Even though R’ Chaim shlita says that women don’t have to be careful about things that cause forgetfulness, I wonder if this is different since the reason it’s a problem might be because it’s disrespectful to the Sefer (and not just because it causes forgetfulness). If that’s the case, presumably, it would be a problem for women as well.
One hundred percent. I never meant to say that women shouldn’t be careful; this is a halachah besides for the issue that it causes forgetfulness. I prefaced by bringing the Halachah from the Gemara/Yerushalmi; the source that it causes forgetfulness is a separate thing entirely. R’ Chaim was talking about things which are halachicaly permitted.
I also wonder if the fact that women don’t HAVE to be careful about these things because they don’t have a chiyuv of Talmud Torah means that they don’t forget their learning if they do these things or do they still forget their learning but it’s not assur for them to do so?
I had the same safek as you, and I came out with the same maskanah. If it would cause forgetfulness, I find it very strange that R’ Chaim would say “???? ???? ???? ?????”; it is certainly ??? ???? not to do it. I imagine that it doesn’t cause forgetfulness at all.
It is interesting, though – why should the fact that they are not mechuyav in Limud Toirah be a cause you shouldn’t forget? I don’t really see the svarah…