Holon, Israel – A prominent Israeli rabbi has issued a religious decree forbidding Jewish women from driving or learning to drive unless absolutely necessary.
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The order by Rabbi Avraham Yosef prohibits women from driving, especially in Israeli cities predominantly inhabited by ultraorthodox Jews, Ahram Online news website reported.
Yosef is the chief rabbi in the city of Holon and is the son of Rabbi Ovadia Yosef — Shas’ spiritual leader.
The Jewish figure justified the decree by saying that driving for women does not reflect modesty or chastity, especially in cities mostly inhabited by religious people.
The influential rabbi, Avraham Yosef, has said women should not get behind a wheel unless absolutely necessary.
He has justified his decree by saying that driving for women does not reflect modesty or chastity, especially in cities inhabited by religious people.
Yosef is reportedly not the first Jewish rabbi to issue such an order.
Rabbi Shmuel Halevi issued a similar prohibition forbidding women from driving, arguing seductive appearance of women distracted men drivers and thus resulted in a large number of traffic accidents.
Member of Knesset and head of the house’s committee on the status of women Tzipi Hotovely criticized the order, saying it negatively affects the assimilation of Israeli women and described driving as a daily routine a woman must perform.
Hotovely said that taking into consideration religious Jewish families have a large number of children, driving becomes a necessity.
This decree makes no sense at all. If a woman is dressed modestly, why can’t she be permitted to drive? In Saudi Arabia, women are also prohibited from driving.
Is driving a horse and cart ok?
That’s right!
Women should stay home and raise a family, not have to go out and work to support deadbeat husbands!
My Rebbe was way ahead of him he banned women driving all ready in the early 1980s
If Iranian media is the only source for this story, then it’s a bunch of baloney.
This is scary….. How about if we get tinted windows? I am not one to bash rabbonim but …
Great idea! This should apply to Boro Park and Fltabush too. Think of the improvement in traffic flow and parking if we can get those cell phone using SUV driving women off the road. Added benefits in addition to the improved modesty.
So it’s ok for women to be the breadwinner as long as she does it by foot or bus (sitting in the back of course). Why a woman would want to be a bt in this day of so called leaders would be definition of insanity and masochism. Can you imagine working your fingers to the bone and getting no recognition just one punishment after another.
anyonw whos been to boro park can tell you that if safety is the concern the should just ban all Jews from driving.
Fine. Now provide every woman with a husband who will work to support her, run errands, treat her properly so she doesn’t end up divorced, not die and leave her with a bunch of kids to support and transport, and make it totally unnecessary for her to drive.
If you want women to act as ideal women, tell the men to start living up to their responsibilities as men. And if HaKadosh Baruch Hu puts a woman in a situation where she has to take on roles which you deem “immodest” then take it up with Him.
As to the “unchaste” accusation – in Muslim countries where women are not permitted to work in “manly” capacities, widows are forced to support their children through begging and prostitution. Limiting women’s capacity to work in the world is the single driving force for unchastity there.
Thanks rabbi yosef,
home its against the Torah & not idle to be outside
כל כבודה בת מלך פנימה
Women belongs
Consider the source of this story: Press TV. Here is there self styled description:
About PressTV
Press TV takes revolutionary steps as the first Iranian international news network, broadcasting in English on a round-the-clock basis.
Our global Tehran-based headquarters is staffed with outstanding Iranian and foreign media professionals.
Press TV is extensively networked with bureaus located in the world’s most strategic cities.
YOELYG
How do you explain the countless gedolim who were supported by working women?
The chofetz chaim’s wife owned a store did she not?
There are many chumros coming out of eretz yisrael lately. I have no chiyev to take them on when not one of the gedolim in recent history supported this point of view.
The roads would definitely be safer.
I think women should be banned from existence. We should reproduce by cloning males. Ubiarta hara mekirbecha. Only then will we hasten the coming of moshiach tzidkeinu. Also, we should censor out all the females from the heilige toireh. Enough will all of this pritzus.
Just like there is no drinking and driving so 2 no women should be driving it will save a lot of lives!!
Rav Yosef said no such thing.
Here is the direct quote:
האם יש בעיה מבחינת צניעות שאישה נוהגת ברכב ? האם מותר לה ?
התשובה:
מאת: הרב אברהם יוסף
בכל מקום יש לנהוג כפי הוראות הרבנים במקום, ולכן בני ברק ראוי להימנע.
וככלל אין להתיר לצורך מותרות אלא במקום שיש הכרח.
Until there is a more reliable source for this story, I’m not buying it. Especially the quote from “Rabbi Shmuel HaLevi” (Did they mean Vosner?). That sounds very Muslim in attitude.
“seductive appearance of women distracted men drivers and thus resulted in a large number of traffic accidents…”
I have no words.
What yeshiva did Rabbi Avraham Yosef attend and where does he give lectures (shiurim)?
I seem to recall, some time ago, a controversy surrounding women and seat belts. Apparently, the shoulder strap was deemed immodest for women or girls looking for shidduchim.
I guess the chareidi women will start bicycling instead to raise the level of tznius in Bnei Brak.
Wahabbi or Haradi?
This idea is ludicrous. If driving for women is immodest because it will cause men to look at them, and cause accidents, then we must also ban walking for women, or an avenue which will put women in a public forum. Maybe men should drive with paper bags over their heads, for I am sure it will not affect the quality of their driving.
I am embarrassed for our people when the people given the opportunity to lead our religion are debating topics that were never a problem, never will be a problem and only cause more problems.
There is a famous vort from our sages on the Pasuk of Loy Sosifu Veloy Sigreu that the Loy Tosifu causes the sin of Loy Sigreu.
Once you start to make up your own “Chumros” (not al pi Torah), it leads to the opposite – ultimately one will end up doing less Torah and Mitzvos not more.
For example:
Hashem said not eat the Eitz Hadaas.
But Chava wanted to make her own new “CHUMROS”
Chava decided on the “CHUMRA” and so she said it may also not be touched.
Then she shows that she can touch it and nothing happens…. This CHUMRA YESERA, caused the Chet Eitz Hadaas.
Once you start making up your own Torah, there is no end to how far you can go. The Conservative and Reform hit bottom in this but it begins with making Chumros which are invalid al pi Torah.
Remember that everyone lost all respect for all Rabbonim when they started making isurim against Shmeltzer and other concerts.
When a rav starts making Chumros Yeseros, in the end people mistakenly disregard, not only the Chumra Yesera, but ultimately take lightly and disregard whatever this rav will say later, even an absolute Chiyuv, thinking that IT TOO, is only a Chumra Yesera.
Kol Hamosif Goreah
For once I am speechless. But nowadays a charedi rav has no future if he can’t outdo the other on chumras. It just hurts the community but it is good for a career. The shulchan aruch has become irrelevant.
It is a terrible shame that our Jewish community has become so weak-minded that they cannot see a woman driving without their hormones overcoming their self-control.
Hundreds of millions of non-Jewish drivers appear to be able to drive alongside women drivers without going sex-crazy,
It is a real pity that it is only the tiny fraction of frum, ultra-ultra-desirable women drivers are causing a problem for frum Jewish men.
Obviously less modest non-Jewish drivers do not appear to be of any concern, which is hard to understand.
If female drivers in general make frum male drivers incapacitated with desire, since we can’t ban shiksa drivers, wouldn’t it make more sense to keep the MEN off the roads until they learn to control themselves?
Men in cars can just as easily be distracted by a women crossing the street. Is this about “tzinius” or a way of preventing women from seeking serious means of education, employment, independence, etc…
This may influence a minority of religious families, but will have no effect on the majority.
There seems to be an ever increasing desire in certain Rabbinic circles to look to restrict people in any way possible.
Let us follow the “Middle Path” of the Holy Rambam.
The Torah should not become Jihadist in its interpretation.
The People of Israel both in our Holy Land and the Diaspora will not be drawn to our Mesorah by extreme prounoucements by thoughtless leaders.
Reply to #42 . “Usually when readers have nothing to say, they don’t post.”. Hee hee. That’s the funniest line I read all night!
The title of this story should really be “Israeli Rabbi Bans Women.” The point of tznius is to have women be able to do necessary transactions in public. What next? Will someone invent a way to have women be invisible except to their family and even then not at all times?