Title Author Date

Seems we're in the same boat Zeligman, Naftali Dec 05, 2004

[continued]

> That Solomon's Writings should be used as a source for deriving laws seems
> entirely appropriate given his tremendous wisdom and knowledge of Torah.
> Why shouldn't his Halakhic authority be a source for derivation of laws by
> later sages?

The point is not wisdom or knowledge of Torah. The point is legal validity.
If the source of law is a God-given teaching, then for a pronouncement to be
legally binding it has to be incorporated in that teaching or to be issued
by a person or a body whom that teaching provides with authority to make
legally binding pronouncements. Similarly, the US supreme court may issue a
legal verdict based on the authority vested into it by the Constitution, and
it is this authority which makes such verdict legally binding -- not the
judges' wisdom or knowledge of American law.

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