Usenet 1994 October/usenetsourcesnewsgroupsinfomagicoctober1994disk1.iso/answers/judaism/FAQ/04-Observance

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From: [e-mail] (Daniel P. Faigin)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish,news.answers,soc.answers
Subject: soc.culture.jewish FAQ: Observance, Marriage, Women in Judaism (4/10)
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Summary: Questions about Observance (Holidays, Kashrut, Shabbat) and Women
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               Frequently Asked Questions on Soc.Culture.Jewish
        Part 4: Observance, Marriage, Women in Judaism
         [Last Change: $Date: 1994/10/03 18:07:06 $ $Revision: 1.15 $]
                    [Last Post: Sat Sep  3 11:07:04 1994]


This posting is an attempt to answer questions that are continually asked on
soc.culture.jewish.  It was written by cooperating laypeople from the various
Judaic movements.  You SHOULD NOT make any assumption as to accuracy and/or
authoritativeness of the answers provided herein.  In all cases, it is always
best to consult a competent authority -- your local rabbi is a good place to
start.

The deceased sages described within are of blessed memory, (assume a Z"L or
ZT"L after their names) and the sages alive today should live to see long and
good days (assume SHLITA).  May Hashem grant complete recovery to the ill.
Individual honorifics are omitted.

The FAQ was produced by a committee and is a cooperative work.  The
contributors never standardized on a {Hebrew,Aramaic,Yiddish,Ladino}-->English
transliteration scheme.  As a result, the same original word might appear with
a variety of spellings.  This is complicated by the fact that there are
regional variations in the pronunciation of Hebrew.  In some places, the
common spelling variations are mentioned; in others --- not.  We hope that
this is not too confusing.

This list should be used in conjunction with the Soc.Culture.Jewish reading
lists that are posted separately.  Similar questions can be found in the books
referenced in those lists.

Reproduction of this posting for commercial use is subject to restriction. See
Part 1 for more details.

------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: Organization

This portion of the FAQ contains answers to the following questions:

Section 5. Jewish Holidays
  5.1 What are the different holidays
  5.2. What are the dates of the upcoming Jewish holidays?
  5.3. How can I get a Jewish calendar
  5.4. Why do some people take off one day, and others two?
  5.5. Why does the Jewish day start at sundown?
Section 6. Jewish Dietary Law and Kashrut
  6.1. What is Kosher?  Doesn't a rabbi just bless the food
  6.2. Do I need to have a kosher kitchen and kosher home to keep kosher?
  6.3. Why do different groups wait different times?
  6.4. Why are there different customs on Pesach (i.e., Kitniyos)?
  6.5. I'm a vegetarian health-food proponent.  Is kosher food healthier?
  6.6. Is vegetarianism kosher?
Section 7. Sabbath and Holiday Observance
  7.1. What is the Jewish Sabbath and why is it on Saturday?
  7.2. Why do my Orthodox Jewish friends leave work early on Fridays
Section 8. Woman and Marriage
  8.1. What role do women play in Judaism?
  8.2. What is the Conservative view of the role of women in Judaism?
  8.3. What is the Reform view of the role of women in Judaism?
  8.4. What is the Orthodox view of the role of women in Judaism?
  8.5. I've heard the Orthodox men are grateful for not being women...
  8.6. What about polygamy?
  8.7. What does clean/unclean refer to?

All portions of the FAQ are organized as digests, and should be
undigestifyable by software such as Gnus or rn.  Please report any
difficulties.

------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: Archival and Credits

Anonymous FTP:

  All portions of the FAQ and of the reading lists are archived on
  israel.nysernet.org [192.77.173.2] and on rtfm.mit.edu, and are available
  for anonymous FTP. The locations of parts of the FAQ on israel.nysernet.org
  are as follows:

  ftp://israel.nysernet.org/israel/lists/scj-faq/FAQ/01-FAQ-intro
  ftp://israel.nysernet.org/israel/lists/scj-faq/FAQ/02-Who-We-Are
  ftp://israel.nysernet.org/israel/lists/scj-faq/FAQ/03-Torah-Halacha
  ftp://israel.nysernet.org/israel/lists/scj-faq/FAQ/04-Observance
  ftp://israel.nysernet.org/israel/lists/scj-faq/FAQ/05-Worship
  ftp://israel.nysernet.org/israel/lists/scj-faq/FAQ/06-Jewish-Thought
  ftp://israel.nysernet.org/israel/lists/scj-faq/FAQ/07-Jews-As-Nation
  ftp://israel.nysernet.org/israel/lists/scj-faq/FAQ/08-Israel
  ftp://israel.nysernet.org/israel/lists/scj-faq/FAQ/09-Antisemitism
  ftp://israel.nysernet.org/israel/lists/scj-faq/FAQ/10-Miscellaneous

  The locations of the parts of the reading lists on israel.nysernet.org are
  as follows:

  ftp://israel.nysernet.org/israel/lists/scj-faq/reading-lists/general
  ftp://israel.nysernet.org/israel/lists/scj-faq/reading-lists/traditional
  ftp://israel.nysernet.org/israel/lists/scj-faq/reading-lists/chasidism
  ftp://israel.nysernet.org/israel/lists/scj-faq/reading-lists/reform
  ftp://israel.nysernet.org/israel/lists/scj-faq/reading-lists/conservative
  ftp://israel.nysernet.org/israel/lists/scj-faq/reading-lists/reconstructionist
  ftp://israel.nysernet.org/israel/lists/scj-faq/reading-lists/humanistic
  ftp://israel.nysernet.org/israel/lists/scj-faq/reading-lists/zionism
  ftp://israel.nysernet.org/israel/lists/scj-faq/reading-lists/antisemitism
  ftp://israel.nysernet.org/israel/lists/scj-faq/reading-lists/intermarriage
  ftp://israel.nysernet.org/israel/lists/scj-faq/reading-lists/periodicals

  If you are accessing the archives on rtfm.mit.edu, the pathname is
  pub/usenet/news.answers/judaism, instead of israel/lists/scj-faq.

Mail:
  The files may also be obtained via Email by sending a message to
  [e-mail] with the following line in the body of the message:

        send usenet/news.answers/judaism/(portionname)

  Where (portionname) is replaced by the appropriate subdirectory and
  filenames; for example, to get the first part of the reading list, one would
  say:

        send usenet/news.answers/judaism/reading-lists/general

WWW/Mosaic:
  The FAQ and reading lists are available by following the following pointer:

  http://www.cis.ohio-state.edu/hypertext/faq/bngusenet/soc/culture/jewish/top.htm

Comments and corrections are welcome.  Note that the goal is to present
a balanced view of Judaism; where a response is applicable to a particular
movement only, this will be noted.  Unless otherwise noted or implied by the
text, all responses reflect the traditional viewpoint.

------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: 5.1 What are the different holidays

See the list below.  R' Donin's book _To Be a Jew_ gives a good overview of
the holidays from a traditional perspective.

Note that liberal Jews do not observe all of these holidays, nor do they all
follow the practice of two-days of observance of certain holidays in the
diaspora.  The principle year-cycle events observed by liberal Jews are:
Shabbat, Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Simchat Torah, Chanukkah, Tu
B'Shevat, Purim, Pesach (Passover), Lag B'Omer, Shavuot, and Tish'a B'Av.

Yom Hashoah, Yom HaAtzma'ut, and Yom Yerushalayim commemorate Churban Europa
(lit: the Holocaust of Europe), Israel's Independence, and the liberation of
Jerusalem, respectively.  Many liberal Jews observe them (and create new
liturgies for them).  Traditional Jews vary in the observance of these days.
Some observe them.  Some prefer to commemorate Churban Europa on Tisha B'Av
along with the other catastrophes which have befallen the Jewish people.  Some
celebrate the Israel-related days, but don't assign them religious
significance, and others ignore all three.

------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: 5.2. What are the dates of the upcoming Jewish holidays?

[The following is courtesy of the Hebcal program, mentioned in 5.3]

       3/27/1994 Pesach I
       3/28/1994 Pesach II
       4/ 8/1994 Yom HaShoah
       4/11/1994 Rosh Chodesh Iyyar
       4/12/1994 Rosh Chodesh Iyyar
       4/13/1994 Yom HaZikaron
       4/14/1994 Yom Ha'atzmaut
       4/29/1994 Lag B'Omer
       5/ 9/1994 Yom Yerushalayim
       5/11/1994 Rosh Chodesh Sivan
       5/16/1994 Shavuot I
       5/17/1994 Shavuot II
       6/ 9/1994 Rosh Chodesh Tamuz
       6/10/1994 Rosh Chodesh Tamuz
       6/26/1994 Shiva Assar B'Tamuz
       7/ 9/1994 Rosh Chodesh Av
       7/17/1994 Tish'a B'Av
       8/ 7/1994 Rosh Chodesh Elul
       8/ 8/1994 Rosh Chodesh Elul
       9/ 5/1994 Erev Rosh Hashana
       9/ 6/1994 Rosh Hashana I
       9/ 7/1994 Rosh Hashana II
       9/ 8/1994 Tzom Gedalia
       9/14/1994 Erev Yom Kippur
       9/15/1994 Yom Kippur
       9/20/1994 Sukkot I
       9/21/1994 Sukkot II
       9/26/1994 Sukkot VII (Hoshana Raba)
       9/27/1994 Shmini Atzeret
       9/28/1994 Simchat Torah
      10/ 5/1994 Rosh Chodesh Cheshvan
      10/ 6/1994 Rosh Chodesh Cheshvan
      11/ 4/1994 Rosh Chodesh Kislev
      11/28/1994 Chanukah I
      11/29/1994 Chanukah II
      12/ 3/1994 Rosh Chodesh Tevet
      12/ 4/1994 Rosh Chodesh Tevet
      12/ 5/1994 Chanukah VIII
      12/13/1994 Asara B'Tevet
       1/ 2/1995 Rosh Chodesh Shvat
       1/16/1995 Tu B'Shvat
       1/31/1995 Rosh Chodesh Adar I
       2/ 1/1995 Rosh Chodesh Adar I
       2/15/1995 Purim katan
       3/ 2/1995 Rosh Chodesh Adar II
       3/14/1995 Ta'anit Esther
       3/15/1995 Purim
       3/16/1995 Shushan Purim
       3/31/1995 Rosh Chodesh Nisan
       4/ 1/1995 Rosh Chodesh Nisan
       4/14/1995 Erev Pesach - Taanit B'chorot
       4/15/1995 Pesach I
       4/16/1995 Pesach II
       4/21/1995 Pesach VII
       4/22/1995 Pesach VIII
       4/27/1995 Yom HaShoah
       4/30/1995 Rosh Chodesh Iyyar
       5/ 1/1995 Rosh Chodesh Iyyar
       5/ 3/1995 Yom HaZikaron
       5/ 4/1995 Yom Ha'atzmaut
       5/18/1995 Lag B'Omer
       5/28/1995 Yom Yerushalayim
       5/30/1995 Rosh Chodesh Sivan
       6/ 4/1995 Shavuot I
       6/ 5/1995 Shavuot II
       6/28/1995 Rosh Chodesh Tamuz
       6/29/1995 Rosh Chodesh Tamuz
       7/16/1995 Shiva Assar B'Tamuz [nidche]
       7/28/1995 Rosh Chodesh Av
       8/ 6/1995 Tish'a B'Av [nidche]
       8/26/1995 Rosh Chodesh Elul
       8/27/1995 Rosh Chodesh Elul
       9/24/1995 Erev Rosh Hashana
       9/25/1995 Rosh Hashana I
       9/26/1995 Rosh Hashana II
       9/27/1995 Tzom Gedalia
      10/ 3/1995 Erev Yom Kippur
      10/ 4/1995 Yom Kippur
      10/ 9/1995 Sukkot I
      10/10/1995 Sukkot II
      10/15/1995 Sukkot VII (Hoshana Raba)
      10/16/1995 Shmini Atzeret
      10/17/1995 Simchat Torah
      10/24/1995 Rosh Chodesh Cheshvan
      10/25/1995 Rosh Chodesh Cheshvan
      11/23/1995 Rosh Chodesh Kislev
      11/24/1995 Rosh Chodesh Kislev
      12/18/1995 Chanukah I
      12/19/1995 Chanukah II
      12/23/1995 Rosh Chodesh Tevet
      12/24/1995 Rosh Chodesh Tevet
      12/25/1995 Chanukah VIII

Since the Jewish day starts at sunset, all of these holidays start at sunset
on the civil date before.  (See Subject 7.2 for details.)

------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: 5.3. How can I get a Jewish calendar?

Chabad-Lubavitch and other organizations publish calendars which include
sunset times for various cities.  Jewish funeral homes often distribute Jewish
calendars to local synagogues around Rosh Hashana.  Jewish bookstores and gift
shops sell them as well.

Also, Danny Sadinoff's program hebcal is an invaluable resource.  It's
available by anonymous FTP from israel.nysernet.org, in
  ftp://israel.nysernet.org/israel/computers/software/calendar/hebcal2-1.Z

------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: 5.4. Why do some people take off one day, and others two?

QUESTION: Why do some people take off one day & some two days for certain
holidays?

ANSWER: The Jewish calendar is based on a lunar system in which each month
begins at the new moon.  A month can consist of 29 or 30 days.

Originally the determination of the new moon was by the Sanhedrin (highest
rabbinic court, 70 members) when witnesses declared that they had seen the new
moon.  Once the Sanhedrin declared the new month, messages were sent to the
various communities stating which day (of the two possible) began the new
month.

Note that this does not say that the Sanhedrin did not know the methods of
calculating the new moon, but merely that proper procedure required the
witnesses.  The astronomical calculations could be used to verify the validity
of the witnesses, if necessary.

In those months in which holidays occurred, (such as Nisan for Pesach), the
exact date was critical for determining when the holiday began.  Since the
messengers could not reach every community in the time allotted, those
communities they could not reach would celebrate both possible days.

In 325 CE, the Byzantine (Eastern Roman Empire) administration in what was
then Palestine limited the rights of the Sanhedrin to disseminate calendrical
information.  Hillel II, the Sanhedrin President at the time, published a set
of rules for the maintenance of the calendar, which is still used today.

The Sanhedrin also determined that those communities outside of Eretz Yisrael
would continue to keep the second day of the holiday because of a principal
"Minhag Avoseinu Beyadeinu", the customs of our fathers [remain] in our hands,
and to remember the law for when the Sanhedrin is reestablished and the month
is determined by witnesses again.

Reform Jews believe that since the calendar is defined exactly, there is no
longer a need to keep the second day of Yom Tov outside of Eretz Yisrael.
However some Reform Jews do choose to observe two days.

Many Orthodox Jews feel that once the Sanhedrin is reestablished, that the
declaration will be disseminated by CNN [Cable News Network] or maybe even
soc.culture.jewish, and even the Jews outside of Eretz Yisrael will only be
required to keep one day.  However, until that time comes, the requirement is
to maintain the calendar as established by the original Sanhedrin which
includes two days.

------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: 5.5. Why does the Jewish day start at sundown?

Because this is how the Torah describes days, starting in the book of Genesis:
"And there was evening, and there was morning, one day." (Gen. 1:5). As
another example, the Torah refers to Yom Kippur explicitly as "from evening to
the next evening".

------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: 6.1. What is Kosher?  Doesn't a rabbi just bless the food

Kosher ("fit") food must meet the complex requirements of Jewish law, and the
supervising rabbi verifies that such is the case for a given food item, or
item which will come in contact with food.  There are restrictions on which
foods are permitted during different times of the year, and a procedure for
slaughtering permissible animals with minimal pain to the animal.

The rabbi's role is to decide questions of Jewish law.  In the area of
kashrus, there are hundreds of details that must be met, and thousands of
"oops, now what?" questions that must be answered.  Animals, for example, are
killed in a very precise manner, by a "shochet", and they must be checked
internally for disease, have their blood removed by salting, feathers removed
in cold water, and so on.  Kosher wine may not come into gentile contact
before pasteurization.  Because meat and dairy have to be carefully separated,
precautions against milk-based additives have to taken.  The complications can
be immense.

A rabbi will hire a mashgioch to do the actual supervision.  The latter is
supposed to call in the rabbi when a novel situation comes up.

Note that the Reform movement does not mandate observance of the laws of
Kashrut.  Instead, it advises its members to study the laws of Kashrut and to
follow those that the individual feels increases the sanctity of their life
and their relationship to G-d.  As a result, there are some Reform Jews who do
keep kosher.  Also, many Jews keep some aspect of the kosher laws, such as not
eating pork or shellfish.

Rabbis (and others) sometimes recommend avoiding certain food products based
on concerns other than kashruth, for example:

 * Environmental (e.g. its manufacture harms the environment more than
                   necessary),
 * Religious (e.g. a Jewish-owned bakery selling kosher food, but open on the
                   Sabbath)
 * 'Tikun olam' [repairing the world] (e.g. the manufacturer complies with the
                   Arab boycott of Israel, or mistreats its employees)

Some rabbis choose not to supervise certain products based on considerations
of the above sort.

------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: 6.2. Do I need to have a kosher kitchen and kosher home to keep kosher?

No, all you have to do is avoid non-kosher food.  Preparing kosher food in a
non-kosher kitchen is possible (this arises when visiting or living with
relatives who don't keep kosher) but it is much more difficult than preparing
kosher food in a kosher kitchen.

The practice of keeping kosher in the home, but eating non-kosher food outside
the home is certainly better than eating non-kosher food *all* the time, but
the kosher laws deal with *what* to eat, not where to eat it.

------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: 6.3. Why do different groups wait different times?

QUESTION: I have heard that Polish Orthodox Jews wait 6 hours between eating
milchig and fleishig and Dutch Orthodox Jews wait about an hour.  Why?

ANSWER: Both agree that there must be a delay, it's just that the different
communities came to different conclusions about the length.  It's a matter of
custom.

------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: 6.4. Why are there different customs on Pesach (i.e., Kitniyos)?

QUESTION: Why do Sephardim and Ashkenazim have different customs regarding
permissible foods on Pesach (Passover)?

ANSWER: Both agree that "Chometz" products are forbidden.  Ashkenazi
authorities additionally forbade "kitniyos" [some legumes], a class of foods
in some ways similar to chometz, but not classified as "chometz."  Sephardic
authorities didn't consider this stringency to be necessary.

------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: 6.5. I'm a vegetarian health-food proponent. Is kosher food healthier?

We don't know.  Traditional Jews keep kosher because G-d demands it of us.
However, we wouldn't be at all surprised if something which G-d demands would
also be good for us.

Note that vegetarian food is not always kosher: there are problems with
cheese, vinegar, oils, grape jelly, insects, gentile cooking, and lots more.
(No, we don't mean vegetarians eat insects.  But strict kashrus requires
careful inspection for insects.)


Side note for meat eaters: kosher meat is healthier.  USDA standards are
disgustingly lenient regarding the animal's health.  "Sixty Minutes" once did
an expose on this--many kosher butchers reported a large increase in gentile
customers.  Cold-water plucking helps prevent the spread of salmonella
bacteria, and meat from diseased animals cannot be considered kosher.  Kosher
slaughter is more humane than non-kosher slaughter, as it kills the animal in
a painless fashion. Although kosher slaughter does not kill the animal
instantly, the animal passes out from the sudden drop in cranial blood
pressure and dies in a minute or so.  There is no pain.

Some Jews boycott particular foods or manufacturers as a political or human
rights gesture.  However, even if a rabbi declares a food prohibited in his
community, although it is equally as forbidden as non-kosher food, this does
not affect its kosher status.  (For example, utensils coming in contact with
morally-forbidden products do not become non-kosher.)

------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: 6.6. Is vegetarianism kosher?

In principle, vegetarianism is compatible with Judaism.  In fact, there are
those who find reasons within Jewish thought supporting vegetarianism.
However, Judaism categorically rejects the radical animal rights position that
animals have the same rights as people.  It should also be kept in mind that,
in traditional circles at least, vegetarianism may be considered somewhat
"strange".

According to most halachic authorities, when the Temple is rebuilt, all Jewish
men will be obligated to partake of the paschal lamb with their families.
Nothing short of a severe lamb allergy permits abstaining from this
sacrificial meal.  There are various positions on this issue, which have been
written about in Kashrus magazine and on the net.  Consult your local rabbi
for details.

------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: 7.1. What is the Jewish Sabbath and why is it on Saturday?

The Sabbath/Shabbat/Shabbos/Shabbath is the seventh day of the week.  It
begins around sunset Friday night and ends around nightfall Saturday night.
In some Western languages the word for "Saturday" means "The Sabbath", such as
"el Sa'bado" in Spanish.

The Sabbath commemorates G-d's refraining from continuing creation on account
of the world being "complete."  We emulate this by refraining from various
categories of "creative work," such as starting a fire, building items, and
ploughing fields, and lots of smaller-scale activities related to these.
However, Sabbath meals are festive and song-filled, Torah learning is
encouraged, and married couples are encouraged to reconsummate their union.
The idea is to refrain from weekday activity in order to devote the day to
sacred matters.

The laws of Shabbat are *extremely* complicated, and the various movements
differ considerably concerning which activities are permissible and which
activities are encouraged.  A popular thumbnail sketch is _The Sabbath_ by
Dayan I. Grunfeld.

The Jewish Sabbath is on Saturday because of the passage in Torah (Bereishis
[Genesis] 2:1-3) that describes how G-d rested on the seventh day and how we
are commanded to similarly rest (see Sh'mot [Exodus] 16:28-30, 23:12,
31:12-17, and others).

------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: 7.2. Why do my Orthodox Jewish friends leave work early on Fridays
        and before Jewish holidays?

First, all Sabbath-observant and holiday-observant Jews do this, not just
Orthodox.

The Jewish "day" begins at sunset and continues to the following sunset.  Thus
Shabbos observance begins before sunset on Friday.  (generally 18 minutes,
sometimes more depending upon local custom) Since activities such as cooking,
driving a car, etc. are forbidden on the Shabbos, one must arrive home and
finish the preparations (including showering, changing clothes) sufficiently
early to light the candles and go to shul before sunset.  In the winter sunset
comes early, so Shabbos observers have to leave work early.  They arrange with
their management to make up the time by working extra hours other days or by
coming in early on Friday to make up for leaving early.

------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: 8.1. What role do women play in Judaism?

The basic answer is that everything that G-d created serves a unique and vital
role in fulfilling G-d's goals for this world/universe.  In particular,
humanity (man and woman, gentile and jew) is both the pinnacle and purpose for
the creation in the first place.  The details of how/if women's roles differ
from men's in achieving these goals in the various Jewish movements is
discussed below.

------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: 8.2. What is the Conservative view of the role of women in Judaism?

The Committee on Jewish Law and Standards, has considered and approved a
number of responsa which deal with the role of women in Jewish law.  A quick
summary is that women are accorded the same rights and privileges as men in
most areas of Jewish ritual and practice.  A congregational rabbi may or may
not decide to adopt particular rulings for the congregation. So some
Conservative congregations will be more or less egalitarian than others, in
areas such as women:

 - Publicly reading the Torah   - Serving as cantor
 - Being part of the minyan     - Serving as rabbi
 - Being called to the Torah    - Serving as the representative
 - Sitting together with men      of the congregation

There are other areas where differences remain between men and women,
including:

     - Matrilineal descent -- the child of a Jewish mother
       is born Jewish;  the child of a Jewish father is born
       Jewish if and only if the mother is Jewish.

     - Women do not serve as legal witnesses in those cases
       where Jewish law requires two witnesses.  (However,
       some Conservative rabbis accept conversions performed
       under Reform auspices.)

------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: 8.3. What is the Reform view of the role of women in Judaism?

Reform believes in the equality of men and women, and, where necessary, has
introduced alternative mitzvot and rituals to address religious needs in this
fashion.  Reform allows women to be both rabbis and cantors, counts them as
part of the minyon (quorum for public prayer), allows women to initiate a
divorce, and provides a berit-equivalent ceremony for girls (no medical
procedure is done, however).

------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: 8.4. What is the Orthodox view of the role of women in Judaism?

Traditional Judaism views men and women as having complementary roles in life,
with the women being spiritually superior.  As a consequence of the different
roles, men and women have different obligations (positive ways of fulfilling
the will of our Creator).  Jewish men, for example, have an obligation to pray
at three fixed times each day.  Men need this structure to come closer to G-d.
Jewish women on the other hand, don't need this obligation because they start
off on a higher level.  It is noteworthy that a woman is considered complete
in Jewish Law, but a man needs a wife to achieve that status.  In fact, a man
cannot fulfill his obligations as Jew without the help of a woman.

------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: 8.5. I've heard the Orthodox men are grateful for not being women...

QUESTION: Is it true that Orthodox men bless G-d every morning for not making
them a woman?  What do you mean, this isn't terrible?

ANSWER: The answer is yes, we do.  Sit down.  There's a reason for
everything...

Among the morning blessings are three that go "Blessed art You, L-rd our G-d,
King of the Universe, who has not made me a ...", where "..."  is
"gentile","slave","woman", in that order.

This upsets you? Some of us have a very hard time comprehending why anyone
would react.  Men are men, women are women, and if the men happen to be glad
that they are not women, what of it?

Oh, to you this is derogatory? What makes you think any mention of differences
between men and women is secret code for "men good, women bad"? It just isn't
so, and 2000 years of language/culture/social change have given never-intended
meanings to innumerable phrases.  The above misreading of the blessing is one
such.

Go back to the original reference in the Talmud (Berachos 60b).  The sequence
of three "who has not made me a" blessings was originally proposed by one
rabbi as gentile/idiot/woman.  The other rabbis could not comprehend this.  It
made no sense.  And then it was noticed that if "idiot" was replaced with
"slave", the three blessings fit into a neat logical pattern, with the
blessings carrying a progression of greater yoke of commandments.  It is for
the chance to do more mitzvos than gentiles/slaves/women that Orthodox men
bless G-d every morning.

Note that if derogatory intent were meant, nothing would have prevented it
from being expressed.  And no one would have changed "idiot".

Rabbi Aharon Soloveichik, one of Orthodox Judaism's foremost halachic
authorities, addresses this question in his book _Logic of the Heart, Logic of
the Mind_.  His key points are:

 1. Whatever is superior was created later.  In the human species, the female
    gender was created later, showing that women have innate spiritual
    advantages as compared with men.  The question then becomes: what is the
    nature of those advantages?

 2. The gifts that G-d gave to humanity are two: "One blessing is the gift of
    conquest, of power and of grasping (in Hebrew: "kibbush").  The other is
    the gift of cultivation, of work and dedication and of reaching unto
    things and people through love, consideration, and guidance ("chazakah").
    We can attain great heights through kibbush, but we can't succeed in
    establishing a Paradise on earth unless we couple it with chazakah.

    The gift of kibbush was bestowed upon men, and to be exercised by the
    males of the eleven tribes excluding Levi.  The mandate of the woman is
    that of chazakah.

 3. He goes on to describe why women are exempted from obligatory mitzvos
    created by a time element, from Torah study, and the meaning of the
    morning blessing.

    G-d imposed more mitzvos upon men to limit their natural predisposition
    towards excessive and abusive kibbush.  If not tempered, this abundance of
    male energy can be destructive.

    Women don't need such restrictions.  As per the brachah (blessing) that
    they recite: "She'asani kirtzono -- Who has made me according to His
    will."  Women's innate qualities as the last created creature (Rabbi
    Soloveichik words this as "the crown of Creation"), are already aimed at
    the fulfillment of G-d's ultimate desire for mankind.  What is that
    desire?  In the time of the Messiah, there will be no pursuit of kibbush,
    rather everyone will pursue the gift of chazakah.  So women's Divine
    endowment and her mandate to be true to that endowment is consonant with
    humanity's spiritual and moral goals in the Messianic Era.

------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: 8.6. What about polygamy?

QUESTION: I've heard polygamy is permissible among Sephardic and Yemenite
Jews.  Doesn't Judaism mandate monogamy?

ANSWER: Polygamy is permitted among non-Ashkenazi Jews, and among Ashkenazi
Jews who obtain special permission of 100 rabbis (as in the case of (G-d
forbid) a wife who becomes incapacitated).  But this is largely an academic
question, since most Jews live in countries which ban polygamy by civil law.
Furthermore, the Sephardic community in Israel has its own ban on performing
polygamous marriages in Israel.

------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: 8.7. What does clean/unclean refer to?

The Hebrew words are "tahor" and "tameh".  Translating them as "clean" and
"unclean" (or "pure" and "impure") is always erroneous.  Tahor is a state of
spiritual fitness and life, while tumah connotes the opposite.  Touching a
corpse, or even touching something that has touched a corpse brings one a high
level of tumah.  Another source of tumah is a niddah, a woman who has had a
menstrual flow, indicating the loss of a potential life.

Another way of looking at it is: Tahara is a carefully-defined state where
one CAN perform sacrifices at the Temple and tumah is a state where that
is NOT permitted.  Pretty much as simple as that.

------------------------------------------------------------
--
Please mail additions or corrections to me at [e-mail].


End of SCJ FAQ Part 4 (Observance and Women) Digest
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