Reply To: Women and Simchas Torah

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#1105009
charliehall
Participant

“you still haven’t given a reason why women can’t dance on Simchas Torah”

There really isn’t one at least not a good one.

“since it’s not traditional, it’s not the way.”

Simchat Torah itself is a post-Chazal phenomenon that violates so many normative traditions that you really can’t use “tradition” regarding Simchat Torah at all.

“I DO NOT advocate changing a SINGLE ONE of our traditions. “

We have changed lots of traditions — just in the past century. In no community did most men learn full time a century ago; today it is very common. In most communities (not in Germany or America) women were actively denied Torah education; Baruch HaShem that tradition changed. In the 1780s American Jews stopped saying a prayer for the King of Great Britain and started saying a prayer for the United States Government. Then in 1948 we started praying for the State of Israel. Should we still be saying prayers for a foreign monarch and refuse to say a prayer for the State of Israel? I could go on and on, but you get the point. Traditions can and do change. Baruch HaShem.