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<DIV><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" face=Arial color=#000000
size=2><BR>RCM wrote:<BR>>>I suspect that women can not testify because of
a gezairas hakasuv (see Shovuos 30a) and not as the result of some rational
sevara....<<</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" face=Arial color=#000000
size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" face=Arial color=#000000
size=2>and later wrote: <BR><BR>>>I asked our magid shiur at daf yomi
if he knew of any source for a sevara why nashim can not testify. He directed me
to the following Chezkuni in Gen. 18:15 quoting a Yalkut Shimoni:<BR>Vatekachesh
Sarah Laimor: Mikan shehanashim pesulos l'aidus, lefi shemekachshos mipnai
hayiroh.<<<BR><BR><BR></DIV></FONT></DIV>
<DIV></DIV></DIV>
<DIV>>>>><BR>My father said that women can't be eidim (eidos?)
because they tend to see the whole picture and don't confine themselves to "just
the facts, ma'am." They will not only say that the guy picked up the
knife but will also include his emotions, his motives, the whole context.
He also said that HKBH judges people the way women do -- seeing the big picture,
the inside of a person as well as his outward actions -- but a bais din cannot
judge that way.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>No, I am not claiming that is *the* reason but I'm sure it's part of the
reason.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>He also gave other reasons:</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>One reason is similar to why women are exempt from mitzvos asei shehazman
grama -- they have household duties that are of greater importance than public
affairs. And you can't make a rule that exempts some women and not others,
or that lets women themselves decide whether they're too busy to testify or
not. Women as a class are responsible for children and households.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>And another reason is concern for the dignity and modesty of women, not to
subject them to the hurley-burley of court.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Yes, yes, I know that women nowadays don't /want/ their dignity protected
this way and don't /want/ to be responsible for children and home and so on and
so on. I know, I know.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>BTW my father also said that you see from other mitzvos that the reason for
exempting women from testifying is NOT because they are not trustworthy.
In matters that are of utmost weight -- even involving possible penalties of
kareis -- a woman's word is totally believed. If she says she did bedikos
and is not nidah, or if she says she went to the mikva, or if she says she
checked the rice for bugs or kashered the kitchen for Pesach, etc.,
etc., her word can be relied on.</DIV>
<DIV><FONT lang=0 face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2 FAMILY="SANSSERIF"
PTSIZE="10"><B><BR></B><BR><B>--Toby
Katz<BR>=============<BR><BR></B><BR></FONT></DIV></FONT><BR><BR><BR><DIV><FONT style="color: black; font: normal 10pt ARIAL, SAN-SERIF;"><HR style="MARGIN-TOP: 10px">Get fantasy football with free live scoring. <A title="http://www.fanhouse.com/fantasyaffair?ncid=aolspr00050000000020" href="http://www.fanhouse.com/fantasyaffair?ncid=aolspr00050000000020" target="_blank">Sign up for FanHouse Fantasy Football today</A>.</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>