Sholom U'vrucha from Jacksonville Florida .I give a daf yomi shiur every morning to about 6 people at 5:45 a.m.
Anyways, the gemorah of todays daf tells a story of R' Nachman who instructed his servant on the issue of hatmanah and bishul akkum.He was rebuked by Rav Ami for it.The Gemara explains even though his decison was Halachachly sound ,he should of refrained because he was an Odom Choshiv.Rashi explains this by saying ,because this would cause others to be even more lenient bywitnnessing this.
My question is , where do you draw the line ? Why should a Odom Choshiv be allowed to do anything that the Halacha allows if we are worried about this .
Yaakov Fisch, Jacksonville Florida
I must admit, that I had the same problem as you. However, the Biy'urei ha'Rishonim (at the side of the Shas Lublin), citing Rashi in Mo'ed Katan and other Rishonim, makes no bones about it. An Adam Chashuv, he says, should be stringent in all matters which people think ought to be Asur (in other words, wherever the Heter is a Chidush), because otherwise, people will take their cue from him to be lenient in other instances.
Regarding Bishul Akum, he adds, one should be stringent in all matters dealing with the deeds and customs of Nochrim, in order to fulfill 'Kadeish Atzm'cha be'Mutar Lach', regarding the Mitzvah of "u've'Chukoseihem Lo Seleichu", and this is certainly the case with regard to food that is merely eaten for pleasure. One should be stringent oneself , but lenient in one's rulings vis-a-vis others, he says. And finally, he points out, we can learn from our Sugya that this Hanhagah applies even where the issue at stake is completely Mutar (and he gleans all this from a number of Rashis, a Ritva, a Tashbeitz and a Seifer ha'Itim).
The Lashon of the Gemara 'Savar Adam Chashuv Sha'ani', suggests that this is the opinion of Rebbi Ami, but we do not hold like him (there are a few places in Shas where the Poskim extrapolate this), but this is not the impression I get from the above.
Kol tuv
Eliezer Chrysler.