Can a father be mochel on his kovod during a torah discussion, so that the son can point out sources that the father is not aware of without having to say “doesnt it say…” & also to be able to be “soser es devarav?”
Answer:
Although a son is not permitted to contradict his father, a father can forego his honor (Kiddushin 32a), so that the son will not have to be concerned about this issue in a Torah dispute. In most cases of Torah dispute, it can be assumed that the father has, indeed, foregone his honor in this sense, and desires to know the truth of the matter. The prohibition of contradicting one’s father applies principly when the father is engaged in a dispute with somebody else, where siding with the other person can be an affront to the father’s honor.
