The opposition to female Orthodox rabbis:Turf war?
In last Friday's New York Jewish Week, I read a snippet from this blog post by the Orthodox Union's Rabbi Pruzansky that had me steaming. Here's what made me mad: "The idea of "female clergy" . . . is a throwback to pagan ideologies and a perennial challenge to religious establishments."
At first, I took it as an infuriating personal insult directed against Orthodox women currently holding, or aspiring to hold, rabbi-like positions in the Orthodox community. Does he think that these scholars are performing rain dances--or worse--in the fields?
But once I calmed down, I realized that the second part of the sentence, "a perennial challenge to religious establishments," might actually be closer to the truth: Maybe at least part of the real problem is that some of the Orthodox male population resents the incursion of females into male-only territory.
That's exactly what I was talking about when I said, in my "Women in Judaism: Taxation without represention" post, "the fact is that almost the entire corpus of halachah/Jewish religious law has been determined by men [by which I mean that all the halachic authorities quoted in the Talmud, and down to our present day, are male]. (Hence the title of this post.) Some of those in power may simply not wish to share it."
At first, I took it as an infuriating personal insult directed against Orthodox women currently holding, or aspiring to hold, rabbi-like positions in the Orthodox community. Does he think that these scholars are performing rain dances--or worse--in the fields?
But once I calmed down, I realized that the second part of the sentence, "a perennial challenge to religious establishments," might actually be closer to the truth: Maybe at least part of the real problem is that some of the Orthodox male population resents the incursion of females into male-only territory.
That's exactly what I was talking about when I said, in my "Women in Judaism: Taxation without represention" post, "the fact is that almost the entire corpus of halachah/Jewish religious law has been determined by men [by which I mean that all the halachic authorities quoted in the Talmud, and down to our present day, are male]. (Hence the title of this post.) Some of those in power may simply not wish to share it."
posted by Shira Salamone at 1:34 PM
14 Comments:
I keep waiting for the Female C rabbis I know to re-institute Ashera worship, but no luck so far. :<(
(The idea of “female clergy” not only mimics Reform, but in fact is a throwback to pagan ideologies and a perennial challenge to religious establishments. The Catholics suffer from this same type of movement that seeks to feminize the priesthood; it really does come from the “same pew, different church.”)
More seriously note that Pruzansky generalizes the issue of female clergy. He doesn't see this as an issue of being true to the values of Torah for Jews, he seems to view female clergy as being a bad thing on the Noachide level as well. I suspect he would oppose female Unitarian ministers, if asked.
Another wiseguy heard from. :)
"Pruzansky generalizes the issue of female clergy. He doesn't see this as an issue of being true to the values of Torah for Jews, he seems to view female clergy as being a bad thing on the Noachide level as well."
In other words, his opposition to Orthodox female rabbis has, perhaps, as much to do with sexism as with halachah.
I can't tell, but it sounds like R. Pruzansky thinks it's worse to be Reform than it is to be Pagan! :P
Oy. :)
Tevel's comment is very insightful. Check out R. Pruzansky's blog. One of his recent posts criticizes a vast junk of the observant he refers to as "orthoprax". Apparently, R. Pruzansky sticks close to that old Talmudic rule -- "its my way or the highway". And along the way, one loses sight of the forest for the trees.
In other words, his opposition to Orthodox female rabbis has, perhaps, as much to do with sexism as with halachah.
Or, to put in terms he is more likely to accept, he believes that the proper gender roles are the same for all humanity, and not just something special only the Jews have to do. Not allowing female rabbis would be part of our mission of ohr l'goyim - being a light (example) to the nations, rather than relating to our being am kadosh - the people who dwell apart and are different.
"In other words, his opposition to Orthodox female rabbis has, perhaps, as much to do with sexism as with halachah."
By the same token, one could make the case that Conservative rabbis are mor interested in and influenced by modern social liberalism and egalitarianism than in halacha. If you look at the C teshuvas on bat-kohanim duchening and receiving the first aliyah (both of which halacha is quite clear can't happen) they barely make ANY halachic arguments, mostly saying that since they have already gone down the road of egalitarianism there is no going back now.
Shira, if you believe that all rabbinic authorities previous to the invention/creation of Reform/Conservative were sexist fools with an agenda how can you go by any of their halachic rulings?
How do you differtiate between which halalchas are "right" and which were "biased."
It says in the Gemara Rosh Hashanna that if we start questioning the accuracy of every halachic ruling we would just have to keep going back questioning and doubting unitl eventually there is nothing left and there is no halachic system. Reform already is like this and I think Conservative is headed there if it isn't there already.
Shira, if you believe that all rabbinic authorities previous to the invention/creation of Reform/Conservative were sexist fools with an agenda?
I think the attitude you show above is based on the ahistorical approach to halachic decision making that is so common in Orthodoxy. Chazal showed a great deal of concern for and about women. Through institutions like the ketubah they provided protections for women that were far ahead of their time.
Chazal were sages and not prophets - they were also influenced by the world and time they lived. "The Torah speaks in the language of man" - so when the language changes, so must the torah. What once were far reaching protections well suited for the society in which they were promulgated have now become restrictive limits that potentially inhibit Orthodox women from pursuing their spiritual mission in the world.
In summary, one may respect Chazal for being advanced for men of their time without agreeing that their rules are what is appropriate for our time.
Holy Moses, I spend the day typing for the boss and come back to find a boatload of comments. Will respond after Shabbat. Gotta run.
Anon., I don't think that all rabbis were or are sexists with an agenda. I agree completely with Larry's response to your comment. In the era in which it was devised, the ketubah was a pretty enlightened marriage contract.
But the rabbis were and are a product of their times. How else can one explain the interpretation of the our ancient sages that "v'shinintam l'vanecha, you shall teach them thoroughly to your children," refers to sons only, when the word "l'vanecha" can just as accurately be translated "your children"? Given the rare mention of female scholars in Talmudic literature, I think it reasonable to assume that it was considered normal, in that era, for girls not to receive much education.
Some of the Rambam's/Maimonides's are classic examples of societal change resulting in a need to change tradition. In his time and place, the Rambam was considered quite progressive for saying that a woman should be allowed to leave the house a few times a month to see her parents. In the 21st century, when women often work outside the home and/or are responsible for getting the kids to school and to medical appointments, such an approach would be absurd.
Tevel and TOTJ Steve, I read Rabbi Pruzansky's The Rise of Orthopraxy, and found it at least as insulting as the other post of his to which I linked.
Here, he says that Orthopraxy can lead to unethical, even criminal, behaviour:
“They are the Jews who will dress the part – as if, indeed, there is such a thing as “Jewish dress” beyond tzitzit and kippah for men and modest clothes for all. But they will conduct their business without integrity, stealing, conniving, cheating Jew and non-Jew alike, underreporting their taxes, hondling with contractors after the work is completed, stiffing their employees of their due wages – and often professing that they are acting perversely for the glory of Torah or to benefit a favored charity.”
He separates the above assertion from the following statement by only only sentence:
“Most recently, Orthopraxy underlies such phenomena as the female clergy, the Partnership Minyanim (in which women chant portions of the davening, and a quorum of both ten men and ten women are needed to begin services),”
Does he truly believe that feminism is as bad as criminal behavior?
Shira,
Even worse, while his point is valid, it completely misses that the online "Orthopraxy" movement, while liberal and left wing, has very little overlap with what he is talking about.
The criminal Jewish behavior that he is condemning is nearly universally on the right wing, not the left wing. I appreciate is point that you have to actually be Orthodox, not just dress Orthodox, the group he is targeting is diametrically opposed to the group that is criminal.
Has a single Jew associated with a partnership minyan done a perp walk?
Al,
>>Has a single Jew associated with a partnership minyan done a perp walk?<<
As a resident of NJ, that broke me up!
"I appreciate is point that you have to actually be Orthodox, not just dress Orthodox . . ." Personally, I prefer Chana the Curious Jew's discussion of the "dressing Orthodox" phenomenon, Philosophical vs. Cultural Modern Orthodoxy, to Rabbi Pruzansky's.
"Even worse, while his point is valid, it completely misses that the online "Orthopraxy" movement, while liberal and left wing, has very little overlap with what he is talking about.
The criminal Jewish behavior that he is condemning is nearly universally on the right wing, not the left wing." Yes, Rabbi Pruzansky seems to have missed that major detail.
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