Bereshit Rabbah 8
Said Rabbi Jeremiah ben Elazar: “When the Holy One, Blessed be the One, created Adam HaRishon, [God] created oto [an] “androgynos.” As there it is written: ‘When God created the adam, [G-d] made [the earthling] in the likeness of God; male and female [God] created them.’ Said Rabbi Shmuel Bar Nachman: “At the time that the Holy One, blessed be the One, created the first adam, G-d created [the earthling] double-faced and [then] split [the earthling], and made two backs – a back here and a back there.” …
(א) אנדרוגינוס יש בו דרכים שוה לאנשים ויש בו דרכים שוה לנשים ויש בו דרכים שוה לאנשים ונשים ויש בו דרכים אינו שוה לא לאנשים ולא לנשים:
(ב) כיצד שוה לאנשים מטמא בלובן כאנשים וזוקק ליבום כאנשים ומתעטף ומסתפר כאנשים ונושא אבל לא נישא כאנשים וחייב בכל מצות האמורות בתורה כאנשים:
(ג) כיצד שוה לנשים מטמא באודם כנשים ואינו מתייחד עם האנשים כנשים ואינו עובר על בל תקיף ולא על בל תשחית ולא על בל תטמא למתים כנשים ופסול מן העדות כנשים ואינו נבעל בעבירה כנשים ונפסל מן הכהונה כנשים:
(ד) כיצד שוה לאנשים ולנשים חייבים על מכתו ועל קללתו כאנשים וכנשים וההורגו שוגג גולה ומזיד נהרג כאנשים ונשים ויושבת עליו דם טמא ודם טהור כאנשים וכנשים וחולק בקדשי קדשים כאנשים וכנשים ונוחל לכל הנחלות כאנשים וכנשים ואם אמר הריני נזיר שזה איש ואשה הרי זה נזיר:
(ה) כיצד אינו שוה לא לאנשים ולא לנשים אין חייבים לא על מכתו ולא על קללתו לא כאנשים ולא כנשים ואינו נערך לא כאנשים ולא כנשים ואם אמר הריני נזיר שזה לא איש ולא אשה אינו נזיר רבי מאיר אומר אנדרוגינוס בריה בפני עצמה הוא ולא יכלו חכמים להכריע עליו אם הוא איש או אשה אבל טומטום אינו כן פעמים שהוא איש פעמים שהוא אשה:
(1) An Androginus (a hermaphrodite, who has both male and female reproductive organs) is similar to men in some ways and to women in other ways, in some ways to both and in some ways to neither.
(2) In what ways is s/he similar to men? Like a man, s/he is considered unclean through semen; is required to perform yibum (to marry the widow of a childless brother) like a man; dresses and cuts hair like a man; marries others and is not married off, like a man; and is obliged to perform all the commandments in the Torah, like a man.
(ה) הַסָּרִיס לֹא חוֹלֵץ וְלֹא מְיַבֵּם. וְכֵן אַיְלוֹנִית לֹא חוֹלֶצֶת וְלֹא מִתְיַבֶּמֶת. הַסָּרִיס שֶׁחָלַץ לִיבִמְתּוֹ, לֹא פְסָלָהּ. בְּעָלָהּ, פְּסָלָהּ, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהִיא בְעִילַת זְנוּת. וְכֵן אַיְלוֹנִית שֶׁחָלְצוּ לָהּ אַחִין, לֹא פְסָלוּהָ. בְּעָלוּהָ, פְּסָלוּהָ, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁבְּעִילָתָהּ בְּעִילַת זְנוּת:
(ו) סְרִיס חַמָּה כֹּהֵן שֶׁנָּשָׂא בַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, מַאֲכִילָהּ בַּתְּרוּמָה. רַבִּי יוֹסֵי וְרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אוֹמְרִים, אַנְדְּרוֹגִינוֹס כֹּהֵן שֶׁנָּשָׂא בַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, מַאֲכִילָהּ בַּתְּרוּמָה. רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר, טֻמְטוּם שֶׁנִּקְרַע וְנִמְצָא זָכָר, לֹא יַחֲלֹץ, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהוּא כְסָרִיס. אַנְדְּרוֹגִינוֹס נוֹשֵׂא, אֲבָל לֹא נִשָּׂא. רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר אוֹמֵר, אַנְדְּרוֹגִינוֹס חַיָּבִים עָלָיו סְקִילָה, כְּזָכָר:
(5) The eunuch neither undergoes Chalitzah nor performs Yibum. Similarly, an aiylonit [a woman with arrested sexual development who cannot bear children] neither performs Chalitzah nor undergoes Yibum. [If] a eunuch underwent Chalitzah from his Yevama [a woman whose husband died childless and whose brother-in-law must marry or dismiss her] he does not disqualify her [from subsequently marrying a priest]. If he had relations with her he does disqualify her since this is licentious relations [because she is forbidden to him]. Similarly, [if] brothers underwent Chalitzah from aiylonit they do not disqualify her [from marrying a priest]. If they had relations with her they do disqualify her since this is licentious relations.
(6) [If] a priest who was a sun-eunuch married the daughter of an Israelite, he confers upon her the right to eat Terumah [a portion of a crop given to a priest which becomes holy upon separation and may only be consumed by priests and their households]. Rabbi Yose and Rabbi Shimon said: [If] a priest who was an androginos [person with both male and female sexual organs. It is halachically uncertain whether such a person is male, female or, perhaps, has a uniquely defined halachic gender] married the daughter of an Israelite, he confers upon her the right to eat Terumah . Rabbi Yehudah said: [If] a tumtum [person with recessed sexual organs whose gender is therefore impossible to determine, presently, by external examination. It is halachically uncertain whether such a person is male or female] was torn and found to be male he may not undergo Chalitzah because he is like a eunuch. An androginosmay marry [a woman] but may not be married [to a man]. Rabbi Eliezer said: [If one has relations with] an androginos he is liable to be stoned like one [who has relations with] a male.
Gender is NOT dichotomous, but rather there are as many as NINE terms referring to gender in Jewish texts; and these refer to physical characteristics which are to signal what obligations one has, and ultimately how one is to be included, NOT categorically mutually exclusive of each other or absolutely clearly distinguished from each other without qualification. This may challenge us to think of the continuum of our existence in terms of gender. As complicated as this is, when we consider characteristics of the personalities with which we deal, this is not always consistently clear either. We have women who have a strong voice such as Yalta (not to mention some physical strength (Berachot 51b) and men who show less than manly strength such as Yitzchak. As medical science shows us that our Jewish texts were correct in breaking rank with only two defined ways to be (in terms of this discussion), we now are just beginning to understand the profound complexity we confront in addressing gender roles. So, now let us consider the meta-feminine that transcends, confirms and asks us to widen the scope of how we think about women and leadership.
When the Infinite Light emanated a world, it did so with two minds, two states of consciousness. One mind sees from Above to Below - and so, all is insignificant before it. From Above to Below, there is no world, only One.
From Below to Above, there is a world - a world to point to the Oneness Above….
The other mind sees from Below to Above - and so all of creation is G‑dly to it. From Below to Above, there is a world - a world to point to the Oneness above.
At the nexus of these two minds, at the razor's edge of their paradox, there shines the very Essence of the Infinite Light. The first mind descended into man; the second into woman. That is why the man has the power to conquer and subdue, but he lacks a sense of the other. That is why the woman feels the other. She does not conquer, she nurtures. But her light is tightly constrained and so she may become filled with harsh judgments.
In the union shines the very Essence of the Infinite….
As they bond together, the man sweetens the judgment of the woman and the woman teaches the man to feel the other. And in the union shines the very Essence of the Infinite.
[Sefer Halikutim, Shmot, according to Chabad Chasidut], The Ari (Isaac Luria Ashkenazi)
1. Life giving force and honoring of all life: We begin with two well-known stories of Bruriah, wife of Rebbi Meir, a Rabbi in the second century of the Common Era:
Midrash on Mishlei 31:10 Beruriah was the learned and compassionate wife of Rebbi Meir who was teaching on a Shabbat afternoon, when both of his sons died from the plague that was in their city. Rebbi Meir returned home and asked, “Where are our sons?” Without speaking, Bruriah handed him the cup for havdalah and he said the blessing. Again he asked, “Where are our sons?” She brought food for him, and he ate. When he finished eating, Beruriah said, “My teacher, I have a question. A while ago, a man came and deposited something precious in my keeping. Now he has come back to claim what he left. Shall I return it to him or not?” Meir responded, “Is not one who watches over something put in his care required to return it to its owner?” She took his hand and led him to where their two children lay. He began to weep, crying “My sons, my sons.” She comforted him, saying “The Lord gave, the Lord took. Y’hei sh’mei rabah mevorach, May the Name of the Lord be blessed…
BT Berachot 10a: There were once some highwaymen in the neighborhood of Rebbi Meir who caused him trouble. Rebbi Meir accordingly prayed that they should die. Bruriah challenged her husband, “How can you think that such a prayer should be permitted? … If you pray, instead, that their sins will cease, there will be no more wicked men! So, pray for them that they should repent, and there will be no more wickedness.” He did pray for them and they repented.
2. Quiet and intentional spiritual connection to God and others: One who can actively participate in the bringing forth of life will also be pre-disposed to have a deep and spiritual reverence for it coming from that same “hidden place” as does the source of the giving of life. We see this in Hannah, the wife of Elkanah, where the pain of her being barren, or akarah, leads to her heartfelt prayer to God.
Samuel I, 1: 9 – 15 Hannah rose after they had eaten in Shiloh, …Eli the priest sat upon his seat by the temple of the LORD. Hannah was bitter in her soul (because she had no children) –and she prayed unto the LORD, and wept. She vowed: 'LORD of hosts, if You will look on the affliction of Thy handmaid, …and give Your handmaid a man-child, then I will give him unto the LORD all the days of his life ...' As she prayed before the LORD, Eli watched her mouth. Hannah spoke in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice could not be heard; therefore, Eli thought she was drunk. Eli asked her, 'How long will you be drunk? Put away your wine.' Hannah answered: 'No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit; I have not had any strong drink, but I poured out my soul before the LORD.’
BT Berachot 31a: R. Hamnuna said: How many most important laws can be learned from these verses about Hannah! Now Hannah, she spoke in her heart: from this we learn that one who prays must direct his or her heart. Only her lips moved: from this we learn that whoever prays must frame the words distinctly with one’s lips. But her voice could not be heard: from this, it is forbidden to raise one's voice in the Tefillah. Therefore Eli thought she had been drunk: from this, we learn that a drunken person (or one impaired in any way so as to compromise the importance of focus) is forbidden to say prayers.
Judges 4: 4 Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidot, judged Israel at that time. 5 She sat under the palm-tree of Deborah between Ramah and Beth-el in the hill-country of Ephraim; and the children of Israel came up to her for judgment.
3. Inner Strength and Taking Measured Initiative
BT Berachot 51b Ulla was once at the house of Rabbi Nachman. They had a meal and he said grace, and handed the cup of [wine for] blessing to R. Nachman. R. Nachman said to him: Please send the cup of benediction to Yalta, [my wife, first. Ulla indicated that this should not be done, for a woman is not required to be included in the blessing.] Meanwhile Yalta heard, and she became quite upset and insulted; and went to their wine cellar, breaking four hundred jars of wine. R. Nachman then said to Ulla: You should send her another cup.
4. Respect in charting new courses: Nachat Ruach – emotional spirituality
BT Hagiga 16b Rami b. Hama said: You can learn here that the laying of hands [on the animal to be sacrificed] must be done with all one's strength; for if you suppose that one's whole strength is not required, what does one do by laying on the hands… The sons of Israel lay their hands [on the animal] but the daughters of Israel [are not obligated] to lay on hands. R. Jose and R. Simeon say: The daughters of Israel may lay on their hands optionally… to achieve spiritual gratification.
This notion of Nachat Ruach is accessible to all (perhaps a feminine linked quality we hope all people, no matter what gender identification will have. Note that in our prayers, before the Shema u'Birchoteha, we ask that our prayers will be accepted with this spiritual intentionality/gratification, a sweet and caring and compassionate voice and intent. This is a goal for all who pray, regardless of level of obligation.
Gender is but an identifying feature that helps us classify each other. It can divide us, and often in ways that are hurtful and harmful, or as we saw in Sefer HaLikutim it can unite us. Ramchal (Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzato teaches in his work Derech HaShem that G-d as the Ein Sof transcends all and is simple in that all the complexities of G-d's existence are joined in a whole unity. For us, however everything is compartmentalized and it has to be for us to be able to be and handle our reality as human.