Question: May a man teach high-level and in-depth halachah classes to women on topics relevant to them?
Short Answer: According to most poskim, this is forbidden. However, some poskim permit learning all areas of Torah to women nowadays, including in-depth learning.
Explanation:
I. Women and Torah
The Mishnah (Sotah 20a) explains that a sotah might not immediately explode upon drinking the water, as she might have certain merits that delay her punishment. Ben Azzai thus required all fathers to teach their daughters Torah so that they know about this halachah, and won’t come to doubt the water if the sotah does not immediately explode. Rabbi Eliezer disagrees and holds that any father who teaches his daughter Torah, it is as if he teaches her “tiflus,” or sinfulness.
The Shulchan Aruch (Yoreh Dei’ah 246:6) codifies Rabbi Eliezer’s opinion, and limits the prohibition to Torah SheB’al Peh. While a full discussion of the halachah is outside the scope of this article, the words of the Chofetz Chaim, permitting women’s learning, must be stated. The Chofetz Chaim (Likutei Halachos, Sotah) writes that the prohibition only applies in the times of the Rambam and the Shulchan Aruch, where there was a strong sense of mesorah. Nowadays, where fathers and daughters do not necessarily live near each other, the Chofetz Chaim writes that it is a “mitzvah rabbah” to teach women Chumash, Nevi’im, K’suvim, and Musar, such as Pirkei Avos. Further, Rav Y.D. Soloveitchik zt”l (cited in MiP’ninei HaRav, p. 251) permitted women nowadays to study all areas of torah, including Gemara.
II. Laws Relevant to Them
The Maharil (199) writes that a father should not even teach his daughters halachos that are relevant to them. Rather, she should learn these relevant halachos from mesorah, from her mother. Indeed, it is clear that women in our times (i.e., 1300s) are proficient in kashering, nidah, and other laws relevant to them, as they picked them up from their mothers. The Aruch HaShulchan appeared to agree, as he noted that nowadays women don’t really learn from a sefer.
Tosafos (Sotah 21b) appears to disagree. He writes that even Ben Azzai agrees that women attend Hakhel. The reason is so that they can learn how to perform the mitzvos that are relevant to them. The Agur, as codified in the Rama (Yoreh Dei’ah 246:6), also disagrees. He holds that a father must teach his daughter the laws that are relevant to her. The Vilna Gaon connects this ruling of the Agur to the Tosafos in Sotah.
III. The Status of Such Learning
The Magen Avraham (Orach Chayim 47:14) comments on the Shulchan Aruch’s ruling that women must make the brachah of Birkas HaTorah, that they are required to do so because they also must learn the laws that are relevant to them. He references the Rama in Yoreh Dei’ah. The sefer Dover Shalom (siman 6) notes that the Shaagas Aryeh agrees, as he questions why the Rambam rules that women may not write a sefer Torah because they are not included in the mitzvah of limud haTorah.
On the other hand, the Vilna Gaon (above), by referencing Tosafos, who explains the Rama based on Tosafos about Hakhel, understands that this obligation on women is independent of Talmud Torah. It is a separate obligation to know the mitzvos relevant to them, as a way of enabling them to perform them. This was also the opinion of the Beis HaLevi (1:66). But see AviEzri (Hilchos Talmud Torah).
IV. Ramifications
Perhaps a major ramification between these opinions is whether a woman may learn in-depth halachah of the topics relevant to them. The P’sakim U’T’shuvos (Yoreh Dei’ah 246) cites certain Acharonim who assume that even though a woman may learn halachos relevant to them, they may not learn these topics in-depth.
On the other hand, Rav Efraim HaLivni (cited in HaDarom Journal, 5752, No. 61) notes that the Chofetz Chaim himself (in his hakdamah to Vol. 3 of the Mishnah B’rurah) writes that in order to know what to do on Shabbos, you must study the sources in depth, and not rely on simply skimming the Mishnah B’rurah. Accordingly, a woman should have to study in-depth the halachos that are relevant to her.
This author thinks that this issue might be based on whether her learning is simply in order to fulfill the mitzvah (like the Vilna Gaon) or whether it is a part of limud haTorah (like the Magen Avraham). According to the Vilna Gaon, simply knowing the bottom line is sufficient. But, according to the Magen Avraham, perhaps the process is important as well, and to have a fuller understanding, as this is limud haTorah, and not just doing the mitzvah.
V. Practically Speaking
Practically, the Sheivet HaLevi (Ohr Yisrael Journal, Vol. 8) rules that women may not learn in-depth halachah, even the halachos relevant to them. Interestingly, Rav Moshe Dovid Lebovits (Halachically Speaking 14:3) concludes this issue by writing that “[s]ome maintain even these topics should not be learned in depth, although there are others who disagree.” However, he does not cite anyone who practically holds that women may only learn relevant halachos, but they may even learn them in-depth. (See https://thehalacha.com/wp-content/uploads/Vol14Issue3.pdf)
Rabbi Ephraim Glatt, Esq. is the Associate Rabbi at the Young Israel of Kew Gardens Hills, and he is a Partner at McGrail & Bensinger LLP, specializing in commercial litigation. Questions? Comments? Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
