Tefillin Barbie
And here is a funny photo illustrating what the slippery slope on the other side of the religious spectrum can lead to. The over focus on feminism by the left argues that women be allowed to do whatever they choose as long as it does not violate the letter of the law and makes them feel more expressive in their Avodas HaShem? Women’s Tefila Groups, Tallis, Tefillin… all legitimate practices for a woman to adopt. There is for example no clear Halacha Pesuka for a woman not to wear Teffilin. Quite the contrary. We know that Rashi’s daughters did.
It isn’t done today?! So What?! Who are we to tell a woman who wants to keep a Mitzvas Aseh SheHazman Grama faithfully that she can’t, or shouldn’t? If it helps her Avodas Hashem What’s the harm? Same thing Talis. What’s the problem? What’s the harm?
The counter argument might be that it ends up making a mockery of Judaism. It is so outside the accepted norm as to make others easily ridicule it. Besides, to say that masculine modalities serve best actualize service to God seems to aggrandize the male. This seems to be counter to the goals of feminism.
But, if it helps a woman in her Avodas HaKodesh then it outweighs considerations normalcy. We ought to be tolerant of those who want to fulfill themselves through masculine forms of Avodas HaKodsesh and stop worrying about images.
Two photos… 2000 words.
