Judaism-women Of Faith

It is not that I felt this focus boring, but how would I benefit spiritually looking at the roles of women within Judaism? It was not until I had completed the course’s material and began to digest the final lessons that I began to see and understand the profound effect through the role of Jewish women. The stereotype of the “Jewish Mother” holds the layers of an onion, which seemed only to draw my heart to God, as I looked deeper at the potential of this topic. Through modern eyes especially those of a feminist and our culture, the role of a Jewish woman may seem demeaning under the thumb of chauvinistic men, and/or taking women back to the dark ages. Identity, being sons and daughter of God, is the focus of much of my personal writing, speaking, and prayer.

As I began to look at women

through the eyes of a Jew, I asked why they take the stance that they do? After prayer, I came to a realization that I had not seen at the beginning of this section. Jewish theology focuses on the fall of Adam, not only in word, but also in action. The fall of Adam (man) at the hands of Eve (women), occurs only after Eve ate of the apple. She had the knowledge of God, and with such she manipulated Adam to eat as she did; instead of saving him she brought him down. Eve represented the “learned women”. The same was seen through the life of Beruriah whose husband committed suicide. She was a learned women and his death is tied to her quest of knowledge. The fall is part of who we are, however, we can strive to better ourselves and learn from the errors of our past. The Jewish faith does seem to debase women; however, they also understand that women live to purify the world. Through innocence, Jewish women offer a witness to our culture of the true message, one that is love. God gave each sex a simple role in life, and the Jewish faith (especially Orthodox communities) seek to

harness these roles that Adam (mankind) might live within the fall. To understand this idea we need to look at the roles the Jewish faith puts to women and why. Moreover, we need to understand why other things are not permitted. Through such a journey I believe we can come to an understanding of the redemptive role women play in attempting to raise the holiness of mankind, something that I believe to be the foundation of our person.

God set forth a role for both sexes. We (mankind) began

to confuse and dilute these God-given roles within our culture, and our identity began to turn to a self-centered living that focused on the needs of the one, not the needs of the human nation. As the Jewish people began to spread into the world, their inter-connectedness as a global nation was beyond compare to any other ethnicity or religion.

We must

acknowledge that Islam does reach for such a connection; however, it rests heavily within the radical mindset. The “Jewish Nation” is a bond with every Jewish person, regardless of his religious disposition. Through such belief and interconnection, each Jew needs to fulfill that which benefits the Global Nation of His people. This is the first aspect of the Jewish Women. In our present day, the role of motherhood is seen as a derogatory term, by which women and some men put down women who choose to be mothers. There is nothing more beautiful than a woman sacrificing her wants in life, for the betterment of her family, and more importantly her children who are the future of the “Jewish Nation”. Many of us want children; however, we pay exorbitant fees to have them raised by someone else, and then wonder why they have so many problems. I am not saying Jewish children, or children in general who are raised by their

mother are perfect. However, studies do show on a pre capita basis children raised as such in a faithful home have higher self-esteem, confidence and a lower divorce rate. Clearly something is right about this choice in life.

In addition, parents reveal

community and commitment at a young age through nurturing their children. This is not to say women should not work; however, within the Jewish community, more in orthodox communities, a woman must first ask YHWH, “Why do I want to work”, instead of “I need to work.”? What do I offer to my family, what good do I bring to this covenant of marriage should I seek to fulfill longings outside of the home? Motherhood is a proud profession, one that many have dropped. We need to thank the Jewish faith for standing against the tide of our culture, looking to the betterment of mankind, rather then the wants of the individual. This is a nation that exists in a symbiotic sense, which acts by, for, and against one another having ramification to all. As proverbs says “every wise women buildeth her house…” What is important here is two things wise and house. Scripture does not say a woman is not wise. To run a house a person must have wisdom and God grants wisdom to those who follow His will. A woman is wise to care for her house (οἴκους - English household). If the man is out all day working, who is to care for the family? It is better to ask the feminist, who is really in control: the one who toils to bring the bread in the door, or the one who nourishes the workers? The Jewish faith understands the identity of the woman and seeks to protect her (Eve) from the poisons of the world, that the family might be raised in a greater sense of purity – “buildeth me a nation of holy and righteous people.” This cannot come from the world, but from the hands of loving mothers who look to serve their G_d as He imparts to

them the innocence of babes. The “Jewish Mother” despite what many want to see and say, edifies the identity of woman and attempts again not only to make her whole, but make man also whole. Through such acts, the Reformed and Conservative Jewish communities venture to a slippery slope and offer but another witness of the “frog in the warming pot”. While Orthodox alone look to the line in the sand knowing one step only moves the line, making a second sacrifice is easier than the first. The Reformed and Conservative did not jump right into the bed of the culture; it was a slow and manipulated process that resulted in baby steps of change. From girls entering the minyan, to bat mitzvah, the identity of women was lost and manhood was placed onto their shoulders, so much that the cries of ordainment were not long in coming, most denominations toe this line. Should the importance of the individual stem from such action, what witness do we receive from Christ washing the feet of the Apostles, or G_d listening to Abrahams cry for Sodom and Gomorrah? The Creator of all not only listens to man, but also seeks to serve him. Is it pride that drives women to seek life within the role of men, an action that serves the devil? Again Eve has heard the cry of the serpent; however, this time it is not the apple that she eats, but the fruit of man’s ipseity.

Such merging resulted in Regina Jones being ordained a rabbinic in 1930, within Reformed Judaism.

Though done in private, within fifty years both the Reformed and

Conservative Jewish communities were openly ordaining women.

They were counted

within the minyan by 1973 and part of the Torah by the 1950’s. A different picture from the Orthodox women who held to the traditional famine roles of various responsibilities

during the Sabbath as preparing the bread and candle lighting, and care of the family through purity laws, Taharat Ha-Mishpachah and the dietary laws Kashrut. It is easy to cry oppression of women as we compare Orthodox with Reform and Conservative Jewish communities.

Our culture makes it even harder to defend the

Orthodox position with cries of chauvinism. However, the truth of women losing their identity, furthering our culture into perversion, and the loss of a focus on God is not something that is open for discussion. In our culture the loss of biblical womanhood is portrayed as freedom, stepping out from the “male autocrat”. Ironically, as we look at the arguments put forward that normally silences anyone who speaks against this “liberation” they take a similar tone to that of the serpent in Eden.

The role of women has almost become untouchable, a forbidden topic that can

leave one branded.

There is another identity shift that takes the same tone and that is

within the homosexual movement. There is something wrong when a topic is addressed and hostility is the immediate respond. The reasoning to this I believe is found within the Orthodox communities. Where they strive to hold to the image of man that YHWH Himself bestowed upon us, being two separate roles, however contains one common goal – holiness.

The Orthodox know

mankind best fulfills the plan of G_d when we adhere to His holy will. They ask how is a woman less than man? She is only such when steps are made to make them something that they are not. The Creator birthed mankind, an act that is purely feminine. G_d is both man and woman, why would YHWH seek to deem one and raise another? The “Jewish Mother” brings peace to any heart when we look with innocent eyes. Moreover, what is wiser than a mother who guards over her children and prepares them

for the world? Motherhood proclaims YHWH, “Behold I send you as sheep in the midst of wolves. Be ye therefore wise as serpents and simple as doves.” Mathew 10:16. As the number of children raised outside of the home increases, the pillar of our culture that is the family continues to crumble; a pillar that rests in the hands of women. Judaism is a barometer to the health of mankind. Every aspect of its faith is intertwined with the health of humanity. As Jewish Orthodoxy and its ancient ways of protecting male and female fade into the selfishness of our culture, the resulting action rips at the seams of our existence. We began with paper, seeking to understand the participation of women within Judaism; however, seeking to answer this question reveals a potentially larger concern regarding the expanding of women’s identity. The danger is not in women becoming more active in the faith or within the world. It does however remain a slippery slope. Once changes are made in one area, we move the line, making it easier to ponder questions that once seemed unquestionable. A progressive feminist movement is as I titled this paper a “double edged sword”, in that yes women must be respected, however, respect does not come from changing one’s roles in life to something other than what G_d set forth. Should we be serving YHWH, then our lives are already complete.

Anything else of desire may be but the modern

“forbidden fruit” Our question is not how women function within the Jewish faith, but how and why they are reaching beyond faith and staring into the world. YHWH reached to His chosen people to restore union with the divine and man. As Jews looked more to the world than the covenant for security, mankind as a whole distances itself from YHWH. Throughout the history of the Jewish people we have seen these instances of seeking self-

pleasure. Rehoboan was the catalyst that began the road to Babylonian invasion as the Nation of Israel was divided against itself.

Orthodox, Reform, and Conservative

Judaism hold to the truth. However the latter of the two have sought to appease the wants of the few and neglected their focus to the needs of a Nation, not a gender. As Eve seeks to participate more in the world, is man taken further from the gates of Eden?