Blessing that I'm not a women

[Leo613]

Why if nowadays we're saying women are just as smart or even smarter then men do men say in the prayers a blessing bless the Lord for not making him a women?

 

[Tumah]

What does one have to do with the other?

 

[Leo613]

What does one have to do with the other?

Well what's wrong with being a women

 

[rosends]

Well what's wrong with being a women

Who says that there is anything wrong with it?

 

[Leo613]

Who says that there is anything wrong with it?

So would I not want to be a women

 

[Tumah]

Well what's wrong with being a women

I don't know, what makes you think there's a problem with being a woman?

 

[rosends]

So would I not want to be a women

I don't know. That's not a question I can answer. I would suggest that you be happy with who you are instead of wanting to be what you aren't, but hey...that's just some free advice.

 

[Leo613]

I don't know, what makes you think there's a problem with being a woman?

That's What the blessing seems to say

 

[rosends]

That's What the blessing seems to say

Really? I've been saying it for 40+ years and I haven't seen that.

 

[Tumah]

That's What the blessing seems to say

What's the problem with being a non-Jew?

 

[Leo613]

What's the problem with being a non-Jew?

I'll get back to you I haven't finished just busy

 

[RabbiO]

Why if nowadays we're saying women are just as smart or even smarter then men do men say in the prayers a blessing bless the Lord for not making him a women?

For the Orthodox perspective I leave you in the very capable hands of rosends and Tumah. I will point out, as they have not already done so, as I am sure you know that traditionally there is a alternate berakhah that woman do say.

Just for the purpose of your information, not to ignite a debate, both the Conservative and Reform movements in the United States - I can't be speak to the Masorti and Liberal movements elsewhere - have substituted a single blessing for the traditional blessings. The Conservative version thanks G-d "for making me in His image." The Reform version thanks G-d "for making me in the image of G-d."

 

[metis]

This is what the prayer says in English: "Blessed are you, Lord, our God, ruler of the universe who has not created me a woman”, so let's not play games with this and pretend that it doesn't say what it obviously says.

More here: http://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/who-has-not-made-me-a-woman/

 

[rosends]

This is what the prayer says in English: "Blessed are you, Lord, our God, ruler of the universe who has not created me a woman”, so let's not play games with this and pretend that it doesn't say what it obviously says.

More here: http://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/who-has-not-made-me-a-woman/

And, as per the presupposition of the OP, where is there any commentary about men being smarter? That section of the blessings has a function -- to thank God for putting the person saying it in the position to be obligated in certain commandments. Non-Jews, slaves and women belong to categories which are not required to fulfill certain laws. Men thank God for having an additional requirement. What here is about smarts, or being better in any way?

 

[metis]

And, as per the presupposition of the OP, where is there any commentary about men being smarter? That section of the blessings has a function -- to thank God for putting the person saying it in the position to be obligated in certain commandments. Non-Jews, slaves and women belong to categories which are not required to fulfill certain laws. Men thank God for having an additional requirement. What here is about smarts, or being better in any way?

Sorry, but I don't buy it, largely because if it actually was supposedly trying to say what you think it says, the wording should have been very different. Yes, there are obviously different roles that different genders and different positions play in our society both then and now, but that's not what the words actually say.

Instead, it is of my opinion that the words say what they mean, and that it reflects a patriarchal perspective that not only permeated early Jewish society but permeates Torah as well. I find no reason to interpret these words any differently, especially because there simply is no reason to do so, plus the culture itself fits the paradigm quite well.

 

[rosends]

Sorry, but I don't buy it, largely because if it actually was supposedly trying to say what you think it says, the wording should have been very different. Yes, there are obviously different roles that different genders and different positions play in our society both then and now, but that's not what the words actually say.

That is precisely what the words say. The first blessing thanks God for giving us the knowledge to wake up. Then we thank God for not making us a non-Jew thus obligating us in one general set of laws. Then we thank God for not making us a slave, becuse that group would be exempted from a narrower group of laws, then for not making me a woman, and that is third because of the three categories, the exemptions on a woman are least. But they exist and I want to be bound to laws. This is the essence of reciting the blessings and in that order. This is a necessary daily alignment -- when I am tired, the easiest thing to say is "gee, I'm glad I don't have to follow laws" or "Gosh, I'm beat; I wish I didn't have to follow all these laws." Instead we institutionalize not only that we have to follow laws, but that we are thankful for the opportunity. There is no obligation to be Jewish and the righteous non-Jew has it easier than the Jew in terms of being righteous. Shouldn't I be wishing I was not Jewish? No -- I am happy and thankful that I have laws that I am bound to.

I can't understand how anyone could read the blessings as just a general "I'm glad I'm not like you" statement.

 

[Akivah]

This is what the prayer says in English: "Blessed are you, Lord, our God, ruler of the universe who has not created me a woman”, so let's not play games with this and pretend that it doesn't say what it obviously says.

I believe that women have a harder lot in life than men. They generally do most, if not all the chores around the house. Plus they have to go through the pain of child birth. Males normally have it easier in life than females. It's no wonder that some male Jews thank G-d for not making them female.

 

[metis]

That is precisely what the words say. The first blessing thanks God for giving us the knowledge to wake up. Then we thank God for not making us a non-Jew thus obligating us in one general set of laws. Then we thank God for not making us a slave, becuse that group would be exempted from a narrower group of laws, then for not making me a woman, and that is third because of the three categories, the exemptions on a woman are least. But they exist and I want to be bound to laws. This is the essence of reciting the blessings and in that order. This is a necessary daily alignment -- when I am tired, the easiest thing to say is "gee, I'm glad I don't have to follow laws" or "Gosh, I'm beat; I wish I didn't have to follow all these laws." Instead we institutionalize not only that we have to follow laws, but that we are thankful for the opportunity. There is no obligation to be Jewish and the righteous non-Jew has it easier than the Jew in terms of being righteous. Shouldn't I be wishing I was not Jewish? No -- I am happy and thankful that I have laws that I am bound to.

I can't understand how anyone could read the blessings as just a general "I'm glad I'm not like you" statement.

That is an interpretation you have decided to believe in, and that's all fine and dandy, but I believe that it avoids the reality of the what the words actually say and the cultural milieu that it came from. Also, as I'm quite sure you're also aware that there are many other areas whereas differentiations show up that we would call "sexist" today, such as a how "gets" are handled or the subordinate role of women in the Temple/synagogue, often pawned off as "just different roles".

That region of the world, including eretz Israel, has always been a rather heavily patriarchal set of societies, and for good reason-- it's traditionally been a very rough area, and areas like that worldwide tend to be very patriarchal because so much depended on men for protection. This is a general rule of thumb we've noted as anthropologists. Societies with less hostilities and less reliance on hunting tended to be somewhat more egalitarian.

 

[metis]

I believe that women have a harder lot in life than men. They generally do most, if not all the chores around the house. Plus they have to go through the pain of child birth. Males normally have it easier in life than females. It's no wonder that some male Jews thank G-d for not making them female.

So, you do agree with me-- thanks for that. And, yes, I do agree that the female roles are often harder in many areas, and my wife reminds me of the daily.

 

[Akivah]

So, you do agree with me-- thanks for that. And, yes, I do agree that the female roles are often harder in many areas, and my wife reminds me of the daily.

Yes, we agree. So we can thank G-d that we aren't female. It's not a put-down, but a recognition.