I wanted to recommend a few sites (and Rabbis) who will never give you that type of answer:

http://www.kashrut.org/forum/
http://www.frumteens.com

Hey, maybe you’ll learn a thing or two!

Other times they tell you so because if they think it is too much on a person they do not want to much pressure on you.

EnetBaron.com everyone

There is of course the famous Ramban in parshat Kedoshim that speaks of the “naval b’reshut haTorah.” The Torah tells us what is kosher to eat, but that doesn’t mean we have to be gluttons, stuffing kosher food down our throats all the time. There is a sense of a proper and modest way for a ben/bat Torah to act. This is usually the meaning for “it is not recommended.” Of course I cannot speak for every Rav, but this generally seems to be true, at least by my Rebbeim. In terms of assur and mutar, the halachah is either or for the most part. Even if something is a machloket you can hold of one opinion. But in terms of the way you act, it is not as clear cut. A person’s actions affect his Avodat Hashem and as such, it would be wise to consider (once you know something is mutar) whether it is ultimately beneficial or proper.

Is it assur to wear a kippah with pictures of the seinfeld cast or kids show characters on it? No. Is it recommended? No, because if you consider the matter, you can easily see that it is not proper to put such a thing (which is an ancient halachah, meant to be a reminder of Hashem) on our heads. Can you honestly picture a Jew who walks through a city street with such a kippah is setting a good example or is promoting a good image of being a Jew to others who would notice such a thing? Furthermore, think of the detrimental effects it could have on the wearer, if this is what he wears to show his respect and fear of G-d!

This example happens to be my opinion as well as that of many others. (and I’m not a yeshivisher with a black velvet yarmulke; I wear a srugi.) If anyone reading this has a problem with this kippah issue, bear in mind that there is no need to argue on this example, because agree or disagree the fundamental principle stands.

There is such a thing as “it is not recommended” in Judaism.

Whatever Hassidism became, if we are to look at the Ba’al Shem Tov, or even some of his immediate successors (Maggid of Mezeritch, Levi Yitzchok of Berditchev, et al), if we take their actions prima facae, then we have a nice case where minhagim simply were changed because the ones that were currently being practiced were turning people away.

Where do we draw a line? Or do we have to assume that the Ba’al Shem Tov was a tzadik who had to reveal himself and thus is a different case altogether?

As an aside, we shouldn’t forget that originally the conservatives also clasified themselves as a “halachic” movement and found justification for their actions from the gemara and poskim. But that is certainly not where it stayed. But I feel tha even aside from the likely slide in halacha adherence, this remains the wrong move.

As far as I know, they follow halacha where a woman specifically cannot do certain things, like pasken and lein. But everywhere else, she basically acts as the Rav. Still wrong. And they freely acknowledge this.

The question I would ask is what the specific threat here is? Are we upset because she should be at home cooking, cleaning, and conceiving instead? Have we forgotten about Beruriah and Rashi’s daughters? I know we’re not going to pan Rashi as being a precursor to Rabbi Avi Weiss now (not that there’s anything wrong with that).

And Michal, I’m with you as well. I prefer one who is “mean and honest” than one who (a) wears a sheepskin over closed-minded dogmatism, or (b) one who simply “flames” (to use common parlaince) based on personal vendetta.

I only know what I read about it. But what exactly does she do that you think is improper? I think I read that she doesn’t do a lot of things that Rabbis do (mesader kiddushin, paskening, etc). What specifically do you think a Rabbi can do but she isn’t permitted to do?