Back to 🔊 Indigenous ways, Indigenous values ✊🏼🪬💪🏼 ! Jewish midrash recognizes that three – possibly four – biological sex possibilities naturally exist. These are: male, female, male-female, and undetermined. Hence the ancient Jewish story that Moses was born a female and transitioned into a male. But, Jewish native ways are based on MORE than just inherent nature! Our ways are based upon our Judean-orignating indigenous halachot (our Jewish law system). There are eight genders in Jewish halacha! Not two, but eight!
It’s ALL about the mitzvot for Jews! Hence, the need for Talmudic evolution of halacha to address our Jewish legal ways in RELATIONSHIP with the world around us. This is how an ancient Jewish prohibition of a married man having sex with a male on his wife’s bed became, by the Greek Palestinian occupation period, a prohibition of a man (married or not) having sex with a male that is a minor (Greek grooming).
And, so it is here, with our Jewish struggles with sanctifying life through indigenous Jewish ritual and law. Though humans are inherently fluid in both gender and in sexual orientation, it is our Jewish halachot that is the challenge to address in its application. The question is: How do we create a just society? The objective is: To create a sanctified nation that is a light unto other indigenous nations.
In Jewish halacha, there are only three sex categories legally recognized – male, female, and male-female (both). There are also five additional legal genders. So, the halachic (legal) gender status of an individual Jew may be the opposite of their physical representing gender. It does happen. With Judaism, Judea-people-ism, it’s complicated, folks!
We here at JIRA love 🥰❤️ a good halachic challenge and response! And this is WHY Hellenization (colonization/assimilation) of our Jewish people is so threatening to us. And WHY we native Jews are so SADDENED when Jews in diaspora nations are lulled into experiencing this human world through the eyes and theologies/ideologies of non-Jews – without an indigenous Jewish education into our native ways, beliefs, and worldview for balance.
Despite what the Christian, Muslim, and Marxists Conquistadors ☪️☭✝️ say about the Jewish people and how much THEY pretend, teach, and try to indoctrinate that we Jews are just like them – just the forefather of them – this does NOT change our lived Jewish 🪬🕎✊🏼 reality as the ONLY surviving still intact, still unsuccessfully assimilated, still resisting people of ancient Canaan.
We Jews will NEVER stop teaching our Indigenous ways 🪬🕎✊🏼 and will continue encouraging more colonized Jews of halachic status to re-embrace learning our native Jewish ways. Jews have faithfully kept our ways relevant into EVERY generation, despite the social majority’s attempts to conform us (at great price and pain to our Judean people) to their worldview and beliefs.
Again, we here at JIRA love 🥰❤️ a good halachic challenge and response! This is our Jewish indigenous derech (path) to engage in, per the brit (vassal treaty) made with the Canaan land of Israel’s god-King, Y-HWH. As Hasidic Rabbi Manis Friedman teaches, “Don’t go to heaven, bring G-d down to Earth”!
How do we do this? Not by theology! But, by maintaining the lived relevance of our Jewish people’s ethno-religious ways and mitzvot/halachot. This is and always will be the path to tikun olam (repairing this world). This begins with halachic discussion! For, as Torah teaches “at the beginning… Elohim said”. The very reality that WE – that every human being and ALL other nefesh (“breathing-creatures”) – experience is formed from dvar, which means “a word, a matter, a thing, a cause, etc”.
An utterance sparking divine sentience! So, we here at JIRA love 🥰❤️ a good halachic challenge and response! Let us sanctify the sacred lands of our SHARED planet Earth and the interactions/relationships that we utter blessings for the privilege of experiencing, … with this shared Jewish posting here:
Rabbi Ysoscher Katz shared, “Seems like there is some confusion about my last post regarding multiple genders in Halakha, so allow me to clarify:
1) A person with male reproductive organs is a halakhic male.
2) A person with female reproductive organs is a halakhic female.
3) The question arises: when a person is intersex and they have both, male and female organs, what’s their halakhic status in such a case?
So the question is not what’s their sex? Rather the question is, what’s their halakhic status, which is another way of asking what are they treated as, halakhic male or halakhic female, (regardless of their biological reality)?
This belies the claims some have made in the comments that the halakhic discussion is about sex. That’s a glaring mistake. Like in other contexts, in Halakha there is also only two sexual categories, male and female. Nevertheless, Halakha believes that a male body isn’t determinative of person’s halakhic status, i. e. their gender.
Ve’hdevarim peshutin.”
The question: “Rabbi Ysoscher Katz [Heredi born and raised], you write, ‘In other words, once we acknowledge that there are circumstances which assigns to someone another halakhic status, other than male and female, that can then, at least in theory, also be true for other circumstances.’
But do you have any indication that any of those circumstances are where the person’s biology is also a non-typical state? And that this assumed 4th gender [biological sex] wouldn’t simply be how we treat someone with a 4th biology? Opening the door to many [distinct] genders [separate of biological sex] is a different topic than saying halakhah disassociates gender from sex.”
The response: “Maleness is determined by male genitalia, and femaleness by female genitalia. The intersex person therefore is biologically a mishmash of both. The fact that halakha assigns them a new category means that – a priori – there are other categories. If I understand you correctly, I think our machloket [debate/dispute] is whether the androgynous is a new [halachic] biological category (כבודו [respecting]), or that biologically they’re just a mishmash (אני הצעיר [the youngest category]).”
The question: “Halacha doesn’t distinguish between the terms gender and sex. Even English didn’t really distinguish between these two terms until somewhat recently. Halacha recognizes male and female. There are also two categories called tumtum and androgenous, both of which refer to an individual who, for one of several reasons, cannot clearly be categorized as either male or female. But all of the reasons here are physical. The sex organs are covered up, or there are both sex organs, for example. So it is not correct to say that in halacha the physical body is not determinative, right?”
The response: “There are at least five opinions about the halakhic status of the androgynous person: male, female, a third category, half and half or perpetually alternates. Those opinions are not about the androgynous’ sex but about their halakhic status, i.e. their gender.
According to Ramban there is a third halakhic category – i.e. one can have the halakhic status of something other than male or female. Halakhic status is akin to gender. It doesn’t asses the person’s sex but rather their [Jewish legal] status.
Ergo there are more than two halakhic categories of sex. In other words, once we acknowledge that there are circumstances which assigns to someone another halakhic status, other than male and female, that can then, at least in theory, also be true for other circumstances.
The fact that someone with male female genitalia – i.e. the androgynous – can be something other than male or female, to me proves that one’s halakhic status isn’t determined exclusively by their biology.”
The question: “Is there a single source in traditional Judaism which even suggests that an intersex person’s gender status could be impacted by their psychological/emotional reality and what would make them happy (or even non suicidal)? And if halacha doesn’t address that, why would anyone expect it to address any other issues of transgenderism, even ones involving an unusual hormonal balance (or brain variation, if science ever gets that far)? Halacha on these issues seems to only involve (non brain) body parts and their shapes, as perceived by others…”
The response: “For that you’ll have to read my 60 page Hebrew Teshuva (1): Halakha and the Transgender Person Teshuva–Final.pdf”
Okay, PAUSE, deep breaths. Are you patient enough to study, without personal bias/opinion? If so,….
NOW, let’s ALL go study … And, then, debate further to bring “God”/heaven down to Earth for ALL of us mere mortal and temporarily alive – whether feeling lucky or cursed for the experience – human beings! The Jewish people do not “proselytize” for a reason. It’s way too complicated with us and, as well, with Y-HWH (oh, yet, ANOTHER debate!).
(1) – This is Rabbi Ysoscher Katz’s teshuva that is mentioned above – for those with Canaanite Hebrew language experience: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Z8jveJ3bcobh4NUEyz5KCQtFMKZAaMPF/view
It is hard enough teaching those brought up in a binary world to embrace the idea that Judaism recognizes a third gender – much less more than three. As a matter of practical application of halacha in a binary social world, it is always best teaching from what is actively applied halachic discourse for most Jewish communities.
What we presented in this post challenges the very idea of some Jewish communities and of non-Jewish peoples’ belief that Judaism ONLY recognizes male and female genders, and that to say otherwise is some kind of modern “wokeness” on JIRA’s part (those who follow already know the previous opposite reactions and discussions to other posts on this subject!).
Since the deeper more insular teaching is now broached, for those interested and wishing to learn more:
The 8 recognized genders in our Jewish people’s Talmud….
Zachar, male.
Nekevah, female.
Androgynos, having both male and female characteristics.
Tumtum, lacking sexual characteristics.
Aylonit hamah, identified female at birth but later naturally developing male characteristics.
Aylonit adam, identified female at birth but later developing male characteristics through human intervention.
Saris hamah, identified male at birth but later naturally developing female characteristics.
Saris adam, identified male at birth and later developing female characteristics through human intervention.
https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/the-eight-genders-in-the-talmud
Listen to our Jewish ancestors and closely,…
אמר רבי חנינא אם זכה רדו ואם לאו ירדו. – בראשית רבה ח יב
Rabbi Chanina said, “if he [the human being, whether male or female or both or whatever] merits it, then [G-d says] have dominion [לעבדה ולשמרה, “to work and to protect” my land, the planet Earth 🌍], while if he [the human being, whether male or female or both or whatever] does not merit, then [G-d says] he will be taken down [by nature herself, from which humans derive from].” – Genesis Rabah 8:12
How do we know “from which humans derive from”?
וייצר י-הוה אלהים את האדם עפר מן האדמה… – בראשית ב ז
“And the Y-HWH god shaped the human [that had to be split in half into male and female genders, because the אדם לא מצא עזר כנגדו] from the humus (“soil, “land”)… – Genesis 2:7
This teaching links human dominion of creation, the natural world, to humanity’s worthiness: If humanity merits through its worthiness, then humans will rule over nature. How do we rule is the question implied in Torah! And the fundamental teaching in Torah, at least for the Jewish people, is that we strive לעבדה ולשמרה (“to work and to protect”) the land.
YET, this is just the BEGINNING of our “chosen people’s” and ALL of humanity’s obligations as sentient human beings upon this SHARED planet 🌎.
Heredi Rabbi Amashé Etz Alon shared, “Halacha recognizes 3 biological sexes, and 5 genders- each of which has a designated role within Jewish society.
I am an Intersex person, and an intergendered person- the first openly intersex and intergendered rabbi in Jewish history, so I know what I am talking about. I come from one of the oldest rabbinic clans and was raised my entire conscious lifetime as an intersex and intergendered person- from within the most orthodox lineages of our people.
All of my rabbinic training- since I was 4 yrs old came from within Hasidic lineages and I always have held an intersex and intergendered status that allows me to cross back and forth between the womens and mens sections and to perform ritually and in studies from either side.
It is progressive Judaism, which leaves the indigenous nature of Jewish lineage and minhag behind for their institutional approaches, where I have had the most difficulty and outright discrimination as an intersex and intergendered person. I have never, in 53 yrs of life and 48 yrs of rabbinic training, had any issues within hasidic and ultraorthodox venues. Because Indigenous Judaism, which is my lineage specialty, recognizes Intersex and intergendered persons and we have our place.
I have been following this group and organization for some time from afar, studying its methodology and perspectives and I want to help translate this work to help reach a broader audience. This is the work I do anyways and it will be good to connect and coordinate more intentionally.
Thank you JIRA for having the strength and courage to step forward consistently in difficult times to work where you are called and needed. It’s very energetically and emotionally taxing work that often is difficult to know how many you are reaching and if it is enough to do any good.
Well, you reached me and through me you are about to reach my extensive networks and we’ll see how a more coordinated effort can activate on more exponential levels! We are at the END of the Hebrew calendar folk! The actual end, as the last 250 yrs or so are reserved as liminal space designed to equalize the incoming messianic consciousness in humanity and on Earth. These are blessed and also very serious times that warrant paying attention and having a willingness to dig deep and be humble and walk a path of truth on Earth. Thank you JIRA for your good hearts and truth filled work 🌿 “
ברוך אתה י-הוה אלהינו מלך העולם שהחיינו וקימנו והגיענו לזמן הזה!
Blessed is the One Who has given us life, sustained us, and brought us to this time.
Amashé Etz Alon
Learn more about JIA –
https://jewishindigenousalliance.org/contact
The pro-Palestinian occupation 🇵🇸 Jew-hating antisemites in Australia appear to be playing off of the USA diaspora examples of Dennis Prager and Ben Shapiro – two successfully colonized Jews who exemplify fully these exact attributes and are VERY popular amongst the USA 🇺🇸 Evangelical nationalist “Right”! This is how ALL Jews are labeled by the actions of a couple of Jews!
There is NO SUCH THING as “Judeo-Christian values”! Christianity is the literal ANTITHESIS of Judaism, Judah-people-ism. Dennis Prager and Ben Shapiro simply don’t care! Their proximity to whiteness in the USA undermines ALL our Jewish efforts 🕎🪬🇮🇱✊🏼😡 to have the non-Jewish world better understand our Canaan indigenous Judean people.
✊🏼🪬💪🏼 Address the source ☪️☭✝️ for the depraved bloodshed being committed upon our SWANA sacred lands! The source for Jew-hatred, hatred for Zionism – which is hatred of Jewish self-determination and sovereignty upon our sacred Canaan land of Israel 🪬🇮🇱🎗️✊🏼 ! It is way past time for the United Nations 🇷🇺🇵🇸🇺🇳🇺🇸🇶🇦 of Arab-European Colonial nations to ALLOW Kurdistan 🪬☀️ and Israel 🪬🇮🇱🎗️ to peacefully and securely decolonize amongst your European and Arab Colonial nations for Allah, Christ, and Marx ruling dominionism upon our SHARED planet Earth 🌎🌍 !
Learn more today, those who are not yet indoctrinated into European and Arab Conquistadors’ antisemitic racism – http://www.takemeon.org/dir/the-history-of-canaanite-jews-from-beginning-to-present-day/
MLK, “I would hope that the Middle East will not become an arena for power politics, whether we refer to Soviet Russia here [☭🇷🇺], or the United States of America [🇺🇸]. We have got to achieve peace in the Middle East and in the Middle East achieving peace means two things.
Peace for Israel [🕎🇮🇱🎗️] means security. The world and all people of good will must respect the territorial integrity of Israel. We must see Israel’s right to exist and always go out of the way to protect that right to exist.
We must also see that Israel is there and any talk of driving the Jews into the Mediterranean [pro-Palestine 🇵🇸🍉 Colonialism rhetoric], as we have heard over the last few weeks or the last several years, is not only unrealistic talk but it is suicidal talk for the whole world [🌎🌍] and I think also it is terribly immoral.
We must see what Israel has done for the world [☪️🇷🇺🇵🇸🇺🇳🇺🇸🇶🇦✝️]. It is a marvelous demonstration of what [an Indigenous] people together in unity and with determination [✊🏼🕎🪬🇮🇱💪🏼], rugged determination, can do in transforming almost a desert into an oasis.” – Martin Luther King, Jr, “Issue and Answers”, interviewed by Tom Jerriel (ABC Atlanta bureau chief) and John Casserly (ABC Washington correspondent), aired on ABC in 1967
These comments that followed the Vietnam war segment didn’t make it to the edited show that aired. But the transcript on the interview records MLK’s words. – https://abcnews.go.com/Archives/video/martin-luther-king-jr-talks-issue-answers-abc-54120446
Martin Luther King, Jr., “Don’t talk like that! When people criticize Zionists [✊🏼🕎🪬🇮🇱💪🏼], they mean Jews. You’re talking anti-Semitism!” – made in response to a student’s remark against “the Zionists” at a fundraising dinner at Martin Peretz home at 20 Larchwood Drive, Cambridge, in the early evening of 27 Oct 1967, wherein Seymour Martin Lipset was a guest to the dinner.
MLK’s words were witnessed personally by Seymour Martin Lipset, George D. Markham Professor of Government and Sociology at Harvard, which he later reported in an article that he published in the magazine Encounter in December 1969.
The Cambridge student was being radicalized by the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) on campus. The SNCC had issued a newsletter to students claiming that “Zionist terror gangs” had “deliberately slaughtered and mutilated women, children and men, thereby causing the unarmed Arabs to panic, flee and leave their homes in the hands of the Zionist-Israeli forces.” – an ahistorical lie.
Zionism is the Jewish people’s Land Back movement ✊🏼🕎🪬🇮🇱💪🏼. Martin Luther King Jr understood and fully supported this!
META Description : There are eight genders in Judaism, not two but eight! The eight genders are recognized by our Jewish halacha. Learn more!
For more blogs available on this site, click here now.
Link to the book directly below. Touch the cover!
Read this book and you won’t disparage the Jewish people nor Israel ever again! This book exposes the Colonial lie of false equivalency between Jews (Indigenous Judeans of the land of Israel) and Christians and Muslims (world colonizing European and Arab religions), that have been assimilating Indigenous lands worldwide for 1,600 years in the names of Jewish ancestors. Zionism is the Jewish people’s “land back” movement. Israel’s successful full decolonization is every Indigenous People’s/Nation’s hope!
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