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

Letschmooze,

Halacha is not a fuzzy spirit realm. There are rules and logic. Sometimes there are ambiguities that might be resolved by appealing to the spirit of the law but you first have to have an ambiguity.

Where are you getting the spirit of the law that woman should be “subservient?” You need a source of something like that.

There is a specific prohibition of “srarah” according to the Rambam, that prohibits women from certain types of positions. The modern Rabbi, having no enforcement power, is probably not one of those positions. IMHO it is more problematic for a woman to be President of the Shul than to be the Rabbi.

“A women also should not be a police officer. It is not proper for a woman to arrest or detain a man. That is why it is assur for a woman to carry a weapon or dress like a man.”

Do you have a source for that?