Talmud Torah has become part of the lives of many women, sparking one of the greatest revolutions in religious Jewish life. What began as a personal quest has become a broad social phenomenon. Each year hundreds of young women cross the thresholds of batei midrash and devote a year or more to study of Torah lishma. At many of the recent celebrations of the Siyum HaShas, women took part—not only as devoted learners, but also as leading teachers of learning groups.
The result of such a large movement should have been an infusion of a significant number of talmidot hakhamim into the different fields of halakhic and religious leadership. As we all know, however, this is not yet the case.
In the following, focusing primarily on Israel, I will suggest some perspectives on the last three decades of women’s learning, their achievements, and dilemmas and questions that have arisen.
One important observation should be noted from the outset: Most midrashot in Israel do not aspire to teach Torah in depth to women and to encourage them to pursue wider knowledge of Torah. Rather, they endeavor to teach young women to become good religious wives and mothers, directing their Torah lessons to a view of women as spiritual, responsive, adaptive, and, most importantly, an “ezer kenegdo.” Thus, the process of the expansion of Torah learning has been contained within a “safe and solid” territory, away from the critiques of its opponents.
Only a minority of midrashot today are taking the more progressive approach to women’s Talmud Torah— the so-called Talmudic midrashot. This definition refers both to the subjects being learned—Gemara and the poskim, along with in-depth study of Jewish philosophy, and to the much higher level of learning. It also reflects the relationship between teachers and students, which is less about the authority of the all-knowing rabbi and more about mutual respect, appreciation, and a sharing of the beit midrash world.
For the past twenty years, I have been the head of such a beit midrash at Midreshet Ein Hanatziv. The following reflects my thoughts, as well as those I hear from the many graduates I have known.
Torah learning is intended to bring its serious pupils to the level of talmidei hakhamim. A talmid hakham is defined as one whose Torah knowledge determines his status as an arbiter, commentator, judge, and community leader. In a community where leaders are chosen on the basis of their Torah expertise, women scholars must therefore also be eligible for leadership. The implications of their inclusion are of great magnitude. Currently, as there are more and more talmidot hakhamim, the process of acceptance of scholarly and learned women hasn’t happened. Most religious communities do not acknowledge women’s advanced Torah learning when determining the positions of these women, and grant only limited opportunities to learned women to lead. Only a few communities in Israel, even fewer than in the United States, have acknowledged that talmidot hakhamim are qualified to lead the community alongside male scholars.
Furthermore, within the midrashot themselves, even among the Talmudic midrashot, there is a lack of discussion of the future place of learned women within the religious establishment and communities. Most of the midrashot are headed solely by rabbis. To the best of my knowledge, only at Midreshet Ein Hanatziv do we expressly approach the lack of gender equality in the religious world as a subject for learning and discussion.
Another issue with regard to women’s learning is that, in many cases, women tend to limit themselves to specific areas of study that are labeled as appropriate for their discourse—“women’s issues” or aggadic, rather than halakhic, matters. These self-imposed limitations may reflect either a lack of confidence on the part of these women as to their Torah-knowledge status or an internalization of societal messages and those conveyed by some rabbis in midrashot, even in some of those with serious and demanding learning.
The familiar explanation for the reality described here is that a much longer time is needed to create a real change on a deep level. Still, the absence of a professional roadmap for the graduates of the many midrashot results in their scattering in different directions and deepening the gap between their Torah world and that of men. A very learned and serious graduate of a leading midrashah expressed her thoughts on this situation as follows (my translation):
I don’t want to base my religiosity on cracks in the wall and peanuts thrown at me by rabbis. I want to be fully religious and want my talmud Torah not to be based on clever interpretations of a sugya in order to allow me to study Torah. The more I have learned, the more I know that my major question is not whether my quest to learn Talmud is acceptable. My major quest is to be counted equally. Sometimes I feel that to have peace of mind about issues of lack of gender equality in the religious world, one should not care at all about halakha. Nevertheless, my real desire is to be part of this world, to learn and know that I will be considered equal in the world of Torah, just as I feel equal in the academic world, where I now belong.
The desire to belong to the society of Torah learners falls on deaf ears, and the lack of consideration for this need leads many former midrashah students to go into other fields, where they will be accepted and appreciated. These learned women grapple with the gap between their deep knowledge and connection to the world of Torah and their lack of recognition and respect as talmidot hakhamim. Furthermore, they know from their own learning that this marginalization is not the way of Torah, but rather, it is the way of most of religious society. Women’s Torah learning is not a guaranteed vehicle to bring about a major change in the position of women, but must it be a dead end?
Some Recent Developments
Three major recent developments are examples of the dilemma:
- At Matan, the Women’s Institute for Torah Studies founded by Malke Bina, women are studying Talmud in a unique, high-level program. However, as announced recently, this program is under threat of closure because of lack of support from the community at large.
- The to’anot rabbaniot—halakhic advocates in rabbinical courts—have led to a major change in the attitudes of dayanim toward women. Still, it has become more and more difficult to attract women to these demanding study programs, and many of the trained to’anot do not practice in their field anymore.
- The yo’atzot halakha, educated by Nishmat to answer niddah issues, speak to both sides of the dilemma. They have acquired the same knowledge of the laws of niddah as do rabbis who are examined in this area for semihah, in addition to acquiring wide and relevant knowledge of biology and medicine. The numbers of women seeking their halakhic advice is impressive. Note, however, that these women present themselves as yo’atzot, advisers. They don’t challenge the sole role of men as halakhic poskim (arbiters), although, in my opinion, they are poskot. What does it mean to be acting as a poseket but to deny it?
Despite the deep-seated concerns identified in this article, there are clearly positive developments. The number of learned women has increased tremendously. Some will argue that it represents the failure of the process, because the gap between the numbers and the lack of roles for women shows that there has been no real breakthrough for learned women. However, these very facts demonstrate results in other ways. Most of the Talmudic midrashot graduates acquire high levels of academic achievement as well. One of the major changes that should be emphasized is the growing number of educators with rich Torah learning backgrounds as well as academic credentials who now lead many of the best girls’ high schools in Israel. As a result, in those schools and for the many pupils there, talmud Torah in depth for women is not a question anymore. Furthermore, these educational leaders have created a meaningful and important change in the level of Jewish studies in these schools, where Torah and academic learning go hand in hand, and they have created a change in the atmosphere in these schools regarding aspirations of women for different roles within Jewish life. Will these innovating schools point the way to change for their students’ generation?
In my view, the result of these developments is that an entire regiment of women scholars no longer will be content with predefined roles. Consequently, religious society and the “Establishment” will no longer be able to ignore their demands. The first signs of this evolution are already evident, in the genesis of an upper echelon of learned women who take part in some halakhic discussions. (See the article on Beit Hillel, on page 10.)
To face the challenges described here, a major step must be taken. Its basis would be the recognition that excellence in talmud Torah is deserving of respect, regardless of the gender of the learner. The midrashah I head, in co-leadership with rabbis—as well as some other midrashot—are heading in that direction, the goal being the creation of a real dialogue between the Torah worlds of both genders. The voice of women scholars should be heard not only in their separate batei midrash, but also in learning environments that include both men and women. Both must strive to develop an ongoing, open dialogue among men and women scholars, according due validity to the female voice in the Torah world. Women’s talmud Torah can gain significance only if this dialogue takes place, and it won’t happen if women remain in their own corner. This dialogue will strengthen not only the inner world of those involved, but also the Torah world at large.
Women scholars challenge society and demand change. However, I believe that the biggest change is still to come. The many dilemmas and difficulties mentioned in this article are the triggers to create more Torah study institutions for women and to develop advanced programs for women that will lead to the appropriate and deserved recognition of women scholars.