[Avodah] Women and Torah Scholarship

[Harry Maryles]

One of the real hot-button issues in Orthodoxy today was precipitated
by Rabbi Avi Weiss when he ordained the first Orthtodox female rabbi
(rabba). He was immediately condemned by Agudah and the RCA followed up
by threatening to expell him from membership.

Rabbi Weiss back peddaled -- but the controversy does not end there. In
fact I think this is only the begining. This issue is currently being
debated at an RCA conference. I commented on my blog about this on
Friday. Today I added another prespective based on the memoirs of
the Netziv's nephew, R' Baruch HaLevi Epstein -- about female Torah
scholarship. It included a repremand from 14th century Sefer urguing the
Gedolei Yiroel of that time to encourge high caliber Torah study by women.

Here is an excerpt: 

* The Yerushalmi in Chagiga says that the daughter of Elisha ben Avuyah
  refuted the atrguments of R' Yehudah HaNasi and forced him to admit
  his mistake.

* Rudel, the daughter of Mahari Isserlin was know to study Toraah with
  as much diligence as men.

* One of the Rishonim, R. Eliezer of Mainz praises his wife using the
  words from Mishlei -- Piah Pascha B'Chachma -- she is fluent in all
  the Halachos of Issur V'Heter and on Shabbos she sits and expounds...

* The Tashbatz (3-78) cites an answer to question on Tosephos in the
  name of a certain Rebbetzin.

* A certain Rosh HaYeshiva in Baghdad, Rav Shmuel HaLevi had an only
  daughter who was fuent in Chumash and Gemarah and gave Shiurim to men
  behind a window where they could not see her.

* The Marshal cites a similar example about his grandmother who directed
  a Yeshiva for many years giving Shiurim to advanced students from
  behind a Mechitza.

* In his own generation there was a woman renowned for her wisdom, the
  sister of Rav Eliyahu Dovid Rabinowitz Teomim of Jerusalem who solved
  a problem with respect to the permisibility of fasting on Bahab (a
  series of days -- (Monday, Thursday, and the following Monday -- when
  one can fast following a Yom Tov as a form of Teshuva for possible
  infractions of Halacha on those days due to excessive frivolity)
  when it occurs on Pesach Sheni.
 
HM