וְלִיפְלְגִי בִּמְסִיפָס לְהוֹדִיעֲךָ כֹּחָן דְּבֵית שַׁמַּאי! כֹּחַ דְּהֶיתֵּרָא עָדִיף.

The Gemara asks: If they disagreed in both cases, let them disagree in the baraita about a mesifas, and thereby inform you of the strength of Beit Shammai. They are stringent and require a separate contribution to the eiruv for each and every group, even in the case of a mesifas. The Gemara answers: It is preferable for the tanna to teach us the strength of a permissive ruling. If a tanna can formulate a dispute in a manner that emphasizes the strength of the more lenient position, he will do so.

What is this concept כח דהתירא עדיף?

So Rashi in Beitzah 2b explains :

דהתירא עדיף ליה - טוב לו להשמיענו כח דברי המתיר שהוא סומך על שמועתו ואינו ירא להתיר אבל כח האוסרין אינה ראיה שהכל יכולין להחמיר ואפילו בדבר המותר:

Tosafos ibid quotes Rashi but adds a significant term:

וכ"ת כח דהתירא עדיף. פי' הקונט' לכך כח דהתירא עדיף כשאדם מתיר סומך על שמועתו וצריך להביא ראיה לדבריו אבל איסורא אדם יכול להחמיר עליו בלא טעם:

Tosafos is stressing that anyone can be machmir and raise questions with little expertise. This is an important point and often is the source of religious bullying where good or reasonable ideas are halted when someone asks, “Did you ask a Daas Torah?” I am not saying that one should not consult with rabbinic authority, and yet there are times where action must be taken and the rabbinic authority is reluctant to publicly go on record as permitting it.

One such example is the founding of the Bais Yaakov School by Sarah Schneirer in 1918. While the sentimental story is that she founded the school with rabbinic blessing, as a matter of historical fact from her own diaries a different picture emerges. She started the school without rabbinic approval, and could not obtain approval only after her school opened and somehow she broke through a cultural and religious barrier. See Finkelman, Dr. Yoel. "What Do We Know About The Establishment of Beit Ya'akov?". http://www.atid.org/resources/survey/column5.asp 

for Video Shiur click here to listen:  Psychology of the DAF Eruvin 72

Translation Courtesy of Sefaria

 

Translations Courtesy of Sefaria, except when, sometimes, I disagree with the translation cool

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