Friday, August 31, 2012

Beracha "Didn't make me a woman" - Magen Avraham

Magen Avraham (O.C. 46:9):... The Bach asks why we don’t say a beracha “that G‑d has made me a Jew” [rather than the negative version that He hasn’t made us a non-Jew] which would be similar in structure to the other morning berachos such as “gives sight to the blind” in which we bless the good? Some answer it is because our Sages concluded that it would have been better that Man had not been created. Thus we are say it would have been better if we hadn’t been created but now that we exist I bless G‑d that at least He did not make me a non-Jew, slave or woman. In addition I think that if a person said “Who has made me a Jew” he would not be able to also say “Who has made me a free man” or “Who has made me a man” because that would be included. The intent therefore is to say a blessing on each detail.... These are the words of the Bach. His words imply that if a person erred and said “Who has made me a Jew” - that he would no longer be able to say the beracha of not being made a slave or a woman. It also seems to me that even if he said Yisroel or Jew – a woman is included. That is because the entire Torah is expressed in the masculine form and nevertheless it includes women. We see this from Tosfos who says that only when the Torah says the Children of Israel it implies an exclusion of the Daughters of Israel. Nevertheless Sanhedrin (84) implies that this is because the Torah equates a woman to a man. In Bava Kama (15), Menachos (93) and the beginning of Erachin – it indicates that “slave” should be said before “woman” since it states that a slave is inferior to a woman. It is also implied in the Bach according to what is says in Sefer Chassidim concerning “freeing the prisoners that it is the same here. If a person says “who has not made me a woman” first he can no longer say the beracha concerning a non-Jew or a slave.

7 comments :

  1. IOW, men are greater than women.

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  2. No! It simply means that mean are thankful for having more mitzvos to keep

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    1. So, then, why don't Kohanim make a special bracha for being a Kohen (and having more mitzvos to keep)?

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    2. Apparently Chazal felt that these are the appropriate berachos. You could also ask why Jews in Israel don't say a beracha that they live in Israel. Not every difference produces a beracha. So you have a question not a refutation.

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    3. Divrei Yirmiyahu (Hilchos Tefila 7:6): A person should say the following berachos everyday... “that I wasn’t made a non Jew... that I wasn’t made a woman...that I wasn’t made a slave. Look at the Beis Yosef (O.C. 46) and the Yerushalmi which states, the reason for the beracha of not being made a woman is becaue a woman is not fully oblgated in all the mitzvos. With this we show our love of mitzvos, because we are saying a beracha on the extra obligation in mitvos that we have over women which results from women being except from time bound mitzvos.

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  3. i heard once from the Klauzenburger rebbe z"l,where he answered in jest,why we don't make a bracha that "you made me a jew" because sometimes it would be a BRACHA LEVATOLA,because in heaven when they will hear this BRACHA,they will say "what'is this a jew? is this how a jew looks and behaves? therefore you make a bracha SHELO OSANI GOY,because no matter how far a jew is from yidishkeit,but a GOY he is not

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  4. i heard once from the Klauzenburger rebbe z"l,where he answered in jest,why we don't make a bracha that "you made me a jew" because sometimes it would be a BRACHA LEVATOLA,because in heaven when they will hear this BRACHA,they will say "what'is this a jew? is this how a jew looks and behaves? therefore you make a bracha SHELO OSANI GOY,because no matter how far a jew is from yidishkeit,but a GOY he is not

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