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<P class=MsoNormal dir=ltr
style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; mso-pagination: widow-orphan"><SPAN
style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt"> It should be made clear
that there is absolutely nothing new in Rav Ovadiah Yosef's recent pronouncement
and he has been saying this for years. He maintains that the mehaber in OH 689:1
holds that women are obligated equally with men and hence can be motsi them. In
689:2, the Mehaber brings a dissenting view that women cannot be motsi men.
However, the Halakha says Rav Ovadiah is like the first opinion, but becauise of
the dissenting view, one should be Mahmir leHatkhilla. <STRONG>This is the Psak
for Sefaradim ONLY!<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns =
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></STRONG></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal dir=ltr
style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; mso-pagination: widow-orphan"><SPAN
style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt"> The Rema in 689:2
rules like the Behag that women <U>cannot</U> be motsi men. That is
Ashkenazic Pesak.</SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal dir=ltr
style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; mso-pagination: widow-orphan"><SPAN
style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt"><o:p></o:p></SPAN> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal dir=ltr
style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; mso-pagination: widow-orphan"><SPAN
style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt"> Regarding women's Megilla
readings for women </SPAN><SPAN
style="mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt">R.
Ovadiah Yosef, <I>Yabia Omer</I>, VIII, <I>O</I>.<I>H</I>., sec. 56, end of no.
4 writes: “...the custom of women who make a <I>minyan</I> by themselves for
<I>mikra Megilla</I>...<U>should be encouraged</U>.” Thus, he holds this is
leKhatehilla. Indeed, his son R. David Yosef, <I>Torat ha-Moadim: Hilkhot
u-Minhagei Purim ve-Hodesh Adar</I>, sec. 5., note 9, p. 139, s.v
<I>ve-ha-Rema</I>, indicates that despite the rulings of <I>Magen Avraham</I>
and <I>Korban Netanel</I>, Ashkenazi (and certainly Sefardi) women can read for
women. For more on this subject, see: </SPAN><SPAN
style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt"> </SPAN><SPAN
style="mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt">“Women’s
<I>Megillah</I> </SPAN><?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns =
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:City><st1:place><SPAN
style="mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt">Reading</SPAN></st1:place></st1:City><SPAN
style="mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt">,” Aryeh A. Frimer,
In “Traditions<I> </I>and Celebrations for the <I>Bat Mitzvah</I>,” Ora Wiskind
Elper, Editor; Urim Publications: </SPAN><st1:City><st1:place><SPAN
style="mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt">Jerusalem</SPAN></st1:place></st1:City><SPAN
style="mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt">, 2003; pp.
281-304. Word file available at: <A
href="http://www.matan.org.il/Data/UploadedFiles/Free/bm_Frimer_eng_101.doc">http://www.matan.org.il/Data/UploadedFiles/Free/bm_Frimer_eng_101.doc</A>;
PDF file available online at:</SPAN><SPAN
style="mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt">
<A
href="http://www.mail-jewish.org/Women%27sMegillaReadingArticle.pdf">http://www.mail-jewish.org/Women%27sMegillaReadingArticle.pdf</A></SPAN><SPAN
style="mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt">; HTML files
available at</SPAN><SPAN
style="mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt">
<A
href="http://www.lookstein.org/articles/women_megilla_reading.htm">http://www.lookstein.org/articles/women_megilla_reading.htm</A></SPAN><SPAN
style="mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt">; <A
href="http://www.daat.ac.il/daat/english/tfila/frimer2.htm">http://www.daat.ac.il/daat/english/tfila/frimer2.htm</A>.
</SPAN></P>
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style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; mso-pagination: widow-orphan"><SPAN
style="mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt"><o:p></o:p></SPAN> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal dir=ltr
style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; mso-pagination: widow-orphan"><SPAN
style="mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt">
RO Yosef is also quoted in this shiur as permitting one to read from a Megilla
written by a woman. There is nothing new here either and this has been his
public position since 1983. See: <I>Yabi`a Omer </I>8, <I>Orah Hayyim </I>#55,
starting from the middle of sec. 3.</SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal dir=ltr
style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; mso-pagination: widow-orphan"><SPAN
style="mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt"></SPAN> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal dir=ltr
style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; mso-pagination: widow-orphan"><SPAN
style="mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt">Kol
Tuv</SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal dir=ltr
style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; mso-pagination: widow-orphan"><SPAN
style="mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt">
Aryeh (from home)</SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal dir=ltr
style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; mso-pagination: widow-orphan"><SPAN
style="mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt"></SPAN> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal dir=ltr
style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; mso-pagination: widow-orphan"><SPAN
style="mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt">--------------------------------------------------------<BR>Dr.
Aryeh A. Frimer<BR>Ethel and David Resnick Professor<BR> of Active
Oxygen Chemistry<BR>Chemistry Dept., Bar-Ilan University<BR>Ramat Gan 52900,
ISRAEL<BR>E-mail: <A
href="mailto:FrimeA@mail.biu.ac.il">FrimeA@mail.biu.ac.il</A><BR>Tel:
972-3-5318610; Fax: 972-3-7384053<BR>Tel Home:
972-8-9473819/9470834<BR>Cellphone: 972-54-7540761</P>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV></SPAN><SPAN
style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt"><o:p></o:p></SPAN>
<P class=MsoNormal dir=ltr
style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><o:p> </o:p></P></FONT>-----
Original Message ----- </DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=rabbirichwolpoe@gmail.com
href="mailto:rabbirichwolpoe@gmail.com">rabbirichwolpoe@gmail.com</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=frimea@mail.biu.ac.il
href="mailto:frimea@mail.biu.ac.il">Frimer Aryeh</A> ; <A
title=micha@aishdas.org href="mailto:micha@aishdas.org">Micha Berger</A>
</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Monday, March 02, 2009 9:49
PM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: [Avodah] women reading
megillah for men</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV><BR>ROY paskens a woman can read the megillah for men
bideved<BR>(ie no men available)"<BR><BR>Anybody know ROYS position re: women
reading for other women(e.g. Stern College)? Does he hold
lechatchila or not?<BR><BR>Kt<BR>Rrw<BR>Sent via BlackBerry from
T-Mobile<BR></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>