Women Rabbis - Part 1

I have been asked to comment on woman rabbis, yoetzot halacha etc. I will divide my remarks into two parts.

I will begin with a general discussion of feminism....

Judaism is a theocentric religion. This means that G-d is at the center. It is not about me or my needs but about submission to the Divine will. This idea is anathema to the post modern, narcissistic attitude of "me-first-me-only". We are not looking for self empowerment, we are instead actively seeking self-nullification, called bittul in our holy books. So when I hear people talking about it not being "fair" that women don't have the same role as men do, I get all farfutztied [a word I made up meaning "bent-out-of-shape"]. What does "fair" have to do with anything?? When I hear people talking about "equality" I similarly lose my bearings. Where is "equality" a Jewish value???

There is one question and one question only - what is the will of Hashem. Period. All other questions are irrelevant and [usually] self-serving. My own desires and spiritual yearnings must be aligned with Hashem's will, otherwise I have invented a new religion and the god is me [indeed "Ally" sounds eerily close to the name that the Muslims call the Deity].

A story to illustrate: When Reb Mottel of Chernobol passed away he left 8 sons, all of whom became Chassidishe Rebbes [including Reb Dovid'l Mi-Tolna]. The brothers split up the inheritance before their brother Reb Yochanan of Rachemstrivka arrived. He said that at least he would like to inherit his father's "gornisht" [being nothing]. But then he was apprised of the fact that his brother, Reb Moshe'le Mi-Koroschev, already took their father's "gornisht".


Now there was "nothing" left. Not even "nothing". 


[I love chassidishe myses!!!:-)]


So, said Reb Yochanan, I decided to take my father's "gornisht mit gornisht" [nothing from nothing]. He in fact was an extremely humble person. [Told by the Rebbe Shlita at my son's Bar Mitzva which took place on the yahrtzeit of Reb Yochanan]. 


I am gornisht [given the difficulty I am having finding a job and its attendant challenges leads me to believe that many others agree:-)]! In a millionth of a second I can cease to exist. Every second of life and proper functioning is a gift from Hashem and completely from Hashem. I have NOTHING of my own. When I realize that I am nothing I can connect a little bit to what is Real.

Here I get to feminism. How odd that I rarely hear them talking or writing about submission to the will of Hashem. The key word by many is 'empowerment'. No more are men going to rule over us. We are going to flex our feminine muscles and show the men who is boss.

Sweeeeet ladies, daughters of Sarah, Rivka, Rachel and Leah! Men [emotionally healthy ones] have no desire to rule over you. I would even guess that in more Jewish marriages the wife is more domineering over the husband than the opposite. All men want [if they are spiritually balanced] is that you and they should serve Hashem. Haaasssshhheeeemmmmm!! It is not about my ego, my stature, my position in the community or anything about ME. It is about submitting and nullifying myself to Hashem's purpose for me. I think a good example of people who embody such an attitude would be Chabad shlichim who move to bastions of Torah and hubs of Yiddishkeit such as Jackson, Wyoming and Vietnam! It is much more convenient for them to live in Crown Heights but they live not for themselves but for Him. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh:).

So if there is a discussion of women rabbis and the like the starting point must be that this is what G-D wants and that is is an an expression of devotion and dedication to Him. The rhetoric I hear around 'women-in-Judaism" discussions rarely focuses on that and therein lies the problem. When I see people so outspoken about equality who are less than observant of many laws, it makes me suspect that their motivations are less then pure. Of course He is the ultimate judge, but we have to know how to think and relate to these issues and people. 

Am I wrong? Please show me!