The Gemara understands that for the Shitah in R' Yehudah who is Poter on hitting/cursing one's unknown parent, this is learned due to a Hekesh in that there can't be any Shutafut in the parents. But how, from the Torah's perspective, can there be a notion of Shutafut in two fathers? Obviously, Klapei Shemaya Galya who is the real one, it is only a Safek in our Yediyah! How can the Torah legislate on a case like this?
Mark Gotesman, Bergenfield, USA
1) In Shamayim they know who is the real one, but the problem is that we here do not know who is the real one. Therefore, because of the doubt, the son has to relate to both men as if each one might really be his father. It seems obvious to me that the son must perform the Mitzvah of Kibud Av, out of a doubt, for both possible fathers. I looked around and found, bs'd, in Sefer Vayevarech David, by Rav Yisrael David Harpenes shlit'a of Brooklyn, on Kibud Av v'Em (page 49, 2:1), that he cites Sefer Toldos Shmuel (Mitzvah 33, #21) who says that if a son has a doubt about whether he was born after 9 months from the first husband or after 6 months from the second, he must honor both men because of the doubt.
2) The Torah legislates according to what happens in this world, not according to what is known in Heaven. The Torah states, "It is not in Heaven" (Devarim 30:12). The Gemara (beginning of Temurah 16a) tells us that for this reason Yehoshua bin Nun said that if one does not know what the Halachah is, he cannot ask in Heaven for the answer since the Halachah must be decided by the Beis Din in this world.
3) Therefore, the Gemara here states that it is possible for somebody to "bless" Hashem because there is no partnership up there; there is only one Hashem. But down here, it is possible to have a "partnership" of fathers because even though only one is the real father, we do not know which he is, so we must behave towards both of them as if each one might be the real father.
Best regards,
Dovid Bloom