tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5292734369805726323.post3227650821928565747..comments2023-11-12T20:59:55.490-05:00Comments on Building a Jewish Life: Male Converts Are Really the Crazy OnesKochavahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11841373131402987905noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5292734369805726323.post-24552680001555611392010-11-24T16:50:45.107-05:002010-11-24T16:50:45.107-05:00There's an interesting case I came across rece...There's an interesting case I came across recently...<br /><br />Most of the gender inequality in mitzvot has to do with one not being obligated in a mitzvah, and therefore not being required to perform it. Putting aside the question of whether or not someone can take on these extra mitzvot, it's actually rather liberating: "Huh, so Hashem DOESN'T think it's necessary for me Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5292734369805726323.post-76493745086403312852010-11-23T00:20:14.748-05:002010-11-23T00:20:14.748-05:00Chavi, the bit about Shema is where the Oral Torah...Chavi, the bit about Shema is where the Oral Torah comes in! Shema also doesn't describe WHAT tefillin is, but the Oral Torah does.<br /><br />Regarding tzitzis, I have heard this argument from men who don't wear tallis katan. By technicality they are not doing anything wrong. They are not wearing a four cornered garment WITHOUT tzitzis, they are just not purposely putting on a four Lilyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12346629911135742919noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5292734369805726323.post-67755433134830489692010-11-22T23:24:44.318-05:002010-11-22T23:24:44.318-05:00I'm always most interested by the Sh'ma. F...I'm always most interested by the Sh'ma. From the words, you'd think both men and women are obligated to lay tefilin and that it wouldn't be time-bound. Besides, women are generally considered obligated to daven shacharit and mincha, so couldn't tefilin have gone with that? I also feel a little silly saying the last two paragraphs because it's basically all about the men! CrazyJewishConverthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06219720130466040423noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5292734369805726323.post-16975856039115533942010-11-22T22:58:23.439-05:002010-11-22T22:58:23.439-05:00I think the division is actually a lot less clear ...I think the division is actually a lot less clear than we think...<br /><br />Chava's right, everyone (inc. men) are obligated in shabbos candles, and the taking of challah. They're just marketed as women's mitzvot.<br /><br />Furthermore, I've heard that women are obligated in tzitzit as much as men are. The interesting point is that tzitzit are a conditional mitzvah.<br />IF youAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5292734369805726323.post-89160315981465032132010-11-22T21:57:37.926-05:002010-11-22T21:57:37.926-05:00Chava is correct; I light the Shabbat candles and ...Chava is correct; I light the Shabbat candles and buy my challot. (I'm a man.) The general rule is that women are exempt from most positive mitzvot with time constraints, such as tzitzit. However, if a woman lays tefillin, it becomes an obligation for her after that. <br /><br />I agree though; male converts have a much rougher time, largely because of the necessity to join a minyan.wearegovernmenthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09912137691266942416noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5292734369805726323.post-5567060714516951612010-11-22T09:25:57.998-05:002010-11-22T09:25:57.998-05:00I disagree with women wearing tzitzit or tefillin,...I disagree with women wearing tzitzit or tefillin, but I think John's comment above is too broad. There is the concept of being eino metzuveh v'oseh, and of receiving reward for doing something that was not commanded. See, for example:<br />http://www.nishmat.net/article.php?id=63&heading=0Sarahnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5292734369805726323.post-75940257075481126592010-11-22T07:01:38.572-05:002010-11-22T07:01:38.572-05:00When I started the process I thought it was so muc...When I started the process I thought it was so much easier to be a guy - I found the dress code very difficult at first - now Im so glad Im a girl!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5292734369805726323.post-65150871310795926612010-11-22T06:37:27.388-05:002010-11-22T06:37:27.388-05:00Hi Chavi,
I've heard of Adam and Eve being on...Hi Chavi,<br /><br />I've heard of Adam and Eve being one entity before. In my experience there are quite a lot of effeminate men out there, including gerim, but they are not rushing to cover their hair when they marry. I've asked guys about this issue before. All including myself see candle lighting as 'the woman's mitzvah', a beautiful and important ritual that we are alwaysJohnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13868943254388823678noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5292734369805726323.post-54670302315210305312010-11-21T22:17:21.158-05:002010-11-21T22:17:21.158-05:00Single men who do not have a woman in the house mu...Single men who do not have a woman in the house must light Shabbos candles, and if they bake bread they must take challah as well. They can buy bread, of course, but so can women.chavahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13819387010522404789noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5292734369805726323.post-48373710726800698822010-11-21T21:24:54.895-05:002010-11-21T21:24:54.895-05:00My understanding is that, according to halacha, wo...My understanding is that, according to halacha, women may don tzitzit and tefillin. Even the orthodox rabbi in charge of the Kotel when the Women of the Wall started praying there agreed that what they were doing was not against halacha.<br /><br />I disagree that it is "Jewishly valueless."Susan Bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00840373234747823781noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5292734369805726323.post-53223097294655971502010-11-21T18:31:42.658-05:002010-11-21T18:31:42.658-05:00I remember hearing a long time ago about how Adam ...I remember hearing a long time ago about how Adam and Eve being one person, then separated. And that each of us are also separated from our beshert before we're born, and that this results in some people having a kind of "imperfect" division that means a person could have traits that traditionally belong to the other gender. Just from living my life, I've known many people who CrazyJewishConverthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06219720130466040423noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5292734369805726323.post-33130819409612514672010-11-21T16:33:04.706-05:002010-11-21T16:33:04.706-05:00I find the idea of women wanting to take on the mi...I find the idea of women wanting to take on the mitzvot of men, or indeed vice versa, to be totally nonsensical. <br /><br />The mitzvot of tefillin and tzitzit are not proscribed because there is something intrinsically holy about covering yourself in a white shawl or donning leather straps. These are holy activities purely because G-d commanded them.<br /><br />Women are not being in any way &#Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com