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From: rhendel@mcs.drexel.edu (Russell Hendel)
Date: Wed, 7 May 1997 19:38:29 -0400
Subject: How Do you Make Decisions when Ignorant

Eric Jason gives a long detailed account of what ordinary people go thru
when they are faced with a halachically difficult decision and do not
have clear knowledge or a Poseyk they can go to readily.  Several
interesting examples are cited from his and other postings.

Several remedies are mentioned: The most basic of course is learning
laws ---one should learn sufficiently so that one knows the answer in
each case.

Another possible remedy (which is not totally accepted in the posting)
is being as stringent as possible till one can ask a competent halachick
authority.

I would like to suggest another solution: Developing ones critical
thinking ability in analyzing cases. The development of critical
thinking is the main skill competency developed thru the learning of
Talmud.  Note that this is a complementary skill to learning laws.
Learning in Judaism encompasses both law knowledge and analysis
capacity.

To illustrate the novelties of this method I apply it to the case cited
by Eric:
 >>My grandfather was very ill; we visited the hospital Friday
afternoon; I brought my grandmother home to light candles; because of a
traffic jam we got in late.  My grandmother started to prepare to light
candles and I glanced at my watch and realized it was after
Shabbath. What do I do.>>

Eric says that in his mind there were two conflicting halachic principles:
 1) The prohibition of lighting candles on Shabbos proper; 2) The
prohibition of endangering his grandmother's health in her aggrevated
state by inteferring with her regular routine.

However if one uses critical thinking one can "create" new
alternatives. In this case I would suggest making the Shabbos Beracha
over the electric lights (which I assume were already on since Eric
could read his watch). It would thus be possible to satisfy both
halachic principles.

I conclude by noting that the great Poskim were noted not only for their
ability to adjudicate between conflicting halachic principles but by
their ability to critically create new alternatives.

Russell Jay Hendel; Ph.d.;ASA; rhendel @ mcs drexel edu