Rabbi's Blog

Are most Divrei Torah/ Torah expositions slanted towards men or women? Are most of my Divrei Torah written with men or women in mind? No one has ever accused me of slanting a particular point one way or another. Perhaps that should be a sign to me that I am sometimes ambiguous and would be better off being more direct. My wife (she should live and be well) criticizes me (constructively, of course) for not saying things directly, either by beating around the bush or by speaking in riddles and questions. Her recommendation has always been, "If you want to say or ask someone something, don't be vague; be as direct and specific as possible. Don't leave the person hanging. The beginning of this week's parsha, without question, discusses and deals with women. Perhaps most women don't want to think about their birthing experience and are also not too interested in knowing or understanding the laws of Tum'ah and impurity that come along with childbirth. I would like to suggest a novel approach to the juxtaposition of this section of the Torah while gleaning from it the unique position and importance that women have in this world. This week's Parsha Tazria begins with the laws of childbirth. In Vayikra 12:2 the Torah states: "Dabair El B'Nei Yisrael Laymor, Isha Ki Tazria V'Yalda Zachar V'Tamah Shivaas Yamim Kimay Nidas D'Vosa Titmah". "Speak to the Children of Israel, saying: When a woman conceives and gives birth to a male, she shall be impure for a seven-day period, as during the days of her menstruation infirmity shall be impure". Rav Menachem Mendel of Vishiva*, the She'eris Menachem, (1941) explains this topic in the following manner: The Medrash Rabbah Tazria 14 explains this verse by quoting a passuk from Tehilim 139:5: "Achor VaKedem Tzartani"- "the back and front [of me] You have fashioned". If mankind merits, we say to him, "You have come before all of creation." If he does not merit, we say to him, "Even the gnat was created before you!" To paraphrase, the rabbis put man in his place by recognizing that having been created last gives him dominion over everything in the world, but at the same time man's ego is kept in check by reminding him that he was created last. This point is emphasized in the very first Rashi: when a woman conceives "The Amora Rav Simlai said: Just as the fashioning of man came after all cattle, beasts, and fowl in the Torah's account of the act of Creation, so is this law explained after the laws of cattle, beast and fowl that concluded last week's Parsha Shmini. In the same way the Torah lists the creation of the animals and only then mentions creation of man in Bereishis. So too the Torah lists the laws of the animals and then mankind and the laws of purity. The completion of man's spiritual form hinges on the ability for man to have the intellect to control the animal instinct within. Based upon the success of this control, the Torah becomes pure and clear to the person. The understanding of the Midrash now is clear. If a person behaves properly, as a human being, we refer to him as being born before the animals; he is really a partner with Hashem, attaining a portion of God's eminence. This is the highest and greatest form of praise to mankind. But if we do not reach this level, then even the lowly gnat came before us, ruling over us and preventing us from getting closer and becoming a partner with Hashem. Rav Meir Simcha of Dvinsk in his sefer Meshech Chochmah states that in reality Adam/Mankind WAS created last - on the sixth day. He explains that we, as children to our Father in heaven are like children to a parent. When a child does everything he is supposed to do he becomes dear, like a first born - the first before any animal. Only if we don't behave as a good son are we not the 'Bchor', the first born looked upon as the other things created before us. A point that is overlooked is the fact that within 'mankind' someone was created even after Adam - that was Chava/Eve. We can juxtapose Chava to Adam just as the Torah juxtaposed mankind to the animals in a first/last creation situation. Chava is really the last part of creation, and she is the REAL man in the story. Mankind must rid himself of the animalistic tendencies and character and become like Hashem. It is the woman who has the true responsibility to 'fix' the world. Not only because it was she who led Adam to sin with the snake, but also because she now has the opportunity for true Tikun HaOlam by making sure man does what is right. Woman's success is dependent upon keeping her counterpart - man - on the right course. Will she become detached from him and become her own personality, complementing man, or will she revert back to where she came from, from Adam's side. Part of man's challenge is to admit and recognize the role a woman has in this world. It is only a blessing when every man and woman recognizes and accepts their roles vis-a-vis each other. Women must first realize their position in life, being created the very last yet maintain the potential to make man into a man or allow him to sink to the level of animals. Man ultimately decides and chooses where in creation he finds himself - before or after the animals. But the greater challenge is for women to nudge, push, lead and show the way for man to become a man and thereby leave his animal instincts aside. Ah Gut Shabbos Rabbi Avraham Bogopulsky   *Rav Menachem Mendel (ben Yisrael) of Vishiva, the She'eris Menachem. (1886-1941). Born as the oldest son of the Vizhnitzer Rebbe, he founded the Yeshiva Beis Yisrael and was appointed Rav in Vizhnitz by the time he was 25 years old. In 1922, he was appointed Rav in Vishava (Visheve), where he quickly established what was to be one of the largest and most influential yeshivos of the time.