Re: Kol Isha

[TROMBAEDU <TROMBAEDU...>]

In a message dated 2/21/01 9:49:45 AM Eastern Standard Time, 
shirona (at) bellatlantic(dot)net writes:


> Men were bought and sold for money
> *Men had no political, economical of social rights
> *Men had to share a household with other men, married to one woman
> *Men had to do all the menial jobs
> *Men had to "obey" their wives
> *Men had to walk three steps behind their wives
> *Men were made to bare responsibility for women's weaknesses - "shave your
> hair off - your hair is a turn-on!  Don't sing, your singing is a turn-on!"
> and so on...
> 
> 

Judaism has nothing in it to suggest that Women were sold for money. 
Women have always had economic and social rights, and protections.
Concibines and polygamy were theoretically permitted, but the practice was 
rare, until the 10th century, when they were forbidden.
In the ancient world, everybody did the "menial" jobs.
Nowhere in halacha does it say that women have to obey their wives. Custom in 
Halachic practice goes according to the man, but Jewish identity goes 
according tot he woman, as well as other practices.
Halacha does not require the wives to walk three steps behind the husband.
Halacha does not require shaven heads. It does not forbid women from singing. 

Part of the problem here is that Shirona's perception of Jewish law is based 
on sociological conditions cutting across the various places where Jews 
lived. Consider, on the other hand, that the laws of modesty as enumerated in 
the Talmud were the most significant attempt until then to prevent the 
objectification of Women, in an ancient world that in many places had a view 
of women that was savage at best. 
Halachic marriage requires the consent of the women, (the concept in Halacha 
is called Daas) also revolutionary n the ancient world.
Jewish marriage includes the Ketubah, which is the earliest known attempt at 
providing financial protection for the Bride. 
Halacha even required that the husband provide dignified clothing and 
jewelry, in order that the wife be treated with respect in the greater 
community. In addition, the husband is not allowed to refuse the wife sexual 
intercourse, and is required according to his occupation to provide himself 
to sexually satisfy the wife on a sliding scale of frequency depending on her 
request. 
In other, while to our contemporary minds some of these requirements may seem 
quaint at best, before Halacha the idea of creating protections for the woman 
was unheard of. 
All this does not mean that things are perfect. Many of the things Shirona 
mentioned are found in the practice of Chasidim. But for all their numerical 
prevalence in certain quarters, and their domination of the perception of 
Jewish life among the non observant, these practices represent a small 
minority of all Orthodox practitioners.


Jordan  

Jordan Hirsch