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From Women: Piety Not Rebellion Rivkeh Haut

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From Women: Piety Not Rebellion Rivkeh Haut been denounced at various times for being im- consist of groups of women who meet regularly, itative of the ways of gentiles. But how then, can in most cases once a month, on Shabbat, to con- they, with a straight face, turn around and raise duct prayer services. These groups are not mi- the issue of chuqqat hagoy in connection with nyanim, though they have been persistendy and women's minyanim? Clearly, the relevant erroneously called so by many rabbis. They halachic concern is not feminism as a source of in- scrupulously avoid reciting any prayer for which spiration, but rather the net effect of that inspira- a minyan of men is necessary. The prayers said tion in this specific case. are exactly and only those that are recited by any woman, or any man for that matter, when pray- Viewed objectively, the teshuvah of the "RIETS ing alone. There is, however, one major dif- Five" stands as a monument to subjectivity. The ference between private prayer and the women's mightly halachic computer has spit out its answer tefillah— the Torah reading. and given us— this? • Torah Reading is the Heart of the Service The "Riets Five" as well as Rabbis Bernstein and Bleich have been invited to prepare replies to Reading from a sefer Torah is at the heart of David Singer for the next issue of Sh'ma. every women's prayer service. The Torah is car- ried about the room, so that every woman present may reach out and kiss it. The entire Torah por- From women: piety not rebellion tion for that week is read. This Torah reading is Rivkeh Haut the basic innovation of women's tefillah groups. For the reality of women praying together is not Recently, my sister became engaged. After many new. Indeed, in most girls' yeshivot, the girls prayi years of being unhappily single, she was going to together daily, and have been doing so for many be married! Three weeks before her wedding, on years, without arousing any controversy. It is, Shabbat, she celebrated by being called up to the therefore, or seems to be, the addition of the Torah, surrounded by her mother, her aunts, her Torah reading that is the cause of the bitter in- sister (me), her nieces and her closest friend. As vectives directed against women's prayer groups her name was called out for her aliyah, everyone by various rabbis. present burst into song. The d'var torah that mor- ning was specifically in her honor. After the ser- Ironically, there is no halachic impediment to vices, there was a festive kiddtish. Instead of par- Torah reading by women. The Tosefta, at tying with her friends, my sister was able to ex- Berachot 2:12, states: "Males and females who press her joy in her forthcoming marriage in a have unclean issues, menstruants, and women spiritual, religious format, by attending monthly who have given birth, are permitted to read from Shabbat services in a women's Tefillah group. the Torah, and to study Mishna... "Maimonides, in his Mishna Torah, Hilchot Sefer Torah 10:8, Halachic women's prayer groups enable Jewish codified this ruling and stated: "All ritually im- women to commemorate important events in their pure people, even menstruants, and even lives in a synagogue setting. Women receive aliyot Samaritans, are permitted to hold a sefer Torah in order to celebrate engagements, marriages, and to read from it." his ruling was brought receiving degrees, buying homes, getting new down in the Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh Dayah, jobs. Women are able to name their babies in 282:9. In a recent teshuva written by Rabbi shul. Bat Mitzva girls are able to actively par- Mordechai Tendler in the name of his grand- ticipate in the prayer service by reading the father, Rabbi Moshe Feinstein, it is made quite Torah, reciting the Haftarah, delivering a d'var clear that, in Rabbi Moshe Feinstein's opinion, torah. Women can recite the "Mi shebayrach" women are not prohibited from reading from a prayer for people who are ill. Orthodox women sefer Torah. have, through women's prayer groups, developed a mode whereby women no longer have to And yet, in Orthodox shuls, women have no con- vicariously experience religious expression in the tact with a sefer Torah. In many shuls, women synagogue through their fathers or husbands; they cannot even see it. Even in those shuls that do can participate actively and directly in all aspects allow women visual access to the Torah, they can- of synagogue services, and they can do so in an not hold it, or look inside it. halachically acceptable way. Women No Longer Content to be Onlookers What exactly are women's prayer groups? They Many women today feel the need for close, RIVKEH HAUT is a member of the Flatbush physical contact with a sefer Torah. They want to Women's Tefillah Group in Brooklyn, New York. be able to look inside, to see the holy words, and 110 irly, to read them. 1 am sure that there are few Torah written an article which is an elaboration of that B- |scrolls that are treated more lovingly, and with teshuva, with the same conclusion. In this article, more reverence, than those used by women's he maintains that the motivation of the women prayer groups. involved is not the love of mitzvot, but, rather, \ women's prayer service is, as we have seen, a for personal "honor" and publicity. A represen- complete Shabbat morning prayer service, with tative of the Women's Tefillah Network, which is :he omission of those prayers for which a minyan an organization of halachic women's prayer s necessary, and including a complete Torah groups, attempted to meet with Rabbi Schacter reading. Surely, there can be nothing wrong with before publication of his article, to discuss the :his. Women have never been encouraged to at- matter with him. He responded that he was too :end daily minyan, rather than to pray in- busy. dividually. Those Rabbis who are vociferously op- How sad it is that these rabbis have chosen his Dosed to women's prayer groups have not been ex- issue for their particular attention. At a time lorting women to attend synagogue prayer ser- when the religious community is faced with so vices, so that they can attain a "higher level mitz- many serious problems, such as the get (divorce) )a." Most daily minyanim are not even set up to issue, and the rising rate of inter marriage, todays iccommodate women. Orthodox rabbis have rabbinic "leaders" have chosen to attack the very lever actively encouraged women to attend groups that are instrumental in bringing so many prayer services. It is the women themselves who women closer to Torah observance. ire motivated, and are motivating other women, :o participate regularly and actively in prayer ser- I cannot presume to understand the motivations /ices. of these rabbis who so eagerly, and without pro- per knowledge, oppose women's prayer groups. I iVomen today have been provided with more am not really sure what it is that they are so Torah education than ever before. They are no afraid of. Various women's groups have written to onger content to be mere onlookers in the the president of the R.C.A., requesting that the synagogue, careful to remain out of sight and to organization set up halachic guidelines for ceep their voices muted. Women's tefillah groups women's prayer groups, in order for there to be provide women of all ages with the opportunity unity in the practices of the different groups. :o participate direcdy in the prayer service. In These requests have been rejected. There are now nany groups, the Torah portion is read by seven signs that some individual rabbis are forming a different women, one for each aliyah, thus max- committee to deal with this issue. Hopefully, they mizing participation. Even the youngest girls will do so before it is too late, before the women participate, by opening and closing the ark, and involved decide that the rabbinic leadership of to- Oy leading in the singing of the concluding songs. day has forfeited its right to lead. Anyone seeing the radiant faces of the little girls, is they perform these activities which has hitherto Women's Croups Do Not Threaten Orthodoxy >een denied them, would not question the right of The Talmud, at Berachot 31 :b, describes an en- women's tefillah groups to exist. counter between Channah and Eli, the High Priest, which is relevant and parallel to our situa- Vlixed Reaction From Rabbis tion. The barren Channah has come to Shiloh to pray for a child. Eli sees her, mistakenly assumes Fortunately, women's tefillah groups have receiv- that her fervent praying is a display of drunkenness, ed support and guidance from individual rabbis. and chastises her. Channah, knowing that her However, some rabbinic organizations, most motivation and her prayers were pure, tells the notably the Rabbinical Council of America, and High Priest; "You are not a master in this matter, its incumbent president, Rabbi Louis Bernstein, and the Holy Spirit does not rest upon you, have expended much energy towards attempting because you have suspected me (falsely) in this , to destroy existing groups, and insuring that new matter." By misunderstanding her manner of ones not arise. A publication of the Agudah, The praying, and misjudging her, Eli betrayed his Jewish Observer, recently contained an article own lack of the spirit of G-d. critical of women's prayer groups. In a recent leshuva, signed by five Yeshiva University rabbis, We hope that the rabbis who have opposed us women's megillah reading, hakafot for women on will soon realize that women's prayer groups do Simchat Torah, and women's "minyanim" were not pose a threat to Orthodox Judaism.
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