Jerusalem – The delicate balance between tradition and modernity is shifting in Orthodox circles, as women continue to maintain classic roles of motherhood and deference to rabbinic hegemony, while at the same time achieving recognition for their intellectual abilities in religious fields that were once male domains.
Subscribe to our Daily Roundup Email
This trend was apparent on Sunday evening as Nishmat, a Jerusalem-based Orthodox institution that certifies women to act as halachic advisers on specific issues, lifted a 10-year restriction that had been put in place on their certifications’ validity.
“Because we understood the historic and political significance of creating women halachic experts and the fact that we were stepping where no one had in 3,000 years – we chose to proceed with caution,” said Rabbi Yehuda Henkin.
Henkin, a former chief rabbi of the Beit She’an Valley area, provides rabbinic guidance for Nishmat, which his headed by his wife, Chana Henkin.
“Now, 10 years after the first class graduated, the Yo’atzot Halacha [Halachic advisers] program is no longer just a promising experiment,” he said. “The achievements of the yo’atzot are great and their positive effect on the community at large is so clear that we are removing the 10-year restriction permanently.”
Twelve years ago, when Nishmat launched its intensive two-year training program, which includes extensive study of Jewish texts from Talmud to contemporary rabbinic literature, the notion that women could serve in a quasi-rabbinic position was highly controversial.
Nishmat was careful to call the women “advisers,” not “rabbis,” and the certification given to the women was issued for 10 years, at the end of which the women were to be reevaluated.
These steps deflected potential criticism coming from more conservative elements within Orthodoxy, especially in the rabbinic establishment, who were concerned that feminist trends were seeking to undermine tradition.
Nishmat, which works in close cooperation with the Modern Orthodox rabbinic leadership, trains female Torah scholars who are gradually closing the gap with members of the opposite sex, particularly in areas of Jewish law known as taharat hamishpaha (“family purity”) that regulate a married couple’s sexual relations.
These scholarly women strictly adhere to Halacha in their personal lives and fulfill traditional roles as mothers of large families.
Leading spiritual leaders of Modern Orthodoxy such as Ramat Gan Chief Rabbi Ya’acov Ariel, Birkat Moshe Hesder Yeshiva head Rabbi Nahum Rabinovitz and Rabbi Aharon Lichtenstein, one of the heads of Yeshivat Har Etzion, have all endorsed Nishmat.
According to Halacha, a woman is not allowed to have sexual relations with her husband during menstruation and for a week afterward.
As fertility treatments, family planning and use of hormones and drugs to treat gynecological problems have become more widespread, issues relating to family purity have grown increasingly complex.
Religious women who may be too embarrassed to consult with rabbis on such intimate issues have been increasingly turning to women well versed in Halacha and medicine for advice and answers. Most of these women do this not as an act of feminism-motivated revolt against the male-dominated rabbinical establishment, but out of comfort and convenience.
With the cautious entry of women into this field of Halacha as both empathetic and scholarly para-rabbinic figures, the number of questions being asked by observant women has skyrocketed, as the more congenial atmosphere of women consulting with women has encouraged more openness.
“If we had two or three questions a day on the hotline in the beginning 10 years ago, today we have 20 or 30,” Dr. Deena Zimmerman, a physician and a graduate of the first class of halachic advisers, said before the ceremony.
“Women are much more willing to speak openly and freely about these issues when they are talking to another woman. So we are seeing not only more questions but also more detailed questions,” she said.
The ceremony on Sunday marked the 10th anniversary of Zimmerman’s graduation class and also celebrated the recent graduation of the sixth class of halachic advisers.
Over the past decade a total of 100,000 questions have been answered on the hotline, which fields questions from Israel and the Diaspora.
Another 9,000 questions have been answered on the English-language Internet site. A Hebrew-language Internet site was launched only recently, after Nishmat finally found funding for it.
Zimmerman, who is responsible for the Internet site, is careful to point out that the female halachic advisers are not replacing rabbis.
“Every question that the yo’atzot answer on our site is first approved by one of our rabbis,” she explains.
Rabbi Yaakov Warhaftig, who, together with Rabbi Henkin, approves all the Internet answers and is available for the female advisers to consult, said the yo’atzot program was never meant to undermine the rabbinic establishment.
“We are not looking for women who want to be men,” Warhaftig said. “We want women who want to get closer to God.”
Rachelle Sprecher Fraenkel, who answers questions on the hotline once a week, said that halachic advisers are different from rabbis who make unique, precedent-setting decisions.
“Even among rabbis there are very few who are really innovative,” said Fraenkel, who admitted that most of time she answered questions on the phone without consulting a rabbi.
“Only when I want to be more lenient but do not see a way or when the issue is truly complicated do I consult a rabbi,” she said.
“You need really broad intellectual ‘shoulders’ to be innovative,” she continued. “You have to be on a very high scholarly level.
“Maybe one day we will have a woman who is that learned. But we are not there now. Not yet.”
reform conservative etc also treaded where no one did for 3000 years. actualy there were many movements that treaded on the torah all these years so its nothing new.
no one starts off saying that they are changing mesorah the changes start slowly and continue from there similar to what we saw by the reform 100 years ago
whatever your opinion on this story and the women involved, i do know one thing and that is shani targin (in the picture), the wive of one of the rabbonim in my former yeshiva, is very learned and has completed learning shas gemara at least once and is more learned than most people who will crticise her and the other women on the program. in fact i would go as far as to say she can certainly compete and maybe is even more learned than many of the rabbonim that you go to, to ask your sheilos. the is a fact regardless of the rights and wrongs of the story
Although women can not be hallachacly valid witnesses in a beis din they can according to hallach serve as expert witnesses in a beis din. The expertise of women in certain areas, with the approval of a rabbi who is knowledgeable in the field, will only serve to increase the observance of taharas mishpacha, and is certainly better than a women paskening for her self which seems to happen alot.
Jewish law allows a woman to be an expert in one area and pasken halachos in that one area. Which is what this article says the women focus on. Being an expert in one area. So before all of u critisize, learn the halacha.
dont tell this to that rabbi in the 5 towns who made a big stink about the yoetzet halcha!
How different is this from the old days when a woman would bring a chicken to the local rov and if he was busy the rebbetzin would look at the chicken to see if there was a shailoh that needed her husband’s attention or something that she knew he was matir all the time and told the baalabustah it was OK to cook use the chicken?
Bear in mind that we have always had women who were knowledgeable and reliable especially on women’s issues. So long as it is kept in that context it is no different than what we have today other than the official recognition of their expertise. Those who want to make it into something more than that are just being foolish.
Um maybe the rabbi/rebbitzine whatever they are called need to cover all of their hair properly before giving a psak in halacha. (lubavitch women have guided and brought people closer to yiddishkeit in many areas and are very well versed but in no way would give a halachic ruling)
The problem is the false sense of tznius or embarassment that causes frum women to feel uncomfortable or ashamed to ask shailos of male posikim. We need to teach our daughters that the proper way is to ask shailos when they arise. If we educate our daughters properly then there would be no need for such innovations. The strange thing is that MO women and girls who use yoatzot are probably more comfortable to talikng to men in general and therefore should be comfortable asking shailos of rabbonim in the first place.
Rabbi Soloveitchik was prescient. He understood that in the US at the time when he was active there was a segment of the community where if women were excluded from learning they would involve them selves in secular intellectual pursuits. Its doubtful that he felt that 2000 years of precedent was wrong or backwrds. This is true today as well. In those segments of the community where there is a concern that women will leave the fold then perhaps learning Torah sh baal peh would be proper. In those segments of the community where such concern doesn’t exist then it is probably inadvisable other than on an exceptional case by case basis
What do the ignoramic fools of the peanut gallery here, know of B’aat Rashi and how she put Tefilin on? How she was learned in Torah? Folks, I would put money on these women a million times over before I would put a cent on what one of the 33 concert ban ‘rabbis’.. ou kashrut scandal rabbis, Nj scandal ‘rabbis’.. etc. have to say. You are only fooling yourselves if you think there is no problem with the egotistic ‘male’ lying, stealing, cheating ‘rabbi’ of today!
The guys in the above picture look to be Mizrachi type, no wonder they are going against the Jewish Mesorah, because they always have done what ever tickles them fancy………. unfortunately they have never had any real Gedolim to teaching them the Toras Emes.
We have to be Don them L’e Kav Zechus, because they have been misguided for many years and they don’t know any better.
We have to keep on teaching our dear children to stay away from anybody connected to the Mizrachi movement, with any sort of affiliation, if we want our future generations to live a true Torah life. 🙁
I’d love for someone to provide objective proof that HaGaon Rav Lichtenstein Shlita actually approved of the institution of Yoatzot Halacha. Puh-leeze!
Just a suggestion to everyone getting their shorts tied into knots over these people – If you don’t approve don’t get involved with them. All the energy expended telling each other how evil they are isn’t getting you anywhere or gaining you anything. Save your opinions for those who might be interested in taking it into consideration. These folks obviously have well thought-out and well researched positions and aren’t likely to be swayed by angry bashing from anonymous bloggers so why waste your time and energy???
Sara Schnierer also did what no one else ever did, was opposed by many (not all) gedolim and big rebbes.
History has proven how right she was and what a tremendous Chelek she has in the revival of Torah Yiddishkeit all over the world.
The chazal, when commenting on the phrase “Eshet Hayil Mi Yimtzah” identify the ideal jewish woman based on two core midos: First, being the center of her life for her home and family and second, living her life in harmony with her husband. The medrash says about a Eshet Hayil connect the verse ‘her husband puts his confidence in her’ just like Avraham avinu did with Sarah imanu at the gates of Egypt when avraham requested his wife to pass herself off as his sister at the Pharaoh’s house [Shamos: 12:10-20]. The point is that jewish men have always depended on their wives and benefit from both her tribulations and acomplishments, The idea that Sarah imanu was an equal toAbraham or even surpassing him in her midos and deeds has a solid foundation in torah and what we have been taught by chazal. It therefore quite logical to find gadolim like rav Solivtchek, Z’tl, who were not fixated on conventional gender traits and characteristics. They were able to ascribe qualities usually considered male, and, furthermore, qualities that set men and women apart, to jewish women and womanhood and viewed the concept of an eshet chayil as manifest by these rabb Valler concludes that “there were sages who possessed liberal concepts of woman and womanhood,’ who interpreted Eishet Hayil as a brave, forceful and authoritative while knowledgeable and g-d fearing female figure as manifest by these new Yo’atzot Halacha.
Can they pasken a shailoh in hilchos uktzin?
Does this mean we’ll be putting the panty rabbis out of business?
You all sound like a bunch of children in the playground yelling ‘my daddy is stronger than your daady’ except now it is ‘my rebbe is frummer than your rebbe’ and ‘my beard is longer than your beard’. Both sides sound pretty stupid and childish. So why don’t you all move on and start yelling ‘they started it’. GROW UP!!!
More power to these women, they are on the right track!!
It would be fascinating to have some of these women write and publish a piece of lomdus or complex teshuva that can be objectively critiqued as to the quality of their scholarship? Im sure it would have to be written either annonmously or under a pseudonym to avoid being prejudged l’tov or l’ra.
Maybe you are afraid that the women will surpass the men in learning. They do in most academic subjects.
There is a halachic debate whether women can learn Torah to the degree these women had to learn in order to become halachic authorities of a sort. Whether one should go to a woman like this for a halachic question is arguable. It is telling that girls from modern orthodox backgrounds, who grow up in co-ed schools and settings, somehow supposedly feel uncomfortable speaking to a rabbi about halachic questions, whereas women from haredi backgrounds do not.
I have used their hotline and also their email. It is so amazing to be able to call them to answer these embarrassing questions. I usually only call them for basic questions (how do you prepare for mikva that is the night after tisha bav (btw you take a bath erev tisha b’av)). It is foolish to say that a woman is not allowed to paskin – you trust your wife in your kitchen and in your bedroom to paskin whether things are kosher. If I feel that a question needs a Rav, and obviously for maros, I call the Rav, but I have to tell you that even when the Rav is gentle, it is embarrassing and they are so busy and the whole thing is just degrading, the yoatzot are doing an amazing thing and I just hope they can continue in their holy work. BTW just to make sure you understand that I am not hypocritical I only use female doctors for basically the same reason.
In Even Haezer Siman 21, there is a shaileh whether harchakos areyos applies in the same way as harchokes nidda. Lehalachah we are maikel. However, usually the Nishmats of the world take any type of shumrah with these things that they could find. Why not that one? In the picture they are clearly not keeping it.
#77- if you are not sure what I am talking about, you can try to get in contact with the women in the picture, perhaps they can be of help.
I haven’t seen any of these women throwing stones on Shabbos!
how many times do women ask a question of each other..for example how do you kasher a dish or prepare food to exacting kosher standards and we dont even think twice if a knowledgeable woman helps/answers her neighbor..
the question here is of publicly institutionalizing a female entity to paskin albeit under the auspices of competentent rabbis.. i guess its similar to a nurse practioner working under the supervision of a doctor..
i remember learning in the chyei adam that women are not smart “nashim datot kalot hein” and therefore they generally are not valid witnesses in a rabbinic court/beth din.
there is an issue of giving up one’s turf that is stressful to people and i therefore have mixed emotions.. my personal experience is that most women are pretty smart but i do defer to halachic authorities who tell me otherwise.
i suspect with time this will clarify itself one way or the other and then we will be writing “minhag byisrael din hoo” ideally the majority of great rabbis will get together and issue a consensus… maybe its time we all pressure them to start somewhere easy like this before we get to complicated things such as shabbat elevators and straawberries.
Innovations are wrong. Obviously this institution should be banned immediately. While we’re at it, maybe we can stop that horrid Beis Yaakov movement too. It’s quite the travesty that women even understand lashon hakodesh, obviously it was intended only for men to read. All they need to do is pop out babies.
FYI it’s called sarcasm.
Just because the Reform movement was created by a bunch of apikorsim to get away from yiddishkeit does not mean that every last innovation that hasn’t been around since the shulchan aruch (the last innovation anyone wishes to acknowledge) is anything similar to such a movement. Judaism has always been about innovation, and the anti-innovation movement is nothing more than a reaction to the reform movement by hard liners, making IT a product of the reform movement.
Modern orthodox is a misnomer – it should more accurately be labeled “modern reformed”
This is about time!! There are so many issues that woman will not speak to their Rabbi about – and it is imperative to have available woman “advisors” knowledgable in this and other areas. It is a shame this was not done sooner.
Yashar Koach! a wonderful program – they should have much hatzlocha. This was very much needed!!!
Although I have Semicha (Yoreh Yoreh), I would not dream of Paskening a Shaila. Years of intense scholarship and Shimush by a Rav are absolute prerequisites before daring to Pasken. However, I will not hesitate to refer someone to a clear Din in Shulchan Aruch in answer to a basic question as, I am certain, these Yoatsos are also doing — no more, no less (unless I am mistaken in what they are all about). That does not require the complex skills of a competent Paskening Rav. What I assume their scholarship has achieved is for them to know WHEN a Shaila must asked to a Paskening Rav — and that is clearly a good thing!
Women have been quietly counselling women for decades as talented Rebbetzins of Roshei Yeshiva, Rebbes & Rabbonim made themselves available. They have imparted and dispensed learning, Eitzos, counselling, Hashkafa, and basic Halacha (as above — not as Poskim). And they just knew when the individual needed to be referred to their husbands for a Psak. Web sites such as “Ask the Rabbi” or Aish or “Ask Moses” have had women successfully answering women for years without any fanfare or controversy.
Methinks the problem here is more about the “grand announcement” rather than what is actually taking place. Hatznei Leches is always the best approach when dealing with such matters.
Having made these comments, I rest assured someone will quickly correct me if my understanding of “Yo’Atzot Halacha” is wrong…
rav hutner did teshuva & after the initial printing of his sefer omitted the haskama, see editions 1954, 1965, & 1978, which he published himself,as well as all the editions printed after his passing. you should learn from rav hutner & do teshuva for having anything to do with mizrachai.
Nashim yesh lehem binah yasairah.
but then again, “kol yeser kinital dami”
If you don’t understand what that means, ask your local yoetztet
no true gadol ever ever posed for a picture with a woman unless she was family, these women embark on their new careers defying a basic tznios issue, as well as their endorsing rabbis do. this isn’t about halacha, its about a group of feminists who will do anything to push their confused agenda. the rabbis who back them are the same ones who fight for jewish homos.
ive come to the conclusion that all the supporters of these idiots are helplessly gay
it was already replaced (in your circles) with guys like stephe eise, moshe mendelshon, shindler shem reshaim yirkavetc weill stick to such ‘stagnent’ leadership like isgrosmoshe, munchas yitzchok chasam soifer, rogechver etcetc etc
#128 is to #125
yes, just picture the chasam sofer, igros moshe, noda beyehudah, reb yankele etc etc presenting plaques to these ‘rabbinat’. oh i forgot they were ‘deadwood (#125)’ intelectuals
I have to tell you that I used to call a Rav when I would have a niddah question and I have had very uncomfortable and inappropriate experiences going to Rav. I would only feel comfortable talking to a women. I know that I am not alone in this. I have a friend who became religious and the Rabbi in her community told her to bring all her bedika cloths after her clean week for him to check and if they were all ok he would tell her if she was able to go to the mikvah. This was going on for a few years! According to what I learned in my kallah class a women is able to be a witness in her niddah issues.
If a Yoetzet makes it possible for women to keep taharas hamishpacha how could anyone have a problem with that.
i dont know what “ehrliche yidden” means, i suspect i am not one and have no problem with that.. i hope “ehrliche yidden” dont all equate christianity with modern orthdox judaism as you wrote above in nuber #147 .
as i said i dont speak yiddish.. but the language of the jewish people is hebrew not yiddish. (and hebrew is also a holy language)
what did “ehrliche yidden” speak 500 years ago before yiddish came into existence. ( ill give you a hint… many spoke ladino). my personal background is what i suspect you would call modern othdox.. i have no problem with it as i observe all the commandments as i understand them.. we need unity in the jewish nation not bickering…
i am done.. you can have the last word here
a good year to you