Q&A: The Pace of Change in Jewish Law
Originally published:
This is an English translation (via GPT-5.4). Read the original Hebrew version.
The Pace of Change in Jewish Law
Question
Is there a principle in Jewish law that you can’t change things all at once? For example, first have women receive aliyot to the Torah until that becomes accepted, and only then have them read from the Torah—or does it make no difference?
Answer
From a halakhic standpoint, it makes no difference. Whatever can be changed can be changed, and whatever cannot, cannot. There are those who advocate a meta-halakhic policy that it is not advisable to change things all at once, and they can rely on the words of Maimonides in Laws of Rebels 2:8:
And any religious court that permitted two things should not rush to permit a third thing.
But that is a question of policy, not a halakhic question.