Advantage: Woman

In an independent study of newlywed couples, when husbands were asked why they feed their babies, the overwhelming response was, “Because she’s hungry!”  When the wives were asked the same question, the response was, “Because she’s my baby and I love her and I want to do what’s best for her”.

There’s a very special bonding of the souls between mother and child that fathers just don’t seem to have at the outset. It probably has something to do with those nine months when mother never goes anywhere without taking little tyke along with her (on the inside of course).

And just like some moms and dads may disagree on how to dress a baby in the winter, they also differ on some of the details of serving G-d. But on one thing they all agree – this too comes easier to a woman than it does to a man.

There are many reasons that are given for that.  One reason is that Eve was created from Adam who himself was created from the dust of the ground.  She, therefore, starts out on a higher spiritual level being one step further removed from her earthly desires.  Another reason is that, when you look at the order of Creation, the crowning achievement of the First Six Days was the creation of Adam.  The unique combination of the physical and spiritual manifests itself in the most important, complex being in the Universe - Man.  But, ahem, who came after Adam (and is a whole lot more complex)?  Woman - Eve.  She was the result of the direct will of G-d – created as a help-meet for man and the finishing touch to a world that G-d Himself said is “very good”.

Because of this, she doesn’t have to work nearly as hard as men do to connect with her spiritual source.  She already has that special bond – just like the one between her and baby. Us guys need a lot of help to reach a spiritual “high”.  That’s why we need at least nine others before we can say certain holy prayers.  We need constant reinforcements, like tefillin and a steady schedule of learning to remind us that there is a G-d above guiding our efforts.  We need to be involved continuously in doing G-d’s commands in order to achieve the same spiritual level that a woman can get by simply reciting one chapter of Psalms.

That’s why it is the woman who has been entrusted with the role of giving over the Jewish soul to a newborn child.  Because she is the one who is ultimately responsible for raising him and instilling within him the spirit of being a Jew.

What a unique privilege.  What an awesome responsibility!

Happy is the woman who can say in her prayers each morning, “Thank You, G-d for making me according to Your Will.”