New Feminist Revolution?
I'm waiting to hear interesting news on the women's camp.
I firmly believe a revolution has already started in the Jewish camp. Many may not know it or think it. But ever since Rebbe Nachman, I don't think things will be the same again.
I also see the seeds of revolutionary happenings in the BC (black community). Many BW are throwing away the shackles of old ways of thinking, and most importantly they're blogging!
When there is a harsh decree set out against someone or a group of people, we pray. We pray that God would change things to our favor. However, if the decree has already been passed then what? We still pray! But in a concealed way. Either via story telling, talking or I'll add blogging.
But that still leaves two groups. BM and women in general. I suspect BM will get pulled along in the BW surge. What about women? I still don't hear anyone caring for the Arabic women who must suffer from certain abuses in Muslim countries. In fact, I really don't hear much from the feminist camp at all.
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Women are still treated as chattel in many places throughout our world, and many times the support for such atrocities is found within their own religion.
Even here in the U.S. certain religious groups relegate certain roles to women and to men.
This notion that somehow God has relegated women to inferior roles in society is just not born out by reality: Women perform one of humankind's most important responsibilities--the perpetuation of the human race.
Clearly their role exceeds the man, and their travail greater.
In the Gospel According to Thomas, a curious passage occurs at the very end of it. I'm including the penultimate, and the last one to keep it in context.
(113) His disciples said to him, "When will the kingdom come?"
Jesus said, "It will not come by waiting for it. It will not be a matter of saying 'here it is' or 'there it is.' Rather, the kingdom of the father is spread out upon the earth, and men do not see it."
(114) Simon Peter said to him, "Let Mary leave us, for women are not worthy of life."
Jesus said, "I myself shall lead her in order to make her male, so that she too may become a living spirit resembling you males. For every woman who will make herself male will enter the kingdom of heaven."
My point: this notion of the inferiority of women existed even then. I'm well aware that more is going on here than just the physical differences of males and females, but something more profoundly spiritual which I won't expound on here.
Hi Domino,
This is another topic I've wanted to write about but don't have enough time to sit through and think it through.
The interesting part of all this for me is that even in Judaism there are role relegated to men and women.
But its not out of inferiority, I don't think.
For instance, there is a morning prayer that is said. The men say, "thank you God for not making me a woman!" And the women say, "Thank you God for making just as I am!"
On the one hand, you'd think this was about man being superior and the woman being inferior but I don't see it as such.
If anything its the women who is slightly on the "superior" if we must look at things in that light.
But it can -nevertheless- be turned around into an abusive situation.
Quick example: Jewish men must be careful not to 'spill seed'. So many try not to look at women or do anything that encourages, say, the flow of oxitocin lol.
Yet, some men, apart from expecting the woman to dress modestly, may insist that she go to the back of the bus so as not to be seen. They may insist that she cover more and more and yet more. They treat the woman badly as if to say they are not seeing beauty in this creature,etc. Or they twist and turn to show how very uncomfortable they are because perhaps they see something immodest -thus making her feel awkward. All these things are abusive, I think.
Another example is the recent holiday that we just experience here. Simhat Torah. There the men all dance in a circle around the Torah.
It would seem as if the women are excluded. But truthfully, its been the men who have turned away from the Torah and who must now show their devotion. Thus it is the men who must pick it up and dance and demonstrate this devotion. But some will be upset the the women aren't dancing -- and there is really nothing stopping women from dancing if they wanted to. But the context of the holiday ought to be remembered.
Some try to see things as if if one is up then the other must be down. If one is good then the other must be bad. Adam and Eve were one before they got split. We, men and women -the sun and the moon- can be up in the same sky at the same time without stepping on each other's toes.
Its taking a beautiful thing and warping it.
Thanks, Miriam, for the explanation. I wrote a fairly exhaustive response, but my computer froze, and that was the end of that.
Yet, let me ask this one question that I posed in the other post:
Why the manner of prayer: "thank you God for not making me a woman!" And the women say, "Thank you God for making just as I am!"
It hearkens back to my previously quoted statement: "(114) Simon Peter said to him, "Let Mary leave us, for women are not worthy of life."
Is there some suggestion here that women do not enjoy, will not enjoy, a status reserved for men alone.
Not causing trouble, just curious, and always seeking.
All of this has spiritual and metaphysical significance, not so much physical and material, although it seems to have spilled over into the physical realm.
I need to continue with by exegesis of Genesis. I've learned more (considerably more), but have put off putting it down.
For example: I know now how Eve is a "help meet" for Adam. And it's not marriage in the traditional sense of the word: It's much more.
Eve's role is more important than tradition has made it, or recognizes.
Hi Domino,
There is a Talmudic story about the moon and the sun. According to the story, the moon was originally created the same size as the sun. But it became arrogant and said to God, "How can two rule the sky?"
God replied, "You're right. So diminish yourself."
And so the moon diminished itself. However in the end of times, the moon will realize that indeed two can rule the sky and will come back to its full glory.
The moon represents women, the sun men.
The prayer is saying that woman was made just as she should be. While the man has to console himself with what he is.
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According to the Oral tradition, even as the Jewish people, just freed from Egypt and on their way to Israel, they sent spies to scout out the land. The spies returned with a bad report because they didn't not really want to enter the land. They had established a whole hierarchy of who's in charge of what, etc and didn't want to enter a new phase in which things get reorganized.
For this they were punished. But the women did not take part in that.
The women also did not take part in the golden calf idol worship earlier.
~~~~~~
There is also a concept that for every holy person, there's an even holier women. Thus, Sarah was supposedly greater than Abraham, etc.
And finally, there is another Talmudic story that says that 10 measures of speech was given to the world, and women got 9 of them! lol.
That could be seen has hilarious. That women just want to chatter chatter chatter.
But the main thing that distinguishes mankind from the animals is the power of speech.
Women have the ability to multitask. Take care of kids, run a house, even have a business if they want and somehow be okay.
It was the man who was told to leave his father and mother and to cleave to the wife. The wife -I suspect- doesn't have to marry if she doesn't want, I don't think. But it would be detrimental for the man to remain unmarried (spilling seed, no growth, etc.)
Women were created to be a help-opposite to man. Many Bible interpret the Hebrew "ezer kneggdo" as "Help mate" but the real word would be "help opposite". i.e. when the man is going according to God's will, she's a help. When he goes against His Holy Will, she's man's opposer.
Its as if women are like God's representative. Indeed, women represent the Shechina- the female aspect of God- in the world.
All this, I think is enough to swell a women's head. lol.
And I think that if she thinks she's superior to man, then then she diminishes herself. But God willing, when women realize that they have a powerful role to play on earth, that they can rule the sky and it doesn't necessarily have to be done by emasculating men, then she will regain her full glory.
This is not to say its all women's fault that she's in the predicatment that she's in at the moment. There are some really nasty men out there and they really need to be opposed.
This was a jumbled mess and hopefully it made sense. I'll try to post more (better) later.
"This was a jumbled mess and hopefully it made sense. I'll try to post more (better) later."
Miriam, this was great! How about posting it as a blog entry. It filled in the blanks for me, and I'm sure it'll do the same for others.
"Women were created to be a help-opposite to man. Many Bible interpret the Hebrew "ezer kneggdo" as "Help mate" but the real word would be "help opposite". i.e. when the man is going according to God's will, she's a help. When he goes against His Holy Will, she's man's opposer."
Interesting. Now, I'm really eager to have you take a look at what I've found. I'm not sure how it will stack up, but I will, at some point, share.
Hi Domino,
Please share! I am intrigued!
Hopefully, I'll rewrite it as a post when its calmer here.
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