Here is a Halachic/Minhag perspective on Birchot HaShachar that could shift your paradigm...
There are two HALACHIC systems in the Classic Poskim with regard to Birchot HaShachar
1. Birchot HaShachar in private - based upon Talmud, Rambam, and the first deiah in SA. Each brachah is said as you get up, etc..
vs.
2 Birchot HaShachar in public based upon the 2nd deiah in SA and Rema.
Thus, as Birchot HaSahachar was implemented in Ashkenaz it's a "chidusho shel olam Thing" done b'tzibur where women don't count for the minyan. And the old minhag was often to repeat this series over and over to manufacture amanim.
When seen in THAT context
The spin on these brachot is much simpler, namely -
"Who counts in this Minyan?"
B"H I do because -
A I'm not an "eino yehudi"
nor
B am I an Eved
nor
C am I an Ishah
Therefore B"H *I* count
--------------------
After 5 years of manning [pun intended] a software hotline, I've learned that the #1 question to ask is "what changed before the problem occurred?"
Given this background it is now wonder that NOW, all of a sudden, these brachot have become controversial - because
Q: What changed?
A: Egalitarianism!
So when you start counting women to a Minyan, VOILA! Houston we have a problem! Which is how/why this has become an issue, because this agenda wishes to include women in the Minyan. And there's the rub!
Shalom, RRW
No comments:
Post a Comment