Dear R' Morgenstern,
A single woman who was a sex addict slept with non-Jews when she was in active addiction. Today she is in 12-Step groups and in recovery. She is clean for a long time.
She was recently spoken a shidduch with a Kohen and she is looking for a heter based on the fact that addiction is recognized to be an illness and she hopes to have a din of someone who is sick/anus. (perhaps also based on the klal "אין אדם משים עצמו רשע" or any other reason).
Is the Rav able to give a heter on such a situation?
Thank you
The Rav Responds:
A woman becomes forbidden to a cohen even if the relations were done through rape, so even if she would have been considered completely unaccountable for her actions there is still no heter. אין אדם is a concept of "belief", with herself she does not need a דין של נאמנות so such a concept does not apply here.