Yehuda Henkin
Rabbi Yehuda Herzl Henkin was born in 1945 and currently lives in Jerusalem.
His father was Hillel Henkin, a Jewish educator in New Haven, CT. Rav Henkin has emerged in the last decade as a major modern orthodox posek with four volumes of responsa titled Bnei Banim.[1]
His other works include:
- A Biblical commentary, Hibah Yeteirah.[2]
- Equality Lost: Essays in Torah Commentary, Halacha and Jewish Thought.[3]
- New Interpretations on the Parsha.[4]
- Qeri’at ha-Torah by Women: Where We Stand Today.[5]
- Responsa on Contemporary Jewish Women’s Issues.[6]
- Understanding Tzniut: Modern Controversies in the Jewish Community.[7]
- Is Handshaking a Torah Violation?[8]
He studied six years with his famous grandfather, Rabbi Yosef Eliyahu Henkin, from whom he received semichah. Rabbi Henkin served as the Rabbi of the Beit She'an valley before moving to Jerusalem.
His wife, Chana Henkin, is founder and head of Nishmat, the Institute for Advanced Jewish Studies for Women.[9]
Responsa
R. Yehuda Henkin discusses whether those who believe that the Lubavitcher Rebbe is the messiah are considered to be heretics, ruling that they are not. (Bnei Banim 4:26)
He cites his grandfather R. Yosef Eliyahu Henkin that hearing Shofar and Megillah cannot be done by radio, and that therefore Kol Isha does not apply over the radio.[10] R. Yehudah Henkin was unsure whether this applies to hearing a woman’s voice on television.[11]
He allows women studying Talmud.[12]
He permits dancing on the Sabbath.[13]
He permits a man to shake a woman's hand when offered, and vice versa.[14]
Deferring to the Arukh HaShulkan
He cites his grandfather R. Yosef Eliyahu Henkin as considering the Aruch HaShulchan as more definitive than the Mishnah Berurah.[15]
- It is a more recent authority relative to the Mishnah Brurah. Although Aruch haShulchan on Choshen Mishpat preceded the Mishnah Berurah, the part on Orach Chayim was published up to 10 years after Mishnah Berurah).
- He covers all of the Shulkhan Arukh
- More importantly, the Arukh HaShulchan reflects the minhagim of the time, while the Mishna Berurah is much more precedent/text-based.
Partnership Minyan
He has written the major objection to the concept of a partnership minyan, particularly the issue of calling women to the Torah. In an article in the EDAH journal article on the subject, he provided point-by-point halakhic counterarguments, and also said:
- Regardless of the arguments that can be proffered to permit women’s aliyyot [Torah-reading] today— that kevod ha-tsibbur can be waived, that it does not apply today when everyone is literate, that it does not apply when the olim rely on the (male) ba`al qeri’ah and do not themselves read—women’s aliyyot remain outside the consensus, and a congregation that institutes them is not Orthodox in name and will not long remain Orthodox in practice. In my judgment, this is an accurate statement now and for the foreseeable future, and I see no point in arguing about it.[16]
References
- ↑ Brooklyn: Lambda Publishers
- ↑ Brooklyn: Lambda Publishers
- ↑ Urim Publications, 1999
- ↑ Ktav, 2001
- ↑ Edah.org, 1:2, 2001
- ↑ Ktav, 2003
- ↑ Urim Publications, 2008
- ↑ Hakirah.org, vol. 4, 2007
- ↑ Nishmat.net
- ↑ Bnei Banim 2:211 and 3:127
- ↑ ibid
- ↑ Bnei Banim 3:12
- ↑ 1:12
- ↑ Hakirah.org, see Negiah, section entitled "Shaking hands in Halacha."
- ↑ 2, p31
- ↑ Yehuda Herzl Henkin, “Qeri’at ha-Torah by Women: Where We Stand Today.” Edah 1:2, 2001 (pdf)
External links
- Index of the first three volumes of his responsa
- His responsa on women studying Talmud (English translation)
- Discussion of his dancing responsa
- Responsa Bnei Banim at HebrewBooks.org
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