It is a shame for women to speak…or is it?
(There are MANY churches in America who still hold onto this misogyny, and it’s really no wonder why women are still paid less than their male counterparts for the same job)
“For the husband is the head of the wife…Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence…Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands…And if they will learn anything, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church…”
“For the husband is the head of the wife…Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence…Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands…And if they will learn anything, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church…”
The words (above) were spoken to me by a close, dear friend, one day as we were having a conversation on “family”. He was quoting verses from his King James Bible as though it (the New Testament) was scripture, the very ”Word of G-d” when actually he was quoting from letters written by a man named Paul. Quoting Paul is Not quoting 'scripture'. The Husband is not appointed King and ruler over the wife by HaShem!
NOWHERE in the Bible does it claim that the New Testament is G-d’s word or infallible? Fallible imperfect human beings did! On the other hand, I know today which books of the bible are in fact the Word of G-d and how the relationship between Husband and Wives is a Torah-based relationship.
After reading an awesome article and the review of a book authored by Dr. Akiva Gamliel Belk, Dean of Jewish Studies at B’nai Noach Torah Institute called Eve Of Creation – Restored, I submit this for anyone (especially my own family members) who are trapped in a death cult of misogyny.
I share with Men / Husbands that the Bible teaches women / wives are equal, the man / husband is NOT appointed by God as the ruler of his wife nor is he the supreme authority in their relationship and home as I once believed and taught others to believe.-Dr. Akiva Gamliel Belk
By Dr. Akiva Gamliel Belk
Dean of Jewish Studies
B’nai Noach Torah Institute, LLC
Dean of Jewish Studies
B’nai Noach Torah Institute, LLC
We begin our discussion with a question. Is there a problem with translations of Hebrew to English etc?
Generally the answer is yes. If the translator fails to convey the proper translation along with the intent then the reader can form wrong conclusions. In Discussion One I explained that the Word for Woman and Wife was the same. ‘The Word אִשָּׁה Eeshaw means Wife as well as Woman.’
The Word for Man is אִישׁ Eesh. Sometimes the Word for Man is אָדָם Adam. This is where sensitivity in translation becomes a Major issue!!
Many translations in Genesis 2.20 Say,
‘And the man gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for the man there was not found an help meet for him.’
This gives the impression that Chavah was no where to be found. This gives the impression that man is firmly in charge which is incorrect.
Other translations in Genesis 2.20 Say,
‘And Adam gave names to all the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was no found an help meet for him.’
This translation does not convey to the reader the entire truth? Where is there any indication of the fact that ‘The Adam’ was both male and female at this time? It is in the Word הָאָדָם Ha Adam. It is not easy to detect. One could miss the meaning and the intention of Ha Torah. This simple error causes problems between Husbands and Wives.
We are going to take an Important journey off of this subject but pick it up at a later time.
Genesis 2.20
And He the male portion of the Adam called out the Names for all the animals and the birds of the Heavens [then Chavah, the Female portion of Ha Adam Called] to every living beast of the field. Notice the Words וּלְכֹל חַיַּת הַשָּׂדֶה meaning and to all living of the field. Look at the Name Adam gave Chavah. He calls her חַוָּה Chah Vaw (Genesis 3.20). Why? Because Chavah was the Mother of כָּל־חָי All Living.
Compare:
כָּל־חָי
כֹל חַיַּת
Does the Hebrew Text actually Say ‘then Chavah, the Female portion of Ha Adam Called to every living beast of the field.’? No! However, when we compare the two statements we see almost a Letter to Letter similarity. In addition the translation must include intent which the first two translations omit. Here in the translation I have written there is a strong basis for the intent of Scripture.
Adam Says, Chavah was the Mother of all living yet Chavah had not given birth. What could he possible mean? Was he saying Chavah was the step mother of all living? I don’t think so. Was he saying the primary responsibility of a wife is to bare children? No! I don’t think so. Adam said exactly what he mean to say. Chavah was the mother of all living!! This means there is something more to being a wife than baring children. A wife gives ‘LIFE’. NOTICE what Ha Torah Says,
Genesis 3.20
And He, The Adam called the name of his Wife Chavah for she was the mother of all life…
What kind of life does a wife give? Chavah was the purpose for being… the purpose for living… the purpose for existing… the purpose for survival for all living. Adam was saying all living needed Chavah in their lives. Chavah’s role in the universe was to give life. What could their be that made Chavah so valuable and so indispensable? Did Chavah give breath to all living? No! Was Chavah the source of each beings soul? No! Then why did Adam call his wife the mother of all life…? Adam defined the importance of life to his wife. Adam said Chavah was the source of life for all living. Chavah was the fountain… the Inspiration… the Stimulus… for all life. Is this powerful? This means Chavah was very special. Chavah was the friend of all beings. Chavah was the support for all beings. Chavah was the pillar for all beings. Chavah was the encouragement for all beings. Chavah was the comforter for all beings. Chavah was the subsidizer for all beings. Now the picture is beginning to emerge.
Each wife should view her self in the prism of Chavah. Adam did not arbitrarily hand out this name for his wife, Chavah. Adam described the essence of Chavah. This is what Adam saw in his wife. Adam defined the primary role of his wife as the source of life, i.e all things that contribute to life like encouragement… comfort… support… assistance… etc. Now I understand a wife may not feel like being the source of life. This is a huge responsibility. There is no down time. The wife’s role in the marriage relationship is she gives life… encouragement… comfort… support… assistance… etc. ALWAYS even when she is down down… A husband is designed to be strong. He is not likely to be nearly as compassionate or kind as his wife. On the other hand because the woman came from a different material than the man a different result is expected. Yes, both were formed from the ground. Yes both received the exact same breath from The Lord God However the Woman was take from Ha Adam. This means the Wife has a certain degree of refinement a husband will not have. A man will release gas and laugh. A wife would never think of doing such a thing. She is appalled! She instructs her husband to cease from this type of poor behavior. The husband should listen to his wife and do as she instructs him. The man was wounded when the female portion was take from Ha Adam. A man lives with this wound until he marries his wife. Ha Torah Says, וַיַּפֵּל ‘And he fail’. This means the man was diminished by the removal of the female part of the Adam. The Adam was reduced. His wound was covered with flesh. He realized the absence of what was taken from him, i.e, flesh and bone. He was not the same. He was different. Parts of what use to be the Adam were now missing. Wives, Husbands pretend a lot. We want our Wife to feel like her Husband is the total package even though we know in our heart we are far from being that complete.
Bereisheit 2.21
וַיַּפֵּל יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהִים ׀ תַּרְדֵּמָה עַל־הָאָדָם וַיִּישָׁן
: וַיִּקַּח אַחַת מִצַּלְעֹתָיו וַיִּסְגֹּר בָּשָׂר תַּחְתֶּנָּה
Genesis 2.21
And he fail into a deep sleep brought on by The Lord God, and he slept, and [The Lord God] took from his side and covered the wound with flesh.
It was from these parts that The Lord God built a woman. The Lord God began with existing parts to build from… to fashion from to refine from… In this sense a Woman is not taken from the dust of the ground. A woman is a refinement of Ha Adam. One could say that The Creator of the universe took from some of the finer parts of the Ha Adam to fashion the woman. So when a Man and a Woman marry the wife mystically returns what is missing to her husband. The wife brings a touch to the marriage relationship. She brings back what was taken from Adam. IT IS A MUST! Ha Torah describes the Adam, i.e. man as the one lacking. Adam knew he was lacking. A certain warmth was gone. Thoughts that he possessed were gone. The absence of Chavah was felt. In the name he gave Chavah He described her as the life that was taken from him. Did he say it this way? No! Did he mean it this way? Yes!
Genesis 2.22
He, The Lord God Built everything from the Letter Aleph to the Letter Tav from the the side that was taken from the Adam into a woman then He Brought her to the Adam.
Wives must work steady at being the Torah Observant Wife. Proverbs 31.10 Says, A Praiseworthy Wife is worth more than priceless pearls…
Now, Wives remember proper action is required to be viewed as being valuable and praiseworthy.
This relationship between Husband and Wives is a Torah based relationship. This means one is obligated to DO WHAT IS RIGHT AND PROPER simply because this is a requirement of Ha Torah.
Wives remember Husbands are at times less than refined. Husbands can be crude. Husbands can be insulting and mean. They can display poor behavior STILL because the responsibilities of a Wife are Torah based Wives must not react sinfully towards their husbands poor behavior. Lovingly bring life into your husband. Use Ha Torah. Only Ha Torah has the Power to heal and restore.
May our Creator Bless and help each of us to improve our relationships with our spouse.
Dr. Akiva Gamliel Belk is the author of Eve Of Creation RESTORED – a special book about relationships with others. The book may be purchased at: https://www.createspace.com/4511223
In a mixed marriage, a woman decided to embrace Judaism and wants to teach her children Torah, but her husband prohibits her. Should she obey her husband? Is she obligated to submit to her Christian husband? Rabbi Tovia Singer responds from the Torah point of view.
“For the husband is the head of the wife…Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence…Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands…And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church…”
"We cannot hope to change rape culture if we do not change how we view women. We must begin with increasing the awareness that objectifying and humiliating women in the media is dangerous for everyone."
The husband is NOT appointed by God as the ruler of his wife nor is he the supreme authority in their relationship and home.
Bonus: Here’s the most misogynistic TV commercial from the last five years, via the Czech Republic.
The book of Timothy is basically Paul’s ‘advice’ to his son–and it’s a bit preachy. Paul claims complete moral authority in his spewings, saying, “ Whereunto I am ordained a preacher, and an apostle, (I speak the truth in Christ, and lie not;) a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and verity.” (Timothy 2:7)
In light of what we know about the history of the west–the rotten subjugation of all people not white and male–it should come as no surprise that women are pretty low on the respect list of Paul (and therefore, of Christ?)
Paul begins by reminding us of a woman’s duty:” Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.(Timothy 2: 11-12)
I’m sure we all agree that Paul must not have had his ‘listening’ ears turned on when Jesus was speaking, right? I mean, what kind of apostle would openly profess such indignity and disrespect to his loyal believers if faith?
“For Adam was first formed, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.” (Timothy 2: 13-14) Paul’s judgment of women is true IF we are to believe the stories of the Old Testament–which Jesus came to fulfill, not destroy. Eve was the one who caused all pain and suffering in the world–by her weakness.
Paul goes on to discuss with his son Timothy the rules for taking in old widows vs. new widows–Old widows BTW are much more apt to believe, so taking them in would be better than the newbies who’ve recently lost their spouse. Paul also mentions the role of women in the church (which is effectively nil).
I find it hard to believe any woman in the Christian faith, given Paul’s attitude in the ‘New’ Testament, would not actively consider changing their perspective on the holiness of every book in the Bible. There is no Bible mining here, I’ve read the whole of Timothy, and as it concerns women, it’s misogynistic and close-minded.
I would prefer to call the Bible what it is, a book of philosophical tenets, composed at a time when humans were trying desperately to make sense of their their world. That way, when we see something that’s obviously false, like Paul’s backward assertions on the role of women, we can just chalk up to ignorance.
We live in a world where girls and women are not the bane of existence: my daughters, while obviously not physically the same as their male counterparts, are equal in virtue. We have fought hard as a society to move past the stupidity of our forefathers–as well as harness their wisdom for future generations.
Or, am I overreacting?
What’s the Harm In It?
By Thomas G. Shafer, M.D.
I grew up a Gentile. Thirty five years ago I was “saved” at a Baptist youth rally run by the Billy Graham organization. Within a few months, I began to have doubts about my new found faith, based mainly on the Christian Fundamentalist teachings disregarding modern scientific principles such as Creationism and Biblical literacy in general. (I was quite the budding young scientist in those days.)
Time for the big save. I expressed my doubts and was soon “pounced” by a youth minister sent to keep me in the fold. And what was his most powerful argument?
“What’s the harm in it?”, he asked. He went on to argue that, even if every statement in the New Testament were untrue, how could being a Christian do me anything but good? I’d lead a moral life, associate with nice folk, etc., etc. We’re talking your basic no brainer here. Since the results of believing his doctrine couldn’t possibly do me any harm, why not give it a try and hang in there a little longer to see what good would come my way. And, if he was right, I’d be savng myself a tr[p to Hell.
So, he was a pretty good salesman. I hung in there for almost thirty more years. But now I have converted to Judaism and I finally have an answer to his question… There is a lot of harm in it.
The most harmful thing that accepting this man’s doctrine did was that it totally destroyed any chance I had of developing self esteem. Think about it. Basic Christian doctrine teaches we are all miserable sinners who deserve the death penalty for our crimes against God and humanity. We are so rotten that God had to prepare a flaming Hell in which to roast us forever. Nothing short of this punishment would do.
Great place to start, eh? As if your average adolescent doesn’t have enough problems.
And look at the remedy for this condition. Since the Baptist God was totally inflexible, He couldn’t just forgive me for being such a misbegotten and miserable specimen. No. The death sentence had been passed long before my birth and somebody had to pay the price. So I had to make a public statement claiming the death by torture by someone who purported to be God’s son to escape my own eternal torture.
And where did this leave me? Where does this leave anybody? Totally cut off from God.
Consider for a moment what sort of God we are presenting here. What would people say if an earthly Judge pronounced a death sentence and then decided to pardon the criminal? What would they say if this Judge refused to grant a pardon but, instead, sent his own son to the gallows instead of the criminal because death sentences always have to be carried out and the law is the law? (I don’t think I would vote for said Judge next election.)
So this leaves us trying top relate to a God who is the ultimate sadist. And how do we relate to such a Being? Through fear and lots of it.
I’ve been a Psychiatrist for nearly 20 years, many of them in the Southern Bible Belt. And I’ve seen the results of this fear many times and in many ways. I’ve seen many suicidally depressed people who cannot reach out to the God they desperately need because the basis of their religious beliefs gives them no conception of true Divine love and forgiveness. And I’ve seen many people terrified by obsessions that they have somehow lost their salvation or committed some sort of unforgivable sin. They know “the fear of the Lord” all too well.
And, sadly, these poor people can’t even die in peace. I’ve talked to several people who have been dying or seriously ill who all had the same dream. They dreamt they had left their bodies and were flying through space. But no happy ending this time. Instead, they ended up hovering between Heaven and Hell terrified because they didn’t know where they were going to go.
And there are other consequences. Consider the other response when a person is repetitively told they are worthless and can do nothing to save themselves or even better themselves. That’s right, we are talking anger here, even rage. If I am so worthless even God can’t love me and can never do anything right, why don’t I just lash out at anyone who gets in my way? I am hopeless mess of a sinner anyway, so what’s one more sin on the list? And this other person (especially if they are of a different religion or color) is a worthless piece of human garbage anyway so what does it matter what I do to them?
So, if you are floating around that Fundamental Christian camp, come on back. If you are being besieged by missionaries and thinking of caving in, don’t leave. There’s a loving God waiting, One who is careful to love and forgive and not make any demands on us unless He is sure we can keep them. Forget all those half baked truths and arguments and listen to a moment to the words of our Prophet Moses from the 30th chapter of Deuteronomy:
- “Surely this Instruction which I enjoin upon you this day is not too baffling for you, nor is it beyond reach… No, the thing is very close to you, in your mouth and in your heart, to observe it.”
So God really loves us and He has given us a simple and attainable set of instructions to live our life by. And where is the harm in believing that? Source:
Meet Paul the apostle: trainer of misogynists
by Secular Parent
After a little break (to catch our breath) we are back!
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