פרשת עקב - Mitzvos and Woman

Byאלי קאמפף

Parsha - delving deep

דברים י׳:י״ב

וְעַתָּה֙ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל מָ֚ה יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ שֹׁאֵ֖ל מֵעִמָּ֑ךְ כִּ֣י אִם־לְ֠יִרְאָ֠ה אֶת־יְהֹוָ֨ה אֱלֹהֶ֜יךָ לָלֶ֤כֶת בְּכׇל־דְּרָכָיו֙ וּלְאַהֲבָ֣ה אֹת֔וֹ וְלַֽעֲבֹד֙ אֶת־יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ בְּכׇל־לְבָבְךָ֖ וּבְכׇל־נַפְשֶֽׁךָ׃

Deuteronomy 10:12

And now, O Israel, what does your God יהוה demand of you? Only this: to revere your God יהוה, to walk only in divine paths, to love and to serve your God יהוה with all your heart and soul,

שבת קנ״ו ב:ו׳

וּמִדְּרַב נַחְמָן בַּר יִצְחָק נָמֵי אֵין מַזָּל לְיִשְׂרָאֵל. דְּאִימֵּיהּ דְּרַב נַחְמָן בַּר יִצְחָק אָמְרִי לַהּ כַּלְדָּאֵי: בְּרִיךְ גַּנָּבָא הָוֵה. לָא שְׁבַקְתֵּיהּ גַּלּוֹיֵי רֵישֵׁיהּ. אֲמַרָה לֵיהּ: כַּסִּי רֵישָׁיךָ, כִּי הֵיכִי דְּתִיהְוֵי עֲלָךְ אֵימְתָא דִשְׁמַיָּא, וּבְעִי רַחֲמֵי. לָא הֲוָה יָדַע אַמַּאי קָאָמְרָה לֵיהּ. יוֹמָא חַד יָתֵיב קָא גָרֵיס תּוּתֵי דִיקְלָא, נְפַל גְּלִימָא מֵעִילָּוֵי רֵישֵׁיהּ, דְּלִי עֵינֵיהּ חֲזָא לְדִיקְלָא, אַלְּמֵיהּ יִצְרֵיהּ, סְלֵיק, פַּסְקֵיהּ לְקִיבּוּרָא בְּשִׁינֵּיהּ.

Shabbat 156b:6

And from that which transpired to Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak as well it can be derived that there is no constellation for the Jewish people, As Chaldean astrologers told Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak’s mother: Your son will be a thief. She did not allow him to uncover his head. She said to her son: Cover your head so that the fear of Heaven will be upon you, and pray for Divine mercy. He did not know why she said this to him. One day he was sitting and studying beneath a palm tree that did not belong to him, and the cloak fell off of his head. He lifted his eyes and saw the palm tree. He was overcome by impulse and he climbed up and detached a bunch of dates with his teeth. Apparently, he had an inborn inclination to steal, but was able to overcome that inclination with proper education and prayer.

Men in order to encourage 'fear of heaven' wear a kippa, a head covering,

Why would women not need to cover their hair?

What is Yiras Hashem?
Do women naturally have it?
Why are they not obligated in Mitzvos?

Fact: Male and Female character traits compliment and contradict

רש"י על בראשית ב׳:כ׳:א׳

ולאדם לא מצא עזר. ויפל ה' אלהים תרדמה. כְּשֶׁהֱבִיאָן הֱבִיאָן לְפָנָיו כָּל מִין וָמִין זָכָר וּנְקֵבָה, אָמַר לְכֻלָּם יֵשׁ בֶּן זוּג וְלִי אֵין בֶּן זוּג, מִיָּד וַיַּפֵּל (בראשית רבה):

Rashi on Genesis 2:20:1

ולאדם לא מצא עזר… ויפל ה' אלהים תרדמה FOR THE MAN HE HAD NOT FOUND A HELP MEET FOR HIM … AND THE ETERNAL GOD CAUSED AN OVERPOWERING SLEEP TO FALL — When He brought them, He brought them before him male and female of each and every kind. Thereupon he said: all these have a mate, but I have no mate! Immediately He caused to fall [an overpowering sleep upon him] (Genesis Rabbah 17:4).

Adam already had chava, but could not believe this was his mate!

ספר החינוך א׳:ד׳

ונוהגת בכל מקום ובכל זמן (קדושין לו, ב) וחיב אדם להשתדל בה משהוא ראוי לה, והוא הזמן שנתנו חכמים ז''ל (אבות פ''ה מכ''א) לשא אשה. ומצוה זו אינה מוטלת על הנשים, והמבטלה בטל עשה וענשו גדול מאד, (קדושין כט, ב) שמראה בעצמו, שאינו רוצה להשלים חפץ השם לישב עולמו.

Sefer HaChinukh 1:4

And [it] is practiced in every place and at all times (Kiddushin 36b), and a person is obligated to be involved with it from when it is fitting for him, and this is the age which the sages (Avot 5:21) designated to marry a woman. And this commandment is not incumbent upon women. And one who negates it violates a positive commandment; and his punishment is very great (Kiddushin 29b), as he shows that he does not want to fulfill God's will to settle His world.

The chiyuv of having children is only on the male. Why should women get married?