I invite you to take a look at this letter to the Jewish Week. The author, in response to the National Council of Young Israel's stated position of women in leadership roles in the synagogue, wishes to inform the "wider Jewish community" that there is an oasis for Orthodox women -- not his words but the title given for his letter by the paper -- in his shul in the Lower East Side which expands "the role of women as much as possible within the guidelines of halacha."
http://www.thejewishweek.com/editorial_opinion/letters/oasis_orthodox_women
I had two gut reactions.
(1) Why inform the "wider Jewish community?" Is their approval of those outside the realm of Halacha to be even considered within any debate on a halachic issue? Perhaps yes, based on such concepts as hayashar b'einei adam, but also perhaps no, based simply on the reality that Halacha is not always popular. The point is, though, while I can see potentially bringing the attitude of the general population into an internal discussion on a halachic or hashkafic principle, the discussion and debate should nevertheless still be internal. I think it is inappropriate to inform the world, in this manner, that there is an Orthodox place that meets their standards.
(2) While it is true that the charedi world is often criticized for ignoring the concept of eilu v'eilu -- and often rightfully so -- the left also suffers from this desire, when it serves their interests, to define Torah in monolithic terms. I would venture to even say that every Orthodox institution wishes to expand the role of women "as much as possible within the guidelines of Halacha" -- there is just a disagreement about these guidelines. The implication of the use of this term is that there is this group that is following the real guidelines of Halacha which allow women to do all these things while there are others in Orthodoxy who, for some other reason outside of Halacha, are ignoring these guidelines in order to keep women down. The reality is that there is variance of opinion within Halacha on numerous issues. This must be conveyed to all and, most importantly, that this disagreement is not to be compared to a similar type of disagreement that may exist in the general population. I, for example, always find it difficult when I fine myself maintaining a position that is similar to Christian fundamentalists because someone may thereby think that I actually also share their mores and thought processes. Halacha is different and must always be seen as different.
Rabbi Ben Hecht
2 comments:
I read it as being much more parochial than you did. More like:
"Do you live in the Lower East Side? Do you feel alienated from the YI because of the role they assign women? Come join us! We...."
The "wider Jewish community" is really just the people who don't belong to his shul who may be looking for an oasis for O women in the area.
-micha
You may be right but by putting this invitation in the Jewish Week it, by definition, has a much wider effect -- and the enire context of a message should be recognized.
As an example, as you may know, I am a monthly columnist in a Jewish paper that comes out of Toronto. It just so happens that, yesterday, I was sitting across from the publisher of this paper at the Seudat Shloshit at the shul (he is frum). Within the conversation, he mentioned to me that a good topic for my next column might be this issue of the role of women in Orthodox shuls or in the leadership of Orthodox shuls. I said I wouldn't do it because I am aware of the audience and the many non-frum people who read the paper. He immediately said that he understood.
This issue of the role of women is specifically a halachic issue. Clearly, from the perspective of the secular world, the Orthodox position is arcane and outmoded -- and from their perspective, they are right. One cannot defend the Torah position using the constructs of the secular world. To raise the issue within this context is, as such, problematic. This, it is my belief, extends to the invoking of support even for a position based on Torah from individuals who are only applying these secular constructs. This is something that we must be aware of. It does not further the cause of those who wish to expand the role of women -- and who believe that al pi Torah it can be expanded -- by bringing forth the support of Reform or Conservative individuals who already, as outgrowths of their systems, support such positions.
Perhaps you are right and this was not the intent of this letter writer but I do believe he should be sensitive to this reality.
Rabbi Ben Hecht
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