HH
The Netziv's
(Founder and Rosh Yeshiva of the Volozhin, the first modern Yeshiva)
wife was very learned and extremely proficient in Tanach (written
Torah). Once she heard a simple uneducated man saying the blessing
“that He did not make me a woman” with extreme fervor. She was
aghast. What was this man so excited about, she herself knew more
than this man knew. She confronted her husband who pacified her by
saying that every male makes the blessing in relation to the females
that correlate to him. The question is whether this is a true answer
or just a placation. For the simple meaning of this prayer is that
the male has the full 613 commandments and is the main player in the
Supernal image.
In the Yeshiva world
the story is told that a Yeshiva Bochur took out a BJJ (Beis Yakov of
Yerushalayim) girl out on a date – to the lobby of a hotel
(terrible custom of the litvaks), upon seeing the boozing of some of
the clientele the boy exclaimed, B”H that He didn't make me a
gentile. The girl spoke up and said, that Rebetzin Davis (the
infamous head mistress of BJJ) had taught them, that when they make
the daily morning blessing, “that He has not made me a gentile”,
they should not think of a fall out or an ordinary gentile, but even
the president, for it is such a blessing to be Jew. So the Yeshiva
boy replied, that when he makes his daily morning blessing, “that
He has not made me a woman”, he doesn't simply refer to any woman,
but even Rebetzin Davis.
So the question is
whether this goes against the above placation the Netziv gave his
wife, or maybe Rebetzin Davis really isn't on par even with a Yeshiva
Bochur.
All of this should
be taken with good humor, I mean no respect to any gentile or woman,
certainly not those that are better than I....
According to the
Kabbala in the future the woman's status is higher than the man's,
the woman will be the true “Woman of Valor” of which the verse
(Proverbs) says, “A woman of valor is the crown of her husband”,
the crown being higher. The Ramchal explains this quite beautifully
but it is difficult for me to bring his words here. If this is the
case how can it be that the woman has less commandments, which are
seeming indications of higher responsibility?
Today it occurred to
me that maybe this is an aspect of what the Ramchal revealed that
originally Adam had only one commandment, and when he didn't keep it,
there where additional commandments – the 7 mitzvos of the Ben
Noach, and when Noach took drugs and all in all did not bring the
desired rectification to the world, Hashem indoctrinated the
requirement of the 613 mitzvos. Rabbi Nachman also points out that it
was only due to transgressions that there was a proliferation of
instructions (See Tractate Nedarim 22b, The Life Of Rabbi Nachman item #202 - His trip to Israel item #18).
From here it is
possible to say, that in the end of time when all the sins and
shortcomings of man will be rectified, the woman's fewer obligations
will no longer be a sign of less responsibility, but a sign of
superior connection to HY.
Keep in mind that
Rabbi Nachman revealed that prayer – which is the aspect of the
female – is much more important than learning Torah – the aspect
of the male. Rabbi Nachman was ushering in the future time.
Na Nach Nachma
Nachman MeUman!
Posts
