>However, he chose to use the phrase "it would be better to burn the words of >the Torah" and the idea of destroying the written word >doesn't sit well with me.
Without responding to the substance of the charge (libel is applicable even when 'thinking for yourself') re the classical rabbis' views vis a vis women and Torah, I will simply note that the phrase "divre Torah" rarely -- if ever -- means the written or printed words in a book. The phrase refers to the ethereal *concepts* of Torah. There is no, nor was there ever meant, book burning in the modern sense in that phrase. Messages and opinions expressed on Hasafran are those of the individual author and are not necessarily endorsed by the AJL =========================================================== Submissions for Ha-Safran, send to: Hasafran @ lists.acs.ohio-state.edu SUBscribing, SIGNOFF commands send to: Listproc @ lists.acs.ohio-state.edu Questions, problems, complaints, compliments;-) send to: galron.1 @ osu.edu Ha-Safran Archives: Current: http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.acs.ohio-state.edu/maillist.html History: http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.acs.ohio-state.edu/history.html AJL HomePage http://www.JewishLibraries.org
