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From: Russell Hendel <rhendel@mcs.drexel.edu>
Date: Sun, 18 Jul 1999 19:18:57 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: Women=Men (Property, Soul and Life rights)--All Opinions

I recently suggested that just as we bless God for not making me blind
or naked so we bless God for not making me a woman (The blessings all occur
together). The implication in all these blessings is that I should be aware
that there are helpless people and help them. Thus I should help blind
people get around, or give clothing to naked people or help woman be treated
properly.

Etzion Abraham (v29n03) said that (a) this was apolegetic (b) we should
be intellectually honest and admit the truth (c) the "not made me like
a woman" blessing came from Rav Meir not from the Anshay Kneseth Hagedolah
(d) early commentators state this blessing is "an acceptance of judgement
because women have lesser value than men"

First I would like to thank Rabbi Prof Aryeh Frimer (who in v29n06 took
my side).

I would like to address one point: (d) "the blessing is an acceptance of
judgement because women have lesser value than men".

Nobody can seriously have believed that! Why? Because the talmud (Baba Kama
15) EXPLICITLY states that "Women have equal value to men". The Talmud
derives this by generalizing three explicit cases where the Bible equates
Men and women: (1) The need for atonement is equal (Nu 5-5 "A man or a woman")
(2) in the need for protection against monetary loss/damage they are equal
(Ex 21:1 eg see Ex 21:25 "..damages a man or a woman") and (3) punishments
(Lev 20:27 "..a man or woman...). If this is not enough the commentators on
this Talmudic passage explicitly state "The 3 verses were brought so that
we should NOT think eg that women don't usually do business and hence don't
need monetary protection or that eg women do less mitzvoth and hence
their 'value' is less')." Finally even if Rav Meir introduced the blessings
since all blessings were combined in a later period it appears that they
viewed Rav Meirs contribution as a COMPLEMENTARY set of blessings with the
SAME THEME...namely we should help helpless people like the blind, disabled,
or women

Russell Jay Hendel; Phd ASA
RJHendel@Juno.Com
http://www.shamash.org/rashi/
Moderator Rashi Is Simple