[Avodah] Tzeni'us and gender roles

[Ilana Sober Elzufon]

WRT the point that has been made on this list, that avoiding kavod is not a
norm that is actually practiced, because we can see that even many great
rabbis do accept titles, leadership positions, honours, etc.

Positions like Rosh Yeshiva, Rav of a community, etc. do need to be filled
in order for communities and yeshivot to function. So some rabbanim decide
that it is appropriate in their situation to accept these positions,
sacrificing their tznius to fill a public need. These rabbanim are by
definition the ones we have heard of, whose names we all know - because they
have accepted public roles.

But there are other, equally great, rabbanim who have indeed chosen to avoid
taking public roles, who sit quietly and learn and teach and are tremendous
talmidei chachamim but most of us have never heard of them. These are the
rabbanim who DO practice the norm of avoiding publicity for the sake of
tznius. Of course, they do not go around announcing how tzanua they are, and
that despite being gedolim they have managed to remain completely
inconspicuous! Therefore, only those who are personally close to them
realize what they are doing.

Saying "no one really avoids public roles in order to maximize their tznius"
is like saying "all wavelengths of light are within the visible spectrum."
It is true that all the important rabbis of whom I have heard do accept
public roles - that's why I have heard of them! And it is true that all the
wavelengths of light I have personally observed are within the visible
spectrum - that's why I managed to observe them.

- Ilana
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