What if "Women in Tefillin" catches on?

[Yerusha]

What happens if the urge for women to don Tefillin catches on even with Orthodox Seminary girls?!





Thousands of Orthodox girls see the "Women at the Wall". Some of the more rebellious and borderline souls amongst them will indubitably be tempted to join them

[Yerusha]

Even Modern Orthodox columnist Doreen Wachman this week cites Michal the daughter of King Saul who apparently wore Tefillin in support of the Women of the Wall:

www.jewishtelegraph.com
"Why have women been silenced? 
 
  WOMEN of the Wall recently won a Pyrrhic victory at Israel's High Court over their right to pray at the Kotel.
 

I have every sympathy with the women's group. My first exposure to a women's prayer group at an Orthodox feminist conference in Jerusalem during Chanucah 1986 was absolutely life-changing.

To be able to sing the davening out loud, surrounded by melodious female voices, was such a spiritually liberating experience for me that on my return from the Holy Land I vowed to take back with me some of the kedusha I had experienced that Chanucah by praying daily - a practice I had hitherto not performed, but which I still do to this day.

Women's charedi critics assign impure motives to those women who wish to congregate for prayer.

I would not like to speculate upon the motives of those chauvinist males who hide their fear of women's superior spirituality under the cloak of their religiosity .

Women's voices have been silenced for too long. When I was growing up in an age in which being frum did not mean taking extreme positions, the best voice in our family was that of my late mother.

Her singing of Shabbat zemirot and seder night songs was heavenly and leaves me with my best memories of her.

But as neo-charedism became the fashion, women's voices were silenced at Shabbat and festival tables so that often women indulge in chit-chat while the men sing the holy words.

Surely it is better for women to sing holy songs to God than to talk about fashion and gossip. Apparently charedi men do not think so.

Back in 1986 even I received a culture shock when before the beginning of a shacharit prayer group I saw a woman donning a tallit. Gob-smacked, I asked her the stupid question: "Do you do this often?"

To which she replied that she did.

My research later informed me that King Saul's daughter Michal wore tephillin and that the sages did not protest.

Would that our contemporary charedi 'sages' were as accepting! Rashi's daughters and the chassidic Maid of Ludomir also did.

Personally I do not feel the spiritual need to wear tallit and tephillin, but I much prefer seeing women donned in this ritual garb as an expression of their love and adherence to the Almighty than in scanty garments in an effort to attract the opposite sex.

On Purim 2002 in the midst of the Intifada, when most people were scared off from visiting the Kotel, I joined Women of the Wall for their morning megilla reading.

Later in the morning, the holy site was so deserted that late-comers were unbelievably unable to find a megilla reading at this sacred place. Yet the women had had the faith to cling to the Kotel at this dangerous time.

Contrary to popular perception, Women of the Wall are not infringing on male space at this holy site. Their group prays at the back of the women's section.

Natan Sharansky's suggestion of an egalitarian space for mixed prayer at the holy site would not suit them, as their service is for women only.

How dare charedi politicians then instruct male police officers to intrude into the women's space at the Kotel and arrest women - a process which involves the forbidden touching of women by men, halachically taboo anywhere, but especially at such a holy site while the women were in the midst of their prayers?

So, if I am so supportive of the Women of the Wall, why do I call their recent High Court victory Pyrrhic?

Because High Court battles are divisive and Israel currently is in desperate need of religious unity as the rift between the religious and secular grows ever deeper with recent government legislation.

This week's Israeli air strikes on Iranian missiles in Syria shows that at this explosive time on Israel's borders we just cannot afford inter-religious strife within Israel.

When, oh when, are we Jews going to bury our differences and all pray for the same goal - peace between ourselves and our neighbouring countries?

Don't the charedim know enough Chumash to realise that peace will only come to the land of Israel when its Jewish inhabitants learn to live together in peace and mutual respect?

The situation is far too explosive to fritter away effort on communal discord and High Court battles."
 

[Sveta]

Yes there have been some knowledge of some very holy and modest women have worn Tefillin.

Here is the difference between them and the psycho feminists of today who insist on doing it.

The holy and modest women would do it in private. Between them and Hashem. But the minute that a woman does it for "show", does it for the "look at me, look at what I am doing", it becomes a travesty. There is no mitzvah in it.

Another difference is the the holy women who have done it in private and the feminist who do it today is that the modest women were religious. They followed the other mitzvot. The modern day feminist do NOT. They intermarry, they eat whatever, they wear pants, they do whatever they want on Shabbat without regard to any of the melachot.

Therefore, they do not put onTefillin for any holy purpose. In fact, quite the opposite. They do it to be against society, they do it to fulfill childish desires, to be seen by others, to provoke Orthodox men. They do not keep any commandments (which makes them hypocrites) and worst of all, they do it to make Israel look bad. To make Israel look like Iran or Saudi Arabia suppressing women, so in fact, they are doing a Chillul Hashem.

We must not allow it. I don't think it will catch on in the Orthodox world. If Orthodox women do it, it is privately but I would not DARE do such a thing.

[Binyamin Yisrael]

Don't the "Women of the Wall" actually consider themselves to be "Orthodox"? They say they are having a "Halachic minyan" but with women rather than men. At least they don't go to the men's section.

They also choose Rosh Chodesh because Rosh Chodesh is like a festival for women since they did not take part in the Golden Calf.

I wonder if they pray Musaf after the Torah reading on Rosh Chodesh. I know Deform Jews don't since they consider anything having to do with Temple service to be"outdated" so they also don't do Birkat HaKohanim.

[Sveta]

Don't the "Women of the Wall"

They don't look very Orthodox with their pants and lack of hair covering.

[Tag-MehirTzedek]

Don't the "Women of the Wall" actually consider themselves to be "Orthodox"? They say they are having a "Halachic minyan" but with women rather than men. At least they don't go to the men's section.

 Orthodox? Not in the slightest of ways. They even admitted their true goals, the end of (what they call) "Orthodox control of the Western Wall" and in even greater strategy the end or weakening and further controlling) of Judaism in the land of Israel. They are meretz pieces of excrement who want to introduce deformist "Judaism" in order to stop or weaken the Orthodox take-over of Israel that is inevitable (B"H higher birthrate, many people making Teshuva and returning to Torah Judaism) but these deformers don't give up! Hope one day real Jews organize and show these MF#$% how we should deal with traitors!

 By the way their pasul Tefillin could perhaps be made and used as a good noose.

[Sveta]

Oh Israel, your destroyers come from within!

[edu]

Leaving aside the question does halacha forbid or permit women to wear Tefillin in general, I wish to point out that the woman in Yerusha's picture doesn't even know how to wear Tefillin properly. Her head Tefillin is too low down on the forehead.

[Binyamin Yisrael]

I know they're not Orthodox but I've heard them claim that they want to lead a traditional service but only for women.

[Sveta]

I know they're not Orthodox but I've heard them claim that they want to lead a traditional service but only for women.

Then they can meet in a private place and do their fake "traditional" service there. Rather than demand to do it in a holy place in public. Real Orthodox women also have a right to the wall. Where they can pray in modest peace. These "women of the wall" are taking away the right of real Orthodox women by demanding to do all of this in public. They really are EVIL hypocrites.

[Zelhar]

Actually they want to conduct mixed service. After all these women are "rabbis". But legally it is not possible to do so in the Kotel (except in the Robinson gate section). If they try to enter the men's section or if men try to enter the women's section they would get arrested.

[ChabadKahanist]

Actually they want to conduct mixed service. After all these women are "rabbis". But legally it is not possible to do so in the Kotel (except in the Robinson gate section). If they try to enter the men's section or if men try to enter the women's section they would get arrested.

Robonson's Arch

[Tag-MehirTzedek]

Leaving aside the question does halacha forbid or permit women to wear Tefillin in general, I wish to point out that the woman in Yerusha's picture doesn't even know how to wear Tefillin properly. Her head Tefillin is too low down on the forehead.

 That's because she is an apikoris who doesn't accept the oral Torah soo when it says "Between your eyes" she took it literally and put it in the wrong place, as opposed to how the Talmudh explains the correct way.

[Tag-MehirTzedek]

What happens if the urge for women to don Tefillin catches on even with Orthodox Seminary girls?!

 Like all apikoris groups they come and go. Unfortunately when they come they cause damage and then are completely disintegrated. I hope these scumm just completely leave Am Yisrael. Let them go become christian or something else they cause more damage trying to be Jewish when they are not.

[Sveta]

Let them go become christian or something else they cause more damage trying to be Jewish when they are not.

But if they become christian, they will just keep putting on Tefilling as "messianic" feminist "Jews". They are wicked women, hell bent on destroying Israel.

[Tag-MehirTzedek]

But if they become christian, they will just keep putting on Tefilling as "messianic" feminist "Jews". They are wicked women, hell bent on destroying Israel.

 They will get lost much quicker. All these break away kofrim leave eventually and stop remaining Jewish completely. Many of them aren't even Jewish Halahically. Let them leave and have nothing to do with Jews and real Judaism.

[JTFenthusiast2]

Yes there have been some knowledge of some very holy and modest women have worn Tefillin.

Here is the difference between them and the psycho feminists of today who insist on doing it.

The holy and modest women would do it in private. Between them and Hashem. But the minute that a woman does it for "show", does it for the "look at me, look at what I am doing", it becomes a travesty. There is no mitzvah in it.

Another difference is the the holy women who have done it in private and the feminist who do it today is that the modest women were religious. They followed the other mitzvot. The modern day feminist do NOT. They intermarry, they eat whatever, they wear pants, they do whatever they want on Shabbat without regard to any of the melachot.

Therefore, they do not put onTefillin for any holy purpose. In fact, quite the opposite. They do it to be against society, they do it to fulfill childish desires, to be seen by others, to provoke Orthodox men. They do not keep any commandments (which makes them hypocrites) and worst of all, they do it to make Israel look bad. To make Israel look like Iran or Saudi Arabia suppressing women, so in fact, they are doing a Chillul Hashem.

We must not allow it. I don't think it will catch on in the Orthodox world. If Orthodox women do it, it is privately but I would not DARE do such a thing.

Beautifully said, but it makes me wonder that if it's okay to do it in private than why not piously, respectfully in public.  Not as participants of this feminist mob

[Yerusha]

The total ignoramus Leonard Nimoy (aka Star Trek's "Mr Spock") sparked all this off 10 years ago when he had an exhibition in Beverley Hills of corrupt 'artistic' photos of female models wearing phylacteries.

[Kahane-Was-Right BT]

Don't the "Women of the Wall" actually consider themselves to be "Orthodox"? They say they are having a "Halachic minyan" but with women rather than men. At least they don't go to the men's section.

They also choose Rosh Chodesh because Rosh Chodesh is like a festival for women since they did not take part in the Golden Calf.

I wonder if they pray Musaf after the Torah reading on Rosh Chodesh. I know Deform Jews don't since they consider anything having to do with Temple service to be"outdated" so they also don't do Birkat HaKohanim.

Those are absolute lies.    Anat Hoffman follows the "Reform Movement" which doesn't follow halacha.

In interviews, she laments why Israelis have to follow the ways of the Orthodox and can't bury, marry, etc according to deform and conservative.

[ChabadKahanist]

The total ignoramus Leonard Nimoy (aka Star Trek's "Mr Spock") sparked all this off 10 years ago when he had an exhibition in Beverley Hills of corrupt 'artistic' photos of female models wearing phylacteries.

Leonard Nimoy's brother was the cook in Lubavitcher Yeshiva in New Haven but was frum unlike Lenny.
Good old Mr. Nimoy his food was so awesome.

[muman613]

Leonard Nimoy's brother was the cook in Lubavitcher Yeshiva in New Haven but was frum unlike Lenny.
Good old Mr. Nimoy his food was so awesome.

It is strange because I checked out Leonard Nimoys geneology and it turns out his family and my family may have attended the same shul in Boston...

Nimoy was born in Boston, Massachusetts in the West End,[6] to Yiddish-speaking Orthodox Jewish immigrants from Iziaslav, Soviet Union (now Ukraine). Nimoy is four days younger than his Star Trek co-star William Shatner. [7][8][9][10] His father, Max Nimoy, owned a barbershop in the Mattapan section of the city. His mother, Dora Nimoy (née Spinner), was a homemaker.[11][12]

[Binyamin Yisrael]

But if they become christian, they will just keep putting on Tefilling as "messianic" feminist "Jews". They are wicked women, hell bent on destroying Israel.

I once heard that Paul was a rabbi that went and infiltrated Xtianity and he succeeded at getting them to stop pretending to be Jewish and go and look for Gentile converts rather than Jewish ones. Otherwise, all Xtians would have been J4J's. I don't know if it's true but I heard it at a shiur at Seuda Shlishit on Erev 10 Tevet 3 years ago.

[Sveta]

Beautifully said, but it makes me wonder that if it's okay to do it in private than why not piously, respectfully in public.  Not as participants of this feminist mob

Thanks so much.
Well, Rabbi Yosef Mizrachi was actually talking about this in a lecture. And I tried to find out which one today but it is in a 24 part series of lectures (about one hour each part) about the 613 Mitzvot. And in one part, he talks about Tefillin. But in a 24 part series I am not sure which of the parts it is so that I can post it. If anyone has a Sefer Hachinuch, and knows what number is Tefillin explained in, then I can locate the lecture.

[muman613]

Thanks so much.
Well, Rabbi Yosef Mizrachi was actually talking about this in a lecture. And I tried to find out which one today but it is in a 24 part series of lectures (about one hour each part) about the 613 Mitzvot. And in one part, he talks about Tefillin. But in a 24 part series I am not sure which of the parts it is so that I can post it. If anyone has a Sefer Hachinuch, and knows what number is Tefillin explained in, then I can locate the lecture.

Shalom IsraeliHeart,

My quick search on the topic reveals that the Mitzvot of Tefillin are Mitzvah 421-422 in Sefer Hachinuch... There it is counted as separate commands for the head and arm tefillin.

[Sveta]

Shalom IsraeliHeart,

My quick search on the topic reveals that the Mitzvot of Tefillin are Mitzvah 421-422 in Sefer Hachinuch... There it is counted as separate commands for the head and arm tefillin.

Thanks Muman, with that information- I will hopefully be able to locate the lecture! :) I'll be back when I do.