Under current Jewish Law, as understood by most Orthodox Jews, women have different obligations than men. With just a few exceptions, they do not have to observe positive commands limited to specific times. Wearing tefillin exemplifies this leniency because men do not wear tefillin at night, on Shabbat, and holidays. So are Sukkah, lulav, shofar, tzitzit, Torah study, and tefillin.
Rabbanit Nechama Goldman Barash’s 2024 book, ‘Uncovered: Women’s Roles, Mitzvot, and Sexuality in Jewish Law,’ published by Urim Publications in Israel, is a significant and comprehensive contribution to the understanding of women’s roles in Jewish Law. Rabbanit Barash presents a thorough and meticulous exploration of the role of women in Judaism, its history, and earliest to contemporary sources in nine engaging, easy-to-read chapters. The title Rabbanit is given to female Orthodox rabbis.
She labels her nine chapters as Does Gender Matter, Women and Torah Study, Ervah (a Hebrew word literally meaning “nakedness,” a subject raising many issues), Wearing Pants in the Community, The Voice of a Woman, Women’s Hair Covering, (another view on) Women’s Hair Covering, Sexual Intimacy, and Premarital Relationships. The nine chapters are divided into as many as seventeen fascinating and informative sections.
This book teaches us much. We discover what prompted the current laws affecting women, their evolution, their effects on Orthodox society, and modern attitudes toward rules concerning women’s attire, speaking, singing, sexual restrictions, dating, and hair covering.
As an Orthodox Jew, I commend Rabbanit Barash for her scholarship and her ability to communicate it effectively to her students and readers of this book. In just over a century, significant strides have been made in recognizing the equality of women and men in Orthodox Jewish Law. However, it is important to remember that this is an ongoing journey, and there is still much work to be done. This acknowledgment should instill a sense of hope and optimism in the readers, knowing that progress is being made and will continue to be made. The journey towards complete gender equality is a promising one, and we must continue to strive for it.
The Bais Yaakov movement, ‘House of Jacob’ in Hebrew, is a collection of Orthodox Jewish schools and youth programs for girls and young women that originated in 1917 in Kraków, Poland. Sarah Schenirer, a dressmaker with only an eighth-grade education, started it. Her courage and determination, in a time when girls were thought to be uneducable, led to the opening of the first school in a tailor’s workshop, offering lessons on the Torah and practical subjects. Today, there are hundreds of schools throughout the world. Until 1917, most women could not read the Hebrew in the Siddur, the prayer book, understand the synagogue service, or comprehend the Torah. The Bais Yaakov movement changed this, marking a significant leap in women’s education in Orthodox Judaism.
Two generations ago, no woman could study Talmud and certainly could not be as conversant in it as Rabbanit Barash. Nor could any woman hold the title she holds, Rabbanit. This is a huge step forward to the recognition of equality, but allowing women to be called Rabbi, like men, is a step that still needs to be taken. Rabbanit Barash shows by her learning and teaching that this step is timely and appropriate.
Readers of her book will learn much about the current law, its basis, and its logic. This is better than good, and we thank her for it. But we must move forward, as Sarah Schenirer and Rabbanit Barash did.
Thank you, dear Rabbi Israel Drazin !
You’re welcome. I am one of your fans.
Dear Rabbi Israel Drazin: According to interpretations of Jewish Law by most Orthodox Jews, women are generally exempt from certain mitzvot (commandments) that are bound by specific times, such as wearing tefillin, dwelling in a Sukkah, shaking a lulav, hearing the shofar, wearing tzitzit, and certain areas of Torah study. While women are not obligated to perform these mitzvot, many women still choose to fulfill them as a custom. However, women are obligated to fulfill the negative commandments of Passover, such as not eating leavened bread, and hence also the positive commandments of Passover, such as eating matzah. Also, they are obliged to affix mezuzot to their doorposts, which is said to promise long life. Note that variations can occur depending on different communities and interpretations of Jewish law. Best: stephen
I put this essay in my upcoming book Rational Ideas Two. I ended it by saying I previously posted it on my website booksnthoughts.com and the scholar Stephen I. Ternyik commented. and I copied what you said in this book.
I put this in my upcoming book Rational Ideas two giving credit to you as a scholar.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5hpGpzIlF0 These are the women of the IDF. Best: stephen
I also included this in my upcoming book Rational Ideas Two.
It is good that women are allowed to be Rabbanits. I applaud Rabbanit Barash and your review of her book.
It is true, shamefully, that women were not allowed to study the Talmud and Torah in the past. The Talmud states – Rabbi Eliezer says: Anyone who teaches his daughter Torah is teaching her promiscuity.
Isn’t this an insult to the Torah? Just the opposite is true. If the Torah is the word of God and if this book will make your life better, it behooves you to teach it to your daughter.
There is some misogyny in the Talmud – “Why did God take Eve from Adam’s side and not from any other part of his body? If he had taken her from the head she might have been proud; from the eye or ear, curious; from the mouth, talkative; from the hand, a thief, from the feet, a wanderer; he created her from his side so that she would be humble, and yet women still have all these faults.” (Jerusalem Talmud)
Not all Talmudic rabbis were like this.
We agree.
Hi Turk,
I placed your comment in my upcoming book Rational Ideas Two giving you full credit.
Thanks. That is great. I look forward to your book, Rational Ideas Two!
You are welcome.It is 3/4 finished.
It is evident , dear Rabbi Israel Drazin, that there are different views within Judaism regarding women’s participation in religious duties and teachings. While some classical Jewish authorities, such as Rabbi Eliezer, regard teaching Torah to women as frivolous, others like Baal Shem Tov founded secret societies for teaching Torah to women indicating progressiveness. The Talmudic source, Kiddushin 35, asserts that woman and men are equal in their obligation to abide by negative commandments of the Torah. However, women are exempted from certain mitzvot. The evolution and variation in these teachings show room for further acknowledgment of women’s scholastic abilities within Judaism. The emergence of “Rabbanit” indicates an evolution towards the recognition of women’s capabilities in studying and understanding religious texts. Therefore, it does seem appropriate and timely to consider the next step – allowing women to hold the title “Rabbi” – particularly as knowledgeable teachers like Rabbanit Barash demonstrate their capability and dedication to religious study and leadership. Ultimately, the decision to grant women the title of Rabbi, like men, is a significant decision that would need to be made by the collective Jewish religious authorities, and taking into account the varied interpretations and applications of religious laws and traditions across different Jewish communities worldwide. Best: stephen
Hi Stephen, I thought the title Rabbanit was the male equivalent to rabbi. The term rabbi means teacher. The term Rabbanit can mean a wife of a Torah scholar or it can mean a female Torah scholar or teacher. Thus, I think women already have the title in the feminine aspect. But I may be wrong.
I am for the idea that women should be treated far far better in Orthodox Judaism. I am Orthodox. I understand that a small step was made in this direction by allowing women to study what men study. Once they reached the proper level they wanted to be called rabbi, teacher, just as men. But too many disagreed. So as a compromise, they are called rabbanite. Hopefully this will change soon.
I think the title rabbanite is the female equivalent to rabbi. Rabbanite can mean a female Torah scholar or teacher. Rabbi means teacher. Thus, it seems like they already have the title. Plus, I like the distinction. Rabbanite is a nice-sounding word. It denotes that it is a woman. I have no problem with this title being used. I agree with you that women still need to be treated better in Orthodoxy. I just think that this is not something that needs to change. But I may be wrong.