Full and equal access for all

RABBI ELIANNA YOLKUT

I am offended when some Jewish leaders believe they are the arbiters of the tradition and have the singular voice on how Judaism should be lived, both in the Diaspora and in Israel.

Viewing the enterprise of understanding Judaism as containing a multiplicity of authentic voices, the rabbis famously wrote that there are “seventy faces to Torah.” This reminds us that interpretation, understanding and analysis of text, law and narrative are not myopic or singular in the Jewish community. But here lies the challenge of our subscribing to this reading of tradition.

There are those who contend that some of the 70 “faces,” some of the interpretations of Jewish living and understanding, go against our most basic principles and values. Such would be the words of Rabbi Shlomo Aviner, the head of Yeshivat Ateret Kohanim in Jerusalem, when he recently told his students that a woman should not run for Knesset. Nor, in his view, should they run for any other public elective office – for example, membership on the board of a synagogue.

When asked why, he responded, “The glory of the king’s daughter is [supposed to be] within.” This has been the Orthodox rabbinic authority’s quintessential argument against women in all sorts of leadership positions. In simple terms, those who argue in this manner are suggesting that it is immodest for a woman to lead in any public capacity, whether it be religious or civil. In fact, halachah does not support the eradication of women from public leadership and ritual life.

Though many who make this claim will cite rabbinic sources and Torah verses to back up their view, this is not the only way to see the tradition. Rabbi Ben-Zion Meir Hai Uziel, the first Sephardi chief rabbi of Israel, wrote in his responsa on the matter, that “women can and should become leaders in society … for all Israel are holy people, and her women are holy, and are not to be suspect of breach of modesty and morality.”

As Rabbah Sarah Hurwitz writes, “What’s more, the concept of tzniut [modesty], according to the Midrash [Drech Eretz Zuta 7] teaches that tzniut extends beyond the way women dress. A Torah scholar should be modest in eating and drinking … in his walking, in dress…. Modesty is a fundamental value. But modesty is not limited to women.”

I would add that it certainly does not preclude women from taking positions of power in either the secular or religious world. Men and women alike must strive to conduct themselves in a modest, humble manner. We could use more modesty in our leaders – both men and women.

The Judaism that Rav Aviner argues for is not only problematic, but offensive. In his view, women are relegated inside the home, powerless to have a voice in the world at large or a say in what goes on in their neighborhoods and communities. The issue, then, is deeper than simply a disagreement between rabbis (though he wouldn’t call me that). Because Rabbi Aviner runs a yeshivah, a traditional house of study, many assume he speaks for the traditional point of view and believe his view is the authentic Jewish perspective. I disagree.

Rav Uziel in his responsa understands the dangers. He writes regarding women’s suffrage, “We find no clear ground to prohibit this, and it is inconceivable that women should be denied this personal right … the women, whether directly or indirectly, accept the authority of these representatives and obey their public and national directives and laws. How then can one simultaneously ‘pull the rope from both ends’: lay upon them the duty to obey those elected by the people, yet deny them the right to vote in the elections?... Reality confronts us clearly with the face that, both in the past and in our times, women are equal to men in knowledge and wisdom, dealing in commerce and trade.… ” (Responsa Piskei Uziel Siman 44, 1920)

According to Rav Uziel, women are equal in responsibility and thus in ability to hold positions of power, and to have a say in public societal decisions. In his view, they should not only have the power to vote, but must have a say in how civil society – which demands that they obey its laws – operates.

Furthermore, Rav Uziel quotes the Tosafot (Niddah 50a), who wrote regarding Deborah the Judge and her leadership, “having been accepted by the public, it is plain that their acceptance is valid even when unanimous … thus we learn from that there is no prohibition against appointing a women to public office.”

Rav Uziel’s conclusion is clear: “A woman has an absolute right of participating in elections, so that she be bound by the collective obligation to obey the elected officials who govern the nation. A woman may also be elected to public office by the consent and ordinance of the community.”

“Seventy faces of Torah” means a multitude of understandings, but it does not mean that we need to be silent when we believe one of those views is offensive and harmful. We need to be vocal in standing up to those in our communities who argue for a Judaism and Jewish community that renders anyone of us powerless. We need to stand up and give a resounding push toward a modern Judaism that extends leadership, knowledge and a powerful voice to each and every one of us.

Rabbi Aviner has every right to his opinion, but his opinion must not be construed as the singular traditional view, and it certainly should not be the voice of the government in Israel; a country that belongs to all of her citizens, men and women. We have the chance to create a truly democratic Israel but, with voices like Rabbi Aviner’s rising loudly from institutions of rabbinic authority, equality is at risk.

Our responsibility must be to voice a different Jewish perspective, one where women and men who want to commit their lives to service of country are celebrated, praised and given full and equal access. That is what the tradition demands of us.

Rabbi Elianna Yolkut is a Conservative rabbi teaching Torah and celebrating Judaism in New York City. You can reach her at keepingkavannah.blogspot.com. A version of this article originally appeared on haaretz.com.

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