Shmuel Hain, a Modern Orthodox rabbi, writes on JTA:
NEW YORK (JTA) — Another month, another round of recriminations in the Modern Orthodox community.
Two months ago it was a breakaway rabbinic organization established, in part, to promote decentralized conversion standards. Last month it was a public forum on homosexuality in the Orthodox community.
The latest controversy centers on the decision by two rabbis to bestow the title of rabba, a feminized version of rabbi, on a woman previously ordained with the title of Maharat.
Public pronouncements followed by denouncements that generate name-calling and more rhetoric: chilul Hashem (desecration of God’s name). Conservative. Post Orthodox. Fundamentalist. Haredi. Beyond the pale. Off the reservation.
Original
There once was a wise Maharat
Who said, “Shas and poskim I’ve got
Though I’ve studied those tomes
With two X chromosomes
An Orthodox Rabbi I’m not.”
Revised
She now seems more clever than wise
The Maharat title just a disguise.
Proving she and her mentor
Are far far left of center
To ordain Orthodox female rabbis.
Y. Aharon posts: Thee best that can be said of R’ Pruzansky’s post is that it’s not as ignorant as the editorial in the American Yated. I note also that he is melamed zechut on those who believe that income tax evasion or having a kept woman is permissible according to halacha. Interesting that he can see the other side on ethical and moral issues, but not on issues of equity.
I note that Gil appears to equate melacha on shabbat with ordaining women rabbis, whatever their official title. That is a highly questionable comparison even if we only consider amira le’acum which is forbidden rabbinically (i.e. explicitly assur, not just a question of novelty). I wish the Conservative movement would have adopted busing congregants to shul on shabbat instead of having them drive themselves. That would have been an halachic approach to a distance problem (even if some like RYBS may have demurred). Instead, they opted for overt chilul shabbat compounded by a so-called ruling that perverted halacha. By the way, the issue primarily involves turning on and feeding fuel to a combustion (not combustible) engine. In fact, I don’t understand why RYBS would object to busing by a Gentile driver since that would constitute zarchei rabim which is normally permitted, to my knowledge – as opposed to the Conservative congregants violating grave issurei de’oraita to attend services.
