B'reisheet: It's Time to Change the Rules...

Of all the parshiot in the Torah, I think the one that has done the most damage to all of human civilization is probably this one, at the start of Genesis. Sadly, that's a bold statement, because there are MANY other portions and sentiments that are trying to compete... Nevertheless, I think this one

beats out all the rest. As God begins to form our world, Gen. 1:28 tells us that the earth is ours over which to have dominion. We own it, and we can do what we want with it. Oy... We also have, in that same verse, the very first commandment, namely to "be fruitful and multiply," which is used as a proof text against abortion, as well as any relationship between two individuals that does not yield progeny. Later on, in Genesis 3:16, as punishment for having eaten of the infamous Forbidden Fruit, the first Woman is told, "your urge shall be for your husband, And he shall rule over you.” So in this one Torah portion, we can see the "permission slips" for environmental pollution, extinction of animals, sexism, extremism, and several other destructive forces. Not to mention the Christian notion of Original Sin, and the world's first murder. Yay, B'reisheet...

Right now, at this moment in our national (and international) discourse, I feel I have to focus on one of these issues in particular - how men have ruined everything. I doubt this will surprise any of you: I am a man. And while I DO sometimes enjoy

my Y chromosome, I have to admit that it's been a source of real embarrassment over the last few months (or years...). Instances of sexual harassment and assault seem never-ending. Worse still, they have ALWAYS been happening; they're just coming to light now. For a while, we can blame the assailants, but eventually we have to realize it's a systemic (and maybe even biological) problem. As a society, we think of men as more capable, worth higher salaries, more even-tempered, better leaders/doctors/lawyers/rabbis, more responsible with money, and the list goes on, and on, and ON. When in reality, men have caused more wars, more economic chaos and recessions, and greater abuses by major corporations and business leaders than women ever could!!

In an article on the International Monetary Fund's website, entitled "Empowering Women is Smart Economics," the following point (which should be totally unsurprising) is made: "Evidence from countries

as varied as Brazil, China, India, South Africa, and the United Kingdom shows that when women control more household income—either through their own earnings or through cash transfers—children benefit as a result of more spending on food and education (World Bank, 2011)." I probably don't need to reiterate this, but I am a man. And yet, it is abundantly clear to me that the wrong gender was given "dominion" over the other; to EVERYONE'S detriment! But here we are, and the point isn't that we should flip roles, if we even could. Power, however, needs to be shared, and we ALL need to push for greater equality in EVERY aspect of society. What would be the possible downsides?!?! The research is clear; men, women, young, and old - all would benefit.

Recently, I have heard a number of women say that they feel alone and angry. Men aren't doing enough to stand behind the #MeToo and #Time'sUp movements, and not calling other men out on bad behavior. They are right. This is not only

THEIR battle to fight, just as the assault on abortion affects everyone, not only women. So guys, it's time to put our egos aside and take a step back. I'm as big a culprit as anyone; I post my thoughts and opinions online (right here) EVERY WEEK!! I literally pontificate; it's in my job description. But we need to listen. On the High Holidays, I told our congregation, "If you aren't aware of a disadvantage, you are probably the beneficiary of it." We've been complacent too long. This is clearly not a case of a few "bad apples," but a culture of discrimination and violence. Change needs to happen right now. We can't wait any longer, and we can't hide behind the texts of our tradition to justify behaviors we KNOW are wrong. No more. I'm done with that, and you should be too. Time IS indeed up.


Images in this blog post:
1. CC image courtesy of pxhere.com
2. CC image courtesy of NIH Image Gallery on Flickr
3. CC image courtesy of Diksha41 on Wikimedia Commons
4. CC image courtesy of Craig on Flickr