hatam_soferet (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
hatam_soferet) wrote2007-06-19 06:51 pm
hatam_soferet) wrote2007-06-19 06:51 pm
a reflection
I quite often hear this criticism from angry Orthodox types: The Torah I am writing is pasul according to Orthodox views because I am a woman, so it is irresponsible of me (at best; others say downright disgusting and immoral) to release my Torah, indistinguishable as it is from a kosher Torah, into the wide world where some Orthodox person might happen to read from it.
I know for a fact that there are soferim in those exact same communities who happily sell Torahs to Reform and Conservative communities which are totally pasul. I have seen repairs taking place which are absolutely invalid. I have heard people say "They're Reform, what do they care if it's treif?". No-one is criticising these soferim, even though they're worse than I am - they're creating pasul Torahs and defrauding their customers by telling them that they're kosher.
Of course, it is much easier to be anti-woman than it is to combat fraud and theft within one's own community. Preaching righteous indignation makes you popular. Preaching honesty and integrity doesn't.
I know for a fact that there are soferim in those exact same communities who happily sell Torahs to Reform and Conservative communities which are totally pasul. I have seen repairs taking place which are absolutely invalid. I have heard people say "They're Reform, what do they care if it's treif?". No-one is criticising these soferim, even though they're worse than I am - they're creating pasul Torahs and defrauding their customers by telling them that they're kosher.
Of course, it is much easier to be anti-woman than it is to combat fraud and theft within one's own community. Preaching righteous indignation makes you popular. Preaching honesty and integrity doesn't.