ספר רזין דאורייתא, בשם הרבי ר' מיכל מזלאטשוב
אולם הכוונה, דנודע אשר יצחק נולד בנשמת נוקבא, וכמו שכתב בעל אור החיים הק', ועל ידי העקדה היה לו נשמת דכר להשפיע. ועל פי זה מובן למה לא נמצא באדם יותר עקרה מאשר מבבהמה, אשר בפסוק נשתוו זה לזה בברכה, לא יהיה בך ובבהמתך עקר ועקרה, רק זאת נודע סדר הגלגולים. ולפעמים נקבה תסובב גבר כי בסבת הגלגול נשמת נקבה תבוא בזכר, כאשר י'תרעם ה'גלגל ו'יתרעש ה'חוזר לבוא בגלגול שני ושלישי. ואם נקבה אשר תסובב בגבר, שני נקבות אינם מולידים, רק על ידי מעשי הטוב מחליפין הנשמה, וליצחק החליפו הנשמה. לפיכך לו ולא לה, כי יצחק היה צריך לאותו דבר ולא רבקה:
Teaching from Rabbi Yechiel Michael from Zloczow (1731-1786)
It is known that when Issac was born, he was born with the soul of a female, as it is written in Or Hachaim, and through the akeidah (binding of Issac) he got a male soul that can influence (meaning, can impregnate). [With that we can understand why they more infertile humans than animals, even though that they both got the same blessing "It will not be within you and within your animals infertility".] But, this is known according to the Sod (Secret/Mysticism) of reincarnation - that at times, a female would be in a male body, because in the reasons of gilgal (reincarnation) the soul of a female would come to be in a male. ... that is why it says by Issac that Hashem (Divine) answered to him and not to her (Rebecca), because he needed divine help to be able to have kids.
(Translation by Abby Stein)
רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן הֲוָה אָזִיל לִטְבֶרְיָה, וְהֲווּ עִמֵּיהּ רַבִּי יוֹסֵי וְרַבִּי יְהוּדָה וְרַבִּי חִיָּיא. אַדְּהָכִי חָמוּ לֵיהּ לְרַבִּי פִּנְחָס דְּהֲוָה אָתֵי. כֵּיוָן דְּאִתְחַבָּרוּ כְּחֲדָא, נַחֲתוּ וְיָתְבוּ תְּחוֹת אִילָנָא חַד מֵאִילָנֵי טוּרָא. אָמַר רַבִּי פִּנְחָס הָא יָתִיבְנָא, מֵאִלֵּין מִלֵּי מַעַלְיָיתָא דְּאַתְּ אָמֵר בְּכָל יוֹמָא בְּעֵינָא לְמִשְׁמַע.
פָּתַח רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן וְאָמַר (בראשית יג) וַיֵּלֶךְ לְמַסָּעָיו מִנֶּגֶב וְעַד בֵּית אֵל עַד הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר הָיָה שָׁם אָהֳלֹה בַּתְּחִלָּה בֵּין בֵּית אֵל וּבֵין הָעָי. וַיֵּלֶךְ לְמַסָּעָיו, לְמַסָּעוֹ מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ. מַאי לְמַסָּעָיו. אֶלָּא תְּרֵין מַטְלָנִין אִנּוּן. חַד דִּידֵיהּ וְחַד דִּשְׁכִינְתָּא. דְּהָא כָּל בַּר נָשׁ בָּעֵי לְאִשְׁתַּכְּחָא דְּכַר וְנוּקְבָא בְּגִין לְאַתְקָפָא מְהֵימְנוּתָא. וּכְדֵין שְׁכִינְתָּא לָא אִתְפָּרְשָׁא מִנֵּיהּ לְעָלְמִין.
תָּא חֲזֵי, כָּל זִמְנָא דְּבַר נָשׁ אִתְעַכַּב בְּאוֹרְחָא (בכל חיליה) בָּעֵי לְנַטְרָא עוֹבָדוֹי. בְּגִין דְּזִוּוּגָא עִלָּאָה לָא יִתְפְּרַשׁ מִנֵּיהּ וְיִשְׁתְּכַח פָּגִים בְּלָא דְּכַר וְנוּקְבָא. בְּמָתָא אִצְטְרִיךְ כַּד נוּקְבֵיהּ עִמֵּיהּ, כָּל שְׁכֵּן הָכָא דְּזִוּוּגָא עִלָּאָה אִתְקַשְּׁרַת בֵּיהּ. וְלָא עוֹד אֶלָּא דְּהָא זִוּוּגָא עִלָּאָה נָטִיר לֵיהּ בְּאָרְחָא וְלָא מִתְפָּרְשָׁא מִנֵּיהּ עַד דְּיִתוֹב לְבֵיתֵיהּ.
Rabbi Shimon was journeying to Tiberias, and there were with him, Rabbi Yosi, Rabbi Yehuda, and Rabbi Hiya. While on the way, they saw Rabbi Pinchus coming to meet them. After exchanging greetings, they all sat down under a great shady tree by a hillside.
Then Rabbi Shimon said: "It is written, 'and he went on his journeys from the south to Bethel unto the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Hai' (Gen. 13:3). It says, 'He went on his journeys' instead of 'his journey.' Why is that? There is a reference not only to his own journeying, but also that of the Shekhinah, who always went with Abraham, and therefore we learn that every person needs to be male and female at all time, for the sake of his faith, he ought not to think or imagine that the Shekhinah forsakes him in any way.
See, it has been said, a man ought always to cleave to his wife that the Shekhinah may always be with him, yet it is possible to go alone on a journey and the Shekhinah will still be with him. And when doing so he ought to direct his prayer to the Holy One that this may be, and in this way the male and female will always be associated in union with oneself.
(Translation by Abby Stein)
וַיֹּאמֶר כִּי־יָד עַל־כֵּס יָהּ מִלְחָמָה לַיהוָה בַּעֲמָלֵק מִדֹּר דֹּר׃
He said, “It means, ‘Hand upon the throne of the LORD!’ The LORD will be at war with Amalek throughout the ages.”
כי יד על כס יה. יָדוֹ שֶׁל הַקָּבָּ"ה הֻרְמָה לִשָּׁבַע בְּכִסְאוֹ לִהְיוֹת לוֹ מִלְחָמָה וְאֵיבָה בַעֲמָלֵק עוֹלָמִית, וּמַהוּ כֵּס וְלֹא נֶאֱמַר כִּסֵּא? וְאַף הַשֵּׁם נֶחֱלַק לְחֶצְיוֹ? נִשְׁבַּע הַקָּבָּ"ה שֶׁאֵין שְׁמוֹ שָׁלֵם וְאֵין כִּסְאוֹ שָׁלֵם עַד שֶׁיִּמָּחֶה שְׁמוֹ שֶׁל עֲמָלֵק כֻּלּוֹ...
Because the Hand is upon the Throne of Yah - What is the force of כס - why does it not say as usual כסא? And the Divine Name, also, is divided into half (יה is only the half of the Tetragrammaton)! The Holy One, swears that His Name will not be perfect, nor His throne perfect, until the name of Amalek be entirely blotted out.
(א) וּנְתַנֶּה תֹּקֶף קְדֻשַּׁת הַיּוֹם, כִּי הוּא נוֹרָא וְאָיֹם, וּבוֹ תִּנָּשֵׂא מַלְכוּתֶךָ, וְיִכּוֹן בְּחֶסֶד כִּסְאֶךָ, וְתֵשֵׁב עָלָיו בְּאֱמֶת.
Let us tell the utter holiness of this day (Rosh Hashanah), for it is tremendous and awe-inspiring, and on it your dominion shall be exalted, your throne established, in loving-kindness, and you will sit on that throne in truth.
מוסף לראש השנה
אַתָּה זוֹכֵר מַעֲשֵׂה עוֹלָם וּפוֹקֵד כָּל יְצוּרֵי קֶדֶם. לְפָנֶיךָ נִגְלוּ כָּל תַּעֲלוּמוֹת וַהֲמוֹן נִסְתָּרוֹת שֶׁמִּבְּרֵאשִׁית. כִּי אֵין שִׁכְחָה לִפְנֵי כִסֵּא כְבוֹדֶךָ וְאֵין נִסְתָּר מִנֶּגֶד עֵינֶיךָ:
זֶה הַיּוֹם תְּחִלַּת מַעֲשֶׂיךָ, זִכָּרוֹן לְיוֹם רִאשׁוֹן. כִּי חוֹק לְיִשְׂרָאֵל הוּא מִשְׁפָּט לֵאלֹהֵי יַעֲקֹב:
Musaf, Rosh Hashanah
You remember the dealings of the world, and You consider the behavior creatures who lived in earlier times. In Your Presence are revealed all that is hidden, and the multitude of secrets from the beginning of creation; for there is no forgetfulness before the throne of Your Glory, and there is nothing hidden from Your eyes. This day [Rosh Hashana] is the beginning of Your work, a memorial to the first day.
וענין ג' הוא בחינת ייעוד חכמים בהתחברות בלב שלם ותמים לא שיהיו בד בבד שעליהם אמר הכתוב (ידמיה נ) חרב אל הבדים (בדכות ס''ג.), אלא יתועדו יחד ויחדדו זה לזה ויסבירו פנים זה לזה, וכנגד זה אמר ויחן שם ישראל לשון יחיד שנעשו כולן יחד כאיש אחד, והן עתה הם ראוים לקבלת התורה:
(the third thing is) the teaching of the wise coming together with each other, and connecting with a full and whole friendship (heart). Not to be separated from each other, as for that the Talmud teaches us based on the words of Jeremiah, that it's like a sword on those who are [studying] alone. But, we need to come together, grow from each other [from the differences], and treat each other nicely. That is why the Torah uses a singular word, because all the Israelites became like one person - and now they were ready to receive to Torah.
(free translation by Abby Stein)
“Often, when people begin conversations and they want to say ‘Our community does Judaism like this,’ and others say, ‘Ours does it like that. Ours is different,’ and I want to say, ‘No. Tamid Echad / Always and forever one.’
This oneness goes through history and it goes through Klal Yisroel / all the God wrestlers with whom we feel we share. [It goes through our connection to other religions too,] and the commonality also extends beyond human beings: We share with the birds, we share with the mammals, [with] the chimpanzees (who [have been shown to be able to] learn how to speak to each other in American Sign Language and then pass it on to the next generation). And when I watch the geese and the little goslings down at the lake, they also connect me with the oneness of it all.”
- Reb Zalman schachter-shalomi, “Renewal is not Judaism-lite“, 1998
(ו) הֲ־לַיְהוָה֙ תִּגְמְלוּ־זֹ֔את עַ֥ם נָבָ֖ל וְלֹ֣א חָכָ֑ם הֲלוֹא־הוּא֙ אָבִ֣יךָ קָּנֶ֔ךָ ה֥וּא עָֽשְׂךָ֖ וַֽיְכֹנְנֶֽךָ׃
ישעיהו מ"ט:ט"ו
(ט"ו) הֲתִשְׁכַּ֤ח אִשָּׁה֙ עוּלָ֔הּ מֵרַחֵ֖ם בֶּן־בִּטְנָ֑הּ גַּם־אֵ֣לֶּה תִשְׁכַּ֔חְנָה וְאָנֹכִ֖י לֹ֥א אֶשְׁכָּחֵֽךְ׃
(6) Is this your reward to God, you dull and witless people? surely He is the Father who created you, Fashioned you and made you perfect!
Isaiah 49:15
(15) Can a woman forget her baby, Or disown the child of her womb? Though she might forget, I could never forget you.
לִרְחִימָתָא, דְּאִיהִי שַׁפִּירְתָּא בְּחֵיזוּ, וּשְׁפִירְתָּא בְּרֵיוָא, וְאִיהִי טְמִירְתָּא בִּטְמִירוּ גּוֹ הֵיכָלָא דִּילָהּ, וְאִית לָהּ רְחִימָא יְחִידָאָה, דְּלָא יַדְעִין בֵּיהּ בְּנֵי נָשָׁא, אֶלָּא אִיהוּ בִּטְמִירוּ. הַהוּא רְחִימָא, מִגּוֹ רְחִימָא דְּרָחִים לָהּ עָבַר לִתְרַע בֵּיתָה תָּדִיר, זָקִיף עֵינוֹי לְכָל סְטָר. אִיהִי, יַדְעַת דְּהָא רְחִימָא אַסְחַר תְּרַע בֵּיתָה תָּדִיר, מָה עַבְדַת, פָּתְחַת פִּתְחָא זְעֵירָא בְּהַהוּא הֵיכָלָא טְמִירָא, דְּאִיהִי תַּמָּן, וּגְלִיאַת אַנְפָּהָא לְגַבֵּי רְחִימְאָה, וּמִיָּד אִתְהַדְּרַת וְאִתְכַּסִיאַת. כָּל אִינּוּן דַּהֲווֹ לְגַבֵּי רְחִימָא, לָא חָמוּ וְלָא אִסְתַּכָּלוּ, בַּר רְחִימָא בִּלְחוֹדוֹי, וּמֵעוֹי וְלִבֵּיהּ וְנַפְשֵׁיהּ אָזְלוּ אֲבַתְרָהּ. וְיָדַע דְּמִגּוֹ רְחִימוּ דִּרְחִימָת לֵיהּ, אִתְגְּלִיאַת לְגַבֵּיהּ רִגְעָא חֲדָא, לְאִתְּעָרָא לגביה רחימו ליה. הָכִי הוּא מִלָּה דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, לָא אִתְגְּלִיאַת, אֶלָּא לְגַבֵּי רְחִימְאָה.
It is compared ... To a lovely princess, Beautiful in every way and hidden deep within her palace. She has one lover, unknown to anyone; he is hidden too. Out of his love for her, this lover passes by her gate constantly, Lifting his eyes to every side. She knows that her lover is hovering about her gate constantly. What does she do? She opens a little window in her hidden palace and reveals her face to her lover, Then swiftly withdraws, concealing herself. No one near the lover sees or reflects, Only the lover, And his heart and his soul and everything within him flow out to her. And he knows that out of love for him She revealed herself for that one moment to awaken love in him. So is the words of the God in the Torah, she doesn't reveal itself only to her lover.
(Original translation by Abby Stein)
"The Jewish values and principles which I regard as eternal, transcendent and divinely ordained, do not condemn homosexuality. The Judaism I cherish and affirm teaches love of humanity, respect for the spark of divinity in every person, and the human right to live with dignity. The G-d I worship endorses loving, responsible, and committed human relationships, regardless of the sex of the persons involved."
- Janet Marder, "Jewish and Gay," Keeping Posted 32, 2; November, 1986.
TRANSition Rituals
I wanted to show that if you claim being trans is unacceptable in traditional Judaism, well, here is a community that is not just okay with accepting me as I am, but is celebrating with me, rejoicing with me. What I’m hoping is that by sharing my story, others in the same situation will realize that you can have your name changed in a synagogue. There are so many synagogues where you can’t, but there are also those where you can — the Jewish Reform movement, the Conservative movement. Within Orthodoxy, there’s still a long way to go. Every time something like this is done, it’s one step closer to acceptance for everyone.
I managed to keep myself from crying during the ceremony, but I choked up at one part. It was a traditional blessing that meant, “Blessed are you, O Lord, who has kept me alive and brought me up to this day.” I’m grateful that I survived to this day. That was a point that was really important. The name change was also a very emotional part. The way the community reacted was so amazing.
Even the negative feedback has ended up being positive. People would ask me, “I don’t get it, are you religious or not?” My answer to them is, “That’s not a yes or no question.”
- How This Ex-Hasidic Woman Lost and Found Her Judaism, Huffington Post, June 9, 2016
“In our tradition leaving Egypt wasn’t an historical event alone. In our tradition, it was a personal and existential leaving as well.
"בְּכָל דּוֹר וָדוֹר חַיָּב אָדָם לִרְאוֹת אֶת עַצְמוֹ\עַצְמָהּ כְאִלּוּ הוּא יָצָא\ה מִמִּצְרַיִם”
(In every generation a person must regard themselves as though they personally had gone out of Egypt), Whenever we leave a narrow place, a place of constriction, painful servitude, a place where we are not authentically who we are, that leap taking, that transitioning, is an exodus. A freedom walk.
הִגָּלֶה נָא וּפְרוֹס חֲבִיבִי עָלַי אֶת סֻכַּת שְׁלוֹמֶךָ.
Please, be revealed and spread the covering, beloved, Upon me, the shelter of your tranquility
A Blessing for Transitioning Genders
by Rabbi Eli Kukla
Jewish sacred texts such as the Mishna, the Talmud, midrash and classical legal codes acknowledge the diversity of gender identities in our communities, despite the way that mainstream Jewish religious tradition has effaced the experiences of transgender, intersex and gender queer Jews. This blessing signals the holiness present in the moments of transitioning that transform Jewish lives and affirms the place of these moments within Jewish sacred tradition.
ברכה זו נאמר לפני בציעת כל מעשה העברה:
ברוך אתה יהוה, אלהינו מלך העולם, המעביר לעוברים.
לאחר הביצוע:
ברוך אתה יהוה, אלהינו מלך העולם, שעשני בצלמו.
This blessing may be recited before any moment in the transitioning process: Blessed are You, Eternal One, our God, Ruler of Time and Space, the Transforming One to those who transform/transition/cross over,
Afterwards recite: Blessed are You, Eternal One, our God Ruler of Time and Space who has made me in God’s image.
"To be a self-accepting gay or lesbian person, one generally must go through a certain process of negation and affirmation. In homophobic societies, one is told that how one loves is wrong. Yet, at some point, to live a full life, one must learn for oneself that these statements are wrong and that love is right. This inversion teaches, in an experiential way, the primacy of love. It forms a unique mode of moral conscience, and teaches in a distinctive way what it is to love G-d b'chol levavcha, b'chol nafshecha, uv'chol meodecha, with all your heart, body, mind, and spirit. And it engenders the queer mysticism we read in Rumi, Hafiz, and Judah HaLevy . . . "
- Jay Michaelson, The Passionate Torah: Sex and Judaism, 2009, p. 218.
אַתָּה נִגְלֵיתָ בַּעֲנַן כְּבוֹדֶךָ עַל עַם קָדְשְׁךָ לְדַבֵּר עִמָּם. מִן הַשָּׁמַיִם הִשְׁמַעְתָּם קוֹלֶךָ, וְנִגְלֵיתָ עֲלֵיהֶם בְּעַרְפְּלֵּי טֹהַר. גַּם כָּל הָעוֹלָם כֻּלּוֹ חָל מִפָּנֶיךָ, וּבְרִיּוֹת בְּרֵאשִׁית חָרְדוּ מִמֶּךָּ, בְּהִגָּלוֹתְךָ מַלְכֵּנוּ עַל הַר סִינַי: לְלַמֵּד לְעַמְּךָ תּוֹרָה וּמִצְווֹת. וַתַּשְׁמִיעֵם אֶת הוֹד קוֹלֶךָ, וְדִבְּרוֹת קָדְשְׁךָ מִלַּהֲבוֹת אֵשׁ. בְּקוֹלוֹת וּבְרָקִים עֲלֵיהֶם נִגְלֵיתָ, וּבְקוֹל שׁוֹפָר עֲלֵיהֶם הוֹפָעְתָּ.
וְנֶאֱמַר, וְכָל הָעָם רוֹאִים אֶת הַקּוֹלוֹת, וְאֶת הַלַּפִּידִם, וְאֵת קוֹל הַשּׁוֹפָר וְאֶת הָהָר עָשֵׁן, וַיַּרְא הָעָם וַיָּנֻעוּ וַיַּעַמְדוּ מֵרָחֹק:
You were revealed in Your cloud of glory, to Your holy people, to speak to them. From the heavens, You let them hear Your voice, and revealed Yourself to them in pure clouds. So too, the entire world quivered before You, and the works of creation trembled before You, when You, our King revealed Yourself upon Mount Sinai to teach Your people Torah and mitzvos. You let them hear the majestic splendor of Your voice, and Your holy words from flames of fire; amidst thunder and lightning You revealed Yourself to them, and with the sound of a shofar, You appeared to them.
And it is said: All the people witnessed the thunder and lightning, the blare of the horn and the mountain smoking.
וּבָאוֹ כֻלָּם בִּבְרִית יַחַד, נַעֲשֶׂה וְנִשְׁמַע אָמְרוּ כְּאֶחָד, וּפָתְחוּ וְעָנוּ יְהֹוָה אֶחָד, בָּרוּךְ הַנּוֹתֵן לַיָּעֵף כֹּחַ:
And they all came together in a covenant, ”We will do and we will listen,” they said as one. And they opened and answered, “God is one,” Blessed is the One who gives strength to the the tired. (translation by Abby Stein)
“All the people” were there. The entire community. This is also interpreted in the Rabbinic tradition to mean that all people from generations past, present, and future were present. People of all ages and societal status. People of all genders and gender identities and sexual orientations. Therefore, all those who shared in this sacred covenant between God and the Jewish people also have a place in the Jewish community of today.
- Shavuot and LGBTQ Rights, Chai Religious Action Center, rac.org
“Radical Judaism”:
“Being or Y-H-W-H underlies and unifies all that is. ... There is no ultimate duality here, no "God and world," no "God, World, and self," Only one Being and its many faces.
When I refer to ‘God,’ I mean the inner force of existence itself, that of which one might say: ‘Being is.’ I refer to it as the ‘One’ because it is the single unifying substratum of all that is. (18, 19).
“Being is One, and each person is God’s unique image” (153).