Rav Schwab's book on tefillah

Rav Schwab's book on tefillah is impressive, but I do wonder about the commentary on 'shelo asani ishah.' It comes across as rather apologetic. I spoke to him about this topic and he told me that to say women are more spiritual than men is "ridiculous." He said men are more spiritual in ways, and women are more in ways.

I have some tapes from his tefillah series, but not the ones on the early part of the siddur. And his book on siddur is not his writing but is based on the tapes. I do wonder if his words were misconstrued on this topic. Our generation has become so ingrained in the concept that women "are on a higher plane" that we sometimes imagine that idea in writings that preceded feminism.

For example, R' Eli Munk also did not say that women are more spiritual. (The R' Schwab tefillah book editor references R' Munk as a secondary source for the idea). R' Munk only says that women's creation was positive and affirmative, not that it was better.

The Maharal says in many places that men are more spiritual and are on a higher plane. See Tiferes Israel 4 and 28, Chidushei Agados Makkos 23b, Gur Aryeh, parshas Tazriah, Derech Chaim on "more wives more witchcraft" and "don't speak too much to the woman."

The Magen Avraham says women's yetzer tov is smaller. (Zies Ra'anan on Yalkut Shimoni, Shmuel 1:1).

I know of numerous other sources like this. As for R' Hirsch, contrary to popular misconception, he says in many places that men and women are equal.

R' Feinstein, the Lubavitcher Rebbe, R' Soloveitchik, and R' Avigdor Miller also assert equality. This women as better speech does not have classic sources behind it. It's a sad result of feminism and other gentile influences.

I asked R' Schwab if the idea could harm marriages. He said that it definitely could and he volunteered to speak to people about it.

I'd like to add one other thought. The teaching that women are more spiritual has a strange implication which is this: if women are exempt from mitzvos because they are more spiritual, then their day must be less spiritual. How else would men catch up? But this is exactly what we fear women will think, that their role is less spiritual. Thus, the apologetics backfire like any untruth.

This is why the approach of R' Moshe, the Rebbe, the Rav, and R' Miller are best for this era. Men and women are equal but different. And this is exactly how R' Schwab explained it to me too. How something other than that appeared in his book, which appeared after his passing, I cannot say.

R' Miller: IS THERE A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE NESHAMA (SOUL) OF A MAN VS. A WOMAN?

IS THERE A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE NESHAMA (SOUL) OF A MAN VS. A WOMAN?

 from http://www.rabbimillersanswers.com/

"In neshamos there is no difference. Hashem gives people different ways different opportunities to perfect their neshama. When a woman is married and she dedicates her life to others, she’s doing something that transforms her nature. It’s impossible for her to function successfully and to remain selfish.

Her main achievement is transforming her neshama by doing chesed (kindness) to Hashem’s people for the sake of Heaven.

She has all the functions of other people upon her. She has to carry children with in her, and then she has to nurse the child. She has to worry about children at night; sometimes they’re not well. She has to think about preparing food for everybody. Everything is for others.

She does it selflessly like a busy Jewish mother usually does. It’s an extremely important achievement for her neshama, and she gains perfection in that way. We don’t expect her to devote hours to Torah learning. Her main achievement is transforming her neshama by doing chesed (kindness) to Hashem’s people for the sake of Heaven. (If it’s done properly,  it’s not merely done like gentiles do, but it’s done with the intention of serving Hashem.)

A man has other opportunities. A man is not limited; he doesn’t carry a child within himself. He doesn’t have to nurse babies. Nevertheless he has to do many things. He has to go out to the marketplace, make a living. And there are many nisyonos (tests) in making a living. All the laws of choshen mishpat (business dealings) apply when you have to compete with other people for parnassa (livelihood).

Therefore a man gains his perfection other ways, and is expected also to give part of his efforts to learning Torah and doing more mitzvos than a woman is able to do because she is busy. Each one gains perfection in a different way. (#791, 10 Aspects of Shabbos)"

Why Is There More Fixed Prayer for Men

Here's a proposal of my own. Women are more dependent in their role. Their sense of dependency therefore is more pronounced. Men are asked to go out and be conquerors. Therefore, therefore they engage in more prayer to bring out the feeling of dependency.

Of course, you could say to this that women are dependent on people so they need prayer to switch that to the awareness of God. And they do need prayer. But they don't need to be forced to start.

Now someone directed me to an idea, with a Torah source that I can't  recall, that less prayer was imposed on women because we don't ask the tzibur to do something they can't handle. Thus, maybe women are quicker to engage in prayer but can't handle as much. I met a young woman recently who attends a Modern Orthodox school where the boys and girls attend minyan together (with a mechitza). Thus, for the first time in her life she was doing a full schacharis every day. She said she found it overwhelming and didn't understand how men were able to do it everyday. Another woman who did the same for a time so that she could say kaddish for her further made the same comment.

So who is more spiritual, the one who starts more automatically or the one who takes it further?

I have no idea. They are different.