Recently, a leading teacher of Gemara to young women passed away. I was reading tributes to him and he seemed like a very special individual. As one who also once aspired to teach Gemara - I appreciate people who were actually successful at it!!! 馃槉馃槉 讻谉 讬专专专讘讘讜讜讜讜!!!
Anyway - a student writes as follows: "He loved to tell the story of the time he drove his rebbe, Rav Soloveitchik, to the airport. He said that the Rav was someone who did not speak if he didn’t need to; the car ride was mostly silent. [He] timidly asked the Rav if it was permissible to teach women Gemara, to which the Rav responded, “Why not?” From then on, there was no question of what [he] was going to do. Thus began his life’s mission, and he never made a big deal out of it. He went about his work quietly and humbly, doing what he felt was important and his contribution to Klal Yisrael."
I don't understand. "Why not"? Oh - because the Rambam writes that is is forbidden:
讗砖讛 砖诇诪讚讛 转讜专讛 讬砖 诇讛 砖讻专 讗讘诇 讗讬谞讜 讻砖讻专 讛讗讬砖 诪驻谞讬 砖诇讗 谞爪讟讜讜讬转 讜讻诇 讛注讜砖讛 讚讘专 砖讗讬谞讜 诪爪讜讜讛 注诇讬讜 诇注砖讜转讜 讗讬谉 砖讻专讜 讻砖讻专 讛诪爪讜讜讛 砖注砖讛 讗诇讗 驻讞讜转 诪诪谞讜 讜讗祝 注诇 驻讬 砖讬砖 诇讛 砖讻专 爪讜讜 讞讻诪讬诐 砖诇讗 讬诇诪讚 讗讚诐 讗转 讘转讜 转讜专讛 诪驻谞讬 砖专讜讘 讛谞砖讬诐 讗讬谉 讚注转诐 诪讻讜讜谞转 诇讛转诇诪讚 讗诇讗 讛谉 诪讜爪讬讗讜转 讚讘专讬 转讜专讛 诇讚讘专讬 讛讘讗讬 诇驻讬 注谞讬讜转 讚注转谉 讗诪专讜 讞讻诪讬诐 讻诇 讛诪诇诪讚 讗转 讘转讜 转讜专讛 讻讗讬诇讜 诇诪讚讛 转驻诇讜转 讘诪讛 讚讘专讬诐 讗诪讜专讬诐 讘转讜专讛 砖讘注诇 驻讛 讗讘诇 转讜专讛 砖讘讻转讘 诇讗 讬诇诪讚 讗讜转讛 诇讻转讞诇讛 讜讗诐 诇诪讚讛 讗讬谞讜 讻诪诇诪讚讛 转驻诇讜转.
Also, because for 3,300 years, women didn't learn Gemara [until the last 40 or so years when it has become more and more widespread]. When Klal Yisrael has a certain way of doing things we need a very compelling reason to change.
So I don't get the "why not?" as if he was asking if it is permitted to drink milk during a milchig meal or to wear a blue tie.
Of course the answer given is that times have changed and if women are getting doctorates in physics then why shouldn't they study Gemara? And just like the Chofetz Chaim encouraged Sarah Schneirer to start schools for girls which was a revolution, so too we must take it further and teach the girls like we teach the boys.
In the words of Rav Aharon Lichtenstein:
"诇讚注转讬 专爪讜讬 讜爪专讬讱, 诇讗 专拽 讗驻砖专, 诇转转 讞讬谞讜讱 讗讬谞讟谞住讬讘讬 诇讘谞讜转 讙诐 诪诪拽讜专讜转 转讜砖讘注"驻; 讘讬谉 讗诐 诪砖讜诐 讛讟注谞讛 砖谞砖讬诐 注讜住拽讜转 讘讻诇 讛诪拽爪讜注讜转, 诪讚讜注 讬讬讙专注 讞诇拽谉 讚讜讜拽讗 诇讙讘讬 转讜专讛, 讜讘讬谉 讗诐 诪砖讜诐 讚讘专讬 讛'讞驻抓 讞讬讬诐' (讘讛讜讜住讚 '讘讬转 讬注拽讘') 砖讗诐 讛专诪讘"诐 讗讜诪专 砖爪专讬讱 诇诇诪讚 诇讙专 讗转 注讬拽专讬 讛讚转, 讗讚诐 砖讙讚诇 讘诪住讙专转 讬讛讜讚讬转 - 注诇 讗讞转 讻诪讛 讜讻诪讛... 讛讘谞讜转 讻讬讜诐 诪拽讘诇讜转 讞讬谞讜讱 讻诇诇讬 专讞讘, 讜专讘讜转 诪讙讬注讜转 诇讗讜谞讬讘专住讬讟讛, 讜砖诐 - 讜诇讗 专拽 砖诐, 讗诇讗 讘讞讘专讛 讘讻诇诇 - 讘讗讜转 讘诪讙注 注诐 讛砖拽驻讜转 讜转驻讬住讜转 注讜诇诐 砖讜谞讜转. 讻讱 砖讛讬讚注 讜注专讻讬 讛转讜专讛 谞讞讜爪讬诐 诇讘转. 讗谞讬 诪拽讘诇 讘讛讞诇讟 讗转 转驻讬住转 讛'讘讬转 讛诇讜讬' 砖诇讗砖讛 讬砖 爪讜专讱 讘转诇诪讜讚 转讜专讛 讻讚讬 砖诪讘讞讬谞讛 诪注砖讬转 转讚注 诪讛 诇注砖讜转... 诇讚注转讬, 诪讛 砖讚专讜砖 诇讘转 讻讚讬 诇拽讘诇 讗转 讛讛讻砖专讛 讛转讜专谞讬转 讛诪注砖讬转 讝讛 讛专讘讛 诪注讘专 诇诪讛 砖诪诇诪讚讬诐 讛讬讜诐. 讬砖 诇讛讙讘讬专 讗转 讛诇讬诪讜讚 诇讘谞讜转, 讻诪讜转讬转 讜讗讬讻讜转讬转, 转讜讱 讻讚讬 讛讜专讗转 讻诇 转讞讜诪讬 讛转讜专讛, 讜讘讻诇 讝讗转 注讚讬讬谉 诇讗 谞讞专讜讙 诪谉 讛诪住讙专转 讛谞"诇... 讗讬谉 诇讬 砖讜诐 讛转谞讙讚讜转 诇诇诪讚 讘谞讜转 讙诪专讗... 讗谞讬 讙诐 诇讗 诪砖讜讻谞注 砖专爪讜讬 诇诇讞讜抓 注诇 讘转 诇诇诪讜讚 讙诪专讗 讘爪讜专讛 讻诇 讻讱 讗讬谞讟谞住讬讘讬转. 讘讛诇讻讛 讘讻诇 讝讗转 讬砖 讛讘讚诇 讘讬谉 诪拽讜诐 讛讗讬砖 讜讘讬谉 诪拽讜诐 讛讗砖讛 讘谞讜砖讗 讝讛, 讜讘住讜驻讜 砖诇 讚讘专 讛转驻拽讜讚 讘讞讬讬诐 砖讜谞讛. 讗讘诇 讗诐 诇讚讘专 注诇 讛讬讻讜诇转 诇诇诪讜讚 讚祝 讙诪专讗 讜诇讛讘讬谉 讗讜转讜 讜诇讛谞讜转 诪诪谞讜, 讗讬谞讬 专讜讗讛 砖讜诐 住讬讘讛 砖诇讗 诇讻讜讜谉 诇讻讱 诇诇诪讚 讝讗转 诇讘谞讜转, 讜爪专讬讱 讗驻讬诇讜 诇诪住讚 讗转 讝讛 讻讞诇拽 讗讬谞讟讙专诇讬 砖诇 诇诪讬讚讛 讘讘讬讛"住, 砖讬注讜专 诪诪砖讬. 讻讱 讗谞讬 诪诇诪讚 讗转 讘转讬 讜讻讱 讞讜谞讻讛 讗砖转讬. 讜讝讜 谞专讗讬转 诇讬 讛讚专讱 讛诪讜诪诇爪转 诇爪讬讘讜专 讛讘谞讜转 讘讚讜专谞讜".
That being said - the novelty of this new practice should not be overlooked and care to should be taken to ensure that the benefit is greater than the potential harm. [See
here]. We see that somehow in the Beis Yaakov system, girls are not taught Gemara like the boys and yet the vast majority of the girls turn out quite well, Baruch Hashem.
Rav Soloveitchik knew the Rambam and all the relevant sources, so why the laconic answer? Probably b/c he was not interested in engaging in a detailed discussion. Maybe he was tired. Rumor has it that Rav Soloveitchik ztz"l was actually a person of flesh and blood.
Unconfirmed.
[Anyway - your Rav should be like a 诪诇讗讱 讛' 爪讘讗讜转 as per the Gemara so R"S was definitely in that category].
