This message is a response to various aspects of Rabbi Menken's post.
(1) Regarding Rabbi Weiss's support of women's tefilah groups, Yaakov
Menken wrote
"I wonder what sort of reasoning or backing [Rabbi Weiss] has for his
position. He is a PR maven, but I've not heard him described as a leading
Halachic authority."
As stated in my original post, Rabbi Weiss discusses in great detail the
halakhic and social issues involved with women's tefilah groups in his book
WOMEN AT PRAYER. I suggest that reading his book would be an ideal way for
Rabbi Menken to learn of his reasoning and backing. As for the standing of
the author, the book's dust jacket contains warm letters of recommendation
from Rabbi Saul Berman, Rabbi Emanuel Rackman, and Rabbi Shlomo Riskin,
three highly respected Orthodox scholars and leaders whose stature needs no
elaboration.
(2) Rabbi Menken describes women's tefilah groups as "pale imitations [sans
Kaddish or Kedushah (in more ways than one)] ..." (of minyans). I limit
myself to requesting that Rabbi Menken clarify the above comment. What are
the multiple ways in which women's tefilah groups lack Kedushah?
(3) It appears to me that the main thrust of Rabbi Menken's post is that
women's tefilah groups do not represent an authentic way for women to
achieve spiritual meaning. Rather, he claims, they are "poor imitations"
of a male institution, lacking such key elements as Minyan, Kaddish,
Borchu, and Kedushah.
It seems best to trust that the women who choose to participate in these
prayer groups, along with their personal friends and teachers, are best
qualified to judge the spiritual value of the practice. Nonetheless, I
offer a potential answer to Rabbi Menken's charge: There are multiple
dimensions to the religious significance of the standard communal prayer
service. Among these are the opportunities to join in a Minyan and to say
prayers such as Kaddish, etc. Perhaps equally important, however, are such
less tangible qualities as intensified kavvanah, praying together with
coreligionists (regardless of quantity or gender), and creating a sense of
human community. The latter values are all too often neglected in male
minyanim, as the former halakhic categories take priority. But women's
tefilah groups afford a unique opportunity to emphasize the more human
qualities of communal prayer.
Given my analysis, it is possible that women's tefilah groups, in addition
to providing religious meaning for their participants, will serve to remind
all Jewish prayer communities of the multiple depths of meaning available
in communal prayer.
I look forward to reading the opinions of other subscribers on this subject.
B'shalom,
adam