The Rabbinical Council of America, America’s main modern Orthodox rabbinical association; voted last week to ban the hiring of “clergywomen.”
“RCA members with positions in Orthodox institutions may not ordain women into the Orthodox rabbinate, regardless of the title used; or hire or ratify the hiring of a woman into a rabbinic position at an Orthodox institution, or allow a title implying rabbinic ordination to be used by a teacher of Limudei Kodesh [Jewish studies] in an Orthodox institution,” the resolution says.
This is a sexist move not based on anything in Jewish law. Rabbis, first and foremost are not “clergy” in the sense of priests or ministers. Rabbis have no special powers, certainly no special authority to speak for the Deity. If anything, a Rabbi is closer to being a judge or a lawyer than SHE is to being a priest.
Until 70 AD we had priests. The term “rabbi” began after the destruction of the Temple and was used to recognize that certain people had enough learning about our laws and traditions to be recognized as scholars and to serve as teachers. “Smicha,” the term for ordination of a Rabbi, simply recognizes that learning.
What is true is that Rabbis perform many functions using that learning. They read from the Torah, they lead congregations in prayers, they tell couples how to marry each other. Any Jew, however, can lead prayers or read from the Torah. If a Congregation wants to separate men and women during those rituals, they can do so but this is simply tradition and has nothing to do with judging who does or does not have rabbinic authority. As for marriage, NO rabbi can actually marry anyone .. except in so far as she has authority granted by some state. Her or his job is simply to help the couple perform THEIR ritual.
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