Shelo Asani Isha

There’s a big difference between קדוש and מקודש, the latter being the expression that the bartenura and rambam use. Kadosh means something is holy. Mekudash means it is holi-fied, sanctified; consecrated – not intrinsically holier, but set aside from something else for a specific purpose. When the malachim praise Hashem, they don’t call him mekudash, they say kadosh. When you marry a woman, you call her mekudeshes, that she is now separate and specified for you and not other men l.

It might sound like it’s splitting hairs, but i think it’s emes.

I’ll try to fetch the sources for the oft-quoted sentiment that women are closer to Hashem’s idea of perfection and don’t need certain mitzvos – this isn’t one of my pet projects that i can rattle off sources for; though anti feminism sources….those I know a lot of.

And a Kohein is intrinsically holier than a Yisroel? Or a Talmid Chochom than a layman?

I think the same principles apply. They all become holier through their avoda.

A kohen’s kadima in this regard applies even if he’s an am haaretz; in other matters we say that a mamzer talmid chochom is kodem – or does it apply to pikuach nefesh too?

I think Talmid Chacham has a priority in pidyon also

“Personally, i think this question became popular after tv shows like “my unorthodox life”

I don’t think the visuals or storyline from My Unorthodox Life have had any significant impact within the frum tzibur, assuming many even subscribe to Netflix (which I doubt). It is more comedy than reality since it is doubtful R’ Hendler reflect the norm for frum yidden in Monsey whose ex-wives engage in the kind of pritzusdike stuff supposedly portrayed and still are willing to maintain a close relationship and engage in mutual visitations etc. for the sake of the youngest yeshiva bochur (who seems to be the only real grown up in the whole sad mishpacha).

@yehudis21

It is not against the other, it is against the EXEMPTION of many mitzvot , as a man.

You said that two years ago

UJM, are you still so proud of what you accomplished before being born: being a male? I would have hoped you accomplished something else since then that you can take pride in.

Actually, the only pride that is totally Muttar, is being Jewish. So, why would you swap that for your personal obsession?

@ujm

Are you anti R’ Yom Tov Ehrlich?

On a related topic, all girls learn that “bays yaakov” refers to when Hashem addresses women … at the same time, Gemora in BM ~ 33 thinks BY refers to amei haaretz …

Aaq, rashi says pashut pshat in the pasuk refers to noshim. They’re not taught wrong.

I thought it was well known that this was a symptom of their greco-roman surroundings. To say that our Chachamim were just pure chauvinists like the rest of the world would simply be unnacceptable.
Here are some quotes:
Diogenes Laertius, a contemporary of the Taanaim, writes,
“The story … is told by some of Socrates, namely, that he used to say there were three blessings for which he was grateful to Fortune: “First, that I was born a human being and not one of the brutes; next, that I was born a man and not a woman; thirdly, a Greek and not a barbarian.”
Diogenes Laertius lived about three hundred years before the gemara that gives us the version that is now in our siddurim
“It is taught in a baraita that Rabbi Meir would say: A man is obligated to recite three blessings every day praising God for His kindnesses, and these blessings are: Who did not make me a gentile; Who did not make me a woman; and Who did not make me an ignoramus.”[6
The version actually found in our siddurim is based on a a few lines later in the gemara.
Feel free to do more research for the exact sources I don’t have the most time on my hands, but Chas Vashalom allow our sages to be trodden upon.

>>>Diogenes Laertius lived about three hundred years before the gemara that gives us the version that is now in our siddurim

This is of course plagrized from an apikorsus blog.

The Tosefta which first mentions making those brochas predates Diogenes Laertius.

The reliability of Diogenes’ sources has been questioned, even by secular scholars . Do you believe Diogenes Laërtius claim that when Diogenes of Sinope committed suicide he held his breath for a few days until he died? Or do you go with the teretz that he had several breath holding sessions until he caused himself enough brain damage that he died? Even the believers who give that answer are clearly saying that not everything coming from Diogenes Laertius is to be taken at face value. And in this case he himself explicitly says that his source is just hearsay ( hundred of years later)

In general the sentiment found among academics that if the Torah says something but that sentiment is also found by non-Jews of the time there must have been some non-Jewish influence is nonsense. Some sentiments are universally believed at least at certain times. The fact that Torah and lhavidl say some Greek philosopher both said a similar concept just shows that the idea resonated even in other cultures. Not influence ch’v

R Meir lived 50-100 years before Diogenes Laertius
and probably Baraita’s attribution to R Meir is more accurate than Diogenes Laertius attribution to Socrates unless there are other sources. Also, see reverse order. Greeks start w/ ignoramus

Well as I view it as a particularly unfortunate bracha, I would prefer thinking of it’s inclusion as a victim of time and place rather than a conscious effort to ensure it’s underlying belief would remain for millennia.
“Rabbi yoshe ber soloveitchik, not one who was quick to label things heretical, clearly wrote in 5 drashos that to attribute any motivation or outside influence to anything in chazal is unequivocally apikorsus.”
He’s welcome to believe as he wishes but I find that quite uncompelling. Nobody lives in a vacuum.

Agreed there’s nothing that can be conclusively drawn from his quote. Except that these sentiments were wellspread and their inclusion can be attributed to their time/place and don’t have to be pinned to eternal jewish thought.

“Well as I view it as a particularly unfortunate bracha”

Haolam: There’s nothing “unfortunate” whatsoever about this Brocha. Baruch Hashem we all have the great Zchus to make this Brocha will 100% kavana seven days a week, weekdays, Shabbosim and Yomim Tovim; every day of our lives from childhood through old age.

The Broacha, absolutely, was instituted by Chazal as “a conscious effort to ensure its underlying belief would remain for millennia”, as you so succinctly put it. This is a bakasha that we absolutely are proud of.

Shelo Asani Isha should be made with the same simcha, with the same kavana, with the same intensity, with the same love, and with the same thankfulness as you make on Shelo Asani Goy and Shelo Asani Eved and on every other brocha during Birchas Hashachar.

Maybe there is some common ground between the sides here: Chachomim could use lashon used in their times in Greek culture to express their position. It may be agreeing with something, or using the Greek form but changing context to the Jewish one.

In this particular case, Diogenes Laertius records a 4th-hand story: Hermippus in his Lives refers to Thales the story which is told by some of Socrates, namely, that he used to say there were three blessings for which he was grateful ….

Right after that, DL quotes a story about Thales that might be of use for many: It is said that once, when he was taken out of doors by an old woman in order that he might observe the stars, he fell into a ditch, and his cry for help drew from the old woman the retort, “How can you expect to know all about the heavens, Thales, when you cannot even see what is just before your feet?”