ברוך אתה ה' אלקינו מלך העולם שלא עשני אשה
Every morning, we men unapologetically thank Hashem for not making us female. What is this bracha all about? Are females less people or less Jewish than we males are? Clearly not. I am only a person and a Jewish one because of my mother.... So are you:-).
From the structure of the brachos it appears that we are thanking Hashem that we have more mitzvos to perform. That is why we first thank Hashem that we are not goyim, then slaves and then women. All of the aforementioned groups are less obligated in mitzvos than Jewish males.
When you think about it, it is quite remarkable. The bracha [as are all of our tefillos and brachos] is not only descriptive but prescriptive as well. It teaches us how to think.
Many people would be more than happy not to have so many mitzvos. It is HARD being a Jewish male. There is ALWAYS a mitzva to do. EVERY SECOND, there is a mitzva to learn Torah. There are three minyanim a day. There is Shmiras Einayim [TOUGH ONE!!]. There is the mitzva to support one's family, to educate one's children etc. etc. etc. Never a spare moment.
So it would be better to be a woman. No obligation to learn - just if she feels like it. No obligation to daven three times a day - certainly not with a minyan. No Shnaim Mikra Vi-echad Targum every week. Women only go to mikva once a month. Many men, by the force of minhag, go every day! So much to do.
Here is the secret... We are THRILLED to have so many mitzvos. We have not only non time bound mitzvos to do but time bound ones as well. We have to learn kol hatorah koolah [as is paskened in the Shulchan Aruch HaRav] and are excited to try to reach this exalted goal. We are honored and enthusiastic that there is always another davening around the corner [WE GET TO TALK TO THE MASTER OF THE UNIVERSE AND HE LISTENS TO EVER WORD!] and we have to stop whatever we are doing in order to daven on time. We LOVE the fact that we have so many mitzvos.
רצה הקב"ה לזכות את ישראל לפיכך הרבה להם תורה ומצוות - Hashem wanted to give us merits and purify us [זיכוך] so he gave us so many mitzvos. We have limitless opportunities for growth. That is positively super-duper.
For that we proclaim unabashedly, with tremendous joy and excitement - Thank you Hashem for not having made me a woman!
There is much more to say and we must also explain the woman's bracha - שעשני כרצונו. May Hashem give us the כח and מח.
