The recent news articles regarding a Jewish high school permitting girls to put on tefillin has led to a flurry of activity as people research this topic. Is it permitted? Forbidden? Discouraged? Is there precedent for it? And did Rashi’s daughters really put on tefillin, as legend has it?
Rabbi Dr. Ari Zivotofsky addressed the matter of Rashi’s daughters in his series, “Tzarich Iyun.” “Tzarich Iyun” is a Talmudic phrase meaning “it requires investigation.” In this series – which appears in the OU’s Jewish Action magazine under the name “Legalese” – Rabbi Dr. Zivotofsky investigates common beliefs and debunks misconceptions. Find out the truth about Rashi’s daughters here!