Photo: Baci Weiler donning tefillin
Credit: Facebook
I just saw a fascinating post on Facebook where a gender fluid person shared photos of being assisted in laying tefillin by a Chabad emissary in Manhattan. The assumption is that the Chabad man did not realize that the person he was wrapping tefillin around was born female, as by outward appearances, the short hair and baggy clothing made defining exact gender uncertain.
Apparently, the post author regularly lays tefillin, and is quite familiar with the process, unbeknownst to the Chabad emissary. This is not unlike modern orthodox men who sometimes get asked if they’ve lain tefillin that day by Chabad volunteers on the street, when these men have been wrapping tefillin since their bar mitzvahs.
The post sparked a wide variety of reactions, with some people thinking that this is a historical marker for women (although I don’t know if the post author necessarily identifies as a woman), some thinking that this is a historical victory for gender fluid/transgender Jews, and some thinking that this was a deceptive ploy to trick the Chabad emissary into putting tefillin on a woman (being traditionally orthodox, a Chabad Lubavitcher would never advocate for or assist in women putting on tefillin).
In any event, with the widespread publicity of transgender role models such as Caitlyn Jenner and Orange is the New Black star Laverne Cox, it isn’t surprising that the topic of gender identity wouldn’t become a discussed issue among Jewish people too. Living in a religious society that has strong demarcations between genders and only acknowledges two distinct genders of male and female, is bound to cause difficulties for anyone whose truth differs from those societal constructs.
In terms of gender roles, the parameters of traditionally masculine and feminine behavior have long been blurring. Now we see our definition of gender identity becoming even more hazy with the discovery that our most defining sex organ seems to be the brain and not the genitals.
As the world struggles to redefine what it means to be a man, a woman, or something not entirely either one or the other, Judaism will have to adapt to those who are finally breaking free from the confines of their biological sex assignments. How will this factor into religious observance?
Will Orthodox synagogues be more vigilant in vetting out who is actually a man or a woman according to Torah standards? Do the sex organs we are born with cement our gender identity for life, or does the Torah account for those who identify as a different gender from the one they were born with?
Would a woman who was biologically born a man be able to daven on the ladies side of the mechitza? Would she be exempted from davening with a minyan three times a day, no longer count for an orthodox minyan, and no longer have to wrap tefillin if she chose not to? Would a man who was biologically born a woman now be able to put on tefillin, count for a minyan, daven on the men’s side, be called to the Torah, etc.?
We live in interesting times. Has there ever been any other era in Jewish history where the everyday people have had such influence over the direction of the Jewish community? I look forward to seeing how our society changes to accommodate the needs of all the varieties of people in Klal Yisroel.
