Q&A: Boundaries in Torah Prohibitions
Boundaries in Torah Prohibitions
Question
Hello,
I wanted to ask whether the Rabbi thinks that the attitude toward women in Judaism is moral. I mean the idea that people tell a woman to dress modestly so that men will not stumble into sin—is that moral? Or does the Rabbi have a different interpretation of the laws of modesty, and where is the boundary from a moral standpoint? After all, one could say that even a woman who is dressed modestly causes men to stumble as long as she is not wearing a hijab, and one could also say that even a woman who does not dress modestly is not causing men to stumble so long as she is not outright promiscuous. In other words, does the Rabbi have an explanation for the boundaries set by the Torah and by the Sages, or does the Rabbi have some other possible framework for those boundaries that is not as the Torah states?
Answer
You are assuming that the purpose of the laws of modesty is to prevent men from stumbling into sin. In my opinion, that is not correct. Beyond that, such a policy, in reasonable measure, is not objectionable, because we all make use of the public sphere. I do not have a sharp criterion. There is common sense.