The ‘Yalkut Yosef’ Doesn’t Accurately Reflect Rabbi Ovadiah Yosef’s Halachic Views
Apart from all the other tough questions about the “Yalkut Yosef”, and even assuming one could rely on Rabbi Ovadiah Yosef, the book still doesn’t accomplish even its basic stated purpose: summarising Rabbi Ovadiah Yosef’s halachic rulings.
It is common to find the expression “יש לו על מי לסמוך” in shut “Yabia Omer” (and Rabbi Ovadiah Yosef’s other books). Does this mean something is, in Plain-Speak, “permitted”? The author\s of Yalkut Yosef (all over) certainly think so.
But in Kovetz “Or Torah” Tevet 5762 someone (?) wrote an essay on men using a newer shaving technology, where he mentions that Rabbi Ovadiah Yosef does not permit them. To which someone questioned him (in the next issue) about Yabia Omer vol. 9 which says regarding one using these newer shavers, “יש לו על מי לסמוך”.
The author responded: Firstly, that volume of Yabia Omer wasn’t published at the time of the original essay, so he couldn’t mention it (although he actually knew of that Teshuva). More importantly, the author testifies he himself heard from Rabbi Ovadiah Yosef that “יש על מי לסמוך” does not grant blanket permission. Which is why, says the author, he chose his original formulation with care: Rabbi Yosef “does not permit…“, instead of writing he simply “prohibited”.
This sounds plausible to me.
Note: I’m copying from notes, but don’t have these sources present to double-check.
