Today I heard something interesting from Rabbi Saul Berman who was present at the first Gemara shiur given in Stern by RYBS [and apparently the last given by him in that venue]. He related that about 5 or 6 Roshei Yeshiva wanted to put Rav Soloveitchik in Cherem 馃槦馃槼 after the media reported this event. But Rav Moshe Feinstein [who was RYBS' cousin] nixed the Cherem idea. Not that he agreed with the idea of teaching the girls Gemara but [seemingly] b/c he didn't think teaching them worthy of a Cherem and certainly not an individual of the stature of RYBS. So that was that.
So now we are in a conundrum: We have the last few thousand years where women weren't taught Gemara. We have the Halacha that forbids it [专诪讘"诐 讛诇' 转"转 讗' 讬"讙]. We have many very great Rabbonim who still rule it should not be done.
On the other hand we have RYBS who holds that times have changed.
So I am NOT deciding this question b/c I am far less than a nobody. But the assumption made in some circles that it is ideal that girls should learn like the guys is not so simple and straightforward. Very thorny!!
The question is usually framed in terms of the spiritual fulfillment of the ladies. But that is b/c we live in a culture that centers around man's wants, needs and desires. Should I get married? Will it make me happier or less happy? Should I have children? How will that impact MY life? More benefit for me or less? How many children? Nooooooot too many b/c that will seriously impede my career and life satisfaction.
But the real question is what is the will of Hashem? Ahhhhh. Very different question. One of the "desires" of Hashem is that man should feel fulfilled but not the only one. He ALSO "desires" that we follow tradition even when it flies in the face of our own feelings and cultural norms.
Another issue is that about 46 years after that trailblazing lecture it turns out that the vast majority of women aren't interested in learning like the guys. How many MO women over the age of 22 ever crack open a Gemara? Very few. The Stern college Gemara program has suffered over the years from a lack of interest among the students and low enrollment [heard in a eulogy for the main teacher of the program]. Of those few women who do learn after their formal education ends - how many learn anything other than daf yomi which is the most superficial study of Gemara around?! No time for any real analysis or understanding or review. So the argument that since women study secular subjects on such a high level they should also study Gemara on a high level doesn't apply to the way it is actually studied. Two sides of a page in 45 minutes plus-minus is anything but high level study [in many Yeshivos such an amount of Gemara takes tens of hours of study. And these are men with a strong background]. And how many serious sefarim of novel Gemara insights have been written by women to date? [No offense but] Zero.
So maybe Chazal were on to something and Gemara is by and large not meant for women. Women have faaaaaar more important things to do [as far as their task in this world is concerned]. Like building the Jewish people. Like being available for their families [feeding hungry Jewish children is actually a big mitzva]. Like Tefilla. Or knowing Tanach. Or mastering [unlike most men] Hilchos Shabbos, Kashrus, Lashon Hara, Tefilla, Taharas Hamishpacha, Chinuch, Netilas Yodaim etc. etc. All very relevant to a woman's life and Avodas Hashem. Ha-levai men should know halacha properly but they have an obligation to learn Gemara and time is limited. But ladies? They should and must know Halacha. This way not only will they keep it but their husbands will have someone available to ask....
Or another idea. Mussar. Having good middos is NOT a time bound mitzva!!!馃榾馃榾 R' Yisrael Salanter taught that women are OBLIGATED to learn Mussar. How many women have a daily mussar seder?
So by golly - instead of Bava Kamma maybe we should start with character development. What a world that would be!!!!
Women aren't men. We need not overly intellectualize them. Rav Kook ztz"l writes in one place that sefarim are 讘讚讬注讘讚 馃槦馃槦. Avodas Hashem should come from the Pnimiyus. Jewish women have a beautiful Pnimiyus. That should be cultivated and developed. Women are much more in touch with feelings and emotions than most men. That is also part of Avodas Hashem.
The argument that only if the girls are taught Gemara they will remain religious has proved false. Beis Yaakov girls don't seem less religious than let us say Ramaz or SAR girls who do learn Gemara. 馃槉
Mussar Haskel: 讛讻诇 讘专讗 诇讻讘讜讚讜. Let us focus on giving Kavod to the Borei Olam.
