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March 15, 2007

Egalitarianism: Halacha and Tradition (2007)

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Egalitarianism in the Torah? - First Talk (2005)

2 Buzz Words of contemp’y non-O-Jsm: Plural’m; Egalitarn’m (=Eg’m). Is there such a concept in Tor? My thesis: Yes, but not dominate all else. Nuanced. Will give several cases which clearly pro-eg’m; and several which clearly hierarchical – and the reasons why so. No simple answers.Ex #1—pro- eg'm: Source=טור ת1״מ סימן צו ; so for all civil lawאשה שוה לאיש לכל עונשין שבתורה - ואיש צריר לנדותו עד רציית דינא וכן הוא דין האשהמעיד אני עלי את השמי□ ואת הארץ בין גוי בין ישראל בין איש ביןJ אשה בין עבד בין שפחה הכל לפי מעשיו של אד□ רוח הקדש שורה עליוr Genrl princpl hierarchy: "bottom" nvr totally derogdtd...Hierarchical #1: Distinctions betw G-d/man, and man/animal...Mn/Gd: imtate/impersonate; thus: .תהילים קמד-מה אד□ ותדעהו בן אנוש ותחשבהותהילים ח -ותחסרהו מעט מאלהים וכבוד והדר תעטרהו: :YetMn/Anml: כשרות, צער בעלי חיים.Hierarchical #2: בין ישראל לעמים - ST - Cone camp, J last request: 2 minute prayer: שלא עשני גויHierarchical #3: כהן לוי ישראל - true, but trade-off: gets תרומה, מקדים but also subject to burdensome restrictions—marriage, cemetery, etcמיתת נדב ואביהו שהם בגדר ״בקרובי אקדש״ :SOHierarchical #4: ת״ח והמון העם—read from רמבי׳ם הלי דעות פ״ה . True— but noblesse oblige Imbues public w כבוד התורהHierarchical #5: מצוות עשה שהזמן גרמא - Abudrahm... & Hedge of R explanation (הלכות נדה endows woman w awareness קדושת הזמן)Hierarchical #6: ולד זכר או נקבה...-אשה כי תזריע child-brth=paragon of creativity ; *Perplxg: at birth no joy bt טומאה; bee creatvty disturbs innr eqlbrium,/ requires reorienttn of כחות הנפש. Always טומאה <-'צירה:*Kab: בריאה ע״י שבירת הכלים; also: ע״ס דקדושה עם ע״ס דמסאבותאו ס\ *seed - has to rot; sculpture=getting rid of all that’s not in artist’s headj *Artists, writers; so: רבנו יעקב בעל הטורים and (להבדיל) Wagner*History: ערב רב^יצ׳ימ; French Rev־>Jacobins;( above exp/anatn=result of indvd! /diverse opinions קylק/nמהרשא/א1ה״ Freud/myself\THUS: period of טומאה אחרי לידה. Bt why 2 X for girl? bee created creator!The difference: The first t…
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Speech

How Equal Should Women Be? (1959)

I am qualified to speak on this subject because of the happy circumstance that there are as many women as men in my ancestry. Freud maintained that in the natural psychological makeup of the human race there is inherently a striving or battle between male and female. In addition, in any society, especially a competitive society, there will always be a tendency for friction between the sexes. Ancient societies were generally directed and dominated by one of the sexes. Some of them were matriarchal, dominated by the women or mother. Most societies of ancient days were patriarchal. Our own society was originally patriarchal. It is now in a state of transition. The whole problem of “How equal should women be?” is peculiar to modern society, emerging, as it is, from a completely patriarchal culture to a new kind of civilization – perhaps partially matriarchal. The whole concept of women’s rights is no more than about fifty years old. The problem was brought into sharp focus in World War I, when the men were away on the battlefield fighting, and women were called upon to serve their places in industry and offices, as a sort of second best. No one really thought that they would prove anywhere near as capable as men. They were, however, surprised by the fact that in many of these temporary positions, the women proved to be superior to the male. From that day on, American women have been getting more and more rights. Today there are two and a half million more women voters than men voters. One third of the American labor force – about twenty-two million – are women. We are today, insofar as the position of women in society, in a state of flux. And the stress and strain of the transition period is having its definite effect upon all members of our civilization. If you will excuse the metaphor, the pattern of the American woman’s position in society has been set – but the basting thread has not yet been taken out. Alterations still must and will be made.The problem today in A…
Women & Judaism

Outline

Quotes for Egalitarianism Talk (2005)

Quotes for egalitarianism talk: 1) Egalitarianism has proven to be a challenge to Orthodox Jews, but also for non-Orthodox Jews who identify themselves as Jews and are therefore must grapple with their role as Jews in Western society. Perhaps one can say that for non-Orthodox Jews, “navigating the boundaries between one’s religious/communal/ethnic identity, and one’s participation in society, is even more vexing and complex. 2) Jewish particularism is in conflict with the pressures of emancipation, a was so for most of the past two-hundred years. 3) Moses Mendelssohn was probably the most important and earliest person to articulate the problem of the conflict between Judaism and modernity. He himself realized that contemporary notions of egalitariasnim and non-judgementalism had to be rejected if traditional Judaism was to survive intact. Thus Mendelssohn reinforced the immutable authority of Halakhah. 4) Great Gedolim of the 19th Century maintained that the danger to Jewish survival from hostile anti-Semitism, is accompanied by fear that too much acceptance and too much love will be accompanied by a demand that we abandon our exclusivity and simply assimilate. Thus, Rabbi Yosef Baer Soloveitchik (1820-1892) and the Netziv. These Gedolim were not opposed to the spirit of emancipation and tolerance brought about in the enlightenment, but they were concerned mostly not with the Gentiles but with the Jews who would try to reciprocate the kindness of the Gentile world by dropping out from Judaism. (The above two items come from the article by Edward Breuer, “Jews and Judaism in an Egalitarian Society," in the Orthodox Forum volume entitled “Formulating Responses in an Egalitarian Age.") Note: The Netziv lived from 1817 to 1893.
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