§ The Sages taught in a Tosefta (Megilla 3:11): All people count toward the quorum of seven readers, even a minor and even a woman. However, the Sages said that a woman should not read the Torah, out of respect for the congregation.
First, we will begin with exploring the nature of obligation with regard to Torah reading and whether or not women are able to fulfill these obligations. The first two sources in this section highlight that Torah reading is a communal obligation, as opposed to an individual one. With that in mind, if one views women as full members of the community, an idea explored further on, there ought to be no issue with them fulfilling the obligations of the community.
שו”ת יביע אומר חלק ד יורה דעה לא
…ובאמת שאף עצם שמיעת קריאת ס”ת בצבור אינו חיוב פרטי על כל יחיד מהקהל, אלא חובה כללית על הציבור.
Responsa Yabia Omer IV, YD 31
…In truth, even the actual hearing of the reading of the sefer Torah in public is not an individual obligation upon every individual in the congregation, but rather a general obligation upon the community.
הליכות שלמה פרק יב קריאת התורה; מילואים יז
מצוה על כל המתפללים לשמוע את קריאת התורה…ובני חו״ל הבאים לארץ ישראל בשנים שאין קריאת הפרשיות שוה, ומפסידים שמיעת פרשה, אין צריכים להשלים ולשמוע הפרשה שחיסרו, דקריאת התורה הוי חובת הצבור. מילואים: בענין קריאת התורה אם היא חובת ציבור או חובת כל יחיד ויחיד…חיובא ליכא אלא בציבור של תפלה.
Halichot Shlomo 12 Keri'at Ha-Torah; Addendum 17
It is a mitzva upon all who pray to hear keri’at ha-Torah…Those from abroad who come to Eretz Yisrael in years when the reading is not the same, and miss hearing a portion, do not need to make up for it and hear the portion that they missed, for keri’at ha-Torah is a communal obligation. Addendum: Regarding the matter of keri’at ha-Torah, if it is a communal obligation or the obligation of each individual…There is only an obligation within the prayer congregation.
(ד) אולם לדעת רבנו תם ורוב הראשונים, נשים רשאיות לברך על מצוות עשה שהזמן גרמן, שהרי מצוות אלו שייכות במידה מסוימת גם להן, עובדה שיש להן שכר על קיומן. ולגבי נוסח הברכה, אין חשש, מפני שאין אומרים בברכה "וצווני" אלא "וצוונו", היינו את כלל ישראל, והאשה חלק מכלל ישראל, ולכן היא יכולה לשבח ולהודות לה' על הקדושה שקידש את ישראל, כפי שהיא באה לידי ביטוי במצווה הזו. וכן פסק הרמ"א, וכן מנהג כל יוצאות אשכנז.
(4) However, according to Rabbeinu Tam and most Rishonim, women may recite berakhot on positive time-bound mitzvot, for indeed, to a certain extent, those mitzvot pertain to them as well, as evidenced by the fact that they receive reward for fulfilling them. Regarding the phrasing of the berakha, there is no concern, because the word in the berakha is not “ve-tzivani (“commanded me,” in the singular), rather “ve-tzivanu” (“commanded us,” in the plural), referring to the entire Jewish people, of which women are part. They may therefore praise and thank God for sanctifying Israel through this mitzva. Rema rules accordingly, and this is the practice among Ashkenazim.
The following source provides multiple perspectives on the issue but comes to the conclusion that women can read megillah for other women. It is no consequence that the laws for Torah reading are in Mashechet Megillah; they share many similarities and insights valuable to the issue of women reading Torah.
So if women reading is seemingly allowed, what prevents the observant world from this as a common practice — the concept of Kavod Tzibbur, the honor of the community. The next sources explore this concept, as well as its possible workarounds.
שו”ת בני בנים ד:ג
שכבוד צבור לענין קריאת נשים אינו רק כדי שלא ייראה כאילו אין שם גברים היודעים לקרוא, אלא כדי שהגברים לא יסמכו מראש על קריאת הנשים ויתעצלו מללמוד לקרוא ולנגן בטעמים בעצמם.
Responsa Benei Banim IV:3
(Rav Yehuda H. Henkin)
For kevod tzibbur in the matter of women reading is not only that it should not seem as if there are no men there who know how to read, but in order that the men not rely from the start on the women’s reading and neglect to learn how to read and to sing with the cantillation themselves.
Rav Yehuda H. Henkin, 'Qeri'at ha-Torah: Where we Stand Today.' Edah Journal 1:2, p. 3, 6
I have suggested the following explanation: A woman is prohibited from reading the Torah because of kevod hatsibbur, which can be waived; however, such a waiver requires the unanimous consent of the community. Such unanimity cannot be demonstrated or assumed on the part of a synagogue congregation; however, in the case of a minyan in a private home, if anyone objected to a woman’s reading the Torah he would not pray there but rather with the main congregation, and so a waiver of kevod ha-tsibbur can be established. This hinges on the assumption that the hazal-decreed factor of kevod ha-tsibbur can be waived and that such a waiver requires unanimous consent rather than a simple majority; substantiation of this latter point is needed… if done without fanfare, an occasional aliyyah by a woman in a private minyan of men held on Shabbat in a home and not in a synagogue sanctuary or hall can perhaps be countenanced or at least overlooked.
שו”ת אור לציון ב הערות פרק ט ואגב יש להעיר במה שכתב מרן בשו”ע [בשלחן ערוך] בסימן רפ”ב סעיף ג’, הכל עולים למנין שבעה, אפילו אשה וקטן שיודע למי מברכין, אבל אמרו חכמים אשה לא תקרא בציבור מפני כבוד הציבור. וצריך עיון, שאם עכ”פ [על כל פנים] אין אשה עולה מפני כבוד הציבור, מאי נפק”מ [נפקא מינה] שאשה עולה למנין שבעה,ולשם מה כתב מרן הלכה זו. ולכן היה נראה לומר שנפק”מ [שנפקא מינה] במקום שאין חשש משום כבוד הציבור, כגון במקום שהמתפללים הם בני משפחה אחת, והאשה היא ראש הבית וכל שאר המתפללים הם בניה ונכדיה, שאז אין חסרון כבוד הציבור במה שתעלה לתורה, בכה”ג [בכהאי גוונא] שפיר יכולה לעלות לתורה ולהצטרף למנין שבעה. ולמעשה צ”ע [צריך עיון].
Responsa Or Le-Tziyon II, notes to ch. 9 Laws of Nefillat Apayyim and Keri’at Ha-Torah
By the way, one can comment regarding what our master wrote in Shulchan Aruch 282:3, everyone counts toward the seven [readers on Shabbat], even a woman and a minor who know to Whom they recite a beracha, but the sages said a woman may not read for the tzibbur because of kevod ha-tzibbur. And this requires study, for if in any case a woman does not go up [to the Torah] because of kevod ha-tzibbur, what practical difference is there that a woman counts toward the seven, and for what purpose did our master write this halacha? Therefore it seems correct to say that the practical difference is in a place where there is no concern of kevod ha-tzibbur, such as in a place where those praying are members of a single family, and the woman is the head of the home and all the other people praying are her children and grandchildren, that then there is no lack in kevod ha-tzibbur in her going up to the Torah, in this case she could go up to the Torah and count toward the number seven, and in practice this requires study.
Aside from women reading Torah in public, there is a multitude of sources of practices that violate this so-called Kavod Tzibbur, many of which are done in Synagogues today.
וְרַב יוֹסֵף דְּאָמְרִי תַּרְוַיְיהוּ אֵין קוֹרְאִין בְּחוּמָּשִׁין בְּבֵית הַכְּנֶסֶת מִשּׁוּם כְּבוֹד צִבּוּר
Rabba and Rav Yosef both say: One does not read from ḥumashim in the synagogue out of respect for the community.
(יא) אֵין מְמַנִּין שְׁלִיחַ צִבּוּר אֶלָּא גָּדוֹל שֶׁבַּצִּבּוּר בְּחָכְמָתוֹ וּבְמַעֲשָׂיו. וְאִם הָיָה זָקֵן הֲרֵי זֶה מְשֻׁבָּח בְּיוֹתֵר. וּמִשְׁתַּדְּלִין לִהְיוֹת שְׁלִיחַ צִבּוּר אָדָם שֶׁקּוֹלוֹ עָרֵב וְרָגִיל לִקְרוֹת. וּמִי שֶׁלֹּא נִתְמַלֵּא זְקָנוֹ אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהוּא חָכָם גָּדוֹל לֹא יְהֵא שַׁ״ץ מִפְּנֵי כְּבוֹד צִבּוּר. אֲבָל פּוֹרֵס הוּא עַל שְׁמַע מִשֶּׁיָּבִיא שְׁתֵּי שְׂעָרוֹת אַחַר שְׁלֹשׁ עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנִים:
(11) Only a person of great stature within the community in both wisdom and deed should be appointed as the leader of the congregation. If he is an older man, it is very praiseworthy. An effort should be made to appoint as the leader of the congregation, someone who has a pleasant voice and is familiar with reading [Biblical verses].
A person who does not have a full beard should not be appointed as the leader of the congregation even if he be a wise man of great stature, as a gesture of respect to the congregation. However, he may recite the Shema publicly after he has reached the age of thirteen and manifested signs of physical maturity.
And so the question remains where do we draw the line? Do women reading from the Torah really pose an issue of Kavod Tzibbur, or is the so-called offense in line with allowing someone without a full beard daven from the amud? If a community is established with the intention of being a space that allows for women's leadership and participation, has the issue of Kavod Tzibbur been waved all together?
Ultimately I don't believe that there is one answer. In fact, I think these sensitive topics are deeply personal and should vary from community to community. I hope these sources have given you insight into women reading from the Torah in public and hope that it hasn't convinced you too far in one direction to stop coming to our wonderful shul.