Q&A: Priestesses? The Teacher Prayed 🤔
Priestesses? The Teacher Prayed 🤔
Question
One student in the class asked the teacher: why aren’t there priestesses serving in the Temple? (They’re learning Leviticus.)
The teacher, instead of answering, started to pray.
She said it’s a very difficult question, and therefore she needs to pray…
I told my daughter that if the Torah were given today, presumably it would also say priestesses, and it wouldn’t include laws of slaves, or “an eye for an eye,” or a world created in 6 days.
My daughter told me that can’t be, because the Torah is eternal.
Who is right?
What does the Rabbi think?
Answer
First of all, I object to your title. A teacher is allowed to pray. Of course she should try to answer, but it is also permissible for her not to have an answer. That is completely legitimate. From your question it seems that you, too, don’t have a clear answer on the matter. Maybe you haven’t prayed enough?…
As for your question, I have no idea what would have been written in the Torah if it were given today. I’m not at all sure that’s even an option. The Holy One, blessed be He, wrote the Torah and decided to give it at the time it was given.
It is indeed true that the laws can certainly change according to circumstances, and that does not contradict the eternity of the Torah.
And finally, the Torah does not say priests or priestesses. “Priests” does not necessarily mean only males, since Scripture always uses the masculine form. All of this is the sages’ interpretation.