MAMA response 2
Hello Thomas! I was never arguing that the allowance of women making aliyah was "the" problem with the other branches. I'm arguing in defence of the prohibition, which I don't believe ever needed to be reformed or deleted from our rulebook.
It's funny that so many cliches can apply to Judaism - No pain no gain; You are what you eat; and another is, If it ain't broke, don't fix it! Judaism has thrived for 3 mellinia as possibly the most contributing, accepting, loving, peaceful, and innovative people ever to appear on earth -- in short, the model works. We need to be very careful when looking at a change made in a working model. What motivates such a change, and is it really necessary?
Can one really argue that the prohibition against feminine aliyot was ever a real problem? If so, how can we explain the very many modern, intelligent, worldy women who today, with great joy, choose to remain in or join orthodoxy, which prohibits the act? 400 years ago, did women feel the prohibition unfair? My guess is probably not.
I think the "need for change" occurred when we began comparing our model with the Western one. The Western model insists that men and women are equal
The answer for me lies in the fact that it is not a question of modern or ancient, but one of Western and Eastern/Jewish philosophy.
Lets take a step back for a second. Western culture, true, a woman is 'free' to do what she wants, she is not prohibited from doing anything because she is a woman. My question is, Are women treated better, are they happier and are they afforded more freedom in Western society than Orthodox society.
But like Orthodox culture or any other culture, Western culture encourages behavior. My question is this. Which model
Western thought does not aknowledge this as a worthwhile "persuit" because it doesn't yield money, and is not
It seems to me that this was not a 'fix' to something 'broke', but rather something that came along with a massive Western reforming of Judaism.
Then I ask myself, Is this Western system worthy of influencing such a change?
One of the most important things I've learned is that the do's and don'ts of Torah have nothing to do with a person's worth, not even after they've fouled up! As a man, I'm not allowed to perform any act done by a Kohen or Levi (except for an aliya, but only if there's none present), but this says absolutely nothing about my worth, value, essence. In fact, from it I learn that there are some things I'm suited for, and others I'm not. Better that I define my worth in what I can do, than m
What it does, however, is reminds me that in order to keep Judaism and Torah the system
be like men, do what men do. There is equality within diversity. I cannot perform the first aliya or second aliya since I am not a Kohen or Levi.
It's funny that so many cliches can apply to Judaism - No pain no gain; You are what you eat; and another is, If it ain't broke, don't fix it! Judaism has thrived for 3 mellinia as possibly the most contributing, accepting, loving, peaceful, and innovative people ever to appear on earth -- in short, the model works. We need to be very careful when looking at a change made in a working model. What motivates such a change, and is it really necessary?
Can one really argue that the prohibition against feminine aliyot was ever a real problem? If so, how can we explain the very many modern, intelligent, worldy women who today, with great joy, choose to remain in or join orthodoxy, which prohibits the act? 400 years ago, did women feel the prohibition unfair? My guess is probably not.
I think the "need for change" occurred when we began comparing our model with the Western one. The Western model insists that men and women are equal
The answer for me lies in the fact that it is not a question of modern or ancient, but one of Western and Eastern/Jewish philosophy.
Lets take a step back for a second. Western culture, true, a woman is 'free' to do what she wants, she is not prohibited from doing anything because she is a woman. My question is, Are women treated better, are they happier and are they afforded more freedom in Western society than Orthodox society.
But like Orthodox culture or any other culture, Western culture encourages behavior. My question is this. Which model
Western thought does not aknowledge this as a worthwhile "persuit" because it doesn't yield money, and is not
It seems to me that this was not a 'fix' to something 'broke', but rather something that came along with a massive Western reforming of Judaism.
Then I ask myself, Is this Western system worthy of influencing such a change?
One of the most important things I've learned is that the do's and don'ts of Torah have nothing to do with a person's worth, not even after they've fouled up! As a man, I'm not allowed to perform any act done by a Kohen or Levi (except for an aliya, but only if there's none present), but this says absolutely nothing about my worth, value, essence. In fact, from it I learn that there are some things I'm suited for, and others I'm not. Better that I define my worth in what I can do, than m
What it does, however, is reminds me that in order to keep Judaism and Torah the system
be like men, do what men do. There is equality within diversity. I cannot perform the first aliya or second aliya since I am not a Kohen or Levi.
posted by David Kopp at 3:43 AM
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