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From: martillo@mit-athena.ARPA (Joaquim Martillo)
Newsgroups: net.religion.jewish,net.women
Subject: Paranoia and Morning Blessings
Message-ID: <46@mit-athena.ARPA>
Date: Wed, 21-Nov-84 21:38:00 EST
Article-I.D.: mit-athe.46
Posted: Wed Nov 21 21:38:00 1984
Date-Received: Fri, 23-Nov-84 02:26:58 EST
References: <1094@akgua.UUCP>
Organization: MIT, Project Athena, Cambridge, Ma.
Lines: 19

Since  morning  blessings  and  paranoia came up in a single article and
since many Jewish feminists have paranoia about Judaism as a patriarchal
anti-women  religion,  posting  the  opinion  of  the bnei yisa(s)kar (a
nineteenth century hassidic rebbe) is worthwhile  (Rabbi  Meir  Horowitz
pointed this opinion out to me during a talmud shi`ur in yibamot).

The  text  says,  "And God said -- let us make man in our own in image."
Rashi (Rabbi Shlomo Yitshaqi) says God took council with the  angels  in
order to teach modesty.

Consequently, saying "that he made me a man" would contradict scripture.
All we can be certain is "that he did not make me a woman."

But when it comes to the creation of women, "And God made the rib  which
he  took  from the man into a woman."  God takes no council with anyone.
Therefore we are completely certain "than  he  made  [a  women]  exactly
according to his [favorable] desire."

The different morning blessings express the merit of women.