Kiddushin 36: Exemptions for Women - Offering

We continue to explore the origins of our current orthodox practice, where women are exempt from many of the mitzvot that are obligatory for men.  Yesterday's daf, Kiddushin 35 does not have a blogged commentary; however, going back to Kiddushin 35 would be an important part of learning these laws in greater detail.

Today we begin with the instruction not to cut ourselves nor to shave the corners of our beards.  The rabbis walk through this in great detail.  Cutting and scoring oneself is similar to pulling out or shaving off one's hair because they are both done as signs of respect for the dead in other cultures.  It would seem that the rabbis were not only trying to ensure that our bodies are holy, but they were addressing the cultural appropriation of other groups of people in hard times.

Our rabbis consider the possibility that "You are the sons of the Lord your G-d..." is not stated to exclude women.  Rather, they suggest that this verse confirms that at times people behave according to G-d's wishes, and so we are the sons of G-d.  During those times that we rebel or ignore G-d's instructions to us, we are not in fact his sons any longer.  This could apply to men and to women; it could also apply just to men.

A new Mishna specifies a number of Temple rites that are forbidden to women:

• placing her hands on the head of the offering
• waving the offering (in four directions after the hind leg and breast have been removed)
• bringing a meal offering to the altar
• taking a handful of meal offering
• burning the offering
• pinching a bird's neck to kill it in the offering process
• collecting the blood from the offering
• sprinkling the offering's blood

However, a sota and a female nazirite are permitted to wave their offerings as part of their participation in the offering process.

The Gemara explains that right from the start of these instructions in Leviticus 1:2-4, the verse says "Speak to the sons of Israel... and he shall (place hands, or wave, or... etc.).  If only the sons are commanded to listen, then those same sons are permitted to perform the given action.  In addition, the Gemara notes that some of these tasks are designated to priests and no others -- and priests are always men.

Because of the use of the word "hand" for the sota and for the priest, the rabbis determine that the sota and the priest wave her offering together.  That is, he places his hand beneath hers while she waves the offering.  Similarly, a nazirite waves her offering as it is placed into her palm by the priest who helps her wave.   The rabbis note that an owner and a priest can wave simultaneously by the priest placing his hands beneath the owner's.

It seems that the rabbis go to great lengths to maintain the social structure: priests above all, men above women.