A Taste of Torah in honor of Shabbat
from Rabbi Avi Weiss

Parshat Va-Yikra
3 Nissan 5759/ March 19-20, 1999

Women and Sacrifices

The Torah in this week's portion, informs us that when one brings an animal sacrifice, the person leans down on the head of the animal (semikhah). (Leviticus 1:4)  It is then that the individual confesses the sin that precipitated the bringing of the sacrifice.

Are women permitted to perform this process?  After all, this mandate is issued only to men, as the Torah states, "speak to the sons of Israel." (Leviticus 1:2)   In other words: does the exemption of women imply exclusion? Two opposing views on this issue are recorded in the Talmud.  Rabbi Yehudah maintains that the exemption implies exclusion, yet Rabbi Yossi and Rabbi Shimon disagree. (Rosh Hashannah 33a).

This question has larger ramifications.  It bears on whether the exemption of women from particular affirmative commandments fixed by time-such as Succah and donning a Talit-mean that they are prohibited by Jewish law from performing these commandments.

Rambam maintains that exemption does not imply that women are barred from performing certain mitzvot (commandments).  However, he contends that women should not recite blessings over these mitzvot.  This  is probably because the blessing includes the words, ve-zivanu, "you have commanded us."   (Rambam, Code, Laws of Zizit 3:9)

In contrast, Rabbenu Tam states that women may recite blessings on commandments, even those they are exempt from performing.   This is possibly because ve-zivanu is not in the singular form, but is a plural term relating to the community as a whole, of which women are, of course, an equal part. (Tosafot, Rosh Hashannah 33a, s.v. ha)

By and large, the Sephardic tradition follows Rambam's position.  Women, for example, may eat in the Succah, yet they do not recite the blessings.

The Ashkenazic custom follows the opinion of Rabbenu Tam.  Women could, therefore, recite a blessing when eating in the Succah.

Notwithstanding the position of Targum Yonatan ben Uzziel that a Talit is a garment specifically designed for men, and therefore prohibited to women, (Targum to Deuteronomy 22:5) virtually all other authorities disagree. Indeed, Rabbi Moshe Feinstein concludes that women donning the Talit is a valid Halakhic option provided that the women performing the mitzvah are doing so l'shem shamayim - for proper and sincere reasons. (Iggerot Moshe, Orah Hayyim 4:49)

While many believe that this portion has little meaning today, the debate concerning women and sacrifices reveals otherwise.  What may seem to be far from having contemporary value can sometimes surprise us.

SHABBAT SHALOM

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Rabbi Avi Weiss, Hebrew Institute of Riverdale
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