[Avodah] Women: Can women be in positions of prominence/authority?

[jew at when.com]

 Megilla 14 b says that prominence is not befitting for a woman, and goes onto to use the example of Devorah, the woman daayan, and another woman navi, to show how women in these positions end up becoming geivadik- for women are more prone to geiva than men are. The gemarah says because of this, Devorah's name was changed to "bee" and the other woman navi's name was changed to "weasel". 

Of course, there is a difference regarding whether a woman is merely discouraged from being put in such a position and whether they are halachically prohibited from doing so. I have heard that a ger is technically prohibited from such positions of serara (dominance), while some of them have nevertheless became chief Rabbis. 

-Josh S 


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