Abstract

The interaction between rabbis and women demonstrates the accessibility of halakhic authority to women. This accessibility is influenced by a number of factors and occurs at varying levels and frequencies in different communities. Not only the frequency, but also the content of the questions asked by women of rabbis has varied. This paper will examine the questions women have addressed to Rabbi Moshe Feinstein, Rabbi Hayim David Halevy, and the Internet portal www.kipa.co.il. I will address both the frequency and the nature of questions asked by women. The different findings in each case reflect not only the religious roles and expectations of women within their respective communities, but also the mediums of communication that exist between women and rabbis. I argue that the Internet has in a sense changed the rules of the game by allowing women almost unbridled access to rabbinic authority. How this access will affect religious society as a whole waits to be seen.

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