theyellowhobbit

Michoel
February 14th, 2006 14:30
10

This is a serious question, not intended to be patronizing or funny: Does anyone have a thought as to why the most interesting and comment inspiring writing in this blog’s short existence has been written by women? I have a thought but I’d like to hear someone else's thoughts.

Rachel Adler
February 14th, 2006 15:35
12

Michoel-

My guess is that we’re used to hearing male perspectives on Judaism. All halachic literature, most mussar literature, and most explanations of the Torah [the latter 2 at least until recently] have been written by men. The “women’s experience” is not the norm, and sometimes we take for granted that everyone thinks and feels the same way as us.

Living a Torah-observant life as a woman, especially a BT woman, is very different from living a Torah-observant life as a man. There are many issues [deemed “women’s issues”] that come up because of a woman’s lack of obligation in specific mitzvot, and because of the role that she is supposed to fulfill.

At least for me, many of the issues that I’m having in my teshuva would not be so relevant if I were male. I think the transition to frumkeit might be harder for women in general, although I obviously can’t know that for a fact.

Therefore, us women may be offering a unique perspective here. I don’t know why my posts in particular draw so many comments; perhaps it is because I am a more liberal Jew than the vast majority of people here on the site, and therefore a lot of you tend to disagree with me.

Or maybe we’re all just good writers. :)

On another note- this is the 7th year in a row that Ive worn all black clothing for Valentine's day. I started the tradition during freshman year of high school, when I also wore a necklace made out of candy hearts that said "whatever" on them. Unfortunately the necklace broke, and they stopped making the whatever hearts, so I could never replace it. Otherwise I'd probably be wearing it today.

**Edit** Celine called me to wish me a happy Valentine's Day, and she, too is wearing all black, in honor of me. :)

I'm also mashing in 20 minutes, which means I'll get a lot of chocolate covered strawberries! They run out quickly, so I'll be beating the dinner rush.

Year #2 in which I mash on Valentine's day/the day in which we have a Valentine's day meal in Hillel.