[Avodah] Maharat

[Isaac Balbin via Avodah]

I am told that on the back of R' Moshe's Smicha testamur for his
students was his phone number, and that he was heard to say that the
aim of his Smicha was that those who received it knew when there was
a Shayla and would ring him. The former I heard from Rav Schachter,
the latter from his Talmidim. My cousin, a Yoetzet Halacha from Nishmat,
is most definitely not a feminist and advises women on what she knows is
'blatant' Halacha and for anything else would ask Rav Yehuda Herzl Henkin
and relay the answer.

We have fine female educators like Shani Taragin etc and we have Yoatzot
Halacha as above. I consider this ordination movement as a Western
valued and inspired institution. Indeed, these days I know Shules look
for husband *and* wife teams. The Rebbetzin occupies an increasingly
important place. This is most certainly also true of successful Chabad
Houses, and here I speak of people like Rivki Holtzberg hy'd whom I knew
well personally and I watched as the women gathered around her and the
men around her husband. This is the mimetic tradition not withstanding
exceptions. That, I believe is the thrust of the OU proclamation and
it is dead on the money. Judaism certainly adapts but it is not the
plasticine for Western values and aspirations.

Even at a funeral, where one expects little hope for Yetzer Hora, the
Halacha mandates the Shura to be separate for males and females. This
category of notion underpins our Mesora and always did; right back to
the days when our tents were arranged with Tzniyus in mind.