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Open Letter to the Women of Israel
Alison Wakelin, August 4, 2023
Dear Ladies,
Very soon you are going to be experiencing the first consequences of the decision recently made in the Knesset. The consequences you have brought into being.
Us women? we hear you ask. Yes, because you have decided to go along with a tradition when history has shown you more than once that there are real consequences for disobeying the word of G-d. Your inner argument will be along the lines of how obedient you have been, how you have followed your husbands, the words of your Rabbis, faithfully, so often despite your own suffering, so how can you be blamed?
You need to think this through, this idea of obedience that has led you into a position where you cannot influence anything. Is this what G-d designed women to be, permanently children in the relationship with their men? I commend you deeply on your incredible endurance, no one is arguing that you have found this path easy, but is it a path that leads you, or the State of Israel, to G-d’s ideal? Seeing the limitations of your own husbands, despite their faith and commitment, can you really believe that G-d wants them to be the ones who lead the world into following the word of G-d?
And today, can you really believe that this decision made by a body of men can truly lead Israel into a better place? You can argue that those who are out on the streets protesting are the ones who have left their original, orthodox faith, and that is their problem. Fine, but how do you explain then the loss of the Temple, more than once under the leadership of your men? How do you explain the mistaken assumption that G-d would lead Israel into victory over the Romans, yet somehow G-d allowed the diaspora instead?
If your men are not seeing clearly, if they are drunk on power, addicted to their arrogance, as we have seen every day in the Knesset, do you want to still follow them?
I suggest to you that you have made a deal which does not incorporate all the information available to you, when you agreed to follow your men, leave decisions to them, on the basis that they are following G-d’s will. Why have you done this, what are you missing?
We know they have not always followed God’s will, because G-d has told them so, as Israel experienced such painful consequences for their behavior over and over. Therefore women have to use discrimination with their obedience. You cannot follow someone who is not following G-d, and you cannot avoid your part of the responsibility by telling G-d you were doing what you were told, just following your appointed path.
Ladies, do you think G-d is only masculine? Of course not, the heart of G-d is the heart of a Mother, who wants to see everyone happy, not to see ongoing suffering and difficulty. If you know this, then you will know how much G-d wants to see the feminine expressed in Israel, and throughout the world. You will see how much support you will receive once you discover Mother G-d directly in prayer yourselves.
The Knesset will follow up with more disastrous decisions in the near future. You need to really think this through, because the one thing that could prevent much of what is happening is a clear, united statement from orthodox women in particular that they have had enough of following men who are not following G-d.
In order to truly make such a stand, you are going to have to come to this decision yourselves. Much has been written about the consequences of the Knesset decision, and you need to read people’s opinions and think them through. Is what they say true? If it is, your Knesset is playing with fire, in simply dismissing the reactions of the rest of the world, even the rest of Judaism, as unimportant. Can you think such arrogance will really result in G-d suddenly deciding to force everyone to accept the leadership of His chosen people? Because if things don't change, that’s the only way Israel will ever step into such a role.
However, you can move Israel closer to that eventuality if you truly comprehend your role. Israeli women need to speak up for unity with the Palestinians, not allow them and their villages to be decimated by the IDF whenever a cabinet minister reacts to some situation or event. You need to have in mind eventual unity, not domination, because a dominated and humiliated people will never live with you at peace. You need to tell your husbands, forget expecting my automatic acceptance, you must learn to discuss with me as though I am an adult human being just as much as you are. I have my own discrimination over whether you are following the will of G-d and I am going to exercise it from now on.
And this decision to put the arrogant desire of one person to avoid facing the consequences of his own corruption above the good of the whole nation is just the place to take a stand. Ask why has your governing coalition approved this step, and consider the answers, because you are uniquely placed to influence Israel in a positive direction today.
Dear Ladies,
Very soon you are going to be experiencing the first consequences of the decision recently made in the Knesset. The consequences you have brought into being.
Us women? we hear you ask. Yes, because you have decided to go along with a tradition when history has shown you more than once that there are real consequences for disobeying the word of G-d. Your inner argument will be along the lines of how obedient you have been, how you have followed your husbands, the words of your Rabbis, faithfully, so often despite your own suffering, so how can you be blamed?
You need to think this through, this idea of obedience that has led you into a position where you cannot influence anything. Is this what G-d designed women to be, permanently children in the relationship with their men? I commend you deeply on your incredible endurance, no one is arguing that you have found this path easy, but is it a path that leads you, or the State of Israel, to G-d’s ideal? Seeing the limitations of your own husbands, despite their faith and commitment, can you really believe that G-d wants them to be the ones who lead the world into following the word of G-d?
And today, can you really believe that this decision made by a body of men can truly lead Israel into a better place? You can argue that those who are out on the streets protesting are the ones who have left their original, orthodox faith, and that is their problem. Fine, but how do you explain then the loss of the Temple, more than once under the leadership of your men? How do you explain the mistaken assumption that G-d would lead Israel into victory over the Romans, yet somehow G-d allowed the diaspora instead?
If your men are not seeing clearly, if they are drunk on power, addicted to their arrogance, as we have seen every day in the Knesset, do you want to still follow them?
I suggest to you that you have made a deal which does not incorporate all the information available to you, when you agreed to follow your men, leave decisions to them, on the basis that they are following G-d’s will. Why have you done this, what are you missing?
We know they have not always followed God’s will, because G-d has told them so, as Israel experienced such painful consequences for their behavior over and over. Therefore women have to use discrimination with their obedience. You cannot follow someone who is not following G-d, and you cannot avoid your part of the responsibility by telling G-d you were doing what you were told, just following your appointed path.
Ladies, do you think G-d is only masculine? Of course not, the heart of G-d is the heart of a Mother, who wants to see everyone happy, not to see ongoing suffering and difficulty. If you know this, then you will know how much G-d wants to see the feminine expressed in Israel, and throughout the world. You will see how much support you will receive once you discover Mother G-d directly in prayer yourselves.
The Knesset will follow up with more disastrous decisions in the near future. You need to really think this through, because the one thing that could prevent much of what is happening is a clear, united statement from orthodox women in particular that they have had enough of following men who are not following G-d.
In order to truly make such a stand, you are going to have to come to this decision yourselves. Much has been written about the consequences of the Knesset decision, and you need to read people’s opinions and think them through. Is what they say true? If it is, your Knesset is playing with fire, in simply dismissing the reactions of the rest of the world, even the rest of Judaism, as unimportant. Can you think such arrogance will really result in G-d suddenly deciding to force everyone to accept the leadership of His chosen people? Because if things don't change, that’s the only way Israel will ever step into such a role.
However, you can move Israel closer to that eventuality if you truly comprehend your role. Israeli women need to speak up for unity with the Palestinians, not allow them and their villages to be decimated by the IDF whenever a cabinet minister reacts to some situation or event. You need to have in mind eventual unity, not domination, because a dominated and humiliated people will never live with you at peace. You need to tell your husbands, forget expecting my automatic acceptance, you must learn to discuss with me as though I am an adult human being just as much as you are. I have my own discrimination over whether you are following the will of G-d and I am going to exercise it from now on.
And this decision to put the arrogant desire of one person to avoid facing the consequences of his own corruption above the good of the whole nation is just the place to take a stand. Ask why has your governing coalition approved this step, and consider the answers, because you are uniquely placed to influence Israel in a positive direction today.
