• Welcome to Religious Forums, a friendly forum to discuss all religions in a friendly surrounding.

    Your voice is missing! You will need to register to get access to the following site features:
    • Reply to discussions and create your own threads.
    • Our modern chat room. No add-ons or extensions required, just login and start chatting!
    • Access to private conversations with other members.

    We hope to see you as a part of our community soon!

Separation of men and women

Leo613

Active Member
Then perhaps you need to contact more of them. I find it hard to believe that you cannot find one rabbi who would make time for what he might see as a potential בעל תשובה .
They only want some one who will accept them and not challenge them they don't have all the answers. they see me as heretic someone who knows the system
 

rosends

Well-Known Member
They only want some one who will accept them and not challenge them they don't have all the answers. they see me as heretic someone who knows the system
You have many questions which seem to reflect not knowing the system very well.
 
I'm not sure what the other poster is referring to when he says Torah study, but sneaking glances at the ladies is not conducive of the proper mindset needed for prayer.

This thought came to me in a dream,

"I won't worship in a place where men and women are separated.
A man in ancient times might be distracted by the pretty girl next to him, and not focus on God.
But maybe God is in the pretty girl..."
 

Moishe3rd

Yehudi
Weird. After a quick read, I don't think anyone answered the question.
Men and women pray separately so that men do not get distracted by women while praying.
The basic idea is that men are easily distracted by women - anywhere; any time; any place; all the time!
Or, to put it in apocryphal modern terms - men think about sex every 18 seconds or so... ;)

Men and women who are related do not need to sit separately at the dining table at home.
Men and women who are not related - Do sit separately. Sometimes that's awkward but, it can usually be managed - women sit next women, men next to men, brother and sister next to each other. spouses next to each other, adult woman next to a male child, etc...
In public meals, many Orthodox Jews will not sit with their spouses but at a woman's table or a men's table. At tables where married couples are sitting, most will next sit next to another spouse of the opposite gender.

Does this help?
 

Leo613

Active Member
Weird. After a quick read, I don't think anyone answered the question.
Men and women pray separately so that men do not get distracted by women while praying.
The basic idea is that men are easily distracted by women - anywhere; any time; any place; all the time!
Or, to put it in apocryphal modern terms - men think about sex every 18 seconds or so... ;)

Men and women who are related do not need to sit separately at the dining table at home.
Men and women who are not related - Do sit separately. Sometimes that's awkward but, it can usually be managed - women sit next women, men next to men, brother and sister next to each other. spouses next to each other, adult woman next to a male child, etc...
In public meals, many Orthodox Jews will not sit with their spouses but at a woman's table or a men's table. At tables where married couples are sitting, most will next sit next to another spouse of the opposite gender.

Does this help?
If men think about sex so much what's the difference?

Why do we separate ourselves?

Why don't we learn to live healthy sexual lives and open about it?

There are orthodox rabbis giving classes to women and unmarried girls, so why don't orthodox men and women study together?
 

Moishe3rd

Yehudi
If men think about sex so much what's the difference?

Why do we separate ourselves?

Why don't we learn to live healthy sexual lives and open about it?

There are orthodox rabbis giving classes to women and unmarried girls, so why don't orthodox men and women study together?

I'm not sure I understand your question.
I was not being literal vis a vis 18 seconds. Apocryphal means "of doubtful origin, but told as a common belief." It was some low rent humor on my part. I don't know how often men think about sex. I find, at 62, it is not as often as "all the time" as I implied.

Jews separate themselves in prayer in order to focus on G-d and their own relationship with G-d. Jewish Law forbids talking to one's "neighbor" during most of the prayer service.

Having a healthy sexual life is not antithetical to separating men and women for the sake of not having unnecessary thoughts of intimacy with someone who is not your spouse. We are commanded to control our passions and our sexuality, not let it control us. One way to do that is to try and be modest; to try and not be together with someone of the opposite sex who is not your spouse.
"Being open about it" in today's world means that all women are sexualized by either extreme restriction or extreme licentiousness. The middle ground are those who believe in modesty; that a woman exists for more than simple sexual gratification.

Sometimes, Orthodox men and women do study together. It depends on the subject. We do not normally study Torah together except in a more social or lecture setting.
 

dantech

Well-Known Member
I'll keep it simple.

-In the Bet Hamikdash, men and women had to be separated (sukah 51b). To us, the reasoning behind it is pretty clear. But whether you agree with this reasoning or not, the bottom line is that they did get separated.

-There are problems with Tsniut(decency)

-There are problems of purity (Tum'at Niddah)

I'm not looking to debate, so don't even bother. You asked for an Orthodox perspective, and it was given to you. You don't need to agree with it.
 
Top