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Why are There No "Women of the Beard"?

6/8/2018

2 Comments

 
Have you ever noticed how Jewish women never try to take on the mitzvah of a beard?

Despite the powerful segulot of an untrimmed in beard described in Torah literature, women do nothing to try to grow a beard. They do nothing to even sport a fake beard.

In fact, many women invest money and time in efforts to eradicate any facial hair!

Furthermore, when perusing literature that glorifies a Jewish beard, you never hear a peep from women, like the following:
  • "But what about us? Don't we matter?"
  • "If Judaism prizes a bushy bristly face over a smooth-skinned one, then that innately discriminates against women."
  • "As a woman, what can I do to compensate for a lack of beard? What are MY mitzvot?"
  • "I feel bad every time I come across yet another Chazal praising the deep kabbalistic importance of growing a beard. It makes me feel like I'm worth less than a man."
  • "In Judaism, the beard symbolizes the 13 Attributes of Mercy. Also, I read a Chabad article that emphasized how the beard represents the flow of ideals and philosophies of our minds to our everyday lifestyle. As a woman, how can I access all this too?"

In fact, I don't see that women focus on the beard issue at all or wrangle with it in any way.

What woman discusses her struggles to accept her beardless self the way it is or to internalize that a smooth-skinned face is a desirable part of sheh asani k'rtzono - that her lack of hairy jaw is simply Hashem's Will in His creation of women?

I've never a seen a woman give a class on how covering her hair or raising children or getting ready for Shabbat is on par with growing a beard.

Women don't seem to dwell on the whole beard issue at all; they just go on with their lives and their avodah.

Other Mitzvot Ignored by Women

It's also interesting to note that women don't fight for the right to have payos (a Torah commandment). In fact, when some married women try to make arguments for not covering their hair, they never bring up the issue of displaying payos. Everyone just seems to accept the fact that the mitzvah of payos is for men.

Nor is there any feminist movement for brit milah, despite the incredible benefits (both medical and spiritual) Jewish men received from this mitzvah.

(And don't say it's because women lack the necessary appendage; both the Yishmaelite and African cultures found a way around that obstacle, horrifically enough.)

I'm not trying to make fun of women who struggle with certain attitudes within in Torah Judaism. I struggled with several myself.

And BTW: If you do happen to struggle with your biological inability to grow a beard or fulfill brit milah, then you need to deal with that head-on just as any of us need to deal with any issue that Torah attitudes and Laws bring up within us.

I just thought that the beard attitude might shed some perspective on where women are coming from when a particular halacha or tradition makes them feel excluded or diminished.

It's often worthwhile pondering why you feel one way about one issue, but a totally different way regarding a similar issue.
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2 Comments
bracha
6/8/2018 16:17:18

Of course, I hope this was a spoof of some sort. This is a perfect example of the insanity of feminism. These ideas that the feminists (within the religious world) is something that is and was unheard of in Jewish life. That is because Jews used to know why and what Torah was about and knew that men and women are equal, but different because we have different roles in life, all complementing each other. Never could understand why women were jealous of men and their attributes and strengths, just like I wouldn't be able to understand men who were jealous of women and our attributes. This has become such a messed up and confused world, all because we put G-D out of the picture and forgot that He created us and everything He wants from us and does for us is Perfect. It is the person that is imperfect and that's why there are good people and bad people and if there seems to be more crazy and messed up people with messed up ideas now than ever before, that's because they have no direction and no G-D. All the mishegasin we see today, r'l, is really very, very new in the Jewish world. Moshiach tzdkeinu will set the world straight!

Reply
Myrtle Rising
6/8/2018 19:35:37

Hi, Bracha.

Yeah, I basically wanted to point out that people who get riled up about certain halachos aren't consistent about their outrage. For the agenda-driven leaders, it's outright hypocrisy, as shown in the post and what you mentioned in your comment about "the insanity of feminism."

Having said that, it's also normal to feel conflicted about certain issues within Judaism and the very act of working through those issues can lead to a lot of positive spiritual growth. But that's not what some people are doing and their misguided focus leads to spiritual deterioration rather than spiritual growth.

You make important points in your comment. Thank you very much.

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