[Avodah] There was no mechitzah at the Kotel

[Micha Berger]

RAB already brought to Avodah the discussion of whether the current
plaza has more qedushah than the area had in 1918.

There was also a second thread of discussion in the general topic:

The local gov't's didn't allow a mechitzah to be put at the kotel,
for fear it would trigger riots. (Rather than trying to contain the
criminals. <sigh>) And in fact, the British finally allowed a mechitzah
in 1929, which did indeed led to rioting across EY -- most notoriously
in Chevron, Hy"d.

Does this qualify as she'as hadechaq or ein danin es ha'efshare mishe'i
efshar?

Others, including myself, argued that since there is no chiyuv to
daven at the kotel, or for the women to be there during minyan, with
all those other shuls Y-m had at the time (how far away are the four
shuls of the rova?), had davening without a mechitzah been a problem,
they simply wouldn't have davened there. The presence of alternative
locations removes the dochaq-ness.

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger             When one truly looks at everyone's good side,
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Fax: (270) 514-1507                        - Rabbi AY Kook