Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Armed & Feminine


A few months ago I wanted to show off a new hat to a friend of mine, an American soldier (Hooah!) recently returned from Iraq. Here's the hat:

Yes, I'm an NRA member.

Cue: Shadchanim run away screaming

My friend responded, "That's funny. I thought that religious women don't have the right to bare arms."

For a second I stared at her, mentally running through all the Jewish laws that I could think of which might prohibit women from using guns... Until I realized she was talking about the Jewish laws of modesty, (which I talk about here.)

Boy, was I relieved.

In the latest issue of "America's 1st Freedom" magazine (published by the NRA), there's an article that cites the growing numbers of women interested in guns. "Of our 54% growth rate in 2007, 66% of that represented people new to shooting. And 40% of the 54% were women," says a shooting range owner in the article.

Apparently women want to be able to defend themselves. I know that's why I'm an NRA member.

I can admit that here on this anonymous blog, where only a VERY few of my viewers know who I really am. I wasn't completely kidding when I cued the shadchanim running away screaming. It's dangerous to be a feminist who likes guns in frum society. I told my mom today, after reading the article about women and guns, that we could eliminate (from the shiddichim business, not literally,) great numbers of guys if we told shadchanim that I'm a member of the NRA.

She was not amused.

I have to keep my gun enthusiasm quiet if I want to be accepted in frum society. So if you're out there reading this and you know who I am, keep quiet about it, will ya?

14 comments:

  1. col hacavod to you ,but if you check you'll see that there is a lot of opinions agains women being armed

    ReplyDelete
  2. Really? Do tell. Where are these opinions - Gemarah or Shulchan Aruch?

    And do they say that a woman doesn't have the right to defend herself? I suppose that pikuach nefesh doesn't count for women, then?

    ReplyDelete
  3. Umm...it's great you know how to use a gun and all, but I'm not too sure about celebrating it lol....if one's gotta defend themself I think a tazer/mace would prob be better...

    ReplyDelete
  4. start from the pasuk lo tilbash k'li gever, which most mforshim explain as weaponry. I'm not familiar with poskim, but later poskim i think discuss leniencies for women in dangerous situations, as well as for weapons that aren't literally worn.

    ReplyDelete
  5. KT - I don't actually even own a gun. I just appreciate the value of the 2nd amendment.

    Kisarita - Can you tell me which meforshim you're referring to, and where I can find them? I'm not necessarily doubting you, I'd just like to see it myself.

    ReplyDelete
  6. are you a frum, no?

    feminist? where?

    http://dadoichzlig.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  7. Diaspora Jews should own guns and be competent in their use. After all, every 400 years or so our host countries seem to get ... well, impatient with us. Yet non-frum American and Canadian Jews, by their left-leaning (left-leading?) politics harm the very right to own guns, let alone defend oneself with them. And guns just don't seem to be on frum Jews' radar screens.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Unfortunately, it's not only Diaspora Jews who have to worry about their country getting impatient with them. The Gaza Expulsion was a horrible example of just that.

    ReplyDelete
  9. HaEmek Davar commentary on Vayikra / Leviticus, chapter 17, verse 13:

    It is not the way of women to use weapons.
    נשים לאו בנות צידה הן שאין דרכן בכלי זיין

    CHRONOLOGY: Written by Rabbi Naftali Zvi Yehuda Berlin, the Netziv, the Rosh HaYeshivah of Volozhin, who lived from 1816 to 1893 of the Common Era.

    To receive quick quotes from Jewish holy books and short true inspirational stories of Orthodox Rabbis, go to:

    http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DerechEmet/

    ReplyDelete
  10. QUOTE 1:

    Babylonian Talmud, tractate Nazir, page 59A:

    Rabbi Eliezer ben Yaakov: A woman may not go with weapons to war.

    *********************************************
    QUOTE 2:

    Midrash Mishlei on Proverbs, chapter 31:

    Yael did not kill [General Sisera] with a weapon, but with a peg [of a tent], wit the strength of her hand. Why did she not use weapon? To comply with Devarim / Deuteronomy, chapter 22, verse 5: THE GARMENT OF A MAN MAY NOT BE WORN BY A WOMAN.

    *********************************************
    QUOTE 3:

    HaEmek Davar commentary on Vayikra / Leviticus, chapter 17, verse 13:

    It is not the way of women to use weapons.
    נשים לאו בנות צידה הן שאין דרכן בכלי זיין

    CHRONOLOGY: Written by Rabbi Naftali Zvi Yehuda Berlin, the Netziv, the Rosh HaYeshivah of Volozhin, who lived from 1816 to 1893 of the Common Era.

    *********************************************
    To receive quick quotes from Jewish holy books and short true inspirational stories of Orthodox Rabbis, go to:

    http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DerechEmet/

    ReplyDelete
  11. QUOTE 1:

    Babylonian Talmud, tractate Nazir, page 59A:

    Rabbi Eliezer ben Yaakov:

    A woman may not go with weapons to war.

    ****************************************************
    QUOTE 2:

    Midrash Mishlei on Proverbs, chapter 31:

    Yael did not kill [General Sisera] with a weapon, but with a peg [of a tent], wit the strength of her hand. Why did she not use weapon? To comply with Devarim / Deuteronomy, chapter 22, verse 5: THE GARMENT OF A MAN MAY NOT BE WORN BY A WOMAN.

    ****************************************************
    QUOTE 3:

    HaEmek Davar commentary on Vayikra / Leviticus, chapter 17, verse 13:

    It is not the way of women to use weapons.
    ונשים לאו בנות צידה הן שאין דרכן בכלי זיין

    CHRONOLOGY: Written by Rabbi Naftali Zvi Yehuda Berlin, the Netziv, the Rosh HaYeshivah of Volozhin, who lived from 1816 to 1893 of the Common Era.

    ****************************************************
    To receive quick quotes from Jewish holy books and short true inspirational stories of Orthodox Rabbis, go to:

    http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DerechEmet/

    ReplyDelete
  12. QUOTE 1:

    Babylonian Talmud, tractate Nazir, page 59A:

    Rabbi Eliezer ben Yaakov taught:

    A woman may not go with weapons to war.

    ****************************************************
    QUOTE 2:

    Midrash Mishlei on Proverbs, chapter 31:

    Yael did not kill [General Sisera] with a weapon, but with a peg [of a tent], wit the strength of her hand. Why did she not use weapon? To comply with Devarim / Deuteronomy, chapter 22, verse 5: THE GARMENT OF A MAN MAY NOT BE WORN BY A WOMAN.

    ****************************************************
    QUOTE 3:

    HaEmek Davar commentary on Vayikra / Leviticus, chapter 17, verse 13:

    It is not the way of women to use weapons.

    CHRONOLOGY: Written by Rabbi Naftali Zvi Yehuda Berlin, the Netziv, the Rosh HaYeshivah of Volozhin, who lived from 1816 to 1893 of the Common Era.

    ****************************************************
    To receive quick quotes from Jewish holy books and short true inspirational stories of Orthodox Rabbis, go to:

    http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DerechEmet/

    ReplyDelete
  13. Okay, okay, I get the point. I'd really prefer to hear the psak of a modern-day Rav, to be honest. I can't imagine that halacha would forbid a woman the ability to defend herself.

    ReplyDelete