In our last post, we discussed last February’s decision of the “Rabbinic Panel” of the Orthodox Union (OU) prohibiting female clergy in the OU’s member congregations. That decision is accompanied by an extended essay in which the members of the panel, seven leading centrist[1] Orthodox poskim, set forth the reasoning behind it. The essay begins with a description of “halakhic methodology,” the way in which poskim are said to arrive at their decisions. We called that description “refreshingly honest” because it freely acknowledges the dominant role played by the “halakhic ethos” or “mesorah,” the halakhist’s ideological worldview, his sense of what an “authentic” interpretation of Torah would require, in the decision-making process. This is especially important in our case, because the legal sources, the halakhic texts upon which any rabbinical ruling is ostensibly based, are insufficient to answer the question whether women may serve as rabbis or other clergy.[2] Continue reading The OU on Female Clergy, Part 2: Why the Texts are Insufficient
Category Archives: Orthodoxy
The OU on Female Clergy: Some Refreshing Honesty
Last February 1, the Orthodox Union, the umbrella organization of mainstream Orthodoxy in North America, adopted as its official policy a rabbinical ruling that prohibits women from serving as clergy in any of its over 400 member synagogues. The intention, evidently, was to resolve the controversy over the ordination of women as “halakhic, spiritual, and Torah leaders” in the modern Orthodox community. That resolution, to put it mildly, has not yet occurred. Orthodox supporters of women’s ordination have denounced the ruling (here, here, and here) – one calls it “an historic mistake of epic proportions” – and seem determined to stick to their course. We’re obviously sympathetic, and we wish them success in resisting the OU’s policy.
But that’s not what this post is about. Continue reading The OU on Female Clergy: Some Refreshing Honesty
The New Modern Orthodox Platform
The Rabbinical Council of America (RCA) is the largest association of rabbis who profess a “Modern Orthodox” outlook. Recently, the RCA decided that it was time to adopt a statement of principles, entitled “Raising the Banner of Modern Orthodoxy,” which the organization describes as “A Proud Platform for Modern Orthodoxy for the 21st Century.” The platform takes on the increasingly difficult task of defining the “Modern Orthodox” position in the face of challenges from two sides. Looking to its right, the RCA wishes to distinguish its Judaic outlook from that of the ḥaredi or “ultra” Orthodox sects that consciously reject most sorts of accommodation with the culture of modernity. And looking to its left, it seeks to define itself against so-called “Open Orthodoxy,” which declares its loyalty to Orthodox halakhah while advocating an even more “open” posture toward contemporary cultural values, particularly regarding the expansion of women’s participation in public religious life. Hence, the pressing need for a platform to spell out in detail the RCA’s version of Modern Orthodoxy.[1]
How successful is the platform in accomplishing its goal? To our decidedly non-Orthodox way of thinking, the text strikes a welcome note of moderation. “Reflecting upon how frequent and tragic schism has been in the history of our people,” the document calls upon Modern Orthodox Jews to engage “in constructive religious debate that is ‘for the sake of heaven’ by defending our opponents’ honor and motives; by emphasizing points of accord as much as areas of dissent; and, by seeking truth with grace, civility, and love.” In a religious (not to mention political) environment too often poisoned by the rhetoric of extremism (here’s just the latest example), the RCA calls upon the members of its community to think carefully about the tone of their speech. That’s a message that all of us could (and obviously should) take to heart. Also positive is the platform’s call for Jews to comply “punctiliously” with non-discriminatory state legislation (“in fulfillment of the halachic requirement of dina de’malchuta dina“) and to pursue “knowledge of the sciences and humanities in order to know God’s Creation.” These statements sound pedestrian to progressives, but within the world of Orthodoxy they’re a certified big deal, a forthright repudiation of some of the more disagreeably parochial and obscurantist elements of far-right Orthodox culture.