Ashdod Chief Rabbi Yosef Sheinin is under attack again, this time not for kashrus or conversion issues, but in response to a statement he made regarding the abilities of women to hold a command post.
During a ceremony in the city marking a change of police commanders, the rav used the public forum to say “Women cannot be commanders of a police station because this is a position that is suitable to men”.
Undoubtedly the timing is indeed auspicious as the Knesset and media obsess over chareidi discrimination and maltreatment of women.
“They speak a great deal of degrading women but I don’t see it here in Ashdod. The police appointed a female commander to the station. This is a male’s position and she simply cannot fill it”, the rav is quoted as saying.
The rav’s statements did not pass and there were shouts among policemen taking part in the ceremony indicating their displeasure and disagreement with the rav’s words.
After the ceremony the rav explained that while he has the utmost respect for women. “I live in Ashdod for 28 years and there was never a female police commander. I ask myself why this is. I think it is because the position is simply not suitable for women”.
“It is not that they are defective, but this job demands a certain kind of sternness, a character trait that HaKadosh Baruch Hu gave to men. Women received traits of kindness and compassion. This trait makes women ill suited for the post. A commander has to be out in the field a lot as per the demands of the post and a woman is simply more fragile. We are not belittling women but we have some examples in Tanach and Torah literature. A woman is bar mitzvah at 12 and a male at 13. Women have more understanding (Bina) and therefore, lead in this area”.
Regarding life in the mixed city the rav stated that chareidim and chilonim live side-by-side in harmony in Ashdod.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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12 Responses
Pretending that there aren’t positions that in GENERAL are more suited for men or for women is arguing with reality. For example in general women are more suited for the nursing profession and men for physical labor. This doesn’t mean that there can’t be women who excell in the field of physical labor or men who excell in the nursing field, but to pretend that in general this isn’t the case is closing ones eyes to a basic and obvious truth.
proud orthodox jew: What you and he are saying are two different things. He is saying that “Women CANNOT be commanders of a police station because this is a position that is suitable to men”.
You are saying that some women CAN.
Fact is there are women who are NOT fragile. And there are men who are fragile.
If you’re walking down the street and you see a fat person, would you walk over and say “Fatso!”? Of course not! If you did you would be considered rude to the point of being judged crazy.
This Rabbi gets up in public where women are present and (even if he’s right)does the equivalent. He should be forced to resign; not so much for what he said, but for showing an obviously lack of common sense and judgement.
@computer777 You are correct that is definety what it sounds like from this article. I stand corrected. If he said that and it wasn’t just a mistake in translation then I think he is plain wrong. Facts are that some women are different and can do jobs that usually call for a man better then the man.
He did not say that the reason is the physical demands of the job but the requisite sternness. My experiences have not been the same as his.
Ichbin and others: first, the Rav was speaking daas Torah and youre speaking daas hediot. Beyond that, a woman cannot be a police commander because it is assur for her to give orders to a man. And since the Police in EY enforce secular laws and not Torah laws, Jewish men shouldn’t agree to serve in them either.
The lack of common sense is staggering.
When a community appointed Rav is asked to speak publicly at an event, it is essential that someone checks over the ‘Dverei Chizuk”.
The Rov spoke correctly and honestly IF THIS was a schmooze for a beis medresh, beis knesset, etc. Why not assess the audience and pick Dverei Ahuvah? Rav Dovid Grossman and Rav Lau are experts in this area.
#6: Not daas Torah, sorry. And you’re speaking daas shtus.
#6 So there should not be any police/fire/EMT workers in America either, since they will be enforcing secular laws.
I assume that Number 6 is being sarcastic. Please.
“a woman cannot be a police commander because it is assur for her to give orders to a man”
#6, I take it you’ve neber been married.