Whatever the reaction will be, the timing of this decision couldn’t have been worse, amid a mounting anti-religious climate nationwide.
Minister of Religious Services (Shas) Yaakov Margi has announced he is accepting a religious opinion that permits women to give hespeidim at levayas. As such, he is informing the director-general of his ministry, Avigdor Ochana, to pass the new regulation to all chevra kadishas nationwide; with the understanding this is a new regulation and not a request.
At the time of the publication of the article, YWN-ISRAEL has been unable to ascertain who gave the Halachic ruling. This will be published blei neder when the information is available.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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10 Responses
How is a “Hespeid” a “religious service” to be provided by the government? It’s a speech. It is never required by halacha. Why should a cabinet minister be dictating who speaks at a funeral, one way or another. This is another reminder that when you accept the government’s money, you give up your own freedom.
Last week Yediot achronot had an article about this chevra kadisha “issue”. They said the minister was waiting for Rav Shlomo Amars ruling on the issue. My guess is that it is his ruling.
I’m sorry I don’t see the issue. As stated above it is a speech not a religious service and if a woman wants to give a hesped, why should she be denied? I am not aware of any halachic problem with a woman speaking publicly.
3. TZNIUS!!
I don’t know if there is a Halachik issue. The issue is Kabbalistic as well the fact that the Chevras have Mesoras going back hundreds of years forbidding women by funerals. Minhag Yisroel Torah!!
The above budding controversy and the comments of the posters clearly indicate how far we have come in the sphere of chumros. There is absolutely no reason why a woman should not be able to give a hesped- it is not a tefillah and there is no complication of “kol isah”.
I understand that , in some circles, women do not adress men and they can continue this minhag. but for those who want to , there is no halacha that forbids it, and no halcha that forbids a woam nto say kaddish either.
We are rushing headling in the “chumratization’ of our customs.
I once attended the levaya of a friend who was a well-known baal chesed. His widow spoke at his levaya. This caused a huge tumult, some decrying it as improper, and others pointing out the hesped given for the Satmar Rav by his Rebbitzen.
So I asked a certain big Rosh Hayeshiva, one respected by almost every type of yid in Brooklyn — litvish, modern, heimish, sfardi, chasiddish — what the uproar was about.
His response was that there is no halacha against it, provider certain precautions are taken for tzniyus. However, and I quote, “there is an ill wind blowing in klal yisroel,” and we must tack away from it so that it doesn’t destroy us. V’hameyvin yavin.
Guess what, there is no halachic issue with a woman speaking publicly, so if you don’t like it, respectfully excuse yourself. The chareidi soldiers who did not want to hear a woman sing did not demand that she not be allowed to sing, but rather asked to be excused. That, in my opinion, is the proper way to behave.
To: OrLeOlam, the Satmar Rebitzin a”h was Not Maspid the Satmar Rebbe z”l, I was by the levaya with other Thousand’s, either you are misinformed or made it up
I am with OrLeOlam. In calmer times one could let it pass (a hespeid by other than men), but things today are starting to resemble sha’as shmad. In that case, it is plain halacha to stop the attack on custom no matter what.