Where is Judaism?

We are almost at Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah. They are actually the same holiday; Simchat Torah is simply the second day of Shemini Atzeret (just as the second day of Passover, or any other holiday, is). In fact, in the Land of Israel, both celebrations occur on the same day.

The essence of Shemini Atzeret is the celebration of the special relationship between the Jewish people and God. shmini In Hebrew, it means eighth, that is, that which transcends the cyclical and natural (symbolized by the number seven, by the seven days of the week that repeat cyclically). Similarly, the relationship between God and the Jewish people is not one that is subject to reason (for example, that the Jewish people are meritorious, intelligent, or numerous, etc.) nor to the natural, but rather transcends (like the number eight, which transcends seven) the rational and logical. This level is revealed on Shemini Atzeret, and the way to incorporate this revelation is through dancing with the Torah. The Torah is the channel, so to speak, for uniting with God, the "space" (metaphorically speaking) where the very essence of God is expressed in this world in such a way that we can experience it.

However, year after year the same discussion arises: Why can't women dance with the Torah? The question quickly spreads throughout the synagogue, extending to the reading of the Torah (having a Aliyah), to the tefillin, tallit, sitting next to the man during prayer, etc., reaching its peak when someone says, "But the Torah discriminates against women!"“

I find it impossible to feel about the issue because of my status as a man, and I even consider it impossible for me to give an answer (there are tons of articles available, written by both men and women, discussing this question), however I would like to put forward an idea, of course, open to discussion and comments.

Where is Judaism? The question, in other words, is what is the key to Jewish continuity for so many thousands of years? Of course, the core of the answer is our connection with God; just as He is eternal, everything united with Him is eternal. But where is this eternity revealed? What is the sphere in which a person absorbs this concept, lives it, expresses it, and has it forever etched into their life? Two options: 1) The home, 2) The synagogue (which includes school). I think no one would dispute that it is in the home where Judaism is truly absorbed. It is true that many rituals are practiced in the synagogue, but even so, these rituals occupy a tiny space compared to the influence of the home. For example, a Shabbat evening prayer (Kabbalah Shabbat) might last half an hour or forty minutes, while people spend several hours sitting around the Shabbat table at home, chatting and sharing the moment.

Now, it's clear, I think, that every space has a general manager, who ensures that everything that needs to happen in that space actually happens. In the case of the synagogue, it's the man, reading the Torah, praying with tefillin y tallit, having to use a kippah to constantly remind her of the divine presence (something unnecessary for women due to their natural sensitivity to the spiritual), etc. In the case of the house, the woman is the head. Does anyone doubt that she sets the mood of the house? Does anyone doubt that she sets the rules?

From this perspective, it emerges that the one who, so to speak, is in charge in the most important and significant sphere of Jewish life, is the woman. Of course, this is a general observation, and it doesn't mean that men have no influence in the home or that women are insignificant in the synagogue. It's simply a way of understanding each person's primary role and, more importantly, where they can (and therefore should) make the most of their innate abilities. It's worth noting that the Rebbe dedicated countless hours to talks exclusively for women in the synagogue (in fact, all the men left, and the space was filled with hundreds of women) and spoke incessantly about the importance of women in Judaism.

This idea offers a kind of answer to the initial question about the dances, the Torah, and the rest of the classic rituals of prayer and the synagogue: Does it make sense to set aside the very continuity of the entire Jewish people in exchange for a series of rituals? Perhaps those who answer yes do so because they don't want to acknowledge their fundamental role in the plan of creation... Or because they don't understand where Judaism truly lies...