JANUARY 26 • 2023 | 9
needs and emotions, and
that answering halachic
questions wouldn’t be any
different. In many cases,
artificial intelligence
programs might even
understand you better than
you understand yourself.
However, most of
the other people who
participated in this
discussion felt otherwise.
Rabbi Reuven Spolter
(formerly of Young Israel
of Oak Park) summed it
up well: “Real psak is the
application of halachah to a
specific person in a specific
situation. Halachah is a
flexible code that adapts
to different people, their
needs and the specific
situation that caused them
to ask their question. It is
also based on relationships.
Only when a posek knows
you and takes the time
and effort to understand
what’s motivating the
question, can you obtain
an appropriate halachic
answer. And that is not
something that an artificial
intelligence program
cannot fully duplicate.”
What does ChatGPT
itself think about whether
it can answer halachic
questions? A query to the
AI program produced the
following response:
“As an artificial
intelligence, I am not
able to provide definitive
answers to halachic
(Jewish legal) questions.
Halachah, or Jewish law,
is a complex and nuanced
area of study that requires
in-depth knowledge and
understanding of the Torah,
Talmud and other Jewish
legal texts, as well as the
principles and guidelines
that govern Jewish religious
practice.
“While I have been
trained on a wide variety of
texts and topics, including
Jewish law and tradition,
my knowledge is limited to
what I have been trained
on, and I do not have the
ability to make judgments
or provide definitive
answers on halachic
matters. I recommend
consulting with a qualified
rabbi or other religious
authority for guidance on
halachic matters.”
Now that’s a pretty good
answer — recognizing one’s
limitations is definitely a
strength! Maybe we shouldn’t
be so quick to dismiss
the applications of this
remarkable new technology.
The challenge for our
rabbis and for our ourselves
— as it has always been
with any new technological
advances we encounter —
is to figure out the best
ways to harness these
exciting applications while
remaining faithful to our
history, traditions, customs
and practices.
Michael Feldstein, who lives in
Stamford, Connecticut, is the found-
er and owner of MGF Marketing, a
direct marketing consulting firm. His
articles and letters have appeared
in the Jewish Link, the Jewish Week,
the Forward and the Jewish Press.
Save the Date
Annual Dinner | March 26, 2023
@ CONGREGATION SHAAREY ZEDEK
William Davidsonz”l
HONORING COMMUNITY LEADER
Ethan Davidson
AND CELEBRATING THE LEGACY
OF HIS FATHER
Linda Pedder
Staff Honoree
dinner23@farberhds.org
www.farberhds.org/giving/annual-event