The rabbinic commentator Ramah said about accusations of adultery that women are believed (if they confess to adultery). The assumption is if the woman says it, it must be true, because it would be too embarrassing to lie about.
That’s no longer true.
Twenty years ago, a public accusation of adultery would end a rabbi’s career. Now people are more skeptical of such charges.
If the rabbi fights back and says it is not true, then people tend to hear him out. If the rabbi quits his job and leaves town, then they tend to believe the accusations of sexual impropriety.
