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Women and Torah Study: Obligations and Opportunities – Rabbi Efrem Goldberg

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Women and Torah Study: Obligations and Opportunities

Rabbi Efrem Goldberg Boca Raton Synagogue



I. Women and Torah Study

a. Gemara Kiddushin – Women are exempt b. Birchas Ha’Torah

i. Rama – Women recite ii. Magen Avraham – Women obligated to study laws that apply to them

iii. Gra – No obligation, women can volunteer like time bound mitzvos iv. Beis Ha’Levi – Difference between study of Torah and knowledge of Torah

c. Rama – Women must learn that which applies to them

II. Women and the Study of Talmud a. Gemara Sotah – teaching women Talmud is teaching tiflus. b. What is tiflus?

i. Yirmiyahu, Rashi, Yerushalmi – Torah knowledge could lead to immorality and promiscuity

ii. Iyov, Rambam – Superficial learning without depth. “Little knowledge is a dangerous thing”

iii. R’ Moshe – Halacha l’maaseh, women should not study mishna c. Women’s initiation

i. Perisha – distinction between a women who initiates an interest to learn and a father teaching

ii. Torah Temimah – “women whose hearts motivate them” d. Scholarly women –

i. Eruvin, Pesachim – Beruriah, wife of R’ Meir ii. Nechama Lebowitz

iii. Rayna Batya

III. The Times, They are A’Changin a. Chafetz Chaim – women are literate in secular subjects b. R’ Twersky explains his grandfather, the Rav’s approach to teaching Talmud to

women c. Rabbi Soloveitchik – men’s Torah and women’s Torah d. Lubavitcher Rebbe – need to know Torah’s view e. R’ Aharon Lichtenstein and R’ Moshe Meiselman – women’s higher education

IV. Opportunities at BRS for Women’s Learning:

a. Rabbanit Rock – Sefer Bamidbar b. Mrs. Malka Morris – Book of Shmuel c. Rebbetzin Yocheved Goldberg – Taharas Ha’Mishpacha review d. Rebbetzin Fay Greene – monthly Women’s spirituality class e. Mrs. Anne Deakter – Parsha f. Women’s Beis Midrash – NEW g. Women’s Rosh Chodesh Inspirational Lecture Series h. BRS/GPATS classes



See the Agur whose opinion is unacceptable for a number of reasons. The Torah itself shouts to us, “And you shall teach your sons” and not your daughters. So how could women possibly say, “Who has commanded us” or “Who has given us the Torah?” Clearly, the matter must be explained according to what is written in Tosafos and the other poskim that women are permitted to recite a beracha whenever they choose to perform a mitzvas asei she’hazman grama (positive time point commandments). Although the Rabbis have taught “whoever teaches his daughter Torah it as if he has taught her tiflus,” this statement was only made in connection with Oral Torah.

Women must recite the blessing on the Torah

[Women recite the blessing on Torah] because they are obligated to study the laws relevant to them

1. Kiddushin 29b

3. Magen Avraham R’ Avraham Gombiner

(1633-1683)

2. Shulchan Aruch o.c. 47:14

4. Vilna Gaon – Gr”a R’ Eliyahu b. Shlomo Zalman Kremer

(1720-1797)



Women must study the laws relevant to them. Women are not obligated to teach their children Torah however if they enable their sons or husbands to study they receive reward.

7. Yirmiyahu 23:13

6. Sota 20a

5. Rama R’ Moshe Isserles (1520-1572)



Our Rabbis commanded us not to teach women Mishnayos which

is Torah Sh’b’al peh and falls under the category of tiflus. Therefore, we should prevent women from studying it. Only Pirkei Avos which deals with matters of morals and ethical behavior, should be taught to women in order to inspire in them love of Torah as well as noble characteristics. Other tractates may not be

A woman who studies Torah will receive reward. However, that reward will not be [as great] as a man's, since she was not commanded [in this mitzvah]. Whoever performs a deed which he is not commanded to do, does not receive as great a reward as one who performs a mitzvah that he is commanded to do.

Even though she will receive a reward, the Sages commanded that a person should not teach his daughter Torah, because most women cannot concentrate their attention on study, and thus transform the words of Torah into idle matters because of their lack of understanding.

[Thus,] our Sages declared: "Whoever teaches his daughter Torah is like one who teaches her tales and parables." This applies to the Oral Law. [With regard to] the Written Law: at the outset, one should not teach one's daughter. However, if one teaches her, it is not considered as if she was taught idle things.

11. Igros Moshe R’ Moshe Feinstein (1895-1986)

8. Rashi

10. Rambam Hilchos Talmud Torah 1:13

9. Iyov 6:6



The minds of most women are not adapted to be taught Torah. However, if a woman has taught herself, it is apparent to us that she is no longer included in the category of most women. Therefore, the Rambam wrote that she is rewarded. This refers to a woman who has studied Torah properly and consequently will not turn the words of the Torah into words of nonsense. A father is forbidden to teach his daughter Torah lest she turn the words of Torah into words of nonsense since he does not know what lies in her heart.

12. Perisha 246:6 R’ Yehoshua Falk (1555–1614)

13. Torah Temimah R’ Baruch Ha’Levi Epstein

(1860-1941)

14. Eruvin 53b 15. Pesachim 62a



On weekday afternoons, we would spend a half hour with Abba during lunchtime. The radio would be on, and we would listen to

Professor Nechama Leibowitz, z”l, explain the Tanach. He would say, “Learn from her, children; see what a wise woman she is. Learn the Tanach

well, so that in twenty or thirty years from now, I will be privileged to hear you on the radio explaining the Tanach.” Indeed, today several of my brothers deliver regular shiurim on Israeli

16. Jewish Action Adina Bar Shalom

“My Abba, Rav Ovadia”

17. Rabbi JJ Schacter “Facing the Truths of History”

Torah U’Mada 8 (1998)

18. Chafetz Chaim R’ Yisroel Meir

Kagan

Anyone who has but a fleeting insight into the life and work ofRabb. Hirsch will realize that his Torah im Derech Eretz formulawas never intended by him as a hiw tarvh.

He continues, “We ask: are the conditions which led Rabb. Hirschand the rabbinical leaders to the supposed hiw tarvh of Torah imDerech Eretz any less valid in our own time? Are they not rathermore acute and far more pressing?”80

• Sefer Mekor Barukh, the memoirs of R. Barukh Halevi Epstein,most well known as the author of the Torah Temimah commentary onthe Torah, contains a great deal of information about Jewish life inEastern Europe in the second half of the nineteenth century. Particu-larly valuable are his descriptions of the leading gedolei Yisrael of thetime, especially that of his uncle, R. Naphtali Z. evi Yehudah Berlin (theNez. iv) and the members of his family. This book contains an entirechapter on Mrs. Rayna Batya, daughter of R. Iz. ele Volozhiner, grand-daughter of R. H. ayyim Volozhiner and first wife of the Nez. iv.81 At thebeginning of his presentation, R. Epstein describes the books that sheread:

,Xyqh ymyb Mgv ,lkvah tybb rwa Prvch rvntl tvkymsb dymt tbwl hkrd 'yh Kkvtrvnm ,Mynvw Mywrdm ,bqiy Nyi ,tvynwm ,K"nt :Mynvw Myrps rvbx Nclw hynplv yrpsmv hla Mynymm Myrps hmkv hmk dviv ,hdvhy ebw ,dvd cmx ,rwyh bq ,rvamh

82.hdga

An English “rendering” of this volume appeared in 1988 which con-tains the following version of this statement: “It was her habit to sit bythe oven in the kitchen—even in the summertime—next to a tablepiled high with seforim. These included a Tanach, Ein Yaacov, vari-ous midrashim, Menoras HaMaor, Kav HaYashar, Tzemach Dovid,Shevet Yehudah, and many other books of this nature.”83 Conspicuousby their absence are the references to Mishnayot and sifrei Aggadah.While the subject of women studying Torah she-be‘al peh is still a con-troversial one in the Orthodox community, there is no doubt that thisgreat woman—wife, daughter and granddaughter of the most illustri-ous rashei yeshiva of the greatest yeshiva in nineteenth century Eu-rope—at least read, if not studied, that literature.84

• It has been commonly accepted that the Nez. iv decided “to closethe doors of the famed Volozhiner Yeshiva rather than introducingsecular studies into its program.” In an earlier article I have demon-strated that “There is absolutely no doubt whatsoever that the Nez. ivallowed secular studies in Volozhin,” the yeshiva he headed with greatdistinction and mesirat nefesh from 1853 until its closing in 1892. At

Jacob J. Schacter 217



TRA

ITIO

N

appe

ar to

con

fuse

righ

t and

left.

Crie

s of c

onde

mna

tion

are

raise

d an

dsla

nder

ous e

pith

ets h

urle

d-'re

form

ist!,'

'mod

erni

st!,'

etc.

Tho

se h

akh-

mei

haM

asor

a w

ho st

and

in th

e va

ngua

rd o

f the

figh

t aga

inst

assim

ila-

tion

and

per n

eces

sity

spea

k th

e la

ngua

ge o

f the

alie

nate

d an

d co

nfus

edm

asse

s are

mos

t vul

nera

ble.

The

trou

ble-

fille

d ca

reer

of t

he M

albi

m,

inte

r alia

, im

med

iate

ly c

omes

to m

ind.

Thi

s spi

ritua

l gia

nt w

ho in

the

eyes

of t

he B

eit h

aLev

i and

Rav

Cha

im c

omm

ande

d th

e re

vere

nce

due

to o

ne o

f the

rish

onim

was

the

obje

ct o

f mer

cile

ss, v

itrio

lic a

ttack

. How

bitte

rly ir

onic

: he

devo

ted

his l

ife to

com

batin

g th

e pe

rnic

ious

dan

gers

of re

form

, and

him

self

had

to s

uffe

r acc

usat

ions

of b

eing

a 'r

efor

mis

t.'Sa

dly,

the

Mal

bim

was

nei

ther

the

first

nor t

he la

st am

ongs

t ged

olei

Yis-

rael

to

suff

er s

uch

a fa

te.

Such

are

the

bur

dens

of

lead

ersh

ip.

The

Rav

exer

cise

d re

mar

kabl

e le

ader

ship

and

also

bor

e w

ith g

reat

dign

ity th

e bu

rden

s and

indi

gniti

es o

f lea

ders

hip.

The

subt

le tr

uth

is th

is: o

ur M

asor

a is

eter

nally

bin

ding

and

un-

changing. "This Torah shall not be altered, and there wil be no other

Tora

h fo

rthco

min

g fro

m th

e Cr

eato

r, m

ay H

is na

me

be b

less

ed. "

47Re

gard

less

of t

heir

inte

nsity

or v

eloc

ity, w

inds

of c

hang

e ar

e po

wer

less

agai

nst a

div

ine,

ete

rnal

Mas

ora.

Ext

erna

l cha

nge

or a

ccom

mod

atio

n is

anat

hem

a. H

owev

er, M

asor

a do

es p

osse

ss a

n in

tern

al d

ynam

ic. T

heTo

rah

inte

rnal

ly d

icta

tes,

in so

me

case

s, th

at c

hang

ing

circ

umsta

nces

elic

it di

ffere

nt d

irect

ives

and

resp

onse

s. Th

e To

rah,

abs

olut

e an

d un

-ch

angi

ng, i

tself

prov

ides

indi

vidu

aliz

ed g

uide

lines

for d

iffer

ent e

poch

s.Th

e fir

st R

ebbe

of G

er, t

he le

gend

ary

Hid

ushe

i haR

im, u

nequ

ivoc

ally

form

ulat

ed th

is ca

rdin

al tr

uth:

"In

ever

y ge

nera

tion

(new

) Tor

ah in

ter-

pret

atio

ns c

ome

to li

ght i

n ac

cord

ance

with

the

(peo

ple

of th

e) g

ener

a-ti

on a

nd t

he n

eed

to d

irec

t th

em.

"48

Thes

e in

terp

reta

tion

s ar

e di

vine

d,of

ten

times

intu

itive

ly, b

y th

e ha

khm

ei h

aMas

ora.

IVTO

RAT

HA

VLe

t us,

with

the

bene

fit o

f car

eful

retro

spec

tive

refle

ctio

n, w

hile

reje

ct-

ing

revi

sioni

sm, s

tudy

som

e of

the

Rav'

s tea

chin

gs, e

spec

ially

thos

ewh

ich

resp

onde

d to

the

con

fron

tati

on o

f To

rah

and

mod

erni

ty.

TALMUD TORA FOR WOMEN AND THE

MEI

IITSA

CO

NTR

OV

ERSY

The

Rav

advo

cate

d te

achi

ng T

orah

she-

BaJa

l Pe

to w

omen

. He

pers

onal

-ly taught Torah she_BaJal Pe to his daughters, on his initiative and

96

Maye

r Tw

ersk

y

auth

ority

Gem

ora

has b

een

taug

ht to

girl

s in

Mai

mon

ides

Sch

ool,4

9 an

dhe

del

iver

ed a

shiu

r ina

ugur

atin

g a

Talm

ud p

rogr

am fo

r wom

en a

t Ste

rnCo

llege

. At f

irst g

lanc

e, th

e Ra

v's a

ctio

ns se

emin

gly

besp

eak

a m

oder

nin

stin

ct a

nd re

form

ist p

rocl

iviti

es.

This

supe

rfici

al a

nd si

mpl

istic

inte

rpre

tatio

n, h

owev

er, i

s cle

arly

be-

lied

whe

n w

e fo

cus o

n an

othe

r vita

l con

tem

pora

ry is

sue.

In th

e 19

50's

nasc

ent p

ost-w

ar A

mer

ican

orth

odox

y sto

od a

t a fa

tefu

l cro

ssro

ad. I

n-cr

easin

gly

acce

ding

to so

ciet

al a

ssim

ilatio

nist

forc

es, b

oth

rabb

inic

and

lay

lead

ers w

ere

rem

ovin

g th

e m

ehits

a fro

m sy

nago

gues

and

aba

ndon

ing

sepa

rate

seat

ing,

in th

e na

me

of a

llege

d eg

alita

riani

sm. T

he sa

cred

ness

and

invi

olab

ilty

of

hala

kha

were

thr

eate

ned.

50

The

Rav

resp

onde

d ve

ryfo

rcef

ully

, dec

ryin

g th

e Ch

ristia

niza

tion

of th

e sy

nago

gue,

bea

utifu

llyar

ticul

atin

g th

e ra

tiona

le fo

r a m

ehits

a, a

nd a

bsol

utel

y pr

ohib

iting

ent

ryin

to su

ch a

"mod

ified

" syn

agog

ue, e

ven

if it

prov

ided

the

only

opp

or-

tuni

ty to

fulfi

ll th

e m

itsva

of s

hofa

r on

Rosh

HaS

hana

. Her

e ar

e th

e'Ra

v's i

mpa

ssio

ned

wor

ds a

s he

spok

e to

that

vita

l iss

ue:

In p

artic

ular

, I w

ish to

cal

l the

atte

ntio

n of

the

conf

eren

ce to

the

meh

i-ts

a pr

oble

m .

. .

many

of

our

coll

eagu

es c

hoos

e th

e de

rech

ket

zara

hva

'aru

cha,

the

easy

way

whi

ch le

ads

to d

oom

and

dis

aste

r. I d

o he

reby

reite

rate

the

stat

emen

t I h

ave

mad

e on

num

erou

s oc

casi

ons,

bot

h in

writ

ing

and

oral

ly, t

hat a

syna

gogu

e w

ith a

mix

ed se

atin

g ar

rang

emen

tfo

rfeits

its s

anct

ity a

nd it

s hal

akhi

c sta

tus o

f mik

dash

me'a

t (sa

nctu

ary

inm

inia

ture

), an

d is

unfit

for p

raye

r and

avo

da sh

e-be

lev

(the

serv

ice

of th

ehe

art).

I kn

ow b

efor

ehan

d th

e re

actio

n to

my

lette

r on

the

part

of o

urap

ostle

s of r

elig

ious

"mod

erni

sm" a

nd "u

tilita

riani

sm."

They

will

cer

-ta

inly

say

that

sinc

e a

grea

t maj

ority

of t

he re

cent

ly c

onstr

cted

syna

-go

gues

hav

e ab

ando

ned

sepa

rate

d se

atin

g, w

e m

ust n

ot b

e ou

t of s

tep

with

the

mas

ses.

This

type

of r

easo

ning

cou

ld w

ell b

e em

ploy

ed w

ithre

gard

to o

ther

relig

ious

pre

cept

s, su

ch a

s the

obs

erva

nce

of th

e Sa

b-ba

th, a

nd th

e di

etar

y la

ws.

How

ever

, we

mus

t rem

embe

r tha

t an

ethi

cal

or h

alak

hic

prin

cipl

e de

cree

d by

God

is n

ot re

nder

ed v

oid

by th

e fa

ctth

at p

eopl

e re

fuse

to a

bide

by

it. It

s cog

ency

and

ver

acity

are

per

enni

alan

d in

depe

nden

t of c

ompl

ianc

e on

the

part

of th

e m

ultit

udes

. If t

heet

hica

l nor

m, '

Thou

shal

t not

kill

,' ha

s not

lost

its v

alid

ity d

urin

g th

eda

ys o

f ext

erm

inat

ion

cam

ps a

nd g

as c

ham

bers

, whe

n m

ilion

s of p

eopl

ew

ere

enga

ged

in ru

thle

ss m

urde

r, bu

t on

the

cont

rary

, has

bee

nim

preg

nate

d w

ith d

eepe

r mea

ning

and

sig

nific

ance

, the

n ev

ery

hala

khic

max

im a

ssum

es g

reat

er im

port

in ti

mes

of w

ides

prea

d di

sreg

ard

and

unco

ncer

n. T

he g

reat

er th

e di

ffcul

ty, t

he m

ore

bitin

g th

e rid

icul

e an

dsa

rcas

m, a

nd th

e m

ore

num

erou

s the

opp

onen

t-the

n th

e ho

lier i

s the

97

TRA

ITIO

N

prin

cipl

e, a

nd th

e m

ore

sacr

ed is

our

dut

y to

def

end

it. In

my

opin

ion,

the

hala

khic

dic

tum

, bish

eJat

gez

erat

ha-

mal

khut

affl

u m

itsva

kal

lah

kego

n le

-shi

nuye

(ar

keta

de-

mesa

na,

yeha

reg

ve'a

l ya

'avo

r (a

t a

time

of

relig

ious

per

secu

tion

thro

ugh

gove

rnm

enta

l dec

ree,

eve

n fo

r a m

inor

custo

m, s

uch

as o

ne in

volv

ing

chan

ging

a sh

oela

ce, l

et o

ne su

ffer d

eath

soon

er th

an tr

ansg

ress

it) r

equi

ring

of u

s a h

eroi

c sta

nd in

tim

es o

fad

vers

ity, a

pplie

s not

onl

y to

pol

itica

l and

relig

ious

per

secu

tion

orig

i-na

ted

by so

me

paga

n ru

ler,

but a

lso to

situ

atio

ns in

whi

ch a

smal

l num

-be

r of G

od-fe

arin

g an

d To

rah-

loya

l peo

ple

is co

nfro

nted

with

a h

ostil

eat

titu

de o

n th

e pa

rt o

f th

e m

ajor

ity d

omin

ated

by

a fa

lse p

hilo

soph

y.5

The

Rav

from

his

ear

liest

you

th w

as tr

aine

d to

be

exce

ptio

nally

sen

-si

tive

and

disc

iplin

ed in

mat

ters

ofla

ngua

ge. A

n ex

tra w

ord

in R

amba

m's

Mis

hne

Tora

h co

uld

prom

pt p

rofo

und

nove

llae.

Rav

Cha

im re

wro

te h

isow

n hi

dush

im a

hun

dred

tim

es,

ever

y wo

rd w

eigh

ed a

nd m

easu

red.

52

The

Rav

imbi

bed

and

lived

this

hallo

wed

trad

ition

. How

strik

ing

and

reve

alin

g th

en is

his

lang

uage

in h

is d

evas

tatin

g cr

itiqu

e of

relig

ious

"mod

erni

sm" a

nd "u

tilita

riani

sm."

The

desc

riptio

n of

the

path

of d

oom

and

disa

ster,

the

anal

ogy

to th

e N

azi a

band

onm

ent o

f the

pre

cept

agai

nst m

urde

r! Th

e cl

ario

n ca

ll to

mar

tyrd

om ra

ther

than

sur

rend

er to

am

ajor

ity d

omin

ated

by

a fa

lse p

hilo

soph

y! L

et o

ne su

ffer d

eath

soon

erth

an a

cqui

esce

to re

mov

ing

the

meh

itsa

from

a sy

nago

gue!

In th

is co

n-te

xt, t

he R

av a

ppea

rs a

s the

ulti

mat

e id

eolo

gue,

aut

hor o

f ext

rem

e rig

ht-

win

g rh

etor

ic.

The

"thi

rd v

erse

" whi

ch re

conc

iles t

he a

ppar

ent c

ontra

dict

ion

isth

is: T

ruth

and

men

of t

ruth

tran

scen

d fa

cile

cla

ssifi

catio

n an

d de

fysu

perfi

cial

ster

eoty

ping

. The

Rav

was

nei

ther

left

nor r

ight

win

g, m

od-

ern

nor

ultr

a or

thod

ox.

He w

as a

man

of

Tora

h, tr

uth.

Tru

th, i

ts un

der-

lyin

g un

ity u

ncom

prom

ised,

ofte

n un

derg

oes a

pro

cess

of d

iffra

ctio

nan

d m

anife

sts it

self

in a

var

iety

of g

uise

s. Th

e Ra

v's p

ositi

on, l

ike

thos

eof

the

Haf

ets

Hayi

ff a

nd o

ther

hak

hmei

haM

asor

a) r

egar

ding

wom

en's

educ

atio

n re

flect

ed h

is in

tuiti

ve u

nder

stand

ing

Of w

hat t

he in

tern

al d

y-na

mic

of M

asor

a pr

escr

ibes

for t

he c

onte

mpo

rary

pre

dica

men

t.Pr

e W

orld

War

II E

urop

ean

Jew

ry h

ad b

een

in th

e th

roes

of a

reli-

giou

s cris

is, a

fact

om

itted

in o

ur ro

man

ticiz

ed h

istor

ies o

f the

per

iod.

The

forc

es o

f ass

imila

tion

wer

e ve

ry st

rong

, and

man

y su

ccum

bed.

The

cris

is w

as m

ost a

cute

in th

e ar

ea o

f Tor

ah e

duca

tion

for w

omen

.53

Pro-

foun

d co

rrect

ive

educ

atio

nal m

easu

res w

ould

hav

e be

en n

eces

sary

inEu

rope

, the

bas

tion

of o

rthod

oxy.

A fo

rtior

i in

the

Uni

ted

Stat

es.

The

hala

kha

proh

ibiti

ng T

orah

stu

dy fo

r wom

en is

not

indi

scrim

i-na

te o

r all-

enco

mpa

ssin

g. T

here

is c

ompl

ete

unan

imity

that

wom

en a

re

98

TRA

ITIO

N

prin

cipl

e, a

nd th

e m

ore

sacr

ed is

our

dut

y to

def

end

it. In

my

opin

ion,

the

hala

khic

dic

tum

, bish

eJat

gez

erat

ha-

mal

khut

affl

u m

itsva

kal

lah

kego

n le

-shi

nuye

(ar

keta

de-

mesa

na,

yeha

reg

ve'a

l ya

'avo

r (a

t a

time

of

relig

ious

per

secu

tion

thro

ugh

gove

rnm

enta

l dec

ree,

eve

n fo

r a m

inor

custo

m, s

uch

as o

ne in

volv

ing

chan

ging

a sh

oela

ce, l

et o

ne su

ffer d

eath

soon

er th

an tr

ansg

ress

it) r

equi

ring

of u

s a h

eroi

c sta

nd in

tim

es o

fad

vers

ity, a

pplie

s not

onl

y to

pol

itica

l and

relig

ious

per

secu

tion

orig

i-na

ted

by so

me

paga

n ru

ler,

but a

lso to

situ

atio

ns in

whi

ch a

smal

l num

-be

r of G

od-fe

arin

g an

d To

rah-

loya

l peo

ple

is co

nfro

nted

with

a h

ostil

eat

titu

de o

n th

e pa

rt o

f th

e m

ajor

ity d

omin

ated

by

a fa

lse p

hilo

soph

y.5

The

Rav

from

his

ear

liest

you

th w

as tr

aine

d to

be

exce

ptio

nally

sen

-si

tive

and

disc

iplin

ed in

mat

ters

ofla

ngua

ge. A

n ex

tra w

ord

in R

amba

m's

Mis

hne

Tora

h co

uld

prom

pt p

rofo

und

nove

llae.

Rav

Cha

im re

wro

te h

isow

n hi

dush

im a

hun

dred

tim

es,

ever

y wo

rd w

eigh

ed a

nd m

easu

red.

52

The

Rav

imbi

bed

and

lived

this

hallo

wed

trad

ition

. How

strik

ing

and

reve

alin

g th

en is

his

lang

uage

in h

is d

evas

tatin

g cr

itiqu

e of

relig

ious

"mod

erni

sm" a

nd "u

tilita

riani

sm."

The

desc

riptio

n of

the

path

of d

oom

and

disa

ster,

the

anal

ogy

to th

e N

azi a

band

onm

ent o

f the

pre

cept

agai

nst m

urde

r! Th

e cl

ario

n ca

ll to

mar

tyrd

om ra

ther

than

sur

rend

er to

am

ajor

ity d

omin

ated

by

a fa

lse p

hilo

soph

y! L

et o

ne su

ffer d

eath

soon

erth

an a

cqui

esce

to re

mov

ing

the

meh

itsa

from

a sy

nago

gue!

In th

is co

n-te

xt, t

he R

av a

ppea

rs a

s the

ulti

mat

e id

eolo

gue,

aut

hor o

f ext

rem

e rig

ht-

win

g rh

etor

ic.

The

"thi

rd v

erse

" whi

ch re

conc

iles t

he a

ppar

ent c

ontra

dict

ion

isth

is: T

ruth

and

men

of t

ruth

tran

scen

d fa

cile

cla

ssifi

catio

n an

d de

fysu

perfi

cial

ster

eoty

ping

. The

Rav

was

nei

ther

left

nor r

ight

win

g, m

od-

ern

nor

ultr

a or

thod

ox.

He w

as a

man

of

Tora

h, tr

uth.

Tru

th, i

ts un

der-

lyin

g un

ity u

ncom

prom

ised,

ofte

n un

derg

oes a

pro

cess

of d

iffra

ctio

nan

d m

anife

sts it

self

in a

var

iety

of g

uise

s. Th

e Ra

v's p

ositi

on, l

ike

thos

eof the Hafets Hayiff and other hakhmei haMasora) regarding women's

educ

atio

n re

flect

ed h

is in

tuiti

ve u

nder

stand

ing

Of w

hat t

he in

tern

al d

y-na

mic

of M

asor

a pr

escr

ibes

for t

he c

onte

mpo

rary

pre

dica

men

t.Pr

e W

orld

War

II E

urop

ean

Jew

ry h

ad b

een

in th

e th

roes

of a

reli-

giou

s cris

is, a

fact

om

itted

in o

ur ro

man

ticiz

ed h

istor

ies o

f the

per

iod.

The

forc

es o

f ass

imila

tion

wer

e ve

ry st

rong

, and

man

y su

ccum

bed.

The

cris

is w

as m

ost a

cute

in th

e ar

ea o

f Tor

ah e

duca

tion

for w

omen

.53

Pro-

foun

d co

rrect

ive

educ

atio

nal m

easu

res w

ould

hav

e be

en n

eces

sary

inEu

rope

, the

bas

tion

of o

rthod

oxy.

A fo

rtior

i in

the

Uni

ted

Stat

es.

The

hala

kha

proh

ibiti

ng T

orah

stu

dy fo

r wom

en is

not

indi

scrim

i-na

te o

r all-

enco

mpa

ssin

g. T

here

is c

ompl

ete

unan

imity

that

wom

en a

re

98

19. “

A Gl

imps

e of

the R

av”

R’ M

ayer

Twer

sky

Tadi

tion

30:4



Mayer Twersky

obligated to study halakhot pertaining to mitsvot which are incumbentupon them.

54 Clearly men are allowed to provide instruction in theseareas. A father's obligation of hinukh relates equally to sons and daugh-ters.55 The prohibition of teaching Torah she-BaJal Pe to women relates tooptional study. If ever circumstances dictate that study of Torah she-BaJalPe is necessary to provide a firm foundation for faith, such study becomesobligatory and obviously lies beyond the pale of any prohibition.Undoubtedly, the Rav's prescription was more far-reaching than that ofthe Hafets Hayim and others. But the difference in magnitude shouldnot obscure their fundamental agreement: intuitively, it is clear that theguidelines of the Talmud in Masekhet Sota were never intended for ourepoch. This is not an instance of modernism, but Torah intuition.

Similarly, Torah intuition and reasoning dictated a firm, resolutestand in the mehitsa controversy. Firstly the requirement for a mehitsa isabsolute. Moreover, any horaJat shaJah would be dangerously misguid-ed because succumbing to a religiously and culturally hostile environ-ment, compromising principles and distorting halakha can not preservebut only distort Torah. As the Rav underscored, the mehitsa issue wasrepresentative. If orthodoxy would not remain true to its principles onthis issue, no precept would be immune to such religious accomoda-tionism. The Rav keenly perceived and forcefully articulated this truth,and was instrumental in stemming the tide of assimilation and rescuingnascent post-war orthodoxy.

INTRA-FAITH CO-OPERATION ANDINTERFAITH DIAOGUE

Juxtaposing the Rav's positions on membership in the SynagogueCouncil, on the one hand, and inter-faith dialogue, on the other, is sim-ilarly ilumining. For many years the Union of Orthodox Congregationsand the Rab binIcal Council of America belonged to the SynagogueCouncil, an umbrella body comprised of orthodox, conservative, andreform organizations. The Rav approved of their ongoing participation.His ruling was not rooted in "tolerance" or "pluralism." Nor did itreflect his alleged modernity.

The Rav's firm stand banning inter-faith dialogue suffices to dispelany such ilusions. In the early 1960's in the aftermath of the Vatican'sEcumenical Council, many Jewish groups were eager to engage theChurch in dialogue. The Rav adamantly opposed this, eloquentlyexplaining the impossibilty of such a venture and subtly exposing theVatican's invitation as a veiled form of assimilationist entrapment. His

99

People are mistaken in thinking that there is only one masorah, and only one masorah community, the community of the fathers. It is not true. We have two masorot, two traditions, two communities, two shalshalot ha-kabbalah [chains of tradition]- the masorah community of the fathers and that of the mothers. "Thus shalt thou say to the House of Jacob [=the women] and tell the children of Israel [=the men]" [Exodus 19:3], "Hear, my son, the instruction of thy father [mussar avikha], and forsake not the teaching of thy mother [torat imekha]" [Proverbs 1:8], counseled the old king. What is the difference between these two masorot, these two traditions? What is the distinction between mussar avikha and torat imekha? Let us explore what one learns from one's father and what one learns from one's mother.

From one's father one learns how to read a text- the Bible or the Talmud, how to comprehend, how to analyze, how to conceptualize how to classify, how to infer, how to apply, etc. One also learns what to do and what not to do, what is morally right and what is morally wrong. Father teaches son the discipline of thought as well as the discipline of action. Father's tradition is an intellectual-moral one. That is why it is identified with musar, the biblical term for discipline.

What is torat imekha? What kind of a Torah does the mother pass on? I admit that I am not able to define precisely the masoretic role of a mother. Only by circumscription may I hope to explain it. Permit me to draw upon my own experiences. I used to have long conversations with my mother. In fact, they were monologues rather than a dialogue. She talked and I "happened" to overhear. What did she talk about? I must use a halakhic term in order to answer this question. She spoke of inyana de-yoma [the affairs of the day]. I used to watch her arranging the house in honor of a holiday. I used to see her recite prayers. I used to watch her recite the sidra [weekly Torah portion] every Friday night; I still remember the nostalgic tune. I learned much from her.

Most of all I learned that Judaism expresses itself not only in formal compliance with the law but also in living experience. She taught me that there is flavor, a scent, and a warmth to mitzvot. I learned from her the most important thing in life- to feel the presence of the Almighty and the gentle pressure of His hand resting upon my frail shoulders. Without her teachings, which quite often were transmitted to me in silence, I would have grown up a soulless being, dry and insensitive.

The laws of Shabbat, for instance, were passed on to me by my father; they are part of musar avikha. The Shabbat as a living entity, as a queen, was revealed to me by my mother; it is a part of torat imekha. The fathers knew much about the Shabbat; the mother lived the Shabbat, experienced her presence, and perceived her beauty and splendor.

The fathers taught generations how to observe the Shabbat; the mothers taught generations how to greet the Shabbat and how to enjoy her twenty-four-hour presence.

20. Rabbi Yosef Dov Soloveitchik (1903-1993)



21. Lubavitcher Rebbe

R’ Menachel Mendel

Schneerson zt’’l (1902-1994)

22. Lubavitcher Rebbe Igros Kodesh 7:247



24. R’ M

oshe M

eiselm

an

“Jew

ish W

omen

in Je

wish

Law”

23. R’ A

haro

n Li

chten

stein

“T

orah

Stu

dy fo

r Wom

en”

Ten

Da’a

t 3:3

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