In his motzei shabbos drasha, Rishon L’Tzion Hagon Rav Ovadia Yosef Shlita made reference to the Women of the Wall as they are known, referring to them as the “fools with the tallitot”, who come to the Wall to daven, stating they must be shunned and rejected by the tzibur.
The daily Yisrael HaYom carried the story as well, speaking of some of the women who wish to wear tefillin, with the Rav adding that “seek equality, not acting L’shem Shamayim”.
The women come to the Wall wearing a tallis and tefillin in contradiction to halacha the Rav stated, adding in the past, they have even assaulted Kosel Rav Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz and the ushers who maintain order at the holy site.
After they were not permitted to daven with a tallitot and tefillin, they turned to the Supreme Court, resulting in a compromise ruling permitting to daven in the general area [but not at the Kosel itself].
(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)
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14 Responses
i’m flattered some women think we men are better than them therefore they try to imitate us (imitation is the highest form of flattery)
Azi – Although many Rishonim allow women to wear talleisim should they wish, the maskono in halacho is that they may not voluntarily do so – see Rama O.C. 17:2 (read the whole thing, not just the first few lines). Additionally, see Maharil (7) who paskens that the tallis is a beged Ish – according to them it would be an issur d’oraisa of beged ish for a woman to wear a tallis. Based on these two sources, the normative halacho is paskened by rov poskim that it is assur for a women to wear talleisim.
Check your sources before accusing a gadol of being blinded from halacho.
A Zebra also wears what looks like a talis. Wonder whether the Zebra also wants equality.
I understand what they’re trying to do, they want to make woman equal to men. But what I don’t get is that woman are better then men, why would they want sink to the level of men?
Woman are by them selves complete, men aren’t that’s why we men have to do so many mitzvos.
When Hashem created the world, everything was created was more complex and complete then the thing created before it. And Woman was created after Man.
Azi – I’d advise you not to make a fool of yourself publicly.
1) The Ben Ish Chai holds that it is an Isur of Beged Ish.
2) The article clearly quotes Rav Yosef, shlita stating that these woman are clearly “seek(ing) equality, not acting L’shem Shamayim”. That puts this issue into a different darga; one of Chilul Hashem. Thus he holds there is a requirement to shun their actions.
You should know that the first action taken by the Reform movement was to move the bima from the middle of the shul to the front. Halachicly there is no Isur, but the Gedolim at that time came out against it. Why? Because they understood the kavanot behind the act.
Here too, the kavonot of their actions is extremely clear. It can only be towards the detriment of Klal Yisrael. They are far from understanding what Klal Yisrael’s function is in this world. It would be wise for us to move FAR away from such people.
Men and women are not “equal,” as in feminist non-Torah belief.
According to the Torah, there are certain Mitzvos which are specific to men, and there are certain Mitzvos which are specific to women.
Tallis and Tefillin are specific to men and are Beged Ish.
So YWN deletes Azi’s comments about the halachik validity of their actions, but allows posts comparing women to animals, such as the poster who inquires about zebras?
These women have never benefitted from a true Torah education where depth of understanding of Toras Hashem was imparted. Feel bad,,,,do not attack!!!
ANONYM613- men and woman ARE EQUAL.
2+3= 5
1+4=5
equal? yes but differant.
the torah sees woman and men as equal, yet each have there own role and tafgid in life. certain mitzvot are for men and certain mitzvot are for womem, each has there own responsibility.
diffrent yes, but equal.
i think what those women are doing is wrong; its a real shame and chillul HaShem that they cannot see, or have not been tught the beuty in there role as jewish woman.
To #11
I haven’t found any documented source for the commonly repeated story that Rashi’s daughters wore tefillin.
Have you?
mandy – azi made a false statement in a rather rude manner. That is why they deleted it.
rebshalom – Yes, Rashi’s daughter as well as other frum women “privately” wore tefillin. Note, however, they also kept ALL the laws of the Torah. These woman, however, do not. Just do a google search for “Women of the Wall” and you will see for yourself. It is clear that none of these woman compare to the nobility of Rashi’s daughter. I knew a woman who was close to the previous Lubavitcher Rebbe who wore tallis a tefillin. She also was moser nefesh mamash (putting her life in danger) to fulfill the requests of the rebbe. She also slept with her head on a rock on T’sha B’av. She also frequented the nearby Yeshiva and would scream at any bachurim that she felt were batlim during seder. And what about these women?…….
rabbiofberlin – I apologize. It is late and my mind is tire. I will try to find the exact source brought down in the Ben Ish Chai tomorrow, b”n. I’ve seen it myself, so I know it’s there. You have a good question, but I unfortunately don’t remember the exact reasoning off the top of my cup other than a tallis is a man’s garment.
However, we (Askinazim) don’t paskin that way. Perhaps that is why Rav Yosef wasn’t bringing that argument according to this article. Rather, it is their insincerity that he opposes. (see my previous comment)
Quick update – Quotes: the Kaf Hachayim, which cites Targum Yerushalmi’s interpretation of the biblical prohibition on wearing clothing worn by the opposite gender; [Targum Yerushalmi on Deuteronomy 22:5]
the Rama, who rules for Ashkenazim that even if a woman wishes to be strict upon herself by laying tefillin, it should be strongly discouraged.[Shulchan Aruch Orach Chayim 38:3]
The Talmud records that Michal, daughter of King Saul laid tefillin,[30] and also mentions in Eruvin 96a that “Michal daughter of the Cushite wore tefillin and the sages did not protest”. [31] Sefer Hachinuch writes that if a woman wishes to don tefillin she may and receives heavenly reward for doing so.[32] Maimonides holds that women should be permitted to perform the mitzvah, but that because it is not mandatory, they should omit the blessing, as it contains the phrase “who has commanded us”.[33] The Rashba, however, holds both that women should be permitted to lay tefillin but also that they should recite the berakha, based on the Talmudic comment about Michal, daughter of Saul.[34] Rabbenu Tam holds the same view.[35]
[# ^ Tefillin 1:3
# ^ Talmud Eruvin Eruvin 96a
# ^ Mitzvah 421 ונוהגת מצוה זו בכל זמן, בזכרים אבל לא בנקבות, לפי שהיא מצוה עשה שהזמן גרמא; ומכל-מקום אם רצו להניח אין ממחין בידם ושכר יש להן, אבל לא כשכר האיש, שאינו דומה שכר המצוה ועושה כשכר שאינו מצוה ועושה. ובמסכת ערובין (96-א) בריש פרק המצוה תפלין אמרו זכרונם לברכה שמיכל בת כושי היתה מנחת תפלין ולא מחו בידה חכמים; ושם אמרו: אשתו של יונה היתה עולה לרגל ולא מחו בידה חכמים.
# ^ Hilkhot Tsitsit 3:9 Women, slaves, and minors are exempt from tzitzit from the Torah…Women and slaves who want to wrap themselves in tzitzit may do so without a berakha. And so too with other such mitzvot from which women are exempt: if they want to perform them without a berakha, one does not protest
# ^ Teshuva 123: I agree with those who say that if they desire they can do all such mitzvot and recite the blessings, on the basis of Mikhal bat Shaul who used to wear tefillin and they did not protest; indeed she did so with the approval of the sages and by the nature of the matter since she puts on tefillin she blesses.
# ^ Grossman, Avraham (2004). Pious and Rebellious – Jewish Women in Medieval Europe. Brandeis Univ.]
Rashi’s daughters allegedly wore tefillin[37] (although there is no proof of this) [^ a b c http://www.beki.org/womentefillin.html%5D
PLEASE NOTE: THESE ARE QUOTES I FOUND ON THE NET AND HAVE NOT YET CHECK THE SOURCES FOR ACCURACY DO TO EXHAUSTION!
Even if Rashi’s daughters wore tefilin (for which I have yet to see the evidence), you can’t pasken from a story. For that matter, you can’t pasken from half-knowledge either. Do you know that Rabbi Yosi Hag’lili paskened that we may eat chicken with dairy? That doesn’t mean that it is now muttar. It is clearly assur. You can’t draw conclusions from one tidbit of information in isolation. (In fact, while what I wrote about Reb Yosi Hag’lili is true, it’s misleading. He at one point ruled it muttar, but once Chazal gave their final ruling, even Reb Yosi Hag’lili ruled it was assur. So anyone who eats chicken with dairy is violating a major issur.)
rabbiofberlin – עיין בן איש חי, לך לך (שנה ראשונה) סעיף יג
BTW – see אגרות משה או”ח חלק ד סי’ מט מה שכתב שם