[Avodah] women wearing pants

[Micha Berger]

On Tue, May 31, 2011 at 11:46:01PM +0000, Yitzchak Schaffer wrote:
: From: Rabbi Y. H. Henkin
: Sent: 05/30/11 03:30 PM
:> See Bnei Banim vol. 2 p. 211 par. 38, and vol. 4 p. 141 (concerning pisuk raglayim).

: Thank you very much! Available at:
: http://hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?req=21434&st=&pgnum=212 
: http://hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?req=20023&st=&pgnum=141 
:  respectively.

The latter discusses pisuq raglayim in particular.

According to RYHH, it's about ishah tesoveiv gever and the like. That
pisuq raglayim is about horseback riding (or riding a bicycle with a
hight crossbar), not pants. (See Pesachim 3a a discussion of men riding
horses "merkav" whereas women are "moshav". Also, the Me'iri sham.)

I thought it was derived from the end of parashas Yisro, "velo saaleh
vema'alos al mizbechi, asher lo sigaleh ervasekha alav." (20:22) And
lest we think this is specific to the qedushah of the Mishkan and BhM,
Chazal (quoted by Rashi) invoke a qal vachomer in the reverse -- "umah
avanim halalu she'ein bahem da'as..."

This is why I asked why bedavqa women, since the source is about kohanim
(a bunch of men) doing the avodah. RYHH's source is gender specific,
but it doesn't explain why the Chazal I was looking at isn't halakhah.
IOW, one does not exclude the other.

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger             Today is the 49th day, which is
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