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(continued)
Thanks,Beth
Answer: There are several technical/practical reasons for this1. Here are two of them:
Modesty: Putting a woman on a pedestal in front of a room full of men and having her chant aloud is utterly antithetical to Jewish modesty values. Although many women in today’s society might not find anything offensive with such a rite, Judaism does find this to be offensive to a woman, and therefore does not allow it. After all, whilst the secular idea of honor is exposure – the more exposure, the more honor – Judaism’s idea of honor is: “All honor [awaits] the King’s daughter who is within.”2
Courtesy for the men: The public Torah reading is primarily a man’s obligation3 (emphasis on obligation here, rather than privilege). If a woman were to go up to the Torah in place of a man it would give off the impression that none of the men present are capable of fulfilling their obligation.4
For many this question stems from a strong Jewish yearning to be connected with G-d and His Torah
The same concept is applicable with regard to the Mitzvah of Shabbat candle lighting. While the Mitzvah is a requirement for both men and woman, it is originally connected to the woman.5 It would thus be inappropriate for a man to light the Shabbat candles when a woman is present.
If this were simply an academic question these answers ought to be satisfactory… However, usually this is not an academic question, and therefore these answers don’t seem to resolve the issue.
For many this question stems from a strong Jewish yearning to be connected with G-d and His Torah.
After 2000 years of exile, many Jews do not know about Judaism from authentic Jewish sources, but rather from the cultures and religions of the world around them. The Jew looks at the religions of the majority population and mistakenly concludes that Judaism is a similar religion but with a few different details and core beliefs.
In our society, other religions are ceremonial. The focus of the religion is attending services. In fact, for many, the entire religion revolves around the Sunday church service. One who attends services is “religious”; one who can’t or doesn’t participate in services will feel left out of the religion to a large degree.
And so, many a Jew who can’t get called up to the Torah begins to feel left out of Judaism, thinking that his/her yearning to connect with G-d is being denied.
This feeling would be justified if this was indeed a correct assessment of Jewish values and the Jewish priority system. However, this is anything but Judaism.
It is ironic, but true, that the more one knows and observes what it is written in the Torah, the less one feels the need to be “called up to the Torah.” This is because the Torah tells us that Judaism is not a religion like other religions. The Torah tells us that Judaism is not ceremonial—but personal, practical, and constant.
The Torah tells us that Judaism is not ceremonial—but personal, practical, and constant
This Torah that contains rules regulating the food we eat, the clothing we wear, the haircuts we get, and the relationships we have, has no mention of any obligation to get “called up to the Torah.” There is no mention of going to synagogue. There is no mention of synagogue, period.
By studying the Torah we realize that every Jew is called up to the Torah. Not the ceremonial public display of being called up to the Torah, for that is not even mentioned in the Torah; but rather an active call to rise up to the Torah, its commandments, and its implementation into our daily lives.
Thus when the above question is emotional rather than academic, when it comes from a yearning to be close to G-d rather than a desire to satisfy curiosity, the response ought not address why women are not called up to the Torah in synagogue, but how women can step up to the call of the Torah in their daily lives.
By introducing a woman to Kashrut, to the laws of Family Purity, to lighting Shabbat candles, to observing the Shabbat, to the importance of Jewish education for herself and her children, and all the other laws written in the Torah; you will be answering her real but unstated question.
(For more about women and prayer see Pray Like a Woman).
Footnotes
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Daily Life » Clothing » ModestyShabbat » Reading of the Torah » Torah Reading
