It is only because it is hard to know what is the Law of the Talmud that we look at Rishonim. But we don't look at Achronim to determine what the Gemara is thinking because the achronim are usually flaky and are usually more interested in getting the Gemara to agree with what they want to believe that finding out what the Gemara is holding.
I should mention that to me the Rishonim have enormous validity even beyond Halacha. Also in Philosophy. My feeling about Rishonim--even when they disagree with each other is אלו ואלו דברי אלהים חיים "These and these are the words of the living God." Achronim on the other hand make mistakes--often.
While Reb Chaim from Voloshin and other people like the Maharshal and Mahrasha go with the idea that דינא דגמרא the law of the Talmud is what is binding [and later halacha authorities are only to make it clear what the Talmud is saying but have no authority on their own.] still my way of looking at Halacha is that I go by Rishonim [Medieaval authorities].
This is a major source of confusion nowadays so I thought it is worth my time to clear up the issue.
In any case the Halacha [Law] is certainly like the law of the Talmud דינא דגמרא but it is just because it is often hard to know what that is that I go by Rishonim [Mediaeval authorities].
Achronim --are for some reason very flaky thinkers with only a few exceptions.
Even Rav Ovadiah Joseph instilled and reinforced deep hatred of Ashkenazim in all Sefaradim. [You just don't find an ashkenazic Jew in a sephardi yeshiva for this reason.] I would consider that to be characteristic of all achronim. They all have some hidden agenda and under the surface are pushing some kind of political trick.
So in spite of what people say, "We don't Poskin by the Gemara," the truth is the exact opposite. We poskin only by the Gemara. The only thing which determines halacah is דינא דגמרא. It is only because it is hard to know what is the Law of the Talmud that we look at Rishonim. But we don't look at Achronim to determine what the Gemara is thinking because the achronim are usually flaky and are usually more interested in getting the Gemara to agree with what they want to believe that finding out what the Gemara is holding.
I should mention that to me the Rishonim have enormous validity even beyond Halacha. Also in Philosophy. My feeling about Rishonim--even when they disagree with each other is אלו ואלו דברי אלהים חיים "These and these are the words of the living God." Achronim on the other hand make mistakes--often.
