[Avodah] A Woman Mashgiach?

[Prof. Levine]

 From http://revach.net/article.php?id=4155

Rav Moshe Shternbuch: A Woman Mashgiach?

The world of hashgachos today is an all man's world.  Yet when it 
comes to the home it is the women of the house who is the Rav 
haMachshir.  Is a woman halachicly qualified to be a mashgiach in a 
commercial operation?  This was the question asked to Rav Moshe 
Shternbuch (1:426)

He says that whether the issur is Min HaTorah or MiDiRabbanan is not 
the issue.  The issue is, first how difficult the task is and second 
whether there is certainly an issur that must be dealt with or only a 
safek whether there is any issur in the first place.

Rav Shternbuch distinguishes between being a Mashgiach in an 
establishment where the owner is a Michalel Shabbos and is capable of 
trying to outsmart the mashgiach.  In this case a woman should not be 
directly responsible for the Kashrus but can work under a 
man.  However in a Shomer Shabbos establishment where only minimal 
Hashgacha is needed, it would be okay to have a woman mashgiach and 
she is trusted just like she is in her own home.

Despite all this, says Rav Shternbuch, if there is a choice between a 
male mashgiach who is not so midakdek in mitzvos or taking a woman is 
more ehrliche and is shrewd, then the woman is 
preferable.  Nevertheless he says it is better to try to find a man, 
because the woman's place is in the home.

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Question:  What is the basis for the assertion that "the woman's 
place is in the home."   Are not most kollel wives engaged in working 
outside of their homes?  And, is this not considered laudable?  If 
kollel wives did not work,  would this not mean that the kollels 
would have to empty out, because the men would have to go to work?

YL

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