[Avodah] Tzeni'us and gender roles

[David Riceman]

Micha Berger wrote:
> On Thu, Jul 23, 2009 at 08:29am EDT, R Dr Meir Shinnar wrote:
> : 1.  The discussion started with a discussion of RHS's psak (not mussar  
> : schmooz) that a public role inherently required a violation of  
> : tzeniut, and required a mattir in the form that someone had to to do  
> : it - and only someone obligated could violate his tzeniut.  We are now  
> : told that we shouldn't focus on halacha - this is hyperlegalism - this  
> : is a matter of mussar.  I take it that you are not willing to defend  
> : the halachic nature of this psak any more.
>   
There are plenty of professions which entail a public role: professor, 
physician, lawyer; and plenty of others which accord public roles to 
prominent members of their profession (my wife, for example, is a famous 
electrical engineer).  Rabbi Schachter teaches at a school many of whose 
students choose to enter professions which entail either an inevitable 
or probable public role.  Does he rule that it is assur for them to 
enter those professions, or to achieve prominence in them? Surely there 
are more private ways to earn a living!

David Riceman