Last Names

HH

In Likutay Nanach I posit that in the times of the Bal Shem Tov the hanhaga (Divine Rule and Conducting of the world) was set to the mode of Soaf (-as the Ramchal revealed, that HY is One, the very same One before and after and during the creation of the universe. With the creation of the universe there is the creation of beginning and end, and the beginning is G-d's unity as it stands, and the end is G-d's unity as it is reflected from the entire experience that was the universe, ultimately both of these are also One, however in the time of the universe, there are two approaches to reveal the unity, either in one shot to introduce the beginning, or to have to go through the whole rigamarole of the universe, until everything is rectified to reflect the unity of HY) – and that is probably why it was in those times that the advent of surname. Because the Roash is the aspect of the male, and the Soaf the aspect of the female, and in the mode of the Soaf, the Soaf has to reveal in itself the Roash. So as long as the hanhaga was still open to have the Roash prevail by itself, there was no special association given to woman's role, a marriage was primarily just the man's completion. However once the mode of the Soaf became necessary, the woman's role in the marriage became the anchor, and thus a real family indigenous to these two people was created, ultimately following the surname of the male, because the Soaf reveals the Roash, but here the woman has full equal representation in that LAST name.

Na Nach Nachma Nachman MeUman!  

Transgender

HH
One of the most highly regarded works in Brisk and the Yeshivos is the Minchas Chinuch (my father gives lectures on this book, and many have been recorded and are available online on frumtube or koshertube), which analyzes the mechanics of the mitzvos. Very, very often the Minchas Chinuch presents different approaches and in order to show why and how it actually makes a difference which way you see it, he resorts to the case of a tumtum (se**al organs covered and unknown) and androgeenus (having both)- where according to one approach such people would be obligated and according to the other approach they would be exempt, or vice versa.

So maybe all the learning of the Minchas Chinuch was instrumental in an oblique way to the sexual mayhem prevalent today, or as a true yeshiva person would say: If people would be learning more from the Minchas Chinuch, the world would be spared the craziness of people actually going that way.

There could be another facet. For time immemorial the world was led to believe that learning Torah is more important than prayer. In recent times Rabbi Nachman has made it abundantly clear that prayer - for spirituality - is much higher. Torah is the aspect of the male, and prayer is the aspect of female. So now that the world is make the transformation, and shifting its focus to favor prayer over Torah, this effects all the echelons of society, ultimately bringing severe identity crisis and issues to some of those more prone to confusion, may the Holy Merciful One spare us and save us and redeem us very soon.

Na Nach Nach Nachman MeUman!