Rabbi Yaakov Ariel, one of the most prominent rabbis of the
Religious Zionism movement, has ruled that women must not be allowed to engage
in a biblical discourse during Shabbat prayers at synagogues, defining such an
act as "blasphemy."
According to the rabbi, worshippers must leave a synagogue
which fails to obey his ruling and find a different place of worship.
Rabbi Ariel, who is the chief rabbi of Ramat Gan and served
as president of the Tzohar rabbinical organization, was required to address the
issue following a question from a reader on the Yeshiva website.
The reader wrote that in the synagogue he prays in on
Shabbat, women are allowed to deliver a sermon over the Holy Ark, although
"sometimes the woman is not wearing a head cover and/or has a sleeveless
top… not to mention the length of her skirt and the cleavage."
'Even if they're dressed modestly'
The reader asked, "1. Is it even permitted to pray in
such a quorum? 2. If it is, is it permitted to walk out during the sermon, as
this may offend the woman and other people and cause blasphemy? 3. Is it
permitted to say the prayers in which there is no sermon?"
Rabbi Ariel responded, "Throughout the entire prayer
men and women must be separated." He stressed that "there is no room
for a biblical discourse by women in the middle of the prayer, even if they are
dressed modestly, and all the more so when their clothes and appearance are
immodest. This is blasphemy."
He concluded by urging the reader to "go find yourself
a different synagogue."
The phenomenon of women delivering sermons at synagogues
affiliated with the religious public is very common overseas – and is even
gaining popularity in synagogues in many religious centers in Israel.
Rabbi Ariel has strongly slammed the phenomenon of women
being called up to read from the Torah in synagogues, ruling that "the
public is not permitted to swallow the pride and dignity of the Torah."
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