Men and Women in Judaism

Men and Women in Judaism:

Understanding our Purpose, Understanding our Role

By Mrs. Leah Kohn

The Torah tells us that G-d created Adam and then He said, "It is not good that man be alone." This seems strange. If G-d is capable of absolute perfection, why would He observe that something He made is not good? One answer set forth by Rashi states that G-d made man in order to give him the pleasure of establishing a relationship with his Creator, through a process of spiritual growth. If man were to remain alone and independent, he might eventually accord himself divine status. In this case, he might not feel the need to reach out to G-d, which in the Jewish view would mean he was missing the purpose of life.

The Torah makes clear that G-d created woman, in part, to provide someone who would challenge man to recognize his own incompleteness, so that he would not become overly confident. For that matter, neither would woman, since man would challenge her in the same way. G-d created man and woman with a great deal in common, yet with substantial differences that make them interdependent and constantly aware of the fact that only G-d is perfect, in and of Himself.

According to Divine plan, men and women each excel in specific ways. These areas of expertise are connected to spiritual assignments that differ between the sexes. From the Jewish perspective, the relationship between man and woman can best be described as a team in which each member contributes something unique. The team itself would be unnecessary if each member were talented in exactly the same way as the other. Thus, the team is successful precisely because of its diversity. In terms of spiritual accomplishment, therefore, the differences between the sexes are necessary. Men and women share common goals, with each responsible for distinct aspects of a given project.

Does this arrangement imply inequality in Jewish life? The question must be considered from a Jewish point of view, on the basis of what Judaism offers. Judaism is about establishing a relationship with G-d by taking advantage of opportunities for spiritual development. These opportunities are outside the realms of fame, power and money - often the criteria for equality in today's world. Material success is important in Judaism, particularly as a tool for spiritual growth, but it is not used as a barometer of status. In order to determine whether men and women are equal in the Jewish view, we have to look at whether they have equal opportunity to establish a relationship with G-d.

According to Judaism, men and women have somewhat different souls, which means that they have somewhat separate means of connecting with G-d. And here is where women seemingly come up short. It appears as though men get a better deal in Judaism because of their many opportunities for spirituality through ritual. But this conclusion is inadequate, because it goes only as far as appearances. In reality, the explanation is deeper and will be addressed in detail throughout the next several classes. Closer examination of the inherent distinctions between the sexes will reveal that Judaism assigns women a more inherently complete spiritual nature. This can be observed in the widely acknowledged gift of female intuition and, more dramatically, in the fact that women bear children, which emulates G-d's act of Creation.

Judaism encourages men and women to make the most of their differences. Through mutual respect for each other's G-d-given strengths, they avoid competing on the basis of changing social standards and public accomplishment. The responsibilities of men and women in traditional Judaism are not identical, given that they correspond to the specific spiritual makeup of each soul. Nonetheless, we may conclude that men and women are equal, because the standards upon which they are judged are Divine and eternal.