Reply To: Women Doing Men’s Jobs

Yehudis: How about you ask a Posek whether as a wife one is required to carry out the requests and instructions her husband gave her.

Don’t be shy; please do ask. I posit that no Posek will tell a wife asking that, that “no”, she isn’t obligated to carry out her husband’s (lawful) instructions given her.

Would you have any doubt that you’re halachicly obligated to carry out any orders given to you by your King? Would you have any doubt that you’re halachicly obligated to fulfill requests given to you by your parents?

I assume not. So why do you presume a husband is less than a King or parents.

I shared with you that Halacha above from the Rambam. But it is given thoroughout Halacha, from Chazal, Rishonim and Achronim. It isn’t controversial or even disputed.

You know that Kibud Av V’Eim is a fundamental obligation/mitzvah that’s one of the Aseres Hadibros (Ten Commandments, for the uninitiated.) Did you know that the Shulchan Aruch says that a wife is relieved from her duty of Kibud Av V’Eim, and has no obligation to carry out that Torah requirement of Kibud Av V’Eim — one of the Ten Commandments? You read that correctly. Do you know why the S”A says the reason a wife isn’t obligated in Kibud Av V’Eim is? The Mechaber says that since a wife is obligated to fulfill her husband’s duties, therefore she isn’t obligated to her parents. (The same is not applicable vice versa, regarding the husband to his parents.)