Date: Sun, 22 Aug 1999 22:48:12 -0400 (EDT)
From: Russell Hendel <  rhendel@mcs.drexel.edu>
Subject: Re: Women studying talmud

ETeitz (Bais Medrash Volume 1 Number 91) asks:
<  <  ...should we teach girls that  EYE FOR AN EYE is literal or do we teach
them that it means MONETARY VALUE  (which then raises the question that we
are teaching them oral law)>  >

I would say that clearly we should teach them the truth--that we pay
monetary value of an eye in damages. This however is NOT teaching them oral
law.

To what can the matter be compared: It can be compared to ---telling a non
jew that you can't push the elevator button on Shabbath (even though it is
prohibited to teach non jews torah) OR

- ---teaching women the laws of Marital purity (even though there are many
oral laws they must know)

- ---telling women and children agaddoth (like Avraham being thrown into the
furnace).

Clearly these 3 are permitted! Clearly also we should not teach them to
take peoples eyes out for damage.

But you will ask, >  We cannot teach them oral law<   according to some
opinions. I would respond that "oral law" refers to the ORGANIZED
collection of oral laws (like teaching them to say Mishnayoth by heart or
teaching them a whole Gemarrah in an organized manner). But to tell them
isolated matters of oral law that bear light on the written law is
permissable (Because the term >  Oral law<   or >  Talmud<   refers to something
organized and not sporadic).

Hope this helps

Russell Hendel; ModeratoR Rashi Is Simple;
http://www.shamash.org/rashi

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