Yes -- That's exactly why women were not given the obligation. It would have been too much. Even today, with women balancing roles of family and work, it still makes sense that they don't have this obligation.
Judith >Re: the positive, time-bound mitzvot - > >didn't a lot of these commandmants begin at a time and place where the roles >of men and women were quite different - men out tending the fields, and >women the home-makers? > >Women couldn't be bound to pray at certain times of the day when the baby >might need breast-feeding etc. at any hour. >(BTW my wife pointed this out when were were discussing this thread.) > >-Ben > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: Beth F [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] > > Sent: Friday, April 05, 2002 8:44 AM > > To: CF-Community > > Subject: Re: Egypt: Land of the Gods > > > > > > Hm, the women have a choice in the role they play which is nice. > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "Judith Dinowitz" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > To: "CF-Community" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > Sent: Thursday, April 04, 2002 7:35 PM > > Subject: Re: Egypt: Land of the Gods > > > > > > > Women are not exempt from prayer -- just from prayer in a > > Minyan, which is > > > a positive, time-bound mitzvah (commandment). They are > > supposed to pray, > > > but are not obligated to do so at a specific time. > > > > > > Women are exempt from all positive, time-bound mitzvot. A positive > > mitzvah > > > is a commandment where you are doing something positive (as > > opposed to one > > > you accomplish by inaction, such as "Thou shalt not murder.") Some > > examples > > > include prayer, giving charity, having three meals on the Shabbos. A > > > time-bound mitzvah is one that must be done at a specific time. > > > > > > There are some exceptions to the exemption of positive, time-bound > > mitzvot, > > > including: > > > > > > 1. drinking four cups of wine at the Pesach seder > > > 2. lighting Chanukah candles > > > 3. all the mitzvot of Purim > > > > > > (These mitzvot are obligations because they involve > > commemorations of > > > special miracles in which women were included and, in some cases, > > > especially involved.) > > > > > > Why are women exempt from all positive, time-bound mitzvot? This has > > > certainly been used to attack Halachic Judaism, mainly from a > > > misunderstanding of the different roles of men and women creating an > > > "inequality". I will quote from Rav Yitzchak Yaakov Fuchs > > _Halichos Bas > > > Yisrael_, a two-volume set on Jewish laws as pertaining to > > women published > > > by Targum Press: > > > > > > "Many commentators offer reasons why the Torah exempts women from > > > time-bound mitzvoth. The Avudraham notes that it is the > > woman who assumes > > > responsibility for managing the household, attending to the > > physical needs > > > of the Jewish family, and playing a major role in rearing > > and educating > > > young children at home. Because many of these > > responsibilities must be > > > attended to at unpredictable times, the Torah exempts women from > > > obligations which must be performed at set times." > > > > > > Note: Women _MAY_ fulfill any mitzvoth from which they are > > halachically > > > exempt, except those specifically restricted to men. Once > > a woman takes > > on > > > a mitzvah on a regular basis, she is obligated to continue doing it. > > > > > > Also: There are positive mitzvot that are specifically > > given to women -- > > > the three I've always seen cited are the mitzvah of marital purity > > > (niddah), Challah (taking a portion of the challah you bake > > out for tithe > > > to the priest in the Temple), and candle-lighting for Shabbos. > > > > > > This is a hugely complex topic, and I could bring more > > information if > > > you've got questions. > > > > > > Judith > > > > > > >I'm going to leave the exact answer to that for Judith. My > > understanding > > > >is that they either have to or should pray during the day > > but are not > > > >required to do all that men have to (we're talking over an > > hour total a > > > >normal day for men). My understanding is probably not 100% > > correct as I'm > > > >not learned in what women must do prayer-wise. Luckily, I > > have a wife who > > > >IS learned in that. (she'll feel good with me praising her > > publicly and > > > >that's one of my jobs). > > > > > > > > > > > > > Really? > > > > > > > > > > So orthodox jewish women can pray but dont' have to? > > Except over > > food? > > > > > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > > > > From: "Michael Dinowitz" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > > > To: "CF-Community" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > > > Sent: Thursday, April 04, 2002 6:41 PM > > > > > Subject: Re: Egypt: Land of the Gods > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > For Christians this is true but for Jews its > > different. Before the > > meal > > > > > there's a blessing on the food to be eaten and after > > there's thanks > > for > > > > what > > > > > was eaten and all. During holidays (and Shabbos) the > > meals are more > > formal > > > > > deals with a blessing over wine (or grape juice), then > > a washing of > > the > > > > > hands and a blessing over bread (or Matza during Pesach). This > > 'covers' the > > > > > meal, which is usually more than one course. Some fish, > > some soup, > > some > > > > > meat, etc. After the grace is said. During non-holiday > > eating a simple > > > > > blessing and grace is said based on what's being eaten. > > > > > > As a side note, the requirement to say a blessing > > before and after > > eating > > > > > is for all Jews regardless of gender. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >my daughter 'serving' me with a small pitcher to > > wash my hands > > > > > > > before we said the grace after >meals. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > after meals? > > > > > > > forgive my ignorance, i thought grace was said before meals > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ~~ > > > > > > > Stephenie > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ______________________________________________________________________ Your ad could be here. 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