Re: Kol Ishah again

[TROMBAEDU <TROMBAEDU...>]

In a message dated 3/8/00 5:13:59 PM Eastern Standard Time, elkahn (at) 
JTSA(dot)EDU 
writes:

<< In defense of Mr. Krakowski, I didn't see any discrediting of halakha, 
just 
 Kol Isha.
 
 Sometimes things might "evolve" a little quicker if we light a fire under 
 the asses of those who maintain the status quo.
 
 I, for one, find the idea that women can't sing publicly to men far less 
 appalling than the fact that they can't read Torah or participate in the 
 Orthodox service.
 
 I hope the Orthodox (male) rabbinate are at this time considering 
 rectifying this situation. One need only look at the "evolution" of women's 
 political rights in America--eighty years to get the vote--to realize that 
 this issue involves Jewish law far less than male dominance of religious 
 ideas and authority, and a reluctance to forfeit that dominance.
  >>

I dont disagree that based on contemporary standards, Orthodoxy has what to 
answer for in twerms of womens issues. At the same time, I remind everybody 
that a religion is under no obligation to bow to societal pressure if its 
religious practices are arrived at by methods consistent with its basic 
jurisprudential practices. I too would prefer that women had more options 
within orthodoxy. But I am unwilling to get to that point by disregarding the 
methodology by which Halacha is derived. 
I also feel that Rabbi's sometimes have agendas. But part of accepting 
Orthodox life is the recognition that "Lo Bashamayim Hi," The Torah is not in 
heaven, but in the hands of Man- but only if the men are consistent in 
application of methodology sanctioned by the "Framers" of Torah Shebaal Peh. 
Use of that methodology has acheived interesting results, such as Prozbul. 
But the battle must be fought on the Halachik  battleground. Doing away with 
Halacha, and Kol Isha is a Halacha, because we dont agree with it based on 
our assumed beliefs, is intellectually dishonest.

Jordan    
 

---------------------- jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org ---------------------+