Rabbi

One of the, I guess, a hot-button topic a little bit that someone asked that we speak about, this was a major controversy in a shul in Syracuse, I think it was recently, is the role of women in leadership positions such as shul president, member of the board of directors of a shul, or I guess technically a school or anything.

Is that appropriate?

Is it halachically usser?

is it halachically mutter, but just not appropriate, or is it totally fine and no problem, and get with the times, Rabbi, and there shouldn't be any issue whatsoever.

So that is a question that someone asked that we speak about.

I think there was a shul recently, I think the Young Israel, the rules in the Young Israel charter, is that to be a Young Israel, you're not allowed to have a woman president.

And I think that's why there was a whole fight, I don't know all the details, but there was a whole fight about that in a particular shul.

But anyway...

So where does this come from?

Let's just go through some of the issues.

The Rambam in Hilchas Melech and Perik Aleph Alechehei takes the Pasuk in Devarim Perik in Zion, Pasuk Tazavav, that says, Somtas Melech Melech, where the Pasuk says that you should appoint a king, and the Gemara Darshans, Rambam Kotsa Gemara, Melech V'lo Malcha, that you appoint a king, you do not appoint a queen.

It's fascinating.

The Minchas Chinuch writes on that mitzvah, Somtas Melech Melech, that maybe that's only a din in the Sima,

Maybe it's only a din in the appointment of a king, that you're not allowed to appoint a queen.

But maybe if a melech dies and he only has a daughter, maybe she becomes queen by default.

Which is interesting.

I don't think most of the achronim assume that way.

But the Rambam says, oh, so just like you're not allowed to appoint a woman as a queen, so too a woman can't be in any position of leadership.

So too any position of serara over the Jewish people, a woman is not allowed to take.

It's just an extension of the king.