[Avodah] Rav Shimon Schwab on Women Learning Torah

[Zev Sero via Avodah]

On 02/04/2016 05:14 PM, Ben Waxman via Avodah wrote:
> Just to point out something that may be obvious: By saying that a
> women can obtain prophecy without learning Torah, RSS is also
> inferring that a man requires Talmud Torah to obtain prophecy.  In
> that regard, RSS is agreeing with the Rambam and my original question
> then returns: why the differentiation?

If we narrow R Schwab's meaning to its original context, that of learning
Torah Lishmah, not for the purpose of knowing what it says, then I think
it becomes much more understandable.   The prerequisite for nevuah is
*knowledge*, which is contained in the Torah, so anyone who wants nevuah
must learn it;  but learning Torah for the sake of knowing what it says is
not what R Schwab is talking about.  If a man knows a subject well, but
learns the sugya anyway for the sake of the mitzvah, he becomesmore
receptive to nevuah because he is doing a mitzvah and thus attaching
himself to the Metzaveh.  A woman doing the same thing, learning a sugya
she already knows well, is not doing a mitzvah, and therefore the act of
learning doesn't increase her receptivity to nevuah.

I should add, though, that everyone agrees women are obligated to learn
those parts of Torah that contain knowledge they need in order to do their
mitzvos.  Since women are obligated by the pasuk "Da` es Elokei Avicha",
and by the commandment "Anochi Hashem Elokecha", it follows that they
are obligated to learn all that the Torah has to say about theology,
which is precisely the area that the Rambam says a potential navi needs
to know.   So really there is no contradiction.

-- 
Zev Sero               All around myself I will wave the green willow
zev at sero.name          The myrtle and the palm and the citron for a week
                And if anyone should ask me the reason why I'm doing that
                I'll say "It's a Jewish thing; if you have a few minutes
                I'll explain it to you".