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PARSHAT YITRO WOMEN AND MATAN TORAH "And Moshe went up to G-d, and the L-rd called to him out of the mountain saying, Thus shall you say to the house of Yaacov, and tell the sons of Israel" (Shemot 19:3). CHIEF OF HER HOME Rashi explains that the "house of Yaacov" refers to the
women- to them you shall speak in gentle language, as the word "tomar"
indicates. "The sons of Israel" is directed at the men.
Moshe is instructed to tell them the punishments and the details
of the commandments in words that "are as hard as wormwood",
as the word "tagid" denotes. According to Shaarei Aharon,
"house of Yaacov" refers to the woman, because she is
the chief of her home. The Hebrew term "Akeret HaBayit"
has been translated as "house-wife", however a preferred
translation might be "homemaker" an appellation more congruent
with the Hebrew term which indeed is a title of honor. Western culture
misleads us to believe that a woman is supposed to obtain her main
fulfillment outside of her home, and take care of her domestic chores
on the side. The following anecdote serves as an example of this
outlook. A certain executive once asked his fellow associate, "What
does your wife do?" "She is in charge of a home for unwanted
children," he replied. This certainly sounds as an occupation
of honor, until one discovers that the children are her own. We
need to reeducate ourselves to appreciate the importance of the
title: "Akeret HaBayit." What could be more important
than setting the tone in the home for all future generations? Rabbeinu
Bachaya explains that the reason why the Torah was given to the
woman before the man is that she is the one who imbues the home
with Torah values and guides the children in the ways of the Torah.
Therefore the perpetuation of the Torah for all future generations
depends upon the woman.
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