[For the sake of our threaded archive, I placed this under the more general
topic. -- YM]
Both have to do with problems that people have with who Hashem made them.
These problems, in my mind, are a result of modern American thought, and
are not in accordance with traditional Judaism. This idea that we need
equality is ludicrous. Do we complain that Yitzchak Perlman is a wonderful
violinist and Hashem did not give *me* that talent so I must be a "second
class citizen"? No. We realize that we all have strengths, and that the
world would not function if every person was a Yitzchak Perlman.
>>What are the Halachic issues regarding Women's tefilah groups?
The idea of a woman's tefilah group is that women need to daven in a group
in order to attain a certain spiritual level, like men do. But since these
groups are not allowed to do the things which require a minyan, like read
the Torah or say Kaddish, they don't seem to have much standing in halacha.
Women are exempt from praying in a group not only because of the other time
constraints on them, but also because they are on a higher spiritual level
which does not require them to daven in a group in order to have kavanah.
>What bothered her was that during all the High Holy
>Day services, which she attended at Emory University, whenever an eliyah
>was to be made, as tradition dictates, all aliyahs went first to any
>"Kohane".
>
>This bothered her very much. Why, by an accident of birth, she is
>destined to be a second class citizen with no hope ever of improving
>herself.
Kohanim are destined to serve Hashem in their way. It is an accident of
birth the same way that being born Jewish is (with the difference that it
is possible to convert to Judaism, but you can not "convert" to become a
Cohen). It is a matter that Hashem decided what possition in life would be
best for you. This is not a matter of being a second class citizen, it is a
question of which job you would do better. Cohanim serve Hashem in a unique
way, but not everyone is suited to that. Some people can better serve as
Levim or Yisroelim (although these distinctions will be more meaningful in
the days of Moshiach [bem'harah be'yamanu]) After all, Cohanim and Levim
do not have a portion of the land of Israel. Because of their temple
requirements they do not have the time for farming. So all the laws dealing
with agriculture are denied to them.
But being or not being a Cohen is not a matter of class in the way that
your daughter it thinking. And while the honor of having the first aliyah
is important, it denies to Cohanim other honors. For example, the aliyah
for the Ten Commandments never go to the Cohanim. This aliyah is a great
honor to receive.
As I mentioned before, to me these two complaints are related in the way
that they indicate a general displeasure with Hashem because of the things
which they are missing. It would be better to look at what Hashem has
given us, rather than that which we are not given.
Nechama
Nechama Cox
27 Heathway Court * Hampstead, London * NW3 7TS * England
nechama@borealis.com