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PARASHAT VAYIKRA
"When a prince has sinned, …he shall bring his offering,
a kid of the goats, a male without blemish." (Vayikra 4:22-23)
The atonement for a prince who sinned unintentionally is to bring
a male goat. When, however, one of the common people sins unintentionally,
his atonement is a female goat: "And if a soul of the common
people sin in error, …he shall bring his offering, a kid of
the goats, a female without blemish…" (Vayikra 4:27-28)
Why is the atonement for the prince a male goat, whereas the common
people bring a female goat for the same misdemeanor? Eben Ezra answers that the common people bring a female goat because
they are on a lower level than the prince is. This kind of statement
is very hard for us women to accept. Why should the male represent
a higher level than the female? Does this imply that men are more
important than women? The modern Torah commentators emphasize that
this is not the case at all. Women are at least equal to men, if
not on a higher level. The reason why women are exempt from certain
mitzvot is that they are naturally in tune with the will of G-d,
and therefore, do not need as many mitzvot to keep them on track.
However, some of us sense deep down that these kinds of explanations
are apologetic rationalizations designed to smooth over the many
statements in the Torah which seem to denigrate women. It is hard
to cover up the fact that the Jewish man thanks G-d every morning
for not having created him a woman. Women are not legitimate witnesses
in the Jewish court, and a woman cannot become a Rabbi according
to the Torah tradition. Many of the more classic commentaries explain
that women are exempt from certain mitzvot so as to be able to serve
their husbands. The standard teacher in a woman's Yeshiva will gracefully
skip this sort of commentary.
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