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I have heard many times from Rabbinim and in lectures that to pick and choose rulings is forbidden. I would like a halachic source for this. I can understand that one should be consistent, but if one follows the Aruch Hashuclhan in one matter and decides to pasken like the Mishna Brurah in another matter lekula in both cases is he doing something halachic wrong? I am not talking haskafickly only halachic.

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    You mean if a posek decides, or if an individual who is not of the ability to pasken decides?
    – Yishai
    Feb 17, 2015 at 17:58
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    Are you assuming that both rulings (of the AHS and MB, in your example) are mutually non-contradictory in their application and underlying halachic reasoning?
    – Fred
    Feb 17, 2015 at 18:36
  • @Fred it may be worth writing an answer assuming that's the case and another (even in the same answer post) assuming the opposite.
    – msh210
    Feb 17, 2015 at 19:56
  • Example: Many people who don't otherwise follow piskei R' Moshe Feinstein will typically abide by his p'sak on the status of chalav stam (non "chalav-Yisrael" milk). I know that this is certainly true of my family. May 19, 2015 at 0:14
  • @NoachMiFrankfurt Absolutely no offense meant to your family or anyone else who does this (=lots of Jews), but exactly why would it be permissible to follow a certain rav only on his most lenient ruling, and follow more lenient rabbonim on everything else?
    – SAH
    May 10, 2018 at 21:03

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I asked a similar question to a prominent Israeli Mechaber-Sefarim.

He said there is no problem of following one Rabbi in one topic or sub-topic (such as the Brachah on cake) and another Rabbi in another topic or sub-topic (such as shinui makom - a change of place in regards to Brachos).

If you follow two different Poskim with-in the same sub-topic, you will likely be acting in a contradictory manner. That is why one may not always pick the most lenient approach in every case.

See also here or here for similar questions.

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  • If I remember correctly, there is a Rashi in Rosh Hashana that says like this (I believe when it speaks about the obligation of an Esrog tree and Ma'aser). Don't know offhand the page, so we'll leave it at that (hey, that leaves only 30 or so options ;) ). Jun 19, 2015 at 1:53
  • @LN6595 Couldn't this be a problem, though, in the many cases where a halachic concern must be weighed against a very different one--say, a bein adam l'makom against a bein adam l'chaveiro? Doesn't this happen all the time?
    – SAH
    May 10, 2018 at 21:08

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