The essay deals mainly with three questions:

Why do women have in certain areas an unequal position in Judaism?

Why are women sometimes described in rabbinical writings in a way that doesn’t correspond to the reality we know?

Why is it that until the modern era Jewish women had more rights and respect than in other societies, yet now the situation seems to have been reversed; the secular western society endorses total gender equality, while Torah society does not?

If the answers to these questions interests you, than please read on.

The Jewish Secret Behind Feminism
or Nekeva Tisovev Gever

One of the foremost issues in Jewish life today is the Torah’s attitude towards women. Much has been written and said on the subject, but for many it still remains a sore point. Throughout the generations the Jewish woman was accorded more rights and respect than in any other society. Suddenly, the situation seems to have been overturned; general western society has declared equal rights for women while Torah society has been placed on the defensive. What is the meaning of this?

Since the Torah was written for all generations the answer must be found in the Torah itself. To find it, however, we must delve more deeply into the Torah’s teachings, using insights provided by kaballah.¹

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Are men and women equal according to the Torah? There seems to be evidence pointing in both directions. On the one hand, it is clear that men and women are equal before G-d as is demonstrated in the following medrashim:

“U’Devorah Isha Nevia” – “and Devorah was a prophetess woman”:

What is the special nature of Devorah, who prophesied over Israel and judged them, even though Pinchas ben Elazar was still alive and functioning? (i.e. if there was a worthy man in the generation, why appoint a woman?) I call Heaven and earth to testify, whether a gentile or an Israelite, man or a woman, whether a man-servant or a woman-servant, all according to the deeds of the human being does the Holy Spirit (Ruach HaKodesh) rest on him.²

And in another medrash we read:

“Shomea Tefilla” – “He hears prayer”: Rabbi Yehuda ben Shalom said in the name of Rabbi Elazar: (The nature of) flesh and blood is that if a poor person comes to tell him something, he does not listen; if a rich person comes to say something, he immediately listens and accepts it. But the Holy One, Blessed is He, is not like that; rather all are equal before Him - - women, slaves, poor people and rich people . . . The same language is used regarding Moshe (Moses), master of all the prophets, as is used regarding a poor person . . . to inform you that all are equal in prayer before G-d.³

The sages also tell us that just as there were 600,000 prophets in Israel, so there were 600,000 prophetesses.⁴ There are many statements in the Talmud illustrating the value of righteous women and their importance in G-d’s eyes. For instance, the sages say that it was in the merit of righteous women that our forefathers were redeemed from Egypt,⁵ and the future redemption will also be in the merit of righteous women.⁶ Furthermore, the sages tell us that Sarah, the progenitor of all Jewish woman, had the miracles of the Temple in her tent, with G-d’s presence hovering over it. When she died, all this disappeared, returning only with the coming of the next Jewish mother, Rebecah.⁷ The well which sustained the entire Jewish nation for forty years in the desert was in the merit of Miriam the prophetess,⁸ and it was Hannah, the mother of Samuel the prophet, who gave us our present form of silent prayer.⁹ The holidays of Purim and Hanuka came about because of Jewish women who were ready to give their lives for the salvation of the Jewish People.¹⁰ These are only a few examples of the high level of the righteous Jewish woman.

As for the Jewish woman’s position in marriage, the prophet Malachi calls Jewish wives “your brother”, “holy to G-d whom He loves”, and “your comrade and the wife of your covenant”.¹¹ Men are told to honor their wives, for it is they who bring blessing to the home.¹² In fact, a righteous wife is considered so important that the sages say that when a man marries a kosher (e.g. good) woman it is as if he had kept the entire Torah, from aleph to taf (from beginning to end).¹³

But…

On the other hand, there are many ways in which, according to the Torah, women are unequal with men. The birth of a son is traditionally greeted with greater joy than the birth of a daughter. Women are not equal in social status; they are not given positions of authority¹⁴. And although a husband is required to love his wife as himself and honor her more than himself (in physical matters)¹⁵ and not pain her even emotionally,¹⁶ he is nevertheless the head of the house, and she is told to revere and, in most circumstances, follow him.¹⁷

Original Torah law allows a man to have more than one wife (although it was considered extremely wrong to do so, unless truly necessary, such as when the first wife was barren),¹⁸ while a woman can have only one husband. According to original Torah law a man could also divorce his wife against her will, (although again, the sages say that if he does so without true justification, he is hated by G-d)¹⁹, while a wife cannot divorce her husband. (The Jewish court, however, could force a man to give his wife a divorce when necessary.²⁰)

In the spiritual arena we find that women are not given the all important mitzvah of Torah study (although they may study if they wish).²¹ They also cannot form or complete a minyan.²² They are also exempted (although usually not excluded) from certain other commandments. Consequently, men say a blessing for not having been created a woman.²³

What makes matters even harder for us to understand today is that Rabbinical sources sometimes describe women in a way that does not seem to correspond to the reality we know. Women are described in numerous sources as lacking the kind of abstract intelligence which men are seen as possessing. Rabbi Eliezer said, “A woman’s wisdom is confined to her spinning wheel”.²⁴ Other Talmudic sages advised that a man should ask his wife’s opinion on worldly matters but not on Torah.²⁵ The Rambam wrote: “Most women’s minds are not attuned to being taught”.²⁶ Sources in Kaballah say that most women have souls stemming from the world of Asiya, of practical physical action, while men’s souls are more spiritual.²⁷

Consequently, traditional religious way of life is based on the idea that it is men who should immerse themselves as much as possible in mitzvohs pertaining

to the abstract, i.e. Torah study or prayer. And although women are certainly connected to prayer, as we see in the above quoted medrash, it has generally been less time consuming. Instead, women are expected to occupy themselves with practical pursuits, i.e. childcare, housekeeping, and possibly a small business. While a successful mother and homemaker must possess, among other things, good character traits, modesty, pure, direct faith, good practical common sense, and the ability to understand with the heart, her job does not require abstract abilities.

Yet, in contradistinction to this, we find that many women today do have academic or other abstract abilities. Indeed, modern educational curricula for both sexes require abstract intelligence, and most women succeed or even excel in them.

Traditional writings also say that women can not “bring down” financial abundance,²⁸ (although a husband succeeds in bringing it down because of his wife, as it says “and he bestowed goodness on Avraham for her (Sarai’s) sake.)²⁹ Yet nowadays we see that more and more women are commanding impressive incomes. (We are not addressing here the value or merits of pursuing high-paying careers; we are just making an observation.)

In order to answer these questions, it is necessary to go back to the beginning of world history. There is a medrash dealing with this issue, which is both poignant and startling.

Rabbi Shimon ben Pazi asked: It is written, “And G-d

Made the two big luminaries”, and (yet) it is written,           

“the big luminary and the small luminary”? (i.e. if they

are both big, why is one later called small?)

The moon said before the Holy One, Blessed is He:

“Master of the world, two kings cannot share one crown.”

He (G-d) said to her, “Go and make yourself small.” She

said before Him, “Because I said something proper

before you, I should make myself small?” He said to her,

“Go and rule by day and by night.” She said to Him,

“What is the advantage in this? What is the value of a

candle at noon time?” He said to her, “Go, so that Israel

may count the days and years through you.” She said

to Him, “The sun is also necessary for counting the times

and the seasons as it says, “And they (both the sun and

the moon) will be for signs and appointed times, etc.”

“Go, that righteous ones will be called by your name:

Yaakov the Small One, Shmuel the Small One, David

the Small One.” He saw that she was still upset. The

Holy One, Blessed is He said: “Bring an atonement for

Me that I diminished the moon.” This is what Rabbi

Shimon ben Lakish said: What is different about the

goat offering of the new moon that the term “for G-d”

is used regarding it? The Holy One, Blessed is He, said:

This goat will be an atonement for my having diminished

the moon. (Chulin 60b).

Much has been written in Kaballah about this medrash, which is very, very deep. In this essay, we deal only with one aspect of the medrash, the issue of

women’s equality.

The medrash tells us that the sun and moon were originally created equal, but the moon was later diminished. The moon, which in Hebrew is called “levanah” contains the word “lev”, heart. The sun is called chama which contains the word “mo’ach”, brain. The Michtav Me’Eliyahu says about this, “The two great lights allude to two ways in which a person can grasp Hashem Yisborach’s light; through the intellect, and through the heart. In the unblemished world, as Hashem originally wanted it to be – the intellect and the heart are equal powers, and work together, and everything which the intellect grasps enters the heart immediately and completely.”³⁰

In other words, both of these powers are equally important, for although it is essential to know the truth intellectually, the Torah’s goal is to have the truth in our hearts. In fact the Michtav Me’Eliyahu goes on to explain that for this reason the moon, which represents the heart, thought that it should have the most power.

The Zohar tells us that the levana represents woman, because generally speaking, women’s main gift lies primarily in emotional understanding. Men are represented by the sun because generally speaking, man’s main gift is in their intellectual power.³¹

This does not mean that women have no intellect or that men have no heart, of course. Obviously, both sides must have both powers. Rather, it means that one’s strongest tool to connect properly to G-d and life, is in that particular area. Although there are many more exceptions to this rule, these attributes describe men and women as a whole.

The medrash therefore tells us, that like the sun and moon, men and women were originally created equal, but that woman’s “light” was lessened. According to the sages, “light” refers to Torah.³² We are also told that the diminution of the moon was caused by the sin of Chava (Eve).³³ Therefore, before we can discuss the medrash, we must first understand the subject of Chava’s sin and its ramifications throughout world history.

Adam and Chava

When man and woman were first created they were superior to the angels, with spiritual perception beyond our comprehension. Both were prophets. The Torah says, “And you shall know today and you shall place it in your heart” so, there was wisdom that Adam, representing intellectual knowledge, perceived first and then passed on to Chava, who then absorbed this wisdom into her heart, adding her own emotional understanding to it.³⁴ This situation is parallel to the

physical relationship between man and woman. Just as the man gives over the

seed to his wife, who then absorbs and builds upon it, so spiritually as well, the man gave over the seed of wisdom to his wife, who in turn absorbed and developed it. For this reason, wisdom (chochma) is called in kabbalah “aba”, father, while bina, understanding, is called “ima”, mother.³⁵

And, so although Chava was receiving from Adam, just as the moon receives from the sun, she had no less “light” than he did.

The Hebrew Letters by Rabbi Yitzchok Gingsburg³⁶ discusses the letter lamed (pronounced as an “L”) and explains that “In The Letters of Rabbi Akiva, the full spelling of the letter lamed (written out with the letters lamed, mem, daled) is read as short for (initials of) the phrase: lev mavin da’at - a heart that understands knowledge. The numerical value of this phrase (608) equals “heart”: lev – 32, times Chava – 19, i.e., the heart of Chava.”

He goes on to say, “Our sages refer to the lamed as a tower soaring in air³⁷…In our study of Torah, the flying tower is the expression of our love and devotion to the teachings of Torah, our aspiration to conceive its inner truth, lifting us above the gravity barrier of earthly preoccupation.”

And so far from being a person whose wisdom is only in the practical realm, Chava represents a heart aspiring upwards to learn and understand the most abstractly spiritual levels of Torah. Yet although the top of the lamed reaches way up (it is the highest of all the letters), the base of the letter lamed touches the line below. In other words, the lamed – and correspondingly women - is meant to have its head in the heavens while its base is touching ground. The Hebrew Letters explains that the secret of Chava is to use the wisdom she received from Adam to become a vessel which brings Divinity into this material world.

And although Chava was created as a helpmate to Adam, this, too, did not place her on a lower level. A helper can be an assistant, which really does represent a slightly lower level, but a helper can also mean someone who knows better, or has more power, and can therefore help someone in need, just as the rich can help the poor, and the strong help the weak. Both of these meanings apply in the relationship between husband and wife, depending on the situation. Therefore we find that the eshes chayil, the woman of valor of Mishle, is called “ateret ba’alo”, the crown of her husband.³⁸ The crown represents sovereignity, for although in some situations a woman should follow her husband, in other situations he should follow her.³⁹

All this, however, only makes our original questions stronger. If woman is truly intellectual, if she is a heart which understands knowledge, and aspires to the inner dimension of Torah, than why do the Talmud and later sources describe her as being lacking in da’as (intellectual perception) and not suited for Torah study? If she is a “tower soaring in air”, then why is she seen as being down to earth, and working only with they physical world? And if the eishis chayil is the crown of her husband, who actually guides and perfects him, than why is she given a lower status, as pointed out above?

In order to reach the answer, we must understand the ramifications of the sin of the Tree of Knowledge, which so affected mankind in general, and Chava in particular.

The Sin of The Tree of Knowledge

G-d created mankind, in order to bestow goodness on His creatures. But G-d did not want man to be a parasite or a beggar. He wanted the pleasure that man would receive to be truly his own, because he had earned it himself and acquired goodness it into his very being. He therefore first put man in a world where he would need to fight against evil and overcome tests, thereby earning the reward which he would receive afterwards in the world to come.⁴⁰

G-d created pleasure in this world as well, but that is only incidental. One could compare this to a kind employer who offers his workers delicious food and drinks while on the job, and pleasant activities during the breaks. But just as these side benefits are not the purpose of the factory, so the pleasures of this world are not its purpose either. The Talmud tells us, “Today to do them (the mitzvohs) and tomorrow to receive their reward.”⁴¹ In other words, this world is to accomplish, and the next world is the place where we receive the true pleasure for which man was created.

And so even in the ideal state of the Garden of Eden, G-d introduced the existence of evil.

There were two trees in the Garden of Eden that stood out from all the rest – the Tree of Knowledge, and the Tree of Life. Eating from the Tree of Knowledge

would give an inner knowledge of good and evil that man was previously lacking, while eating from the Tree of Life would give him eternal life. The Sages explain that the Tree of Life is Torah.⁴²

When man and woman were originally created, there were no evil desires inside of them. Man was in himself naturally good, and his body was in total harmony with his soul. The evil inclination had to come from without. The snake convinced Chava that G-d had forbidden eating of this tree because He wanted to hold back from them a great power.⁴³ Were they to eat from the tree, he said, their service of G-d would actually be on a much higher level because to know evil and to overcome it is a greater act than to be naturally good.⁴⁴

Chava accepted the snake’s slander and ate from the tree.

Adam and Chava knew that the punishment for eating from the Tree of Knowledge was death. The snake used a ruse to convince Chava that this would not occur,⁴⁵ but after eating, Chava was no longer so sure. The Talmud tells us that what caused Chava to prevail upon her husband to eat of the forbidden tree was the fear that she would now die and G-d would create for Adam another wife. In order to prevent this, she wanted Adam to be with her whatever would happen.⁴⁶ It is most likely that Chava did not consciously admit that this was her true reason, however G-d, who knows the heart of all His creatures, knew that this was the factor that motivated her feeding Adam of the forbidden tree.

Had Adam and Chava withstood the test of the Tree of Knowledge, that evening – the first Sabbath – would have been the World to Come. Instead, the six days of creation turned into six thousand years of striving and suffering, to return to the ideal state that existed before the sin, with the seven thousandth year being the World to Come.⁴⁷ Now life took on an entirely new dimension. Nature was no longer in total harmony with mankind and mankind was no longer in harmony with himself.

The sin caused Adam and Chava to be expelled from the Garden of Eden, with death and suffering entering the world.

The Sages tell us that all future souls were contained in the soul of Adam. This is why, when Adam and Chava sinned, all mankind was punished. It is extremely difficult for us, with our limited material perception, to even understand what a soul is, much less to understand how multiple souls can be included in one great overall soul. But our lack of comprehension does nothing to change reality. We all die because all the souls took part in this sin, and all the souls must rectify it.⁴⁸

G-d created man to enjoy the greatest of all pleasures, the enjoyment of clinging to G-d’s presence. How great this pleasure is, is unimaginable to us because the likes of it does not exist in this world, but we can get some slight inkling of it by comparing it to the thrill and pleasure of a couple madly in love. This is the allegory of Shir HaShirim, Song of Songs.

But the soul can only experience this relationship if it is clean of any contamination of sin. Sin damages the soul and the body as well, and this damage must be repaired before a human being can cling to G-d. Therefore, just as a loving parent will inflict painful medical treatment on a child if this is the only way to save him from a terrible disease, so G-d brings on us punishments whose purpose is to repair the damage we have done to our souls, because this is the only way to save us. Although such punishments are curses from our point of view, which is why the Torah so names them, their true source is in G-d’s loving kindness. (There is a rule that the Torah describes things from man’s point of view.⁴⁹)

And so we find that these curses were not meant to last forever. When their purpose is accomplished they will disappear, as the Ramban writes, “In the days of Moshiach (the messianic period)…man will return at that time to what he was before the sin of Adam HaRishone.” This is because when the damage is cured the “curses” are no longer necessary, and the world will revert to the ideal state that existed before the sin.⁵⁰

With this understanding, let us now examine the curses of Chava. (The Talmud says that both Adam and Chava received ten curses.⁵¹ Since this essay deals with women, we speak here only about the curses of Chava.

The Torah tells us of the curse of pain in pregnancy and childbirth, which came about as a result of the bodily changes that occurred after the sin.⁵² Pain in childbirth is a physiological wonder because it defies the biological rule that when nothing needs to be corrected, natural processes are painless. Yet G-d changed the normal rules of nature in order to enable the rectification of Chava’s sin.

The changes were not only biological. There were social and emotional changes as well. Because Chava told Adam to sin, she was punished measure for measure with “he shall rule over you”.⁵³

This change is not a command, but a natural fact. Before the sin there were no economic needs. Everything was perfectly suited to mankind in the Garden of Eden. Clothes and shelter were unnecessary, and food grew ready to eat on the trees. After the sin, all that changed. Woman became dependent on man for her survival.

The Torah tell us that she became emotionally dependent on man as well, as it says, “And to your man shall your longing be”.⁵⁴ The result was “he shall rule over you.”

The difference between men and women in marriage also came about as a result of Chava’s sin. The Sages say that the fact that a woman may have only one mate while a man may have many wives, was one of Chava’s curses⁵⁵(probably because this was what prompted her to convince Adam to sin).

Here, too, we can see this change on a physical – social level. Before the sin, birth immediately followed conception, so there could be no doubt as to who the father was, but after the sin there were nine months of pregnancy. Therefore, if a man has more than one wife it is clear who both parents are, but if a woman lives with more than one man, one cannot be sure who the father is.

Spiritually, too, woman underwent change. The Zohar says that Chava’s name before the sin was Chaya.⁵⁶ The name Chaya has the letter “yud” in its center. As mentioned, the “yud” signifies the highest level of abstract wisdom.⁵⁷ The loss of the letter “yud” from the woman’s name means that woman now lost her abstract wisdom. This is alluded to in the diminishment of the moon, which was caused by Chava’s sin. The moon’s lost light represents woman’s lost spiritual perception. Both Adam and Chava lost their very high level of spiritual perception as a result of the sin,⁵⁸ but Chava, who initiated the sin, and convinced Adam to go along with her, lost more perception than Adam did.⁵⁹

Consequently, we find the many descriptions of women as being lacking in intellectual understanding, and unsuited to Torah study. Although there always existed exceptional women, this situation was the norm. Not only in the physical or economic arena, but in the spiritual one as well, man would now be the leader.

It is important to understand that it was not Torah law that caused women to be excluded from Torah study, but the change in the nature and capabilities of woman herself. The Torah’s laws reflect these changes and deal with them in the best way possible. Were a person to lose 80% of his vision, and as a result be denied a driver’s license, we would not call this unfair discrimination, but rather a necessary law. It is not the law that causes the suffering, or inconvenience, it is the person’s own situation. Here, too, it was the changes in the woman herself, and changes in nature, that caused woman a lower status.

(Note: We are discussing here the way this was throughout most of world history. The situation today will be discussed later.)

The sin changed the nature of most women from that of an abstract type to that of a concrete type.⁶⁰ Concrete types are not intellectuals, nor are they interested in metaphysical contemplation. They understand things on a more external level. Concrete types have capabilities and interests in concrete physically related activities, such as cooking, sewing, carpentry, gardening, organizing the physical world, etc. Abstract types, although they may also do well in concrete activities, possess an added dimension of understanding of, and interest in, abstract ideas: they understand underlying principles behind the ideas, are often interested in philosophy, the metaphysical, and the hidden

working of the human psyche. Unlike concrete types, who are interested only in the practical application of knowledge, abstract types want knowledge for its

own sake. Abstract types are both capable of, and really need, intellectual and “soul” activities, as reflected in deep Torah study and sometimes intense and even mystical levels of prayer. (Today, we find both types among both men and women, but this will be discussed later.)

After the sin of the Tree of Knowledge, the entire world became a mixture of good and evil.⁶¹ The woman’s job was now to repair the damage by removing the evil from the good.⁶² It was also woman’s job to put the harmony back into creation by using the physical world to attain a spiritual purpose.

This, too, is reflected in the change of woman’s name from Chaya, which has a yud at its center, to Chava, which has a vav at its center. In the words of The Hebrew Letters, the vav represents “the upright stature of man, standing on earth with head reaching toward the heavens”. This became woman’s new role; to deal with the material world, but for the purpose of “reaching towards the heavens”.⁶³

Man, too, had these tasks, but in addition, he was to rectify creation by taking from the “tree of life” through studying the Torah. This is man’s greatest task.

The essential nature of man and woman usually reflected these two tasks: woman, primarily in the concrete areas and man – although also involved in concrete activities (such as farming) – had his most important role in the abstract activity of Torah study. There were always exceptions among both men and women but throughout most of world history the system generally functioned well, because each side was dealing with the area that they were naturally drawn to. (The present situation is discussed later.)

Less Important – In Whose Eyes?

These changes did not cause woman to have less value in G-d’s eyes, because one’s value is not determined by one’s gifts or one’s status, but rather by how well one uses his or her abilities. The difference between objective spiritual stature and apparent this-worldly stature is illustrated in the following story:Rabbi Yehoshua ben Ilem, a great tzaddik and Torah scholar, was told in a dream that his place in the world-to-come would be together with someone named Nannas the butcher. Astonished, he set out to locate this man. After much searching, he found Nannas – a simple Jew who, in caring for his elderly and infirm parents, showed tremendous devotion in the mitzvah of honoring one’s

parents. Upon discovering this, Rabbi Yehoshua ben Ilem declared, “Fortunate am I that my share in the World-to-Come is together with Nannas the butcher”.⁶⁴

A person’s place in the World-to-Come is his/her true spiritual essence, based on his/her accomplishments in this world, and in this, Rabbi Yehoshua ben Ilem and Nannas the butcher were equal. But in the eyes of the world, there is no doubt that Rabbi Yehoshua ben Ilem occupied a much higher position.

For this reason, we find that the birth of a son was greeted with greater joy than the birth of a daughter. It was usually only sons who could be expected to

provide material support. Although a good wife and mother is a blessing to her

husband and children, a daughter was usually not able to give much in return – in terms of honor or wealth – to the parents who put so much into raising her.

For Jews, there was an additional reason for preferring a son. Only through a son could one fulfill the command of “You shall teach them (the words of Torah) to your sons”⁶⁵. Since women are not commanded in Torah study, and most women were not suited for it, the woman’s share in Torah is usually acquired by helping others – her husband and sons – to study Torah.⁶⁶ Therefore, parents who wished to fulfill this mitzvah, preferred a son who could study Torah to a daughter who could not.

This, however, represents only the human view. The rabbis taught, “Greater is the promise that the Holy One Blessed Is He made to women, than to men”.⁶⁷ This is because the reward for enabling another person to do a mitzvah is greater than the reward for doing the mitzvah oneself. One reason for this is that the silent partner’s efforts are not truly appreciated in this world. ⁶⁸ Specifically, because supporting a mitzvah is less prestigious than doing it oneself, it shows more selfless devotion, and therefore the reward for it is greater.

But human beings do not see things that way. From the human point of view, not to desire a son who could study Torah, would show a disinterest in Torah study. People who respect Torah would rather be the parents of Rabbi Yehoshua ben Ilem than the parents of Nannas the butcher, even though in Hashem’s eyes both are equal. Similarly, it is natural that parents who love Torah study would prefer a son who could do so, to a daughter who could not, even though in Hashem’s eyes, to selflessly support Torah is considered an even greater accomplishment.

The Blessing “…for not having created me a woman”

The sages ordained that men say a blessing every morning for not having been created a gentile, a slave, or a woman: “Rabbi Yehudah said, “A man must recite every day…Blessed are you…who has not made me a woman…for women are not commanded in the mitzvot (e.g. the positive time bound mitzvot).”⁶⁹ Yet, as we have already seen, the medrash says, “I bear heaven and earth to witness, whether a man or woman, whether Jew or Gentile, whether man-servant or maid-servant, all according to the deed does the Holy Spirit rest on him.” And the same Rabbi Meir who introduced the blessings for not having been created a gentile, a slave, or a woman also says that a gentile can be on the level of a kohen gadol:

“Rabbi Meir said: How do we know that even a gentile who learns Torah (e.g. the seven Noahide laws which apply to him – Rashi) is to be considered on a par with the high priest? It is because the verse in Scripture says: ‘Which a person should do and live by them’.⁷⁰ It does not say ‘priest or ‘Levite’ or ‘Israelite’ but rather person. This teaches us that even a gentile who learns Torah is to be considered on the same level as a high priest.”⁷¹

Yet a kohen gadol is the highest on the hierarchy and a non Jew is the lowest. How can we understand this apparent contradiction?

Hierarchy of human beings came into this world as a result of sin. This is true not only for the categories just mentioned, but also for the hierarchy of Temple service that was brought into being by the sin of the golden calf. Here there are Kohanim, who performed the Temple service, Levites who sang and helped the Kohanim, and Israelites (everyone else).⁷²

There are surely reasons for a person’s being born into a particular place in the hierarchy, but these reasons lie beyond the confines of our present lives and are therefore not understandable to us. Running parallel to the hierarchy, however, is the level of personal accomplishment, and it is this, which gives a person his/her ultimate standing before G-d. In which type of service one is commanded, depends on the level or type of soul, but how well one accomplishes what he/she is commanded depends on one’s own free will. And it is this factor which ultimately determines a person’s stature. Nannas the butcher surely had a lower (i.e. less abstractly spiritual) soul than Rabbi Yehoshua ben Ilem, but they were both equal in G-d’s eyes. G-d relates to everyone according to their deeds.

In addition to this, for every level of holiness that a Jew cannot acquire through the hierarchy, there is a parallel way to reach that same level, or more, through a different route.

An example of this would be the High Priest and the Nazir. A Nazir is any Jew, who takes upon himself, among other things, to abstain from wine or its derivatives. We are told that the level of holiness of the nazir reaches or even supercedes that of the High Priest, the very pinnacle of the hierarchy,⁷³ and that route to holiness is open to any Jew – man or woman, as the Torah specifically mentions.⁷⁴

Therefore, although women were the least involved in the Temple service, and had a lower status in that hierarchy, they could reach the same level through a different route. And although today we no longer have Nazirites, the principle still applies. As the Sfas Emes points out, taking upon oneself to abstain from the pleasures of this world places any person on a level higher than that of the Kohen Gadol.⁷⁵

The following passage in the gemara illustrates how personal accomplishment raises one above even the highest level of the hierarchy: “The Rabbis taught: There was once a High Priest that went out from the Temple, and all the people walked after him. (But) when they saw Shemaya and Avtalyon (who were the Torah giants of their generation) they (the people) left the High Priest and walked after Shemaya and Avtalyon. Finally, Shemaya and Avtalyon were about to depart from the High Priest. He (the High Priest) said to them “The sons of the nations should go in peace.” (The High Priest, who was obviously jealous, meant this as a sting against Shemaya and Avtalyon, who were converts and had been born as sons of the gentile nations.) They answered him: “The sons of the nations will go in peace, since they do as Aharon (the first High Priest) did, but the son of Aharon will not come in peace, because he does not do as Aharon did.”⁷⁶

Shemaya and Avtalyon had been born at the very bottom of the hierarchy, as sons of the gentile nations. The High Priest represents the very top of the hierarchy. Yet these converts had reached, through their personal merit, a level higher than that of the High Priest, who, although born to a great lineage, did not, unfortunately, live up to his position.

The Sfas Emes helps us to further understand this issue. The Torah is called more precious than pearls,⁷⁷ which the medrash interprets to mean that the Torah scholar is more precious than the Kohen Gadol (the High Priest). Why, then, asks the Sfas Emes, cannot the Torah scholar enter the Holy of Holies, as the Kohen Gadol (high priest) does?

He answers that there are two different ways that we relate to G-d: as servants, and as children. In the aspect of service, there are different levels, such as workers and officers. When we relate as children, however, there is no hierarchy. Here, all are equal.⁷⁸

Therefore, although the Torah scholar cannot relate on the same level of Temple service as the High Priest does, for he is not an equal in that hierarchy, he is more precious, because he relates as G-d’s child, rather than as G-d’s minister.

Logically, the same idea holds true for women as well. The “Woman of Valor”, the righteous Jewish woman, is also called “more precious than pearls”.⁷⁹ Here, too, although she cannot relate as an equal on the level of service, she can and does relate to G-d as a child, for we find that the Torah calls Jewish women G-d’s daughters.⁸⁰ And so just as a parent does not love or value a child in the fifth grade more than they love or value a child in the fourth grade, so G-d does not value one type of child more than another.

This may also explain another interesting point. Although there is a general rule that women are exempted from the time-bound positive mitzvos, this rule does not apply to the positive mitzvos of the Sabbath. In the ten commandments Hashem said “shamor” - keep the Sabbath by not doing forbidden acts - and “zachor” - remember the positive commandments of the Sabbath - at the same time. From this the sages learn that whoever is included in the negative commandments of the Sabbath is commanded in the positive mitzvohs as well. Since women are commanded in the negative mitzvohs, they are therefore are equally commanded in all the mitzvohs of Shabbos.⁸¹

But why is the Sabbath exceptional, giving men and women equality in mitzvohs?

Here, too, the Sfas Emes gives us an insight. Whereas on the weekdays we relate to G-d as workers, or servants, as it says “Six days you shall work”, on the Sabbath we relate to G-d as children, and in this relationship there is no hierarchy – all are equal. ⁸²

Furthermore, the job of rectifying the sin of the Tree of Knowledge does not apply on the Sabbath. On the Sabbath all are connected to the Tree of Life, as it says, “those who taste of it (the Sabbath) have merited life”. Since it was the sin of the Tree of Knowledge that caused the difference in levels between men and women, and on the Sabbath the work to rectify the sin of the Tree of Knowledge is suspended, and all are connected to the Tree of Life, therefore, regarding the Sabbath, men and women have equal service.

This idea is also true regarding the World to Come. After the sins have been rectified hierarchy will no longer exists. This is reflected in the Sabbath, because the Sabbath is a taste of the World to Come.⁸³

In summary, woman have a slightly lower status in the hierarchy of service because they are exempted from certain commandments, but they can reach the same level of holiness, and in their relationship as children, and on the level of the world to come, they are equal with men.

In that case, one may ask, why should one bless G-d for not having been created a woman?To answer this we must first understand something about blessings. A blessing is said not on what the mind believes, but on what the heart actually feels. The gemorra in Psachim explains this as follows: The prophet Zachaira says “On that day Hashem will be one”.⁸⁴ On this the gemorra asks, “Isn’t He one now as well?!” Rabbi Acha bar Chanina said, “The world to come is not like this world. In this world, for good news one says HaTov ViHametiv, (Blessed is the Good One who does good) and on bad news one says ‘Blessed is the True Judge’. (But) in the world to come, for everything one will bless ‘HaTov ViHametiv’ – the Good One who does good.”⁸⁵

For this reason, when a person acquires wealth, he recites the blessing “hatov vi’hameitiv” (G-d is good and does good to others), although we know that wealth is not always beneficial, as it says in Koheles “there is wealth kept for its owner’s detriment”.⁸⁶ Yet we say a blessing because human beings feel that wealth is good. And on the other hand, one may not recite this blessing on sad events, even if a person believes that everything G-d does is for the good, because although his mind knows it, his heart cannot feel that goodness.

We find a similar idea in the history of the blessing “haKeil hagadol, hagibor vihanorah” (the great, mighty and awesome G-d).⁸⁷

Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi asked, “Why were they called ‘The Men of the Great Assembly’ (Anshei Knesses HaGdolah)? Becaue they returned the crown to its former state. Moshe came and said, “The great, the mighty and the awesome G-d.” Jeremiah came and said, “Foreigners are running amok in His temple, where is His awesomeness? He did not say (e.g. describe G-d as) “awesome”. Daniel came. He said, “Foreigners are subjugating His sons, where is His mightiness?” He did not say “Mighty”. These came and said, “It’s the other way around. This is His greatest stregnth, that He overcomes His will, by patiently giving time to the evil doers, and these are His awesome doings, for would it not be for the fear of the Holy One Blessed is He, how could one nation exist amongst seventy nations?”

“And how could these rabbis (Jermiah and Daniel – Rashi) uproot something which Moshe had established? Rabbi Elazar said, ‘Because they know that the Holy One Blessed is He is truthful. Therefore they did not say false things to Him.’"⁸⁸

Moshe Rabeinu called Hashem the great, mighty, and awesome G-d but Jeremiah and Daniel changed this. Moshe lived at a time of miracles, but Jeremiah and Daniel lived at the time of the destruction of the first temple and the ensuing exile. Theirs was a period when evil seemed to have the upper hand, and so G-d’s strength and awesomeness did not seem visible. Of course these prophets were not questioning the truth of these words, for they come straight form the Torah itself. Rather, what they meant was, that under the present circumstances of exile, they could not see or feel these aspects of G-d, and therefore they could not relate to them. Since a blessing must reflect the truth in a person’s heart, they removed these words.

The men of the Great Assembly later reinstated these words, saying that the fact that G-d overcomes His desires and patiently allows this evil, is in itself a manifestation of His strength, for the greatest strength is to go against one’s own will. And the fact that one nation can exist among seventy nations is proof of G-d’s awesomeness, for at the time of the destruction all the nations desired to

destroy Israel, yet G-d did not allow it.⁸⁹ Through this, they reasoned, one could see Hashem’s strength and awesomeness. But had these attributes not been apparent they could not be included in a blessing, even though we know intellectually that they are true.

From this, we can understand that men say the blessing for not having been created a woman because this is the aspect of truth which is seen by people. The woman’s role, which entails exemption or exclusion from certain mitzvos including the supreme one, Torah study, is a lower level of service and is therefore apparently less desirable.

Although this is true in terms of this world, it does not reflect objective heavenly truth, for it does not show a person’s true spiritual worth or the ultimate good that will come from this. But blessings are said on what is felt in this world, not on objective heavenly truth.

The Woman’s Blessing

Women, on the other hand, say the blessing “she’osani kirtzono” (who has made me according to His will) to affirm their belief that their role, lower in status as it may be, is both just, and for their own eventual good. It also serves to remind them that there are advantages to being female.

One such advantage is that females are born without orlah. Orlah is the foreskin that is removed in circumcision, and it represents a barrier between man and G-d that must be removed. Since everything that exists in the body reflects a corresponding attribute in the soul, this means that males are born with a spiritual barrier which must be removed.⁹⁰ Females, however, are born without this barrier, and they therefore bless G-d for having been created according to G-d’s will, i.e. without this barrier.

This blessing may also have to do with the fact that, although women generally had lower neshamos (upper souls), regarding the nefesh, (the lower aspect of the soul) the opposite is usually true. The neshama influences the intellectual and metaphysical interests. The nefesh is where the feelings and desires are felt on the ego level. Since woman was created from man, rather than directly from the earth, she is usually more refined and less earthy while males tend to be in greater need of the Torah’s refining effects.⁹¹ For example, the Talmud says that women prefer to be surrounded by beauty (which shows aesthetic sense)⁹² while men would prefer to eat meat (which shows animalistic tendencies).⁹³ Another example, which we see in life, is that girls are disgusted by bugs and rodents (which are spiritually unclean) while boys are usually not. For this higher level of natural refinement, women thank G-d.⁹⁴

In kaballah there are very deep teachings connected with women. Women are connected to the kabbalistic sphere of malchus, royalty.⁹⁵ The purpose of malchus is to represent G-d in this material world, so that all will come to recognize and serve Him.

Malchus is also the manifestation of the Shechina, the feminine aspect of G-d. This is the aspect of G-d which allows itself to be “affected” by people’s actions. When we sin, G-d’s mastery of the world is less apparent, and so the Shechina’s

state is lowered, and when we repent, or act in accordance with G-d’s will, the status of the Shechina in this world rises.

The moon also represents malchus,⁹⁶ because the moon’s function of lighting up the night, symbolizes our function of bringing spiritual light into the darkness of this material world. We see this connection even on the physical level. Because malchus is acquired through thirty attributes,⁹⁷ both the moon and women have a thirty day cycle.

Therefore, the diminishment of the moon means the lowering of the sphere of malchus. This means that G-d is not clearly revealed, and it seems as if nature or man are running things on their own. This effects both the Shechina and women.

According to kaballah, one can understand the state of the Shechina by looking at the state of the righteous women of the time. For instance, when our mother Sarah was taken captive by Pharoh, this meant that the angels representing the idolatrous nations were trying to get control over the malchus. When the righteous Esther became the unwilling queen of the idolatrous Achashverosh in

the Purim story, this represented the state of the Shechina, who followed the Jewish People into the Babylonian exile, and was now also a queen in exile in the palace of evil forces.⁹⁸ On the other hand, at the crossing of the Reed Sea, the Shechina was clearly revealed, as G-d’s rulership of the world became apparent

to all. Correspondingly, Jewish women then soared to an unprecedented spiritual height, as we will soon see.

This idea is further expanded in the siddur of the Ba’al HaTanya as he explains the blessings at a Jewish wedding. Under the wedding canopy we say that “there will yet be heard in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, the voice of happiness and the voice of joy, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride”. However, as the Ba’al HaTanya points out, the voice of the bride is not heard at the wedding ceremony. (Although a marriage without the bride’s agreement is invalid, this agreement is expressed silently as she stretches forth her finger to accept a ring.) Why, asks the Ba’al HaTanya, is the bride’s voice not heard?

He answers that the Jewish bride represents the Shechina, who is also called “bride”. In our present state of exile the Shechina is also in exile, and therefore the Shechina’s is silent. Only at the time of the redemption when all the Jewish People will be in the holy land, will we then hear the voice of the bride – both the human one, and the Shechina, whose voice will then be heard by all.

This, continues, the Ba’al HaTanya, is the reason why the amidah prayer (shmone esrai) is recited in a whisper. When reciting this prayer we stand directly before the Shechina, and so we, too, do not let our voice be heard to others. Following this train of thought, it would seem that this is also the reason why women do not have a more vocal share in the synagogue services. If the Shechina’s voice is not heard, neither is woman’s.

Kabalah says of woman, “He is truth, she is faith.”⁹⁹ Faith, is primarily a feminine quality, for one needs faith when truth and goodness are not so clearly visible. Because women represent the state of the Shechina, whose providence became hidden in the darkness of this material world, the true inner greatness of women is also hidden. Until the time when all will see that “G-d is one, and His

name is one”, which is the revelation of the Shechina, women’s true value is also not clearly revealed in this world, and they, like the Shechina, are in a “lowered” state. The blessing “she’osani kirtzono”, that He has made me according to His will”, may therefore also be an acknowledgement of being connected to, and representative of, the Shechina.

Correcting Chava’s Sin

Until now, we have been discussing the rectification of sin through some level, even if a slight one, of suffering. But the merit of good deeds can also correct sin. For this reason, the Torah designed certain mitzvohs specifically for the rectification of Chava’s part in causing the death of Adam.¹⁰⁰ These mitzvohs are:

l) Challa – sanctifying a small portion of dough while baking bread, to be given to a kohen, or when this is impossible, to be burnt.

2) Nidah – keeping the family purity laws, and

3) Lighting the Sabbath candles.

The first woman to practice these mitzvos was our mother Sarah. When the angel informed Avraham that the long barren Sarah would now have a son, the angel said “Ko’es Chaya u’liSarah ben”. The simple translation of this is: at this

time next year Sarah will have a son. However, this unusual form of expression has a double meaning. These words can also be read as “She is now Chaya”, etc. The Tiferes Shlomo explains that the other level of meaning here is that now Sarah has reached the level of Chaya, i.e. the level of the woman before the sin, for she has rectified the sin of Chava.¹⁰¹

The results were apparent in her life. Her tent had the holiness of the Temple,¹⁰² she was wealthy, she was a prophetess on a very high level (so her “light” was very great) and her illustrious husband, Avraham, was told by G-d “Everything that Sarah says to you, listen to her voice”,¹⁰³ which is the opposite of “and he (your husband) shall rule over you”. Moreover, our mother Sarah was the first person after Adam and Chava to be buried in the Cave of Machpela, which the Chesed LeiAvraham explains is the courtyard to the Garden of Eden. And it was Avraham and Sarah who brought the world the eventual revival of the dead (Sfas Emes, Chayei Sarah).¹⁰⁴

For the rest of the world, however, this was not the case. Women had a secondary position in both marriage and society, and their own spiritual perception was more limited than that of men. G-d, however, wanted to rectify the entire world. The nation of Israel was therefore given Adam’s task of bringing the world to its purpose and perfection. In order to do this, they first needed to undergo the Egyptian exile.

The Egyptian exile served to instill in Jews compassion for strangers, slaves and anyone oppressed.¹⁰⁵ These traits would be especially necessary in the chosen people, both because they represent G-d, and because they would now be given a position which placed them above others. In Judaism, being at the top of the hierarchy means helping others, not oppressing them.

Kaballah gives an additional reason for the Egyptian exile – to rectify the sin

of the Tree of Knowledge and so bring the world back to its original state.¹⁰⁶ Therefore, we find that when describing the Hebrew women, the midwives said to Pharoh “ki chayos heino”. The simple meaning of this is that the Jewish women were like animals – chayos – not needing midwives. But again, the Tiferes Shlomo explains that the deeper meaning is that they had now become “Chayos”, i.e. the level of Chava before the sin, and so they did not need midwives, for the curse of difficulty in childbirth no longer existed for them.¹⁰⁷

Since the sin of the Tree of Knowledge had been rectified, and the curses of Chava had been suspended, one would expect that the Jewish women would reach an equal level of spiritual perception with Jewish men. And indeed, this is what happened. Had it not been for the sin of the golden calf, the Messianic era would have started then,¹⁰⁸ giving women once again, equality with men. Although the sin of the golden calf prevented this from happening permanently, we can gain a glimpse of what will be in the future from looking at what transpired there.

After the miraculous deliverance at the Sea of Reeds, all the women, led by Miriam the Prophetess, went out with drums, singing and dancing in a circle. (There was no contradiction here to modesty, for the men and women were separated.) The Kli Yokor (a biblical commentary) comments on the words “and Miriam called out to them”¹⁰⁹:

“It is written “lahem” (“to them” in the masculine form rather than “lahen” in the feminine form). The reason for this is that at the Sea of Reeds the women reached the level of the men in their perception of prophecy; therefore it was said “lahem” (“to them” in the masculine form) as if she were speaking to males. And so regarding the future, it says, “nekeiva tisovev gever”.

From the commentary of the Kli Yokor, we see the following:

1.      Women generally had less spiritual perception than men (as already explained

2. When at the Reed Sea the women did reach the same level of spiritual

perception, they were referred to in the masculine, since in this respect

they were considered males.

3. In the future, this situation will return and women will once again have equal spiritual perception with men.

4. Women becoming equal with men is called nekevah tisovev gever.

What do the words “nekeiva tisovev gever” literally mean? These words appear in the 31^st chapter of Jeremiah,¹¹⁰ and they are talking about the future redemption. The verse says “… for G-d has created a new thing upon the earth – nekeiva – a female, tisovev – will turn around, gever – a man”. The phrase could then be translated as “a female will encircle a man”, or “a female will go around looking for a man”, or “a female will turn into a man”. All these explanations are given by various commentaries, and they are all simultaneously true.

The interpretation implied by the Kli Yokor, is according to the second one mentioned by Rashi in the name of Rabbi Yehudah Hadarshan – a female will turn into a man”, meaning that women will then have male capabilities and privileges. Although Rashi explains this as an allegory for the Jewish people it is clear that the Kli Yokor interprets this as actually applying to women.

Particularly interesting is the explanation of these words given in the Aramaic translation of Rabbi Yonason ben Uziel. The Talmud states that his teachings were handed down to him from the last prophets, Chagai, Zecharia and Malachi, and that he revealed hidden secrets in the prophecies he translated.¹¹¹

Rabbi Yonoson ben Uziel explains the words “nekeiva tisovev gever” as “the nation of the House of Israel will study Torah”. Rashi explains that the term “the entire house of Israel” - unlike the term the “Children of Israel” – refers to both males and females, and Medrash Ruth says that the term “House of Israel” refers specifically to women.¹¹² In other words, Rabbi Yonoson ben Uziel is

saying that the words “a female will turn into a man” mean that at the time of the redemption, the House of Israel – women - will be studying Torah.

The “Me’or V’Shemesh”, whose commentary is based on the teachings of the Ari z”l, also speaks of “nekeiva tisovev gever” in relation to Miriam’s circle dance with the women.¹¹³ He, however, interprets this as a female will encircle a man, with “female” referring to all the righteous souls, and “man” referring to G-d.

He explains that at the beginning of creation G-d made all equal, but that afterwards He constricted the (obvious) presence of His G-dliness in varying degrees, making spiritual worlds of successively lower and lower levels. This was necessary in order to hide his G-dliness and so enable the existence of free will. Equality is represented by a circle, where there is no beginning and no end, and where all points on the circumference are equidistant from the center point, which represents G-d. Hierarchy, on the other hand, is represented by a straight

line, going down like a ladder. We in this world, who stand at the bottom of this ladder, must rise level by level, by improving our conduct and striving for closeness to G-d. As we do this, our souls rise higher and higher. G-d did this so that we could earn our reward through our own efforts.

However, there is a difference in the starting points of different souls. Some people have souls that emanate from a higher point, while others have souls that emanate from a lower point. Those whose souls are higher must teach and influence those whose souls are lower, with these then handling down the influence to those whose souls are beneath them, etc. The influencer is called a male, while those receiving influence are called female. This is the Jewish idea of hierarchy - to give over G-d’s teachings to those beneath and thereby raise them to a higher level.¹¹⁴

In the future, however, after all the sins are rectified and evil no longer exists, the circle situation will return. All those who served G-d will be equal, with no need for one to learn from the other. G-d’s presence will be seen equally in all the worlds so there will no longer be higher souls and lower souls, and the aspect of male influencer, versus female influenced will disappear.

The Me’or V’Shemesh then continues: “This is the meaning of “hakafos” (circle dances) that we do on Hoshana Rabba and Shmini Atzeres; we do circle dances according to the secret of “nekeiva tisovev gever” – “a female will encircle a man” – in order to draw through these circle dances the upper light where there is no aspect of male and female. This was the intention of Miriam the Prophetess, who took out all the women after her and made with them circle dances according to the secret of “nekeiva tisovev gever”, in order to draw the

upper light where there is no aspect of male and female.

Although the commentaries quoted, then, give slightly differing translations of the phrase “nekeiva tisovev gever”, they all make the same statement – that in the future, men and women will possess equal spiritual perception.

The question is, at what point in the future is this to take place? The Me’or V’Shemesh describes a situation which will exist only after the complete rectification of the world. And the Kli Yokor, in his commentary to the first verse of “Az Yashir” connects nekevah tisovev gever to tchiyas hameisim, the revival of the dead.¹¹⁵ These commentaries are speaking of great prophetic experiences, which will exist only at a further point in the future.

Although all this is surely true, Rabbi Yonason ben Uziel, whose commentary is based on the prophets own explanations, does not connect nekevah tisovev gever with prophecy, but with Torah study. Although he gives no time frame for this, the thirty first chapter in Jeremiah where the verse appears, is speaking not about the world to come or the return to the Garden of Eden, but about the ingathering of the exiles to the land of Israel. And indeed, in the period when millions of Jews have returned to live in the land of Israel, the situation Rabbi Yonason ben Uziel predicted has begun to materialize, as women have, in fact, begun to learn Torah. We no longer see the marked distinction between the levels of abstract spiritual perception of men and women that were described by earlier generations. Furthermore, in society and marriage women have also become much more equal.

And yet the redemption has not yet come, and ironically, this Torah study is sometimes disconnected from holiness. How are we to understand this?

In order to answer this question, we must first understand something about the period before the coming of the redemption called “ikvesa deMeshichah”, the footsteps of Moshiach.

The Dawn of Redemption

About 200 years ago, Rabbi Hillel Shklover, student of the renowned Vilna Gaon, authored a book on the first stage of the redemption, called Kol Ha’Tor. The words Kol Ha’Tor literally “the voice of the dove”, are part of a verse in Song of Songs¹¹⁶ . According to Kol HaTor they allude to Moshiach ben Yosef who prepares the way for the main redeemer, Moshiach ben David.

According to Rabbi Hillel, the entire book is based on what the great Master and Kabbalist, the Vilna Gaon, taught him and his other students before they embarked for the Holy Land as part of a plan to bring the redemption.¹¹⁷ The book states that the Gaon, who was exceedingly righteous, received his knowledge through Divine inspiration, (Ruach Hakodesh) and that he spoke with Elijah the Prophet and our forefather Jacob. (Rabbi Chaim of Volozhin, the Gaon’s most famous student, also writes this.)¹¹⁸

The Gaon was told that starting with the year 5500 from creation (1740) the powers of the redemption begin to enter the world. This is because this point in history parallels the dawn of the sixth day of creation, the eve of the Sabbath.¹¹⁹ Everything that will be in the full redemption, he says, enters the world little by

little in this period. This messianic potential will become stronger after the year 5600 (1840), and between 5600 and 5750 (1840 – 1990) it will be possible to bring the first stage of the redemption by using this potential properly.¹²⁰ The Vilna Gaon was charged with this about and was instructed in how to do so. He was warned, however that the forces of evil will rise to fight this plan and will have great power, but will eventually fall before Moshiach ben Yosef.¹²¹

It is amazing to read this book and to see how the major world changes that occurred in this period, whether social, political or scientific, were connected to the missions of Moshiach ben Yosef, as foretold in Kol Ha’Tor. It is also amazing to see that these powers entered the world exactly in the period predicted. Sadly, however, they often reached the world in a negative form, while Moshiach ben Yosef and the redemption have not yet arrived. Again, how are we to understand this?

In Koheles, we read “This versus that did G-d create”,¹²² which means that everything that was created for holiness has a negative parallel in order to create a balance between the forces of good and evil, and thereby enable free will. This negative parallel is called in Kaballah, a klipah.¹²³

When any power or tool enters the world, it must be used for holiness. If not, it does not simply lie dormant, but falls to “the other side”, the klipos, and then, in its perverted form, is used to aid evil.¹²⁴

The Zohar, cited by the Sfas Emes, explains Pharo’s dream, which was interpreted by Yosef, as follows: the seven good-looking cows represent the forces of good, while the seven bad looking cows who sawllowed them, represent the forces of evil, who then come and swallow up the good forces.¹²⁵ The Tiferes Shlomo also cites the Zohar, and warns at length about the possibility of the good powers being swallowed up by the bad ones. Elsewhere he emphasizes that particularly, the powers of Yosef are in danger of being swallowed. This, he says, is the deeper meaning of our forefather Jacob’s words, “chaya ra’a achalushu”, an evil animal has swallowed him” (Yosef). The evil animal, says the Tiferes Shlomo, are the forces of evil.¹²⁶ And, as we have already stated, if one is not careful to utilize the forces of good, the evil side can then come and “swallow up” any unused portion of the tools of holiness, perverting them for unholiness.

According to this, we can understand what happened to the powers of Moshiach ben Yosef, who is an extension of the powers of Yosef himself. This period of history had in it the potential for Moshiach ben Yosef, the first stage of the redemption. And Kol HaTor states that everything that will be in the full redemption enters the world little by little in the preliminary stage of redemption. ¹²⁷ Consequently, the forces connected to the redemption entered the world. The Vilna Gaon, however, makes it clear that despite this potential, we receive the period of Moshiach ben Yosef only if we merit him.¹²⁸ Since we did not yet merit his coming, much of his powers were left unused for holiness. They then fell to the other side, the klipos, and were used to aid evil.

It might seem startling that human beings going to settle in the land of Israel could start the redemption at an earlier date. It might also seem startling that the heaven sent powers of Moshiach ben Yosef could actually be misused for destruction. Neither idea, however is new.

The medrash tells us that thirty years before the exodus from Egypt, the grandson of Ephraim said that G-d had appeared to him and told him to take the Jews out of Egypt and bring them to the holyland. One hundred thousand descendents of the tribe of Ephraim followed him, and truly reached the land of Israel. The end of this, however, was a tragedy. When they reached the city of Gat, which is in Aza, the Philistines killed thirty thousand and the others were returned to Eghypt.¹²⁹

Although at first sight it would seem that this “redeemer” must have been a fraud, kaballah says that this was not so. Nun, the grandson of Ephraim, had in him the soul of Moshiach ben Yosef,¹³⁰ and this had truly been an opportunity to start the redemption earlier, in a seemingly natural way, by going to settle in the land of Israel. Why, then didn’t it work?

The Sfas Emes on Parshas Miketz explains that in order to succeed they needed to overcome the test of believing that what happened in a seemingly natural way

was all G-d’s miracles, and not to attribute their success to their own efforts. But Nun and his followers did not withstand the test; therefore their story ended in tragedy and the redemption had to wait another thirty years.¹³¹

And now, once again, before the coming of the full and miraculous heavenly redemption, the Jewish People were given the possibility of starting the redemption naturally, at an earlier date. According to Kol HaTor, the Vilna Gaon was informed by our forefather Ya’akov of the heavenly opportunity to hasten the redemption by settling the land of Israel and properly using the other powers of Moshiach ben Yosef. But unlike the full redemption, which comes as a heavenly gift, the redemption of Moshiach ben Yosef must be earned by overcoming tests. Tragically, in our times as well, the tests were not withstood, but the powers connected to the redemption did actually enter the world. Although some of them were utilitzed for their true purpose, much was not. The result was that these powers, not reaching their true purpose, fell into the hands of the klipos, the negative forces. And as the Vilna Gaon said in his commentary on Safra DiTzniusa,¹³² in the period of ikvesa d’mshicha the klipa form precedes the true form of what will come to be.

Let us now examine modern history and see what happened to the powers of Moshiach Ben Yosef, including nekevah tisovev gever.

ZIONISM:

The prophet Yechezkel said: “And you, the mountains of Israel, give forth your branches, and carry your fruit, for my people Israel, for they are close to arriving.”¹³³ On this the Talmud states: “There is no more revealed end than this: when the land (of Israel) will give forth its fruit”.¹³⁴ This statement is usually understood as saying that if the land of Israel once again becomes fruitful after years of extreme desolation, it is a sign that the redemption with the return of the Jewish People is at hand. This is because, as the Torah foretold, the land would be barren to intruders and will be fruitful only for its own children, the Jewish people.¹³⁵

But the Vilna Gaon revealed in this another meaning. He said, that if we return to the Land of Israel and make the land fruitful, then this will bring the beginning of the redemption, the coming of Moshiach ben Yosef.”¹³⁶

The Vilna Gaon told his students that now that we have entered the 6^th millennia, the general period of redemption, a special heavenly opportunity was being given to hasten the redemption in this way. Therefore, the Gaon started a movement to resettle the Land of Israel, undo the desolation, and make it fruitful.¹³⁷ He called this plan Chazon Tsiyon, Vision of Zion.¹³⁸ The return, he taught, will be twofold: a physical return to Zion and a spiritual return, repentance (teshuva).¹³⁹ The plan would have to be carried out with holiness, being careful to keep the special commandments pertaining to the Land of Israel, in order to succeed.¹⁴⁰ Kol HaTor quotes the verse from Isaiah: “House of Jacob go, and we will go in the light of G-d”.¹⁴¹ Later, in chapter six, he states that if the plan is not carried out in the spirit of G-d, it cannot succeed.¹⁴² Speaking in the Holy Tongue, also hastens the redemption, he taught, especially when done in the Land of Israel.¹⁴³

And so, the students of the Vilna Gaon, and other dedicated Jews, went to settle in the land of Israel in order to start the redemption. They or their descendents

managed to build fifty new neighborhoods in Jerusalem and start a few agricultural settlements in a land that was almost totally barren.¹⁴⁴

But the movement to resettle the land of Israel was eventually taken over by secular Zionism, which had an entirely different goal. As Ben Hecht, a spokesman for the revisionist section of the secular Zionist movement put it, “They (the secular Zionists) ware out to change the Jews from the people of the Torah to the people of Zion – a nation.” ¹⁴⁵

Secular Zionism really did succeed in building up the land of Israel, making it fruitful, and repopulating it with millions of Jews. But Kol HaTor foretold that settling the land of Israel would bring the redemption only if it was done “b’or Hashem”, in the light of Hashem, which, he says, is the light of Torah. ¹⁴⁶ Since the resettlement of the land of Israel was not done in holiness it did not bring the redemption.

And although there are beautiful religious communities today in the land of Israel, secular Zionism outwardly succeeded in changing large numbers of Jews from the people of the Torah. The majority of those who came to settle were weaned away from a Torah life in a state whose laws and lifestyle often contradict the Torah’s teachings. Much of the state of Israel is now suffering from the same moral and social problems as the rest of western society, whose culture it imitates.

As for the Hebrew language, its knowledge is extremely helpful for people who want to use it to study Torah or speak in a way that corresponds to its precepts. But the language is all too often used to express ideas antithetical to the purpose of the Holy Tongue.

THE SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNOLOGICAL REVOLUTIONS, AND PSYCHOLOGY

Kol HaTor quotes the statement of the Zohar, “And in the 600^th year of the 6^th millennia (i.e. 5600 years since creation, written in Hebrew as TOR, or 1840) the gates of wisdom above and the streams of wisdom below will be opened up, and the world will prepare itself to enter the 7^th millennia.” The Zohar then compares this to a person who prepares himself on Friday afternoon for the entering of the Sabbath.¹⁴⁷ In other words, from the period of l840 onwards, the

world will receive a tremendous influx of knowledge in order to prepare itself for its perfected state after the redemption in the 7000^th year. Kol HaTor states: “So our master, (the Vilna Gaon) told us: These are the things that bring to the sanctification of G-d’s Name in ikvesa demeshicha (the period directly prior to the coming of Moshiach): the building of Jerusalem, the in-gathering of the exiles, the flowering of the Land of Israel, the perfection of character traits, the revelation of the codes of the Torah, (the hidden messages in the Torah) and the study of the seven forms of wisdom”.¹⁴⁸

The seven forms of wisdom are:

l. mathematics

2. formations and putting together (i.e. inventions)

3. medicine and the wisdom of plants

4. grammar, correct expression, and composition

5. music and holiness (through correct music, one’s soul can attach itself to holiness. The converse is also true – animalistic music arouses animalistic instincts and unholiness.)

6. the wisdom of repair and integration

7. the wisdom of how the physical connects with the spiritual; psychology¹⁴⁹

These forms of wisdom, says Kol Ha’Tor, were all made known to Yosef, who was taught by an angel before he stood before Pharoh, and they are connected to the task of his heir, Moshiach ben Yosef.¹⁵⁰ Science, and all forms of earthly wisdom are all part of the Torah, and although they constitute its lowest level, Kol HaTor states that knowledge of them is necessary to reach understanding of the Torah’s higher levels.¹⁵¹ Furthermore, the Vilna Gaon taught, if Torah scholars will become masters of these forms of wisdom, this will be a great sanctification of G-d’s Name before the gentile nations, of which the Torah says: “For this is your wisdom and your understanding in the eyes of the nations.”¹⁵² Kol HaTor continues: “. . . and why should we leave this great property of our Holy Torah – or part of it – to others, and the Name of Heaven will be desecrated and the disgrace to Torah will become great”.¹⁵³

Great scientific and technological wisdom really did enter the world in this period. The year 1740, which Kol HaTor designates as the beginning of the period of the powers of Moshiach Ben Yosef, saw the start of the industrial revolution in Europe. The year 1840, which the Zohar says is the year when “the streams of wisdom below” are opened, saw the start of the industrial revolution in America. The development of technology greatly lightened Adam’s curse of “by the sweat of your brow shall you eat bread”. Modern technology has helped us even spiritually, as it leaves more time for Torah study, and aided in the discovery of amazing, faith inspiring, Torah codes.

But unfortunately, what the Vilna Gaon feared was exactly what happened. Had the scientific discoveries of the modern era come about through the Torah scholars, as the Vilna Gaon urged, it would have wrought tremendous respect for G-d and His Torah. The world would have said: “If the Torah scholars can do such marvelous things, if they have such great wisdom, they must really have the truth.” Instead, the power of scientific discovery fell to “the other side”, in the form of atheistic scientists, who used the credulity they thereby earned to convince the world of their theory of atheism.

And so despite its material benefits, the misuse of science is endangering mankind’s very survival by polluting the environment, by developing weapons

that could destroy the world - and by taking people even further away from G-d.

Psychology, too, was perverted by Freud, et al, to convince the masses that one need not exercise control over one’s evil inclination.

SOCIALISM, COMMUNISM, KIBBUTZIM:

The Talmud states: “The son of David does not come until all the measurements are equal”.¹⁵⁴ The Vilna Gaon explained this to mean that Moshiach ben David will not come until there is economic equality.¹⁵⁵ Equality (hishtavus) is the first of the perfected character traits that Kol HaTor lists as necessary to attain in order to succeed in the plan to bring the redemption.¹⁵⁶ The Vilna Gaon also interpreted the verse in Deuteronomy “You shall not have in your home a measure and a measure, big and small” to mean that in the Land of Israel, which is your home, you shall not have rich and poor.¹⁵⁷

As part of the opportunity to bring the redemption, an ideal of economic equality now entered the world. Individuals and nations woke up to the need for social aid programs and more equal distribution of wealth. Socialism went even further. This was truly a great improvement for humanity. But when this power fell to the klipos it was perverted into a monster called communism, which, while claiming to bring salvation to the masses, killed, tortured, and terrorized millions upon millions of people, - and set its goal to take people away from G-d.

WIPING OUT AMALEK

One of Moshiach ben Yosef’s tasks is to wipe out Amalek, the earthly representative of evil.¹⁵⁸ Since we did not bring Moshiach ben Yosef, this power then fell to Amalek, who reversed it, trying to wipe us out, and creating the holocaust.

Hitler proclaimed that his real enemy was not the allies, but the Jews, for they are his polar opposites with which he has eternal war. The Jews are his enemies, he said, because they gave the world the idea of sin and “the curses” of conscience, mercy, and circumcision. He wishes to free the world of all this and to follow instead the god of nature (e.g. the freedom to follow one’s evil nature). Whoever wins in this spiritual war, he said, will control the world.¹⁵⁹

This was the truth, for we are truly polar opposites and the Torah calls both Amalek and Israel “reishis”,¹⁶⁰ the first of nations, for all the other nations follow after them, for evil or for good. There is war between us in every generation for as the Torah says regarding Amalek “There is a (hostile) hand (of Amalek) on the throne of G-d from generation to generation”. What Hitler feared will truly come to be, for in the time of Moshiach, when Amalek will be eradicated, the rest of the world will return to G-d and follow the ideology of the Jews.

But when this potential reached the world we were not ready for it. Perhaps if the ominous clouds of the approaching holocoust would have wakened the Jewish People to mass repentence, as happened in the Purim story, we, too, would have had a great turnabout, bringing Moshiach Ben Yosef who would have wiped out Amalek. But because this did not happen, and we could not wipe out Amalek, the power then fell to the klipos, who reversed it against us.

TORAH CHADASHA – THE NEW TORAH

According to Kol HaTor, the entire 31^st chapter of Jeremiah is talking about the coming of Moshiach ben Yosef.¹⁶¹ We read there that G-d will make a new covenant with the Jewish People.¹⁶² And the medrash tells us that G-d says, “a new Torah will come forth from Me”.¹⁶³

It is a basic principle of Jewish faith that the Torah will never be altered or exchanged for another. Yet, how can one keep such mitzvos as charity to the poor, visiting the sick, or burying the dead, after poverty, illness, and death have disappeared?

The answer is that the words and letters of the Torah will never change, but new meanings will be revealed to us in the very same words of the Torah. Although some mitzvos will not apply in the same practical way as they once did, they will then be understood according to their “inner light”, their kabalistic meanings. In fact, the kabalistic meanings of all the mitzvos will be revealed. This is the “new Torah”, and it is part of the missions of Moshiach ben Yosef to reveal it. This is called, the Torah of Moshiach.¹⁶⁴

And so from this period onwards many Torah giants started to teach the Jewish People ideas which stem form kaballah. This included the GRA himself, the Sfardi greats such as the Ohr HaChaim and the Ben Ish Chai, and, of course, the chassidic movement which sprouted in this period.

But the power of “a new Torah” was given a very different meaning in the hands of the klipos. Reformed Judaism is also based on the idea of “a new Torah”.

The reform and conservative movements claimed that they were reinterpreting the Torah according to the times. Their interpretations, however,

had nothing to do with the real ones. Yet even if they would have given the interpretations that will actually be taught after the redemption, this still would have been forbidden, for they apply to that reality, not ours. What’s more, these

interpretations will be “from Me”, i.e. from G-d, and not people’s own ideas. And one can only reach the inner light of the Torah which will be revealed by Moshiach, by first keeping the practical mitzvohs in this world.¹⁶⁵

Because the potential for “a new Torah” existed in this period, “the other side” was able to pervert it to create movements who, in claiming that the Torah must be adjusted to the times, permitted what the Torah forbids, thereby greatly damaging the holiness of the Jewish people. These movements reject the most basic tenets of the Jewish faith, including the Divine origin of the Torah, and the existence of reward and punishment after death. Even the belief in the existence of a “personal G-d” is not considered essential. Yet these movements claim to be genuine Judaism, and so confuse people about what Judaism really is.

Another perversion of this power, is the misdirected attraction to mysticism which has drawn Jews to the eastern mystical cults. The study of kaballah has also become popular, but when removed from the context of the Torah and mitzvohs, this actually aids impurity.

And now that we have seen what happened to other powers of Moshiach Ben Yosef, we can better understand what happened to Nekevah Tisovev Gever.

NEKEVAH TISOVEV GEVER:

As already mentioned, “nekevah tisovev gever” appears in the 31^st chapter of Jeremiah, which, according to Kol Ha’Tor, is talking about the coming of Moshiach ben Yosef.¹⁶⁶

Interestingly, the Vilna Gaon, whose job it was to usher in the period of Moshiach ben Yosef, said that there is an allusion to his own birth in the Torah in the verse “And Miriam the Prophetess, sister of Aharon, took the timbrel in her hand”. Timbrel in Hebrew, “tof” spells out the year in which the Vilna Gaon was born – 5480 from creation, or 1720 c.e. This is the same verse which alludes to the experience of nekeiva tisovev gever by Miriam and the women at the Reed Sea.¹⁶⁷

And so, the power of nekeiva tisovev gever truly reached the world in this period. Modern society woke up to a new ideal of equality for women. In virtually every area, women were to be given equal opportunity. In the today’s world women are bringing down financial abundance, which Likutey Halachos calls a manifestation of nekevah tisovev gever.¹⁶⁸ The ability to support themselves, also made women less dependent on men, and therefore less subjugated to them.

In Jewish life as well, we see changes connected to this power, as Jewish girls and women started to study Torah.

There has also been a change regarding equality in marriage. About a thousand years ago, the ban of Rabbeinu Gershom forbade Ashkenazic men from taking more than one wife, or – under normal circumstances – from divorcing a wife without her consent. Nowadays, most Sefardic Jews are living in westernized countries, so that they, too, abide by these rules. Socially, marriage in western countries is now seen as a relationship of equals.

The change in marital status may be hinted at in Hoshea where G-d tells the Jewish people: “Call ‘my man’ and call no longer ‘my master’.”¹⁶⁹ This allegory tells us that in the time of the redemption, the Jewish people will no longer relate to G-d primarily through fear, but rather through love. This, too, has already begun to happen. Nowadays, there is a greater stress on serving G-d with love and joy, in contrast to the previous approach, which stressed fear of the punishments of hell. And we see that most of those who return to observant Judaism do so out of love, rather than fear.

But one can also see here an allusion to a change in the relationship between husband and wife. Although the verse refers to the relationship between G-d and the Jewish people, the word “Me”, meaning G-d, is understood but not written. Like any nuance in Torah, this was done deliberately and has significance. The verse can also be read as an instruction to call a human husband “ishi” – my man, rather than “ba’ali” – my owner, signifying a relationship of equals.

And yet, as with the other powers of Moshiach Ben Yosef, it wasn’t all blessing.

The secular world did not know how to deal with this new force. Not having the Torah, or its values, they interpreted equal to mean identical, in personality, in roles, and even in clothing and hairstyle.

Women in the work force resulted in an unprecedented breach in modesty (and

fidelity). It also gave women less time for the family - and sometimes less interest, as well. The new goal of “self-fulfillment” too often meant being insensitive to the needs of others. And instead of marital equality expressing itself in the Jewish ideal of “love, sibling love, peace and friendship”,¹⁷⁰ it often just meant mutual disrespect. The results were a breakdown of identity, of family, and of normal male–female relationships.

The feminists were right that the world did not sufficiently respect women. But most feminists did not appreciate the feminine qualities either. Instead of teaching the world to value feminine virtues, such as nurturing, mercy, modesty, and a direct emotional relationship with Hashem, most feminists ignored or even derided these attributes, lauding instead the more masculine qualities that most of the world respects.

Equal Is Not Identical

But nekeva tisovev gever means does not mean that women will become altogether identical with men. The sun remains the sun, and the moon remains the moon, but “the light of the moon will be as great as the light of the sun”.¹⁷¹ Similarly, men and women will each have primary virtues, while also having abilities on the other side. Therefore, men will remain with a stronger emphasis on the intellect, and women, with a stronger emphasis on the emotions, since both kinds of natures are equally necessary and important. Although in our reality, caused by the sin of the Tree of Knowledge, an emotional approach can cause one to see things inaccurately, after the redemption this will no longer be a problem. Women will then perceive equally with their “lev mevine da’as”, the heart which understand knowledge.

The difference between the primarily emotional way of attaching to G-d, and the primarily intellectual way, exists also among the two moshiachs, Moshiach ben David and Moshiach ben Yosef.¹⁷² Moshiach ben Yosef is the continuation of the powers of Yosef himself, who was a male type. He represents the power of the intellect, as it says of him “there is no man as understanding and wise as you”.

David, on the other hand, represents the very spiritual heart. He said of himself “I am prayer”,¹⁷³ for this was his essence – and prayer is the service of the heart. This does not mean, however, that Yosef and David each possessed only his main characteristic. David was an extremely great Torah scholar, while the story of Yosef shows overpowering emotion. So, too, both men and women will be developed on both sides – intellectual understanding and intuitive emotional attachment – but each will still have its own main characteristic.

(Note: Although as a generality this is true, are many exceptions to this today. Not all men fall into the category of a primarily intellectual approach, and not all women fall into the category of a primarily emotional approach. The reasons behind this, however, are beyond the scope of this work.)

The Change in Women

Given what has been said about the change in womankind, we can now understand how to relate to the contradiction between statements about women appearing in traditional texts and what we see in present day reality. The descriptions of women found in the Talmud or later writings were accurate at that time.

True, there have always been some abstractly gifted and learned women.¹⁷⁴ They were, however, a small minority. But when the power of nekeiva tisovev gever started affecting the world, women’s abstract abilities began to change. Since that time, women have become more and more capable of all kinds of abstract pursuits, including the most important one, learning Torah.

It is important to understand that this is not a change in Torah. The Sages never meant to say that the situation they described would continue forever, for they knew the secret of nekeiva tisovev gever. They, themselves, anticipated this change as we see from the commentary of Rabbi Yonoson ben Uziel. In fact, they actually prayed for this change, as we see from the prayer Vi’ha’arev no.

The prayer says, “Make Your words of Torah, the L-d, our G-d, pleasant in our mouths, and in the mouths of Your nation THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL, and may we, and our descendents, and our descendents’ descendents, and the descendents of all Your nation THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL, ALL OF US, be knowers of Your name, and may we study Your Torah for it’s own sake. Blessed are You, G-d, who teaches Torah to His nation Israel.

As already explained, the phrase “house of Israel” refers to women. The term “the nation of the house of Israel, then, refers to both men and women. This is the exact phrase used by Rabbi Yonoson ben Uziel when he speaks about nekevah tisovev gever – a female turning into a man - and he explains this to mean that “the nation of the house of Israel will study Torah”. And this is the phrase the sages used when praying for the future. The ending of the prayer, however, omits the term “house” which is a reference to women, and says only “his nation, Israel”, which does not include women. This is apparently because the ending of the prayer is written in the present tense. At that time women were not studying Torah, and therefore the term “house” is omitted. But when speaking of the request for the future the term “nation, the house of Israel”, e.g. women included, is used. Moreover, the most unusual term “tse’tso’im”, descendents is used here, rather than the more common term “bonim”, sons, apparently to include all descendents, both male and female, in the request that Hashem teach all of us Torah.

The sages then were clearly not trying to discriminate against women. They were simply describing the situation as it existed throughout most of world history, before the powers of the redemtption started entering the world.

Particularly regarding the generation prior to the coming of Moshiach, kaballah says that great changes take place in people’s mental and spiritual abilities. The Zohar tells us that as we get closer to the messianic era even children will understand the simplicity of hidden wisdom that will be revealed to everyone.¹⁷⁵

The Vilna Gaon, in Even Shleima, explains the change in the charachteristics of different generations as follows: “In every generation a different attiribute rules (from the attributes by which G-d runs the world), and it is because of this that natures change, and all the doings of that generation, their behaviour and their livelihoods, are all according to the nature of that attribute, and it is dependent on their free will choice, whether for good, or evil, and so also the way the Holy One Blessed is He deals with them, and all (this) is included in the Torah.”¹⁷⁶

There is a minority view among some truly sincere Jews, that discouraging girls and women from actively studying Torah, in imitation of previous generations, demonstrates greater loyalty to traditional Judaism. But as the Vilan Gaon taught, every generation has its own challenges and its own role in rectifying the world, and this is accomplished in different ways. As predicted in Kol HaTor a new power has made, and is continuing to make itself, felt in our lives. And every force that G-d sends into the world is meant to be used for holiness. Therefore, if G-d gave girls and women abstract abilities and interests previously lacking it was in order that they use them to learn Torah sincerely, on whatever level and in whatever area they are truly suited for. Moreover, as we have seen, using the powers of Moshiach ben Yosef for holiness actually brings Moshiach ben Yosef and the redemption while, not using them allows them to be swallowed up by the forces of evil. Therefore, preventing capable women from studying Torah could actually aid the forces of evil.

Most women today are still basically concrete types. (Today this is true of men as well.) But, unlike women in previous generations, most of today’s women are endowed with some abstract, academic abilities, and no longer fit the earlier descriptions given of them. Yet these women can be happy and fulfilled in the traditional “balabusta” role due to their concrete abilities and interests. They only need to realize the importance of what they are doing.

Even women with more abstract abilities and interests can be satisfied in this role if they also have a fairly active concrete side and they see their role as an ideal. Although a woman may be intellectual and talented enough to do well in a lucrative and prestigious career, in most cases that is not what is most needed. Both society and her own soul would receive much more benefit from her being a Jewish mother. Whatever glory or wealth she may forego is much more than compensated for by the benefits she gains both in this world and the next. Still, such women will benefit greatly from some additional abstract activities in their lives.

But for a woman with a strong abstract nature, abstract activities in her life aren’t only a positive addition, they are essential. She may understand that the Jewish nation cannot exist without the Jewish home, whose strength and glory are its atmosphere of physical, emotional and spiritual nurturing. She may also understand that loyalty to Torah entails overcoming obstacles. Yet, if a woman with a strong abstract nature does not have abstract activities in her life, she is

likely to experience frustration and possibly depression, whose source is in her unhappy and unfulfilled soul. How intense is the suffering of a person whose soul is denied its true needs is described in a passage from Michtav Me’Eliyahu. Speaking of Choni Hama’agel he writes:

“He did not ask to die simply because of a lack of esteem, chas v’shalom, but rather because he was not able to advance spiritually. Because he did not find anyone else who thought as he did, and he did not have students to learn from him, he did not want to live any more, for as the Rambam writes,¹⁷⁷ “Without Torah, the life of intellectual people is considered as death”. ¹⁷⁸

This applies to any person with strong intellectual needs, whether male or female. And although such women are still a definite minority, they certainly do exist, and they often include the most intelligent and talented (in the abstract areas).

Often people think that one can (and should) choose a certain role at will. But whether one is oriented towards the abstract or the concrete is heavenly ordained, not a question of choice or belief. Social conditioning or ideals can be the deciding factor in the case of a person who is “in the middle” – having abilities and interests in both areas - but not where the heavenly influence is very strong and clear-cut. For as the Sages taught, a person’s basic nature is determined by his (or her) heavenly ordained destiny and is not a matter of free will. The Vilna Gaon explained it thus:

“…for a human being cannot break his way, meaning his fate that he was born to, as it says in Maseches Shabbos,¹⁷⁹ …a person born under Mars will spill blood. Rabbi Eliezer said, either a mohel or a shochet, or a robber. He mentioned these three because this is according to his fate which shows that he will spill blood, But with his free will choice he can choose from amongst these, a mohel who is a tsakid, for he is fulfilling a positive command, a shochet who is medium, or a robber who is a rasha (wicked person)…And that is what it says, “Educate the youth according to his way’¹⁸⁰ meaning according to his fate and his nature…for he cannot change his fate.”¹⁸¹

Since not every girl or woman has identical capabilities or interests their education or “way” cannot be identical. If a woman’s mind is not oriented towards the abstract, she should not be instructed in areas that she is not required to learn. Yet for those who are capable, the Rambam says “A woman who learns Torah is rewarded”.¹⁸² Furthermore, while the opinion of Rabbi Eliezer, that girls not be taught Torah, was generally accepted, Ben Azai held that “A man is obligated to teach his daughter Torah”.¹⁸³ The Rambam explains Rabbi Eliezer’s position by saying that “most women’s minds are not attuned to being taught”. In that case, it follows that if a woman’s mind is attuned to being taught, she should be taught. (A fuller explanation of the Rambam appears in the footnote.)

Torah schools for girls on a wide scale were begun in order to save girls from the secularizing effects of public schools. But based on what we learned it seems that G-d had a wider plan. Certainly, no amount of formal, text-based education can substitute for what is absorbed directly from parents, grandparents and the environment itself in a Torah-permeated home. Yet, as an addition to the traditional mode of female education, Torah learning institutions for women seem to be a fulfillment of G-d plan of nekeiva tisovev gever.

(When we speak here of Torah study, we do not necessarily refer to study of the Talmud, but rather to any area of Torah to which one is suited. Most women will not achieve fulfillment from gemora study, not because of less intellectual abilities, but because of having a different temperament than men. Yet here, too, there are surely exceptions.)

The Dangers of the Klipa

We have emphasized the positive effects of nekevah tisovev gever, but we have also pointed out that there is a “klipah” parallel to it. Is it positive or negative, then, for Jewish women to take upon themselves male associated mitzvohs?

As we mentioned, women are rewarded for Torah study, as one who fulfills a mitzvah without being commanded to. This is true of nearly all the mitzvohs in

which women are not commanded. And, as we pointed out, the fact that women are rewarded shows that this is positive and that Hashem is pleased with this.

There is, however, a big “but” in this area, and that is, the question of where the desire to do these mitzvohs is coming from.

In order to understand this issue better, we can learn from Korach.

When Moshe told the Jewish people that G-d wanted Aharon and his children to serve as priests, Korach ridiculed Moshe and said: “The entire congregation is holy, and G-d is in their midst”¹⁸⁴ Therefore, Korach claimed, there was no need for a spiritual elite to connect the people with G-d.

According to kaballah, what was actually saying was that everyone is equal according to the principle of nekeiva tisovev gever. When Korach said “G-d is in their midst”, he was alluding to the circle dance of the righteous, where G-d is in the center, and where all are equidistant from Him, with no need to receive from any other human being.¹⁸⁵ Furthermore, the desire to come closer to G-d is positive. Where, then, was Korach’s mistake?

1)    He rebelled against Moshe, who was G-d’s agent to bring His Torah into the world. By so doing, Korach rebelled against G-d and His Torah. If one rebels against those that impart the Torah, one undermines the entire basis of the Torah.

2)    His motives were impure. Korach presented himself as being greatly concerned with the welfare and equality of the Jewish people. The Sages tell us, however, that what was really “eating” Korach was that he wasn’t appointed to a position of leadership!¹⁸⁶

3)    Although nekeiva tisovev gever is a great principle of ultimate perfection, the time was not yet ripe for it. Before the sin of the golden calf there was no need for such a hierarchy, but sin caused a spiritual handicap which made a hierarchy necessary. G-d’s plans are for our own ultimate good, but we can only receive that good if we follow His instructions, and only He knows what our souls really need!

There are women who, while wishing to take upon themselves more mitzvohs, are actually repeating Korach’s mistakes.

1. Some do not follow the true Torah authorities. And some are openly disrespectful.

2. Their motives are not necessarily pure. Otherwise, how can we explain that reform women dance with the Torah, although they don’t believe in its truth, and some so called Jewish feminists study gemorra although they do not respect its contents? (This is not to criticize those women who study Torah sincerely lishem Shomayim.) Male associated mitzvos are sought after with great enthusiasm, while essential women’s mitzvohs (such as tzniut) are not.

Korach thought he was serving Hashem, but actually he was serving his own ego. Similarly, if a woman wishes to take upon herself additional mitzvohs lishem shomayim, than this is meritorious - so long as this is done according to halacha, and so long as this is not at the expense of those mitzvohs in which she is commanded. But if she is doing those same acts to rebel against the Torah’s differentiations between men and women, than not only is this not a mitzvah, it is a rebellion against Hashem, cholila.

As the Shem MiShmuel on Korah¹⁸⁷ explains, the pain at being held back from a higher level of Hashem’s service is genuine and justified. For this reason, he says, the Levites who originally sided with Korach were not punished. But these Levites listened to Moshe when he told them that they could not have this level at this time; they would have to wait until all the sins had been rectified. Korach on the other hand, reacted with chutzpah, arrogantly rebelling against Moshe, and so he was very severely punished.

Mitzvohs are a way to cling to Hashem, but only if we do them to fulfill Hashem’s will. We must synchronize our will with G-d’s and not imagine that we can synchronize G-d’s will with ours.

3. There will ultimately be total equality, and the process has already begun.

But the total redemption is not yet here. We must act now in the way that suits our reality. Certainly, many aspects of life will change after the coming of Moshiach, both physically and spiritually. For example, after the redemption, Jewish women will no longer be involved with home-

making burdens and so Jewish women will be free to pursue totally spiritual activities. And just as after the redemption, we will rule according to the opinion of Shamai, rather than Hillel, because that is the truth that will apply at that time, so, regarding women we will also see new conditions. But it is a grave mistake to do something that contradicts our reality because it will be right in the future.

This is similar to the sin of David with BatSheva. Although David knew through Ruach Ha’Kodesh (Divine Inspiration) that BatSheva was meant to be his true mate, he nevertheless sinned by taking her before the proper time.¹⁸⁸ What may be tomorrow’s holiness can be today’s sin.

In summary, the Torah warns us not to be like Korach and his followers, whose rebellion ended in catastrophe. Although it is necessary to use the powers of Moshiach ben Yosef to the best of our abilities, this must be done only in accordance with G-d’s will.

The Difficulties of Transition

And now, with the understanding we have gained, we can relate to our original question; why is it that although throughout history the Jewish woman had more rights and privileges than in other societies, in modern times the Torah world has been placed on the defensive.

According to the commentary of Rabbi Yonoson ben Uzeil, Isaiah informs us that if the Jewish People are meritorious, they will be the ones to welcome Moshiach, who only afterwards will appear to the rest of the world. But if we do

not merit it, then the gentiles will become aware of him first and inform us “Behold, your savior has come”.¹⁸⁹ The Michtav Me’Eliyahu explains it thus:

“This translation has informed us of a great new insight; that it may be that Moshiach will be revealed to the people of Israel first and they will inform the nations of the world, or, the other way around, it may be that he will be revealed first to the nations of the world and they will tell Israel. And the reason for this is, that if Israel is meritorious than the Moshiach comes in their merit, but if not, Heaven forfend, the nations will bring him…Let us strengthen ourselves that we may not need for the gentiles to reveal to us that our moshiach has come! Woe to such humiliation!”¹⁹⁰

Perhaps this idea is true not only of Moshiach himself, but of his powers as well. Had the Jewish People merited it, it would have been none other than the Torah scholars and their followers who would have brought the world the concept of women’s equality, according to the secret of nekevah tisovev gever. Instead, non-Jewish society embraced it first, distorted it with many false ideologies, and then turned with it in attack on the Torah world.

Had things happened in the ideal way, the powers of Moshiach ben Yosef would have been accompanied by Moshiach ben Yosef himself. But, due to our many sins, these powers reached the world without Moshiach ben Yosef, causing frustration and confusion. The Prophets compare the redemption with birth. We are now in a situation similar to the transition stage of childbirth. Because the baby is so close to being born, the mother feels a very strong urge to push the baby out, but because she is not totally ready, she must not yet do so. Similarly, because the power of nekeva tisovev gever has come into the world, there is a very strong desire and “push” for total equality. But, because woman’s rectification is not totally completed and the redemption is not yet here, equality remains on the horizon, although it will come to be, as Isaiah said: “The light of the moon will be as the light of the sun”.¹⁹¹

The medrash with which we began tells us that the New Moon offering is an “atonement for Hashem”. According to the Maharal this means that it will remove the complaint in people’s heart when it seems that there is something wrong in the way G-d created things.¹⁹²

Perhaps the most difficult (yet therefore, the most meritorious) part of the rectification is now, close to the redemption, when Jewish women have the capability to be “big” but – like the moon – they obey G-d’s command to “go and make yourself small” – where halacha requires it – until the rectification is complete. Closeness to G-d is achieved not through self aggrandizement, but rather through utmost humility – which is why when G-d tells the moon that the righteous will be called “small” after her. She this time does not reply, for she understands the value of humility.

Nevertheless, “He saw that she was still upset” and sympathized with her pain, for although the diminishment of the moon was necessary, and there is great benefit in humility, G-d knows that being unequal is both painful and – ultimately – unjust.

The “atonement” for G-d” therefore lies in the New Moon offering, because the New Moon, which is a special holiday for women, tells us that women’s inequality was never meant as the ideal, but that womankind will be renewed to her original greatness, “that their future is to be renewed like the moon”. That is the secret of nekeva tisovev gever.

May we merit that the powers of Moshiach ben Yosef be returned to their rightful source. May they all be utilized only for holiness. May the desecration caused by their falling into the wrong hands be repaired, and may we merit the complete redemption, very, very soon.

And…

May it be Your will, the L-rd my G-d and the G-d of my forefathers,

To fill the flaw of the moon that there be no diminution in it. May the light of the moon be like the light of the sun and like the light of the seven days of creation, as it was before it was diminished, as it is said, “the two great luminaries”. And may there be fulfilled upon us the verse that is written: “They shall seek the L-rd their G-d, and David their king, Amen.

From the sanctification prayer for the New Moon.


-From Kiddush Levana - The Blessing over the renewal of the Moon

Devorah Jacob is connected to both Gerrer and Breslaver Chassidus. She lives in Jerusalem with her husband and family. She is a teacher and the mother of eleven children.