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<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman"> I apologize for not
responding to previous comments on my post, However personal issues and
Purim got in the way. Unfortunately, all the issues raised on Avodah are
extensively discussed and documented in the full paper: <SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: HE; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-bidi-font-family: Miriam">“Women,
<I>Kri’at haTorah </I>and <I>Aliyyot</I>” Aryeh A. Frimer and Dov I. Frimer,
<I>Tradition</I>, 46:4 (Winter, 2013), 67-238, available at <A
href="http://www.rcarabbis.org/pdf/frimer_article.pdf"><FONT
color=#800080>http://www.rcarabbis.org/pdf/frimer_article.pdf</FONT></A>.
<STRONG>Please</STRONG> read it before you criticize our conclusions. I
know that discussion groups are based on bite-sized pieces. But this is a very
complicated Sugya and Dov and I have dealt with it in all sincerity
and complexity - and hopefully honestly with no agendas. As the notes
therein confirm, we have also discussed the various issues with leading gedolim
respected by all. </SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: HE; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-bidi-font-family: Miriam"></SPAN>
It is very important to appreciate that the gemara in Megilla is talking
about a system in which each oleh/olah read <STRONG><U>for
themselves</U></STRONG>. Women (<STRONG>if not for Kevod
haTsibbur</STRONG>) and Minors could get aliyyot - provided they read for
themselves. We make this point very clearly and repeatedly in the
paper. How someone not obligated (woman or minor) can read for the tsibbur
is also discussed at length. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman"> But focus of our paper
is not on this issue but on the question of how the
<STRONG><U>Oleh</U></STRONG> can make a berakha when he is not the one
who does the ma'aseh mitsva, i.e., the one who reads aloud - but the ba'al
korei. </FONT><FONT face="Times New Roman">The institution of Ba'al
Korei did not exist at the time of the Talmud and was introduced around
the year 1000 just before the rishonim period. Once there is a bifurcated
system, with one individual making the berakhot and another doing the ma'aseh
haMitsva - Shomei'a ke-oneh and areivut is required to transfer the
action to the Oleh. This will generally only work if the Oleh and Ba'al korei
are BOTH inherently obligated. A women is not obligated while a blind man
is. Hence, according to the Maharil - and this is the general custom in
all eidot - Shomei'a ke-oneh allows the male ba'al korei to read for a
blind man, but not a woman.</FONT><FONT face="Times New Roman"><SPAN
style="LINE-HEIGHT: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt"> </SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman"><SPAN
style="LINE-HEIGHT: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt">
Regarding Chana Luntz's recent and erudite challenge to our distinction between
Suma (the blind) and women - from minors, this too we discuss in the
paper in sectionVIC, which reads as follows: </SPAN></FONT><FONT
face="Times New Roman"><SPAN
style="LINE-HEIGHT: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt">
</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman"><SPAN
style="LINE-HEIGHT: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt">
"However, at this juncture we need to distinguish between minor males and adult
women. Regarding minors, while they are not fully obligated, there is an
obligation for majors to educate them (hinnukh) in the fulfillment of mitsvot –
including keri’at ha-Torah. This educational obligation is sufficient to
validate a one-directional transfer from the major to the minor. It is for this
reason that a major may recite havdala and other birkhot ha-mitsva to be motsi
(assist) a minor<SPAN style="mso-bookmark: _Ref291619125"><SPAN
style="mso-fareast-language: HE; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA">[195]</SPAN></SPAN> –
even if the minor is not his own child.<SPAN
style="mso-bookmark: _Ref291619127"><SPAN
style="mso-fareast-language: HE; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA">[196]</SPAN></SPAN>
Once again, this is not the case for women, who bear no obligation for keri’at
ha-Torah whatsoever.<SPAN
style="mso-fareast-language: HE; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA">[197]</SPAN> The
upshot of these considerations is that minor males may perhaps be able to
receive aliyyot and have others read for them; women certainly may not.<SPAN
style="mso-fareast-language: HE; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA">[198]</SPAN>
Significantly, however, the above analysis does not preclude women and minors
from reading for themselves, should they be called for an aliyya,<SPAN
style="mso-bookmark: _Ref138751901"><SPAN
style="mso-fareast-language: HE; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA">[199]</SPAN></SPAN>
since no transfer mechanism is required in such circumstances."
</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman"><SPAN
style="LINE-HEIGHT: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt"> At the
end of Section VIE we summarize as follows:</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman"><SPAN
style="LINE-HEIGHT: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt"> "<SPAN
style="LINE-HEIGHT: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt">Reiterating, under the
bifurcated <I>oleh/ba’al keri’ah</I> system,<I> </I>because women are not
obligated in <I>keri’at ha-Torah</I>, they cannot read for others, nor can
others read for them. Should they do so, the Torah<I> </I>reading<I>
</I>benedictions<I> </I>may well be for naught. This conclusion is <I>me-ikkar
ha-din</I> (the basic law) according to the overwhelming majority of
<I>posekim</I> and has nothing to do with <I>kevod ha-tsibbur</I> (which we have
yet to discuss). This conclusion challenges and undermines the prevalent
<I>keri’at ha-Torah</I> practice in nearly all egalitarian/“Partnership”
<I>Minyanim</I> (see Addendum); unless the woman who gets the <I>aliyya</I>
reads for herself aloud, the <I>birkhot keri’at ha-Torah</I> will be <I>berakhot
le-vattala</I>. However, if the woman who gets an <I>aliyya</I> does indeed read
for herself, then we have come to the issue of <I>kevod ha-tsibbur</I>, to which
we now turn."<SPAN
style="BACKGROUND: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow"><?xml:namespace prefix = o ns
= "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></SPAN></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV>
<DIV style="mso-element: endnote-list"><BR clear=all>
<DIV style="mso-element: endnote" id=edn2>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal>Notes:</SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><A style="mso-endnote-id: edn1"
title="" href="mid://00000142/#_ednref1" name=_edn1><SPAN
class=MsoEndnoteReference><SPAN style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt"><SPAN
style="mso-special-character: footnote"><SPAN class=MsoEndnoteReference><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: HE; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><FONT
face="Times New Roman">[195]</FONT></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></A><FONT
face="Times New Roman"><SPAN class=MsoEndnoteReference><SPAN
style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt">. </SPAN></SPAN><SPAN
style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt">See Shulhan Arukh, O.H., sec. 167, no. 19
(regarding ha-motsi); Magen Avraham, O.H., sec. 273, no. 7 (regarding kiddush
and havdala); Mateh Efrayim, O.H., sec. 625, no. 59 (regarding sukka); Mishna
Berura, O.H., sec. 273, no. 16 (regarding kiddush and havdala); R. Simha Ben
Tsiyyon Isaac Rabinowitz, Piskei Teshuva, VI, sec. 677, no. 8 (regarding Hanukah
candle lighting); R. Barukh Rakovsky, <SPAN
class=MsoEndnoteReference>ha</SPAN>-<SPAN class=MsoEndnoteReference>Katan
ve</SPAN>-<SPAN class=MsoEndnoteReference>Hilkhotav</SPAN><SPAN
class=MsoEndnoteReference>, I, ch. 13, no. 2 and n</SPAN>. <SPAN
class=MsoEndnoteReference>2</SPAN> (general).<SPAN class=MsoEndnoteReference>
<o:p></o:p></SPAN></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV></DIV>
<DIV style="mso-element: endnote-list">
<DIV style="mso-element: endnote" id=edn2>
<P
style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; TEXT-INDENT: 0.2in; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-pagination: none"
class=MsoEndnoteText><A style="mso-endnote-id: edn2" title=""
href="mid://00000142/#_ednref2" name=_edn2><SPAN class=MsoEndnoteReference><SPAN
style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt"><SPAN
style="mso-special-character: footnote"><SPAN class=MsoEndnoteReference><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: HE; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><FONT
face="Times New Roman">[196]</FONT></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></A><SPAN
style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">. Mishna
Berura, O.H., sec. 167, no. 93. In Sha’ar ha-Tsiyyun, ad loc. no. 84, he cites
to this effect Beit Yosef, Gra, Taz and other aharonim. In Sha’ar ha-Tsiyyun,
O.H., sec. 273, no. 17, he reiterates this position. See R. David Yosef, Halakha
Berura, VIII, sec. 167, no. 20, Halakha Berura end of subsec. 51, Sha’ar
ha-Tsiyyun n. 150, who concludes that this is the clear consensus of the
codifiers. R. Eliezer ha-Kohen Rabinowitz, Torat ha-Katan, ch. 8, sec. 13,
concludes from these sources that while the obligation and burdens of
<EM>hinnukh</EM> rests on the parent, all can share in its fulfillment. We
reiterate that according to the minority view of Maharit and Or ha-Hayyim, supra
n. <SPAN>68</SPAN>, that majors bear arevut for minors, a <SPAN
class=MsoEndnoteReference>major may </SPAN>certainly <SPAN
class=MsoEndnoteReference>recite birkhot ha</SPAN>-<SPAN
class=MsoEndnoteReference>mitsva</SPAN> for a
minor.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P></DIV>
<DIV style="mso-element: endnote" id=edn3>
<P
style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; TEXT-INDENT: 0.2in; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-pagination: none"
class=MsoEndnoteText><A style="mso-endnote-id: edn3" title=""
href="mid://00000142/#_ednref3" name=_edn3><SPAN class=MsoEndnoteReference><SPAN
style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt"><SPAN
style="mso-special-character: footnote"><SPAN class=MsoEndnoteReference><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: HE; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><FONT
face="Times New Roman">[197]</FONT></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></A><FONT
face="Times New Roman"><SPAN class=MsoEndnoteReference><SPAN
style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt">. Vide supra, n</SPAN></SPAN><SPAN
style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt">.<SPAN class=MsoEndnoteReference>
</SPAN><SPAN><SPAN class=MsoEndnoteReference>58</SPAN></SPAN><SPAN
class=MsoEndnoteReference>. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV style="mso-element: endnote" id=edn4>
<P
style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; TEXT-INDENT: 0.2in; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-pagination: none"
class=MsoEndnoteText><A style="mso-endnote-id: edn4" title=""
href="mid://00000142/#_ednref4" name=_edn4><SPAN class=MsoEndnoteReference><SPAN
style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt"><SPAN
style="mso-special-character: footnote"><SPAN class=MsoEndnoteReference><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: HE; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><FONT
face="Times New Roman">[198]</FONT></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></A><SPAN
style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">. The
correctness of this analysis regarding women has been confirmed by R. Aharon
Lichtenstein (21 Nissan 5772; April 13, 2012) in a conversation with R. Dov. I.
Frimer and R. M. Zev Frimer, <o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P></DIV>
<DIV style="mso-element: endnote" id=edn5>
<P
style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify; TEXT-INDENT: 0.2in; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-pagination: none"
class=MsoNormal><A style="mso-endnote-id: edn5" title=""
href="mid://00000142/#_ednref5" name=_edn5><SPAN class=MsoEndnoteReference><SPAN
style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt"><SPAN
style="mso-special-character: footnote"><SPAN class=MsoEndnoteReference><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: HE; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><FONT
face="Times New Roman">[199]</FONT></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></A><FONT
face="Times New Roman"><SPAN style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt">. Indeed,
the vast majority of posekim rule that women (kevod ha-tsibbur aside) and minors
may read for themselves, should they be called for an aliyya. See supra, n.
<SPAN>176</SPAN>: Resp. Mahari Bruna; Resp. Mishpat Tsedek; Magen Avraham;
Shulhan Arukh ha-Rav; Resp. Perah Shoshan; Hayyei Adam; Resp. Peulat ha-Tsaddik;
Resp. Ish Matsli’ah; Resp. Yaskil Avdi; Edut le-Yisrael; Resp. Iggerot Moshe;
Emet le-Yaakov; Kenesset Avraham. See supra n. <SPAN>177</SPAN>: Yalkut Yosef
(various volumes cited). See R. Joseph B. Soloveitchik, supra, n.
<SPAN>181</SPAN>. See also R. Joel Sirkis, Resp. Bayit Hadash (Bah), sec. 158;
R. Hayyim Jacob (Shadar) of Tsfat, Resp. Sama de-Hayyei, O.H., sec.
16;</SPAN><SPAN
style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE">
R. Isaac Tayeb, Erekh ha-Shulhan, O.H., sec. 282, no. 4; R. David Amado, Resp.
Einei David, p11 column 4; </SPAN><SPAN style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt">II,
sec. 63; Tehilla le-David, O.H., sec. 282, no.8; Derekh ha-Hayyim, </SPAN><SPAN
style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE">sec.
77, no. 6</SPAN><SPAN style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt">; R. Mordechai Carmi,
Ma’amar Mordekhai, O.H., sec. 282, no. 5; R. Katriel Fishel Tchorsh, Resp. Keter
Efrayim, sec. 26; Resp. Tsits Eliezer, VII, sec. 1, end of anaf 8; Yalkut Yosef,
and Yehavveh Da’at, II, sec. 15, IV, sec. 23 and V, sec.25; R. Elyakim Getsel
Pashkes, Itturei Megilla (5772 ed.), Megilla 24a, “Be’ur be-Divrei ha-Magen
Avraham,” 405. It remains the custom of the Yemenite community that each oleh,
including minor males, reads his own portion; see R. Isaac Ratsabi, Shulhan
Arukh ha-Mekutsar, O.H., II, sec. 60, no. 3.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P
style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify; TEXT-INDENT: 0.2in; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-pagination: none"
class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman"><SPAN
style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt">There are, however, posekim who forbid a
minor or woman from reading even their own aliyya. According to this school,
when the Talmud Megilla permits those not obligated to receive an aliyya, this
was not meant to be a normative situation, and required a male adult ba’al
keri’ah. See: </SPAN><SPAN
style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE">R.
Abraham ben Mordechai Halevi, Resp. Ginnat Veradim, II, sec. 21; R. David Zvi
Solomon Eybeschuetz, Levushei Serad to Magen Avraham, O.H., sec. 282, no. 6;
</SPAN><SPAN style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt">R. Abraham Dovber Kahan Shapira,
Devar Avraham, I, sec. 16, no. 17; Resp. Mishpetei Uziel, mahadura tinyana, I,
O.H. (5761 edition, vol. III), milu'im to O.H., sec. 131, no. 1; R. Hayyim David
Halevy, Shulhan Arukh Mekor Hayyim, III, ch. 122, no. 14; Resp. Mishne Halakhot,
XV (O.H., Mahadura Tanyana, part 5), sec. 209; R. Samuel David, Resp. me-Rosh
Tsurim, sec. 5. We note that this latter position is explicitly </SPAN><SPAN
style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE">challenged
by: Resp. Iggerot Moshe, sec. 72 (referring to Levushai Serad); </SPAN><SPAN
style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt">Resp. Yehavveh Da’at</SPAN><SPAN
style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt">, V, sec. 25; R. Moses Malka, Resp. Mikveh
Mayyim, III, O.H., sec. 26; Resp. Kiryat Hana David, II, O.H., sec. 43 (all
referring to Resp. Mishpetei Uziel).</SPAN></FONT></P>
<P
style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify; TEXT-INDENT: 0.2in; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-pagination: none"
class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman"><SPAN
style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt"></SPAN></FONT> </P><FONT
face="Times New Roman"><SPAN style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt"><o:p>
<DIV>--------------------------------<BR>Prof. Aryeh A. Frimer<BR>Chemistry
Dept., Bar-Ilan University<BR>Ramat Gan 5290002, ISRAEL<BR>E-mail (office): <A
href="mailto:Aryeh.Frimer@biu.ac.il">Aryeh.Frimer@biu.ac.il</A><BR></o:p></SPAN></FONT><FONT
face="Times New Roman"></FONT></DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV></BODY></HTML>