I recently queried some experts about a Passover problem - the noker issue - and a couple of the experts responded in a timely manner. I'm still waiting for two more. I doesn't bother me so much that the two responders were at odds with their answers; that's to be expected of a people who, it is said, that if there are three of us, there are four opinions. What DOES bother me is that neither responder cited his sources. Neither responder is as renowned as Ramba"m, yet both presumed to give a ruling without citing their sources. Maybe my problem is more than (just) a religious one. For many years I was an honest journalist. That's not to be construed that I ever was anything other than an honest journalist, but . . .
As an honest journalist, I learned early on that only a columnist or editorial page writer could make pronouncements. Simple reporters were rightfully required to "cite the source" or, put another way, "attribute everything." Point the finger, as it were.
When my three children were young, they would be challenged with "Who said!" I tried the same approach on the Spouse - once. I'm not offended when asked to cite my authority and I never understood why anyone else would be.
Unless a person is "the absolute authority," that person should cite the source, if only to give credit to those who paved the way for the "authority" to gain his or her position.
yohanon
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