[Avodah] Tzeni'us and gender roles

[kennethgmiller at juno.com]

R' Meir Shinnar wrote:
> In the MO community, the move for a long time has been away
> from the large shuls with hazzanim to the Young Israel
> model of participatory davening.  While for some this
> reflects an issue of showing off, as a communal model the
> values that this shift reflected (and still reflects) is
> the value the community puts on participation - that
> everyone can play a role.

Everyone can play a role, but far too many people assume roles that are above them. It could easily be argued that the move from chazzanim who are learned and know the details and rules of what they are doing, to any member who has a half-decent voice and follows the rules printed in the siddur, is a very regrettable thing.

Participation is great, but what's wrong with participating from one's seat, with an attentive and heartfelt response to Borchu or Kedusha or with whatever singing that the shul might do?

What is the difference between showing off and simply fulfilling one's role? I would suggest (based on the things Moshe Rabenu did while being described as an "anav") that the difference is in whether one merely does his job, or whether he does things which are not appropriate for him.

Akiva Miller


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