Every year the Bnei Brak Chief Rabbi HaGaon Rav Yehuda Leib Landau Shlita has pashkavilim posted in the city calling on women to maintain their modesty during Purim. Mothers and teachers are instructed to warn the girls not to be on the streets on Purim night, citing “כבודה בת מלך פנימה” and as such, they should celebrate indoors with family.
The rav warns not to permit turning Purim into something it should not be but to maintain modesty as is done year round.
Using Facebook to get her message out, MK (Machane Tzioni) Ksenia Svetlova accused the rav of discriminating against women, comparing his words R”L to what one expects to Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan. She decries the fact that a civil service chief rabbi of a city dares to instruct women to remain indoors questioning how this is a women’s place and why this is how women should celebrate Purim.
She decries the fact that law is not applied to certain sectors of society and the “appalling split in education, the exclusion of women, the separate education and xenophobia. The Bnei Brak Municipality should remove these plagues that degrade the culture and Jewish heritage and the great women in our history. Unfortunately, the Prophetess Devorah and Yael the wife of a friend and Ruth the Moabite could not receive even a minor position in the chareidi public today” Svetlova continues.
“Another point to ponder: If this is how we would have acted in the megillah we would not heard about Esther and the Purim miracle and it probably would not have happened”.
She calls on supporters to back her post towards eliminating the “shameful behavior” towards permitting anyone and everyone to celebrate Purim amid the realization the miracle was brought about by a woman.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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13 Responses
What could you say to someone who doesn’t want to know what it means to be tznios. Or the pusic of hin am levudod yishkon.
Why is this stupid article being published?????what message are you trying to give???
YAEL WIFE OF FRIEND?
do you mean yael the wife of chever hakeni?
The Rav’s letters are pashkavilim?
She sounds like a battered female who is scared to be and act as a natural woman. But thinks the secret out of her misery is to become manly. A direction that has been proven to be a Dark and Unhappy path.
Ever since assuming his position, Rav Landau publishes such a letter before Purim; I think his father zt”l before him also used to do so. There are all sorts of unsavory elements — irreligious or semi-religious teens who do not even live in Bnei Brak, who gather from neighboring areas — to seek (or to create…) a bit of “action” on Purim night. Action that is not in the spirit of the Torah city of Bnei Brak. So, yes, as a “civil service chief rabbi of a city” Rav Landau is indeed fulfilling his responsibilities in a city that wants him to issue such guidelines. He is not addressing the women in Tel Aviv (if only they would listen!!), but to the residents of Bnei Brak.
marbehshalom, egged gets it messed up too. On my bus route there’s a stop “Nachal Chever”, but the GPS announcement says “chaver”.
Okay, it’s time for a little Purim Torah here. You want to know why the feminists have arisen in Judaism? The Mishnah in Pirkei Avos (2:6) says: “In a place where there are no men, strive to be a man.” Reform and the other non-Torah sects have denuded men from all traces of Jewish responsibility. They don’t learn or daven or put on Tefillin or tzitzis. So, there are no men in the non-Torah sects. The most forward looking women in the world are therefore trying to fulfill the mandate of the Mishnah in Pirkei Avos. Since their fathers, husbands, brothers, (and sons?) aren’t men, these women want to be men.
Correction: that’s Pirkei Avos 2:5.
I don’t think we have to give a stage to such a low life women.
It’s really annoying when politicians pipe up for no other reason than to try to increase their popularity in the polls. She (and the non-religious) were not being spoken to, so what’s it their business to bud in?! That’s just plain rude!
#1. The answer is simple, what do you do with someone who doesn’t know? (not right to assume someone “doesn’t want to know),” You Educate Them!
This is what bothers me about Chareidi leadership, especially the political leadership (not Rav Landau), so many opportunities to educate the public are lost. Instead of alienating people, which often happens by some methods uses to fight an issue, they should educate.
Appleface, What don’t you understand? “they should celebrate indoors with family”. I am a man. How is it manly for a woman to want to go outside? We will see that there are so many various opinions of thought regarding tznious and conduct for women. Some believe that women are not to drive, go outside much, or respond “Good morning” to the male store clerk. Others, believe that if a woman’s skirt isn’t “brooming” the floor, then it’s unacceptable. There are basic fundamentals and foundations that a woman should practice with regards to tznious. Some are blatantly unacceptable. The vast majority in my sect of Judaism do not consider it manly for a woman to go outside on Purim.