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Are there any contemporary responsa regarding partnership minyanim, such as Shira Hadasha and Darkei Noam?

Various rabbis have written against it (e.g., R. Student, R. Rothstein, R. Firmer) and it seems even fewer have written supporting it (e.g., R. Sperber). Some of these opinions have been discussed previously on this site.

However, I have not heard of responsa/declarations/essays by poskim on the subject. The only posek that I'm aware of who has written (against) such a congregation, is R. Yehudah Henkin. If others exist, who wrote them, what is the halacha that they write, and what it is their explanation for it?

For clarity's sake, I'll refer to Shalom's answer on the definition of a posek. Basically, I'm asking about recognized halachic authorities, who probably have yadin yadin, and have written practical responsa for today's times.

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Aryeh
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  • AFAIK the answer is no. Probably related to the whole fear of 'legitimization'. What actually ends up happening is they think there aren't rational responses because no one is giving them, and it reinforces their beliefs. – Double AA Feb 27 '13 at 20:34
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    Though if we want, we can probably guess pretty accurately the entire exact wording of R Chaim Kanievsky's teshuva: אסור. – Double AA Feb 27 '13 at 20:35
  • There was a recent article about it. Which Posekim in particular are you looking for? – Seth J Feb 27 '13 at 20:39
  • @SethJ: Any/all available. – Aryeh Feb 28 '13 at 00:29
  • @DoubleAA: I don't understand. Weren't there vigorous responses at the advent of the Reform movement in Germany? Especially considering the growing rate of cherem stamping these days, it is boggles the mind why such a contentious issue hasn't received more attention. – Aryeh Feb 28 '13 at 00:32
  • Ok, but are you looking for Haredi, Litvish, Hasidish, YU, Lakewood, Manchester...? – Seth J Feb 28 '13 at 00:34
  • I'll accept your edit as a response. – Seth J Feb 28 '13 at 00:35
  • When I attend rabbinic services, I generally attend either chabad or a partnership minyan in SF. As someone who doesn't have stake in this, I find the concept of a partnership minyan fascinating. – A Blue Thread Mar 05 '13 at 02:02
  • @Aryeh The reason it hasn't received attention is the same reason the poskim have largely ignored Chabad messianism. Because the poskim figure a tshuva isn't going to change anything, the people themselves are ultimately still behaving like frum Jews (kashrus, Shabbos, etc), and it's better not to make a fight when no good can come of it. – Curiouser Mar 05 '13 at 17:43
  • @Curiouser: I don't get the analogy. The meshichistim believe their rebbe is alive and the messiah. Their problem is ideological (like Hillel's disbelief of a meshiach), but they're still "behaving like frum Jews." The issues in partnership minyanim concern specific practical halachot (women aliyot, fulfilling that mitzvah for others, etc.). Unlike other reform movements who don't accept the authority of halacha, these groups are committed to halacha and maintain that what they are doing is halachically permissible. Thus, I see this issue as absolutely relevant. – Aryeh Mar 06 '13 at 12:12
  • http://www.rcarabbis.org/pdf/frimer_article.pdf is probably the best you will ever find, past or future. Would you consider this a responsum according to your criteria? – Double AA Feb 10 '14 at 21:50
  • Seeing as this question is using this definition of a posek, why aren't the rabbis mentioned in the question considered poskim? – Shmuel May 07 '14 at 23:48

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Rav Ephraim Greenblatt in Rivevos Ephraim 7:314 starting from the paragraph of וכתבנו he says who gave them the heter [permission], he ends off by saying whoever has the power to stop this, bracha should be upon them. See also Rivevos Ephraim 6:153:12 where he uses other mekoros [sources](Igros Moshe OC 4:70:5) against such minyanim. In his tshuvos he quotes other poskim see inside for yourself.

The tshuvah is talking about women themselves making a minyan,reading the Torah,wearing a tallis.It seems obvious that certainly men and women together in one minyan,and women leading services would be forbidden.

sam
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  • But of course people should read the tshuva from the beginning where he says women should not learn shnayim mikra v'echad targum either. He seems to be against women learning any Torah, rather they should just "stick to women's matters" – Curiouser Mar 05 '13 at 17:07
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    @Curiouser and ... – sam Mar 05 '13 at 18:32
  • Neither of these responsa discuss partnership minyanim. I'm pretty close to downvoting for not answering the question... – Double AA Jan 15 '14 at 21:01
  • Kal vchomer ,if women can't make a minyan for themselves then together with men forsyte is assur – sam Jan 15 '14 at 21:10
  • @sam That's not a good kal vahomer (for instance, ignoring tzniut issues (eg. lots of brothers), it's probably only permitted for a woman to read megillah for another woman (on Friday Purim Meshulash in Jerusalem) if 10 men are in the room) and plus the two kinds of groups do different things... And in any event you should explain in your post what you are actually quoting and what analogies you are making on your own. – Double AA Jan 15 '14 at 21:41
  • Its the same thing and even worse and I don't understand you case,and the Rivevos would certainly be against such a minyan – sam Jan 15 '14 at 23:45
  • @sam You can declare what you think he would be against if you want, but currently your post is not honest in its presentation. And what's confusing about the case? 10 brothers and their 2 sisters in Yerushalayim on Friday of Purim Meshulash. Everyone has heard Megillah except one sister, and only the other sister knows how to lain it. Wouldn't you agree that the 10 brothers have to stay in the room so sister A can read for sister B? – Double AA Jan 16 '14 at 01:53
  • The question is obviously about men and women together where women sometimes lead which the tshuva says is forbidden even when done with women alone.I don't understand why you don't see this from the tshuvah – sam Jan 16 '14 at 03:19
  • I agree with you about what he likely would have said even if I disagree with how much you can prove from these responsa. Your kal vachomer fails as I demonstrated above, and it would be worth it for you to understand exactly what things do and don't go on in partnership minyanim before you compare to what is mentioned in the teshuva. I have removed my downvote as you now at least aren't lying, but no upvote from me till you find actual writings about partnership minyanim as requested in the question. – Double AA Jan 16 '14 at 03:25
  • I don't understand why you write so sharply.First off I read the link and it said read from the Torah get an aliyah,daven fir the amid for some parts.These things are assur for women by themselves.The main problem is the femenistic aspect of it as Rav Moshe holds. – sam Jan 16 '14 at 03:28
  • I am trying to be helpful by giving an answer which I think is suitable,I am not trying to deceive anyone,that's why I edited even though I believe it is the same thing.I also always say see it inside for yourself because everyone understands tshuvos diff. – sam Jan 16 '14 at 03:34