Rav Schwab's book

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.