Is Equality a Myth?

Question of the Week:  I have often heard it said that Judaism believes that women are more spiritual than men. This is supposed to explain why men have more religious obligations than women - men need these things to become closer to G-d, women are there already. But do we really believe that? Is it not just a patronising way to avoid the question of the different gender roles in Judaism? Answer: I remember as a child being told that men and women are equal. I had a big problem with this. I asked, "If men and woman are equal, why do men and women never compete with each other in sports? You never see a man playing against a woman in tennis, or women's soccer teams facing men's, or a mixed gender 100 metre sprint. If we are all equal, why can't we compete together?" The answer I received was unsatisfying. "Men are on average stronger physically than women. It would not be fair for them to compete against each other in sports which require bodily strength, because men would always win. But in every other way, men and women are equal." This did not sit well with me. If men are superior to women in physical strength, but equal in all else, then men and women are not equal. Men have an edge. Unless there is some other area of human endeavour in which women are superior, we are not equal. This bothered me for years. Until I learnt Judaism's attitude to women. Women are more soulful than men. While men may excel in physical prowess, women are far ahead when it comes to spiritual strength. Women are more sensitive to matters of the soul, more receptive to ideas of faith, more drawn to the divine than men. The feminine soul has an openness to the abstract and a grasp of the intangible that a male soul can only yearn for. This is why G-d told Abraham, the first Jewish man, "Whatever Sarah your wife tells you, listen to her voice." She was the greater prophet, her soul more intuitive than his. When I first heard this idea, it suddenly all made sense. There is indeed a balance between men and women. Men have stronger bodies, women have stronger souls. Of course there are exceptions. Some women could beat any guy in an arm wrestle. And some men are more spiritually intuned than the women around them. But for the most part, men have bigger muscles, women have deeper feelings. The Torah gives men more physical mitzvos, to tame the body and give the soul extra power. Women don't need this help. Because although men can jump higher in the air, women can reach higher into the heavens. Good Shabbos, Rabbi Moss To subscribe CLICK HERE or email rabbimoss@nefesh.com.au  SHABBOS SERVICES & COMMUNITY INFO ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ALL SERVICES AT NEFESH POP-UP 1 FRANCIS ST BONDI BEACH (OFF CAMPBELL PDE, BEHIND NOAH'S BACKPACKERS)   SHABBOS SERVICES Friday, 29 December 2017 | 11 Teves 5778 Candle Lighting........................... 7:51pm ............................................ (Not before 6:42pm) Mincha....................................... 6:15pm Shabbos Service.......................... 6:30-7:20pm  (Kids Program on summer break) Teen Boys Davening..................... 6:30pm Followed by Kiddush.   Shabbos Day, 30 December 2017 | 12 Teves No parsha class this week Shabbos Service.................. 10:00am-12:20pm (Kids Program on summer break) Followed by Kiddush.   Mincha followed by Seudah Shlishis ......... 7:50pm Gematria and story by Rev Amzalak......... 8:15pm Shabbos ends and Maariv....................... 8:53pm Followed by Havdalah    WEEKDAY SERVICES Sunday & Monday day (Pub.hols)... 8:00am Tuesday-Friday............................ 7:00am Latest Shema this week................ 9:19am   HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO Shai Behrman.......... 17 Tevet/ Thursday 4 January   HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO Gavin & Beatrish Gordon...... 9 Tevet/ Wed 27 Dec Gilda & Jonathan Shapira..... 12 Tevet/ Sat 30 Dec Sarah & Benjy Reid............. 12 Tevet/ Sat 30 Dec Greg & Leah Weinstein........ 13 Tevet/ Sun 31 Dec   LONG LIFE TO Libby Moss and Peter Irving for their late grand mother  Jesse Stanley... 13 Teves/ Sunday 31 Dec Harold Judelman for his late mother Esther Judelman, Sheina Ester bat Chaim Guttel ... 14 Tevet/ Monday 1 January Michelle Brenner for her late father Alexander Brenner...18 Tevet/ Friday 5 January To make a donation for a birthday, an Aliyah, a Yahrzeit or anything else,  please click here.  Kiddush options: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Friday night: Soup $75 | Basic $120 | Deluxe $200 Shabbos Day: Basic $350 Lunch $750-$1200    Dates available: Fri 5 Jan, Sat 6 Jan, Fri 12 Jan, Sat 13 Jan.   To arrange, just email office@nefesh.com.au

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