I Want To Be Like A Woman Kohen [Sort Of -Read On]

I recently saw an interview with a famous female personality who serves in some forms in the capacity of a rabbi. I was impressed with her passion for Torah, her declaration of commitment to halacha, her modest appearance and likable personality.

However, she made some statements that I found quite shocking. One example: I learned at a very young age that there is nothing that I can't do as a woman. No door is shut before me and everything is possible. Not her exact words but that was the idea.

I wonder.....

If she is correct then I think as follows. I am not really cut out for financial success. My interests lie primarily in researching talmudic topics [this week it was the nature and powers of one lone witness in Jewish law - riveting!]. There are few financial rewards connected to such a vocation. The problem is, that I gave my wife a Ksubah exactly [in a few days] 19 years ago, promising her full support - forever. So if we blur gender distinctions I would like her to give me a Ksubah promising ME full finanacial support for as long as I live. Hey - if a woman can be like a man, let's apply it wherever necessary.

I also want to duchen. I will bless the congregation [after a Levi washes my hands] Bi-ahaaavaaaaaa! Then I will go and hug every guy there. Problem is that I am not a Kohen - nor for that matter is my father. But if a woman can be a man then a Yisrael can be a Kohen.

Sweetest friends - Judaism is 3,300 years strong. Lets try to preserve it and not allow every passing wind of this or that "ism" to change the way we live and think.

She also said that the "Women of the Wall" should be allowed a place to pray at the Kotel with tallis and tefillin. That is after all, their personal expression of Divine service and why should they be denied their basic rights.

The answer is of course that those women can daven as much as they want but they are anti-tradition and extremely combative and instigating. They don't want to daven - they want to violate the holiest place a Jew can go to today and by doing so insult tens of thousands of Jews [and Hashem for that matter]. In addition, according to Rav Moshe Feinstein [the primary halachist of the 20th century] in a famous teshuva, the very notion of feminism constitutes a denial of the Torah. So if we are in favor of halacha and tradition then we can't support these reformers [despite attempts to find halachic basis for a woman to don tallis and tfillin].