Quote:
Originally Posted by Tikva
Bobo, I wish that you would start the discussion by stating your own belief so that someone can counter or agree with it.
I just agreed with TFF in the fact that Torah Observant are going to say no, and almost everyone else is going to say Yes. This seems like a very fundamental to your denomination question.
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I agree with Tikva, if you're so convinced that ultra-Orthodox Judaism is the only correct form of Judaism and that everything else leads to anti-Zionism, then you should at least understand why they oppose women being on the bimah and reading from the Torah:
1.) Kol b'isha erva (the voice of a woman is nakedness): Ultra-Orthodox men are sexually aroused by the voice of a woman.
2.) Kavod haTzibur (honor of a congregation): The dignity of a congregation is destroyed when a woman reads from the Torah, because when an ultra-Orthodox man hears that a woman is reading from the Torah in Congregation Chasidim Shotim, he thinks that all of the men there are so illiterate that they had to get a woman (!) to read for them.
3.) General tzniut (modesty) concerns. In ultra-Orthodox Judaism, it is immodest for a woman to be the center of attention of all these men. Degrading, in fact. Kol kevuda bas melech penima: All of the glory of a (Jewish) princess is within. An ultra-Orthodox man honors his wife by not parading her around, and instead keeping her at home.
4.) Mesorah (tradition). Men have traditionally read from the Torah. To let a woman read from the Torah is a break from tradition and is thus a violation of ultra-Orthodox Jewish law.
5.) The Reform and Conservative apikorsim (heretics) do it. Therefore Torah-observant Jews are not allowed to do it.
I think #5 is the main reason. It's a law added to the Torah by the ultra-Orthodox movement.