Some streams of the dati leumi community in Eretz Yisrael in a buzz after two rabbonim have permitted women wearing Harem trousers, with Tzefas Chief Sephardi Rabbi HaRav Shmuel Eliyahu citing this is the path that eventually leads to Chilul Shabbos. Rav Eliyahu adds that the rabbonim who gave this heter are clearly nearsighted as opposed to Gedolei Yisrael who are the eyes of Am Yisrael and have clear vision of the future and how our actions today impact that future.

Rav Eliyahu explains a woman who puts on slacks is releasing herself in a certain aspect from the responsibility of kiyum mitzvos. He clarifies that is not to say there are not women who wear pants and keep mitzvos of the Torah, but he adds that one who understands that giving women a heter to wear pants today will result in chilul Shabbos in the years down the road. “The piskei halacha of these two rabbonim results in severe spiritual damage to thousand and thousands of bnos Yisrael and this psak will lead to their being less stringent in adherence to Torah and Mitzvos”.

Rav Eliyahu adds, “Truth be said, I do not understand how two rabbonim who are not Gedolei Hador take such a responsibility on themselves, and what kind of shoulders do they have to bear the consequences of going against Chachmei Torah throughout the generations? What clear futuristic eyesight do they possess, more so than rabbinical giants, whose eyes saw the damage down the road from such actions, to come and make such a decision?”

Rav Eliyahu turned to both Rabbi Rosensweig and Rabbi Pechter, saying, “I call on these rabbis to hold on to humility and not to rule on such laws before they bring them before the greatest of the generation. You do not invent the Torah. You cannot rule halacha without accepting it in the tradition of previous generations. You cannot rule halacha on such an important public issue without bringing it to the public beis medrash. This is what our rabbis, the Tannaim and the Amoraim, would do. Are you bigger than them?”

Rabbi Eliyahu concludes, “There is no difference in the halacha, it is forbidden to wear broad or narrow pants, and two unknown rabbis [are not of the stature] to create a dispute [on the matter] and there can be disagreement between two giants like Rabbi [Shmuel] Eliyahu or Rabbi [Avraham] Shapira, Rabbi Elyashiv, Rabbi Ovadia, or Rabbi Feinstein. Rabbis who are totally unknown and disagree with all the great rabbis of the generation, as well as hundreds and thousands of other rabbis of all shades and streams – this is not called controversy, the halacha remains unequivocal and clear, no woman and girl can wear broad or narrow trousers.”

Rabbi Yoni Rosensweig is Rosh Yeshivat Shvut Yisrael is Efrat and has come under fire in the past, particularly when he wrote that on a particularly cold snowy Shabbos, using a shinui, he lifted a fuse switch that had fallen. He explains that since that time, many follow his posts to Facebook and elsewhere and he is routinely under attack. He admits that he erred in publishing his actions, albeit with a shinui, but he should not have advertised it to the tzibur at large. The fuse he turned on provided heat to the yeshiva on that Shabbos. He explains he has grown accustomed to people saying since “How can you listen to him since he turned on electric on Shabbos and how can you call him rav?”

Rav Rosensweig explains on that extremely cold Shabbos he turned on the heat with a shinui for a 2-year-old child, whom he viewed as a חולה שאין בו סכנה, a sick person not in danger, and doing a ‘melacha’ with a shinui is permitted. He added that he released an in-depth article quoting ‘Shutim’ from gedolim towards showing his actions were acceptable and hence, his actions were not in error but perhaps the publication of his actions was. In a lengthy explanation he concludes that too was not an error, but the error was in his language, explaining the piece was written late and night and it was sent for publication before it was properly reviewed and edited as he realized it should have been.

The second rav is Rabbi Dr. Ido Pechter, editor of the מסביב לשולחן publication. The rabbi uses his weekly Torah publication to write he had difficulty in finding a prohibition to women wearing the Harem trousers for they are clearly “women’s trousers”, addressing the prohibition according to HaGaon HaRav Ovadia Yosef ZT”L ZY”A. Rabbi Pechter points out the two problems with women wearing pants, (1) wearing a man’s garment and (2) modesty. He quotes the Rambam (Avoda Zara 12:10) and the Bach (see Shach Yoreh Deah 182 seif katan 7) and Yabia Omer of Rav Ovadia, Yoreh Deah 14, opposing the view of the Minchas Yitzchak.

Regarding modesty, Rabbi Pechter adds the reason Rav Ovadia could not permit these pants is because in the word he lives in, it is viewed as ‘parutz’ and not because they actually are less modest. He does emphasize the article only represents his view and his alone and should not be viewed as a psak halacha.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)