{"id":8162,"date":"2016-02-03T00:05:39","date_gmt":"2016-02-02T22:05:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ph.yhb.org.il\/en\/?p=8162"},"modified":"2018-05-24T12:27:24","modified_gmt":"2018-05-24T09:27:24","slug":"03-03-05","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ph.yhb.org.il\/en\/03-03-05\/","title":{"rendered":"05. The Superiority of Women and Emotion"},"content":{"rendered":"
By contrast, emotion, which receives and is impressed upon, is able to grasp faith more naturally and spontaneously. From this standpoint, women are closer to the Divine ideal and are more universal. It is through the manifestation of the divine universal, which sustains the world, that all of the fundamental parameters that the intellect discerns and delineates is drawn. This virtue of women is embedded in the material from which she was created. Whereas man was created from dust, woman was created from a more refined substance \u2013 man\u2019s rib. Since the substance from which the woman was created is of higher quality, she is more capable of naturally perceiving the divine ideal. Feminine intuition is closer to faith, and therefore even without the intervention of intellectual Torah analysis, and without the mediation of specific time-bound <\/span>mitzvot<\/span><\/i>, women can connect profoundly to the Torah and its purpose. In contrast, men require the study of Torah and the time-bound <\/span>mitzvot<\/span><\/i> in order to firmly establish their connection to faith and Torah. <\/span><\/p>\n Likewise, we find that in all the great events which occurred to the Jewish people, the great virtue of women was manifested, for they preceded men in choosing the path of faith. It seems, then, that masculine intellectual analysis is sufficient under normal circumstances; however, where additional spirituality and more faith are required, it is specifically the feminine attributes which are necessary. \u201cR. Akiva preached, \u2018In the merit of righteous women, the people of Israel left Egypt\u2019\u201d (<\/span>Yalkut Shimoni<\/span><\/i>,<\/span> <\/i>Tehilim 795, and see Rashi on<\/span> <\/i>Shemot 38:8). At the giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai, the women were addressed first (Rashi on Shemot 19:3, based on a <\/span>midrash<\/span><\/i>). Similarly, we learn how to honor the Torah from women (below, 7:1). Men even learn Torah in the merit of women\u2019s profound insight (see <\/span>Berakhot<\/span><\/i> 17a and below, 7:1). Additionally, women did not participate in the sin of the Golden Calf (<\/span>Pirkei De-Rabbi Eliezer<\/span><\/i> \u00a7<\/span>45) or the sin of the Spies (<\/span>Tan\u0125uma Pin\u0125as<\/span><\/i> \u00a7<\/span>7). Concerning the future, the Sages say \u201cGenerations are only redeemed in the merit of its righteous women\u201d (<\/span>Midrash Zuta<\/span><\/i>, Ruth 4:11). 1<\/a><\/sup> <\/span><\/p>\n The virtue of woman also finds expression in the holy language of Hebrew. Many universal ideas are expressed in the feminine form: <\/span>\u0125adashot<\/span><\/i> (news), <\/span>nifla’ot<\/span><\/i> (wonders), <\/span>netzurot<\/span><\/i> (secrets), and <\/span>nisgavot<\/span><\/i> (sublime ideas). Also, <\/span>emuna<\/span><\/i> (faith), Torah, mitzva (commandment), <\/span>tefila<\/span><\/i> (prayer), <\/span>segula<\/span><\/i> (uniqueness), <\/span>Yahadut<\/span><\/i> (Judaism), <\/span>kehuna<\/span><\/i> (priesthood), and <\/span>melukha<\/span><\/i> (royalty), are in the feminine form. As noted, this is because the feminine nature is closer to divinity (<\/span>Si\u0125ot Ha-Ritzya<\/span><\/i>, Bereishit p. 77). 2<\/a><\/sup><\/span><\/p>\n This same trait that enables women to integrate and accept the divine idea also allows them to accept masculine principles and apply them to life. Men are more able to define the ideas, but women are better able to apply them in life. The conception of a fetus originates with the man, but it is the woman who actually develops it in her womb, gives birth to it, nurses it, and raises it. Therefore, women constitute the essence of the home and it is they who merit managing the grand ideal of constructing the family. <\/span><\/p>\n By contrast, emotion, which receives and is impressed upon, is able to grasp faith more naturally and spontaneously. From this standpoint, women are closer to the Divine ideal and are more universal. It is through the manifestation of the divine universal, which sustains the world, that all of the fundamental parameters that the intellect discerns […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[107],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8162","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-03-03"],"yoast_head":"\n\n