From: MICHAEL SPITZER 
Subject: IUFO: Ask The Rabbi a Question: Is God male or female?
Date: 4 Aug 2000 21:20:26 -0400
To: ancient_wisdom@lists.io.com

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---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: mikespitzer@TheOffice.net [mailto:mikespitzer@TheOffice.net]
Sent: Friday, August 04, 2000 2:08 PM
To: questions@aish.com
Subject: Ask The Rabbi Question

Michael Spitzer asked:

Why is it that you write on your website the above, namely,
"Whether you're perplexed by a personal issue, a matter of Jewish
tradition - or just plain curious - Aish's staff of experts will
send you a timely, informative and entertaining answer! If you
have regular access to an authority on Jewish law or philosophy,
rather than sending us an email, you should speak directly with
HIM?"

In other words, Rabbi, WHY NOT WORD THE PARAGRAPH, "Whether
you're perplexed by a personal issue, a matter of Jewish
tradition - or just plain curious - Aish's staff of experts will
send you a timely, informative and entertaining answer! If you
have regular access to an authority on Jewish law or philosophy,
rather than sending us an email, you should speak directly with
him OR HER???

AND, on a similar note, why do MANY languages of Earth today have a word to
refer to YHVH *without* a gender preference, yet we English speaking
cultures DO NOT (does the Hebrew language??).   

In other words, WHY are English speaking Jews (and countries)
LOCKED INTO REFERRING TO YHVH IN THE MALE GENDER???????????


And, THANK YOU SO MUCH for taking the time to answer for me these MOST
sincere, and LONG unanswered, concerns.

Shalom,

Michael (in Phnx., AZ


name: Michael Spitzer
email: mikespitzer@TheOffice.net
city: Pheonix, AZ
country: USA
publish: Yes

--------------

Dear Michael,

We did not mean to offend by writing the male gender when
referring to a Halachic authority.

Generally speaking, Judaism doesn't view the role of the rabbi as
different than the congregation. In other words, just as the
congregation learns Torah and prays, so too does the rabbi learn
Torah and pray. Where there is a practical difference is that
usually the rabbi has learned longer than the congregation and
therefore is fit to answer Jewish-legal question that arise and
give counseling. But one doesn't need to be a bona fide rabbi to
achieve this status. Many men and women, dedicated to living a
spiritual life according to the Torah, have naturally become
leaders in their community without any form of ordination
whatsoever.

The word "rabbi" literally means a teacher. In that regard, there
are indeed many women who are defacto "rabbis" in terms of their
contribution and relationship with students. In Israel, they're
called a "rebbetzin." They head up women's seminaries, counsel
the bereaved, teach Torah classes, organize community events,
etc.

One famous Jewish leader was Devorah, who appears prominently in
the Biblical book of Judges. Since it was Devorah's calling to be
a Judge, she had no other choice but to accept the role,
especially since the people demanded it of her. But in this
particular case, Devorah cannot be used as a paradigm since she
knew that she was the exception. And she didn't want her role to
become the model for future generations. Therefore in Judges 5:7,
she passionately affirms her role as "MOTHER in Israel" -- that
she was the nurturer of the people, not the political leader or
warrior. (Rebbetzin Tzipporah Heller)

One criticism often leveled against Judaism is that it renders
women powerless. We can define power as the ability to effect
change. In American society, visible and external power is
valued. Political power, positions of authority and status,
military power, and money are all examples of external power. If
you imagine the most powerful people you know, you might think of
the U.S. President, the Chairman of AOL-Time Warner, etc. These
are people (probably men) who represent externalized powers.

Now think about the person who changed or influenced your life
the most. Chances are excellent that one of the first people who
come to mind is your mother. Mothers have a tremendous power by
virtue of their personal influence on their children. But his
power is not externally visible.

Women are entrusted with the most important part of Jewish life
-- the home. That is where we celebrate Shabbat, light Chanukah
candles, place our Mezuzah. The warmth and good feeling of being
Jewish comes from the home. In this realm, the mother's influence
reigns supreme.

Judaism believes that men and women should have equal rights to
influence others, but that positions of external power are
generally more appropriate for men, whereas power that is
exercised in the personal domain is primarily wielded by women.
("To Be A Jewish Woman," by Lisa Aiken, published by Aronson).

In Western society today, the lines between men and women have
become nearly erased. Of course this has resulted in a certain
empowering of women. But Judaism would argue that the overall
effect has been to strip women of their true internal power.

I have met many women who speak of confusion over the varied and
conflicting roles expected of them to fulfill. They're expected
to earn $75,000 a year and simultaneously be warm, nurturing,
gentle, and kind. "You know," one woman complained to me, "those
traits aren't the ones most commonly found in successful trial
attorneys."

In speaking to many women who have gone the "corporate route,"
they express resentment at having missed out on the opportunity
to raise children and build a home. Many of them express that at
the end of the day, the overall trade-off in power was not worth
it.

Finally, why does Judaism usually refer to God in the masculine?
Let us take a deeper look by asking ourselves the question...

IS GOD A MAN OR A WOMAN?!

We know that God has ears because it says, "God heard the sound
of your words."  (Deuteronomy 1:34)  We know that God has a mouth
since it says, "God spoke to us."  (Deuteronomy 1:6) God has an
arm since it says "I shall redeem you with an outstretched arm."
(Exodus 6:6)  God also has a hand as it says "I raised My hand to
give it to Abraham."  (Exodus 6:8)  In fact, God has a body as it
says "Let us make man in our image."  (Genesis 1:26) Now which
image is that, the image of a man or a woman?!  Perhaps, if we
look at whom He created, we can figure out what the Creator looks
like.

The next line in Genesis says "God created man in God's own
image, MALE and FEMALE He created them."  What does it mean MALE
and FEMALE He created them? According to the Midrash He created
Adam and Eve back to back in the same body."  (Genesis Rabbah
8:1)  Does that mean God looks like an hermaphrodite?!

THE ANSWER IS...

NO!  The word "image" is not meant to be taken literally. It
means that God created humans with similar qualities that He has,
i.e. morality, reason, and free will.  But He didn't bestow these
qualities to man only; He gave them equally to man and woman.

The truth is that God has absolutely no body whatsoever. This is
an important principle of faith that Maimonides included as one
of his tenants, as it is written, "God is not physical and is not
affected by physical phenomena, and it is absolutely impossible
to compare Him to anything." (Maimonides - Thirteen Principles of
Faith)

Since Maimonides wrote that "it is absolutely impossible to
compare Him to anything," then how come the Torah use compares
God to humans throughout the Torah?!

The answer is that since the human mind is imperfect (and
therefore lacks the ability to conceive of God who is perfect),
the Torah describes Him in human terms (which we can conceive),
in order that we should grasp certain concepts about His
character. (Maimonides - Foundations of the Torah 1:9)

SO, SINCE GOD IS NEITHER A MAN OR WOMAN, WHY IS GOD REFERRED TO
AS A "HE?!"

Man and woman were created different from each other. In the
reproductive process, God created man as a GIVER, that is to say
that he takes his seed and GIVES it to a woman.  From the aspect
of procreation on the woman's side, she is a RECEIVER AND FORMER.  
She RECEIVES man's seed and she FORMS it into a living being, a
baby. Therefore, in this aspect man is likened to a GIVER, and
the woman to a RECEIVER AND FORMER.

This comparison can also be made between God and the Jews.  In
this relationship, God is a GIVER, and the Jewish people the
"RECEIVER AND FORMER," since that God GAVE the Torah to the Jews,
and the Jewish people RECEIVED it and transFORMED their lives
around it.

Therefore, the reason why God is referred to as a "He" is because
it is relating to the "GIVER" aspect which is masculine.  
Corresponding to this, whenever God is referred to as in the
MASCULINE as the GIVER, the Jewish people are referred to in the
FEMININE (even the men!) since they are the RECEIVERS!

WHEN GOD IS REFERRED TO IN THE FEMININE.

There are other places, in Talmudic literature, where God is
referred to as the Divine Presence, Shechina.  In these cases,
God is referred to as "She."

The term Shechina refers to man's relationship with God. This
relationship can be illustrated with the following example:
Imagine being in the Grand Canyon before sunrise, totally
enveloped in the darkness of its vast depths. Suddenly, the first
ray of sunlight beams from the horizon, and you witness a
beautiful sunrise.  You think to yourself, "Is it possible this
sunrise was a mere chemical mishap?  No, this must be a creation
of God!"  The awe that person felt, is the experience with the
Shechina, which is referred to in the feminine.

So in the end, you see that sometimes God is referred to as She!

To learn more read, "Maimonides' Principles," by Rabbi Aryeh
Kaplan (published by the National Conference of Synagogue Youth,
NCSY).


With blessings from Jerusalem,


Shraga Simmons
The Aish Rabbi

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=================================================================
             Kadosh, Kadosh, Kadosh, YHVH, TZEVAOT

  FROM THE DESK OF:                    
                      *Mike Spitzer*     
                         ~~~~~~~~          

   The Best Way To Destroy Enemies Is To Change Them To Friends
       Shalom, A Salaam Aleikum, and to all, A Good Day.
=================================================================



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