nakedness of women....and others, too (daf 24)

(i admit to being a bit lax about blogging lately. i'm learning the daf, just not writing about it. oh yeah, and not always on each day, but i'm doing it! but i couldn't let this one by without a blog:-)

Today's daf (berachot 24) contains some discussion of the appropriateness of reciting the bedtime Shema while naked in bed with another person (either your wife -- remember these were men talking -- or another man that you happened to be sharing the bed with....hmmm...). And then it goes on to discuss other aspects of "nakedness":

Rav Chisda said: The thigh of a woman is considered nakedness (ervah)...Shmuel said: the voice of a woman is considered nakedness (ervah), as it is stated: "for your voice is sweet and your countenance comely." Rav Sheishet said: The hair of a woman is considered nakedness.

Interesting. These "naked" things are pretty much the basis, I believe, for many of the concepts of modesty -- can't wear pants, can't sing in public, have to cover the hair....I wonder why it is that there isn't a similar discussion about that which is considered "nakedness" for MEN that might be distracting to WOMEN?

p.s. there's a small bit that I chuckled over. (is one allowed to chuckle over Talmud? well, I did.) If one is sleeping naked, but covered entirely by a cloak, and is able to stick his head out of the cloak, then he can recite the Shema, so his nakedness is overed. But, it says, how can this work: "his heart still sees his nakedness" -- and I had to giggle, because it made me think of the line: "I'm naked under my clothes!" -- which, I suppose, we all are, all the time. Just a thought.

exemptions to reciting Shema....(daf 20)

in today's daf, we learn that women (and slaves and minors) are exempt from reciting shema and wearing tefillin, because these are time-bound mitzvot that women couldn't necessarily be aksed to engage in.

rather than give you a whole opinion on this (being a woman with a watch, and all), i leave you this link to a very interesting entry in a blog:

http://onthefringe_jewishblog.blogspot.com/2005/03/nothing-to-help-us-pray-women-and.html (and I love her title...."on the fringe")

AND
women are still obligated to affix a mezuzah (so if a woman lives alone, she has to have one up on her house) and to say birkat hamazon after eating....so there are some things to which women are obligated. Some people say that the exemption for women doesn't mean that they can't do the things, but others say that if you're going to take on the responsiblity, then you need to go "whole hog" (ha ha) and take on all the responsibilities. My understanding is that this is the rationale of the Conservative movement when they agreed to ordain women -- they required that women "become men" in their obligations, i.e. they're required to lay tefillin, and all other obligations that are incumbent upon men; it's somewhat controversial that they couldn't just accept women as women and find a halachic way for women to fulfill the role of rabbi... where there's a will, there's a halachic way. But that's not how they saw it.

More tomorrow.

filling the barrels of our minds

So I'm starting to get slightly frustrated with Daf Yomi. I'm certainly not giving it up, but I'm feeling like I'm definitely not getting enough out of each day's learning. Then today, I found this story/parable online and it helped me see the purposes of what I'm doing....

A distraught man once came to the famous preacher, the Maggid of Dubno.

"What's the good of my Torah study?" he complained. "I study Torah every day, but quickly forget today what I studied yesterday!"

The Dubner Maggid responded with the following parable:

A king once assigned one of his subjects the task of pouring water into the royal barrels each day. But on one of his first days at work, the man noticed the barrels were cracked in the bottom, so that water dripped out, steadily, completely. Naturally, he stopped filling the barrels.

Six months later the king discovered that the barrels were dry inside. He grew enraged, threatening to severely punish the subject. Pleading for his life, the man explained that since the barrels were cracked, and couldn't hold the water, he saw no purpose in simply pouring in what would soon empty out of its own accord.

"Idiot!" roared the king. "Who told you I wanted the barrels filled? What I needed for you to do was to pour water on the inside where a growth had gathered on the inside of the wood..."

Gently smiling at the man who had come to speak with him, the Dubner Maggid offered, "Who says the sole purpose of Torah study is to fill our minds with vast stores of knowledge? The very process and the efforts involved may uplift our souls..."

Come, then, let us study Torah.

Reworked by Rabbi Simkha Y. Weintraub, CSW, (C) 1997

keep your mind on your shema!

Wow...those rabbis of the Talmud certainly had an understanding of the male mind (imho)...see:

(from the Mishnah...16a)
"a groom who marries a virgin is exempt from the recital of the Shema from the first night of his marriage (it was customary to marry on Wednesday) until the departure of the Sabbath if he did not yet perform the act of intercourse."

Why? Because he couldn't possibly recite the Shema with the proper kavanah (intention) until after he had bedded the girl....his mind would be completely distracted! Once he had sex with her, however, the exemption no longer applies (even if it's before Shabbat)...and if he hasn't had sex with her before the end of Shabbat (shame on him), his obligation returns anyway because by then he will be more comfortable in her presence (and therefore less likely to be distracted by her!)....

Interestingly enough, the rabbis later clarify this (in the Gemara) that it is because the groom is preoccupied with the carrying out of a mitzvah (commandment) -- the mitzvah of procreation -- that he is exempt. Other examples of ways to be preoccupied are brought up (like being on a sinking ship...go figure, maybe you'd be a bit distracted?) and rejected as rationale for reciting Shema because they don't involve another mitzvah (um, staying alive anyone?)...

And also, Rabban Gamliel recited Shema on his wedding night, we are taught, and his students questioned him on this behavior -- basically, he said that he is "above" being distracted. His poor wife!

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Side note: Today's Daf concludes with the "additional prayers" recited at the end of the Shemonah Esrei....a whole host of prayers offered by pious men....a little like a sampling so that we can then put our own prayers together, or if we like, adopt their prayers. Almost like a "how-to-speak a prayer" manual. Very useful for those who feel inadequate during that "silent meditation" period of the service.

mean what you say and say what you mean

R. Yose says that the Shema must be said audibly, and the Gemara asks why...and then answers that it is because the Shema says "Hear" and therefore it must be heard....and then the discussion continues whether or not one who says an inaudible Shema has fulfilled his obligation.

But to me, the question is on a deeper level. If we say something "to ourselves" are we really saying it at all? And if we say something as important as the Shema "inaudibly" and therefore "to ourselves" are we properly making a declaration of faith? And if we have the freedom, the luxury, the pleasure, of being able to loudly proclaim our Shema out loud, are we not giving up that freedom if we don't "say it loud, say it proud"?

And perhaps this theory continues to other things as well. How many of us have made "new year's resolutions" that we haven't really shared with anyone....and then really haven't kept them? Or begun a new diet but quietly, without sharing it with anyone....how long did it really last? There's something to be said for soliciting moral support, for sharing good or bad news, for being a part of a community that shares your ideals and beliefs....much like saying the Pledge of Allegiance or singing the National Anthem at a baseball game, perhaps saying the Shema is like making our public and communal statement....

prayer before business -- a good if missing concept

(we're up to Daf 14....sorry, I skipped a few days of blogging. But I didn't skip the learning, just the blogging...oh well.)

Rav Idi bar Avin says in the name of Rav Yitzchak bar Ashyan: It is forbidden
for a person to do personal business before he prays in the morning because it
is stated: Righteousness will precede him and he will set his footsteps on
the way.

You know, the concept of regular prayer is one of the most precious elements that has been lost in the Reform movement (and probably the Conservative movement as well). It is the rare Reform Jew who wakes up each morning and says Modeh Ani, let alone a full morning prayer service. Not to be critical of Reform Jews. But what an interesting concept, maybe I'll print them up -- morning prayer cards to paste on the mirror. That way, while brushing your teeth or washing your face, you have the reminder to at least begin your day with prayer. It's not too much to ask, is it?

If you think about it, how many times do we get up in the morning and think...ugh, another day. And that sets the tone for the whole day! Try and consider....prayer would bring righteousness before God....

hmmm....

(a little preachy today, sorry.)

welcome beruriah!

One of my favorite women in the Talmud (okay, so the list isn't that long, right? but humor me) is Beruriah, the wife of Rabbi Meir. She is considered to be a Torah scholar in her own right, and I love how, especially in the incident near the beginning of Daf 10, she is so able to put Meir in his place. She's not afraid to tell him that she is right and he is wrong!

The story goes like this: A group of hoodlums are annoying R. Meir. He prays that they might die. But his wife asks him how he can do this!? But instead she tells him that he should be praying for the end of their wickedness, that they should repent, not the end of their lives...and he does, and they do! (You go, girl!)

But the cool thing is that Beruriah herself cites Torah verses as her proof to Meir, rather than just scolding him. She is totally able to stand up for herself in a good Talmudic argument...a girl after my own heart. In 7 1/2 years of doing this (God willing we can stick it out!) I look forward to more encounters with Beruriah!!!

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At the end of this daf, which explores more details on prayer specifically, we come into the next Mishnah, and thus the next line of discussion...what position is best for reciting the Shema? This is an interesting question, because just as I talked about a few days ago in an earlier blog entry -- there are debates about sitting/standing as one recites Shema in most Reform congregations today...do we go by Beit Shamai, who says to say the morning Shema while standing and the evening Shema while lying down....or by Beit Hillel, who says that one recites the Shema according to his or her "preferred manner"? (Hint: We always follow Beit Hillel!) So stay tuned for more on the Shema.....