Q&A: The Jewish People and Torah Study for Women
The Jewish People and Torah Study for Women
Question
- Why, in the Rabbi’s view, is there a reality of the Jewish people such that only they are obligated in Torah and commandments? Why shouldn’t every single person be able to choose to observe Torah and commandments and thereby attain important spiritual advantages? Essentially, why is a person’s nationhood the main thing, rather than what he chooses with his intellect, which is the most important aspect of a person?
- How can it be that Torah study, which is such an important and central commandment, was not commanded to women?
Answer
- Why are there priests and Israelites? The Holy One, blessed be He, created a division of roles, and apparently thought that this was better. If someone does not find his place as a gentile, he can always join Judaism.
2. They actually were commanded in it. See my article in Tzohar.
https://mikyab.net/%D7%9B%D7%AA%D7%91%D7%99%D7%9D/%D7%9E%D7%90%D7%9E%D7%A8%D7%99%D7%9D/%D7%9E%D7%91%D7%98-%D7%A2%D7%9C-%D7%9C%D7%99%D7%9E%D7%95%D7%93-%D7%AA%D7%95%D7%A8%D7%94-%D7%9C%D7%A0%D7%A9%D7%99%D7%9D-%D7%95%D7%9C%D7%9E%D7%93%D7%A0%D7%95%D7%AA-%D7%A0%D7%A9%D7%99%D7%AA
Discussion on Answer
Just to note: a Torah scholar who is a mamzer takes precedence over an ignorant High Priest.
1. There are advantages to fixing status in advance, even if that also has disadvantages. For example, when a king’s son is appointed king, he knows the role and is educated for it. True, if there is someone more worthy, then it would be proper to give the role to him. And so too with any significant role. A gentile can convert, but apparently it was important to the Holy One, blessed be He, that there be in the world a class that is obligated from the outset in all 613 commandments. Israel is the first of His produce. Therefore there is no contradiction in saying that a Torah scholar who is a mamzer takes precedence over an ignorant High Priest. First, this comes to say that Torah takes precedence over priesthood, regardless of the mamzer versus the High Priest. Second, if someone in the lower status displays great ability and dedication, he merits the treatment appropriate to him according to his standing. But the role from the outset is assigned to a defined group, the priests. This is Maimonides in the end of the laws of Shemitah and Yovel: anyone whose spirit moves him to devote himself and be like the tribe of Levi will receive treatment similar to theirs.
2. First, the sages of the Talmud did not necessarily hold as I do. Second, the matter also depends on their social status. In the past, women were regarded as an inferior kind of being with lesser intellectual abilities, and therefore their contribution was in pushing the husband to study. Today women are different—or at least perceived differently.
(1. Something like this was also my intention: a mamzer (innate status), who is a Torah scholar (personal advancement), takes precedence over a priest (innate status; “High” is also a role) who is ignorant (personal negligence). That is, status has weight, but it is less weighty than personal decision. And I wasn’t claiming to address the main issue of why status has any weight.)
1. The Rabbi basically answered with another question. You could ask the same thing about priests. Really, the question is why a person’s rank is fixed in advance and not dependent on his actions. Wouldn’t it have been more moral that way?
2. I read it. And it’s still difficult—if so, then why throughout the generations didn’t they encourage women to study Torah? It’s hard to say that this was because of their lack of education, because if it were important they would have made sure it happened. In addition, there is also a Talmudic passage (I don’t remember right now where) that says that women’s merit in Torah is that they watch the children while the husband is in the study hall and wait for him, etc. According to the Rabbi’s view, why shouldn’t they have merit through delving into Torah themselves?