The topic that I have chosen and the question is: can a women get an aliya to the Torah?
To address this issue there are several questions that we need to ask ourselves?
1. Can a women get an Aliya and read the Torah as well?
2. Is a woman allowed to obligate a man?
3. What about the problem of Kolisha?
4. can women get an aliya in a shule with men, or do they have to get one in just a women aliya?
this topic is relevant to the 21st century because women now more than ever, have started to want a bigger role and equal roles to men in Judaism. Judaism is very male centered, but now women have started to want the same spiritual chances as the men. Especially in Israel now and in Egalitarian Shules, it has become a largely debated issue whether women can get aliyot or not.
(יב) הַקְהֵ֣ל אֶת־הָעָ֗ם הָֽאֲנָשִׁ֤ים וְהַנָּשִׁים֙ וְהַטַּ֔ף וְגֵרְךָ֖ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בִּשְׁעָרֶ֑יךָ לְמַ֨עַן יִשְׁמְע֜וּ וּלְמַ֣עַן יִלְמְד֗וּ וְיָֽרְאוּ֙ אֶת־יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶ֔ם וְשָֽׁמְר֣וּ לַעֲשׂ֔וֹת אֶת־כָּל־דִּבְרֵ֖י הַתּוֹרָ֥ה הַזֹּֽאת׃
(12) Gather the people—men, women, children, and the strangers in your communities—that they may hear and so learn to revere the LORD your God and to observe faithfully every word of this Teaching.
- so far, it appears that we all have equal obligation and can all do it
ת"ר הכל עולין למנין שבעה ואפילו קטן ואפילו אשה אבל אמרו חכמים אשה לא תקרא בתורה מפני כבוד צבור
The Sages taught in a Tosefta (Megilla 3:11): All people count toward the quorum of seven readers, even a minor and even a woman. However, the Sages said that a woman should not read the Torah, out of respect for the congregation.
תוספתא, מגילה פרק ג, י"א:
והכל עולין למנין שבעה, אפילו אשה אפילו קטן. אין מביאין את האשה לקרות לרבים.
Tosefta, Megillah chapter three, eleventh:
And all are subject to seven counts, even a small woman. The woman is not brought to happen to many.
- this possibly answers our 4th question
- but still suggests that women can possibly read and get called up, but not in practice
Problem #1
( זֶה הַכְּלָל, כֹּל שֶׁאֵינוֹ מְחֻיָּב בַּדָּבָר, אֵינוֹ מוֹצִיא אֶת הָרַבִּים יְדֵי חוֹבָתָן:
This is the general rule: all those who are not obligated to carry out a particular action, cannot release [others] from their obligation.
וכל מצות עשה שהזמן גרמא אנשים חייבין ונשים פטורות וכל מצות עשה שלא הזמן גרמא אחד האנשים ואחד הנשים חייבין
The mishna notes an additional difference between the obligations of men and women in the performance of mitzvot: With regard to all positive, time-bound mitzvot, i.e., those which must be performed at specific times, men are obligated to perform them and women are exempt. And with regard to all positive mitzvot that are not time bound, both men and women are obligated to perform them.
this answers question #2: it is a communal obligation
Problem #2:
השגות הרמב"ן על ספר המצוות להרמב"ם, מצוה ט"ו:
שנצטוינו להודות לשמו...בכל עת שנקרא בתורה על הטובה הגדולה שעשה לנו בתתו תורתו אלינו
possibly answers question #1: women can get called up, but not sure about reading
Problem #3:
(יז) (יז) זמר אשה - אפילו פנויה אבל שלא בשעת ק"ש שרי אך שלא יכוין להנות מזה כדי שלא יבוא לידי הרהור וזמר אשת איש וכן כל העריות לעולם אסור לשמוע וכן פנויה שהיא נדה מכלל עריות היא ובתולות דידן כולם בחזקת נדות הן משיגיע להן זמן וסת. וקול זמר פנויה נכרית היא ג"כ בכלל ערוה ואסור לשמוע בין כהן ובין ישראל. ומ"מ אם הוא בדרך בין העכו"ם או בעיר והוא אנוס שא"א לו למחות כיון דלא מצינו דמקרי ערוה מדאוריית' מותר לקרות ולברך דאל"כ כיון שאנו שרויין בין העכו"ם נתבטל מתורה ותפלה וע"ז נאמר עת לעשות לד' הפרו תורתך אך יתאמץ לבו לכוין להקדושה שהוא עוסק ולא יתן לבו לקול הזמר:
This shows that kolisha could occur, but occording to Mark Shapiro, trops do not count as Kolisha
so far, the WT says that women can
the OT says that women porribly can, but cannot in practice
What does the Shulchan Arush say:
(ג) הכל עולים למנין ז' אפי' אשה וקטן שיודע למי מברכין אבל אמרו חכמים אשה לא תקרא בציבור מפני כבוד הציבור: הגה ואלו דוקא מצטרפים למנין הקרואים אבל לא שיהיו כולם נשים או קטנים (ר"ן וריב"ש) ודין עבד כנעני כדין אשה אבל אם אמו מישראל מותר לעלות (הגהות מיי' פי"ב מהל' תפלה) ואסור לקרות בראש מגולה ואין איסור לקרות ע"ה נכבד ועשיר וגדול הדור לפני ת"ח כי אין זה בזיון לת"ח רק כבוד לתורה שמתכבדת באנשים גדולים (א"ז) וממזר מותר לעלות לס"ת (מהר"א מפרא"ג) וע"ל סי' קל"ו מסדר הקרואים:
(3) All arise to [read the Torah when] seven [are called up], even a woman and a child who is knows who we bless, but the Sages said: A woman shall not read [the Torah] in public, out of concern for the honor of the community. Rem"a: And these specifically may be include in those who read, but they may not be all women or children (Ra"n and Riva"sh). And a Canaanite slave is treated as a woman, but if his mother is Jewish he may go up [to read the Torah] (Hagahot Maimoniyot, Prayer and the Priestly Blessing, ch. 12). And it is prohibited to read with one's head uncovered. And there is no prohibition to call up a respected ignoramus, who is rich and powerful, before learned men; for it is not disrespectful to the learned men, rather an honor to the Torah which is honored by great men (Ohr Zaru'a). And a mamzer may go up to [read from] the Torah (Mahar"a of Prague). And see above, Siman 136, for the order of those who are called up.
Or Zaru'a chapter 2, Siman 373:
"Or Zaru'a holds that minors and women are theoretically eligible to read all aliyot; in practice women may not read because of kavod-hatsibur
פסקי הרי"ד למסכת מגילה (ירושלים תשל"א) עמוד רס"ז:
הכא משמע דדווקא לענין שבעה דנפשי גברי עולה הקטןת אבל שלשה וארבעה לא.
The Rid holds:
"that minors and women are theoretically eligible to read only four or three of the aliyot; in practice women are barred from reading even these aliyot because of kavod hatsibur.
Rabbi Jacob Emden:
" he permits women to read the Torah only where there is no man available to read
Rabbi David Pardo:
"in principle he permits women to read all aliyot, but prohibits it in practice
Rabbi Saul Lieberman:
"distinguishes between the permissive view of the Tosefta, which would permit women's aliyot in all circumstances where women are not the sole readers, and the baraita as cited by the Talmud, which appears to prohibit the practice in all cases because of Kavod hatsibur
when a man reads the Torah, women might be called to the Torah for at least some of the aliyot.
in services held outside of a shule or in places where it does not violate the dignity (not universally applicable) of the community, women may be called up for some of the aliyot.
But, Minhagim should also be respected.
רש"י חולין י"ח:
ד"ה נהרא נהרא -- כל נהר מתפשט במקום שהוא רגיל שם, כלומר כל מקום הולך אחר מנהגו
This could suggest that maybe including Kavod hatsibur, women can get aliyot!
What is Kavod Hatzibur and can it be waived?
E.Shochetman 'Aliyat Nashim Ca-Torah' Kovetz Ha-Rambam:
He says that Kavod Hatsibur is the mingling of men and women in a shule, and the impairment of the most basic elements of the peroper atmosphere of a shule
Rav Ben-Zion Uziel:
He says that it is not an issue of immodesty, but that fact that people will say that there is nobody among the men who knows how to read from the Torah (reading and reciting)
To summarise:
WT: anyone can contribute
OT: in theory women can, but not in practice. women can but not in oublic readings
Shulchan Aruch: same as OT
Rishonim: same as above
Achronim: 2 opinions
- allow to get an aliyot but in practice not
- allows to get only when there is no man to read
Contemporary: same as OT
this seems to be talking about reading and reciting the bracha, but maybe if it is just the bracha and it doesnt interfere with K"H that would be okay?
depending on the shules minhag and whether it violates K"H, maybe women are allowed to get it
As well as this, some women do it in a women only minyan, where the obligation does not actually apply. they use several ways to get around it, but this is not preferable.