A ''yoetzet halacha'' (Hebrew: יועצת הלכה, plural: yoatzot; lit. Advisor in

Jewish law ''Halakha'' (; he, הֲלָכָה, ), also Romanization of Hebrew, transliterated as ''halacha'', ''halakhah'', and ''halocho'' ( ), is the collective body of Judaism, Jewish religious laws which is derived from the Torah, written and Oral Tora ...

) is a

woman A woman is an adult female human. Prior to adulthood, a female human is referred to as a girl (a female child or adolescent). The plural ''women'' is sometimes used in certain phrases such as "women's rights" to denote female humans regardl ...

certified to serve as an advisor to women with questions regarding ''taharat hamishpacha'' (family purity, also referred to as ''

niddah Niddah (or nidah; he, נִדָּה), in traditional Judaism, describes a woman who has experienced a uterine discharge of blood (most commonly during menstruation), or a woman who has menstruated and not yet completed the associated requirem ...

'').

Overview

The role of the ''yoetzet halacha'' is somewhat circumscribed. As titled, it is advisory: ''yoatzot'' convey information for clear-cut situations, and take the more complicated questions to a ''

talmid chacham ''Talmid Chakham'' is an honorific title which is given to a man who is well versed in Jewish law, i. e., a Torah scholar. Originally he, תלמיד חכמים ''Talmid Chakhamim'', lit., "student of sages", pl. תלמידי חכמים ''talmi ...

'' (Torah Scholar) equipped to discern and decide between competing halachic arguments. The ''Halachot'' (laws) here, are a standard component of Rabbinical education - see under and - and ''Yoatzot'' receive corresponding training. Candidates for ''yoatzot halacha'' are chosen for their advanced Torah scholarship, leadership capabilities, and deep religious commitment. As professionals hired by synagogues, schools, and communities, the ''yoatzot'' respond to Orthodox women's questions about ''

mikveh Mikveh or mikvah (, ''mikva'ot'', ''mikvoth'', ''mikvot'', or (Yiddish) ''mikves'', lit., "a collection") is a bath used for the purpose of ritual immersion in Judaism to achieve ritual purity. Most forms of ritual impurity can be purif ...

'' observance and Jewish law affecting couples, families, sexual relations, and women's medical issues.Ganzel, T., & Zimmerman, D. R. (2011). Women as Halakhic Professionals: The Role of the Yo'atzot Halakhah. ''Nashim: A Journal of Jewish Women's Studies & Gender Issues'', ''22''(1), 162-171. Although many Halachic authorities within the Modern Orthodox community allow Yoatzot, others strongly oppose it.

Certification

Nishmat Nishmat ( he, נִשְׁמַת or 'the soul of every living thing') is a Jewish prayer that is recited during Pesukei D'Zimrah between the Song of the Sea and Yishtabach on Shabbat and Yom Tov. It is also recited during the Passover seder. Sho ...

'' is the only institution certifying women as ''yoatzot halacha''.Cohen, I. (2016). Niddah. ''The Wiley Blackwell Encyclopedia of Gender and Sexuality Studies'', 1-4. The program spans two years' of study - covering the traditional sources - with ''

shiur Shiur (, , lit. ''amount'', pl. shiurim ) is a lecture on any Torah topic, such as Gemara, Mishnah, Halakha (Jewish law), Tanakh (Bible), etc. History The Hebrew term שיעור ("designated amount") came to refer to a portion of Jud ...

im'' by Rabbi Yaacov Warhaftig of Machon Ariel in

Jerusalem Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...

, and parallel ''

Chavruta ''Chavrusa'', also spelled ''chavruta'' or ''ḥavruta'' (Aramaic: חַבְרוּתָא, lit. "fellowship" or "group of fellows"; pl. חַבְרָוָותָא), is a traditional rabbinic approach to Talmudic study in which a small group of stud ...

''-based study. On completion, candidates must pass a four-hour exam, administered by four testing rabbis. At its founding, the program received the support of, amongst others, Rabbi

Nahum Rabinovitch Nachum Eliezer Rabinovitch ( he, נַחוּם אֱלִיעֶזֶר רָבִּינוֹבִיץּ׳; 30 April 1928 – 6 May 2020), born Norman Louis Rabinovitch, was a Canadian-Israeli Religious Zionist rabbi and ''posek''. He headed the London Sc ...

; its

posek In Jewish law, a ''Posek'' ( he, פוסק , pl. ''poskim'', ) is a legal scholar who determines the position of ''halakha'', the Jewish religious laws derived from the written and Oral Torah in cases of Jewish law where previous authorities a ...

is Rabbi

Yehuda Henkin Rabbi Yehuda Herzl Henkin (1945 – 23 December 2020), author of the responsa ''Benei Vanim'', was a modern orthodox posek. Early life and education Yehuda Henkin was born in Pennsylvania in 1945 and raised in New Haven, Connecticut. His fath ...

References

External links

yoatzot.org
- explanation on the Nishmat Website
Yoatzot: An Exchange
- discussion on cross-currents.com by

Yitzchok Adlerstein Yitzchok Adlerstein (born 1950 in New York) is an Orthodox rabbi. He is the co-founder of ''Cross-Currents'', an online journal of Orthodox Jewish thought, and regularly contributes to that site. He is on the editorial board of ''Klal Perspective ...

. Hebrew words and phrases Orthodox Jewish feminism Jewish marital law Jewish religious occupations Jewish ritual purity law Menstrual cycle Modern Orthodox Judaism Women rabbis and Torah scholars {{Judaism-stub