Reply To: Why Can't Women Get Modern Smicha and Become Rabbis?

Daniel,

I am not a feminist. I am not a kofer. My question is not based on kefira. There have been rare, isolated occurrences in Jewish history of women being religious leaders, acting as Rabbis, Roshei Yeshiva or Poskim but without the title “Rabbi.” I don’t even care about the title. The issue is whether a sufficiently learned woman can be given r’shus (the modern smicha) to pasken and whether she could accept a pulpit position.

If the issue is so pashut, then it would not take a “real” talmid chacham to answer the question.

Frumnotyeshivish,

I am not asking about women’s rights (at least not in the sense you are thinking of). I am not discussing the average woman but the exceptional woman.

Interjection,

I agree that Rebbetzins should be trained in such matters just for that reason and especially in out of town communities. It is evidence from a Gemara in Nidda that it was common for there to be a woman “in the neighborhood” who would examine maaros for the other women.