Gardening Advisors

The men do nothing. They do no lawn mowing, raking of leaves, or any "man chores". So why are the women "allowed" to do all the cooking and cleaning and "women chores"?

I am not trying to be disrespectful, just trying to understand why some work is not allowed, and yet other work is not only allowed, but expected.

You are uninformed. Jews that follow the law of the Sabbath, don't do any cooking or any "woman chores" on that day.

Most meals are prepared the day before.

I've never heard this. It seems like ALL work (regardless of gender - I almost said "sex" and that's definitely encouraged!) is prohibited on Shabbat and other holy days.

Life goes on. Despite it being the sabbath, people need to eat, dishes need to be cleaned up.

Besides, in early patriarchal societies, women weren't really fully human, more like chattel. The rules and privileges were pretty-much confined to men.

The women are 'allowed' to do all that because they are special.
Though they don't have to do any of the things such as you say.
Women are just like cats - they do as they pleased. And yes, they are allowed to do such as this.

You are mistaken

Man and women are prohibited from the same types of work.

Why do you think "cooking" is "women's work"?

Note - cooking is only permitted on holidays not on Sabbath.
In our house, I do any cooking that needs to be done during the holiday.

Before refrigerators and supermarkets, most of the work having to do with food on the holiday was actualy more "male work" in the sense that it was most likely the man who had to slaughter the cow or sheep for the holiday meal.

My grandfather used to catch the chickens, kill them, pluck them, gut them... prepare them to the point you see them in the supermarket. Then my grandmother used to make the soup.
My grandfather also did all the baking in their house.

Today in many very traditional Jewish houses the specificaly pre-Shabat prep of food is likewise male in that the preparation of Chulent (special Shabat stew) is in many families regarded as something the man does.

As to cleaning - you are mostly mistaken -- the majority of work necessary for cleaning is forbidden.
And again - why do you think cleaning is women's work?

As to why certain "work" is permitted --
The things prohibited on the holidays are Melakha. Certain things defined as work in English are not Melakha.
On the other hand, certain thing that we would never think of as work in English ARE Melakha.
For example - I can move a heavy table inside my house on Shabat, but I would be violating Shabat if I kept my handkerchief in my pocket outside, or if I fliked the light switch.

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@> Ok, so if they prepare the food the day before, do they eat it cold?

I never realised it was women's work to take food out of the fridge and put it on the hot plate.

> And they still have to clean up and do dishes after, right?

Never realised it was women's work to do dishes.

Note: No. Doing the dishes is not allowed on Shabat or holidays. We stack it all for after.

You are wrong, all work is done ahead of time.

It depends on the Jew or Christian sect. Some sects allow common chores to be done if needed. So cooking, doing the dishes, giving the child a bath, etc. are all common chores.

I'll have you know that I am usually the one doing the cooking, cleaning the dishes (just got done doing them now), and giving the child a bath. The woman of our household works longer hours than I do.

The truth is that the law contained in ordinances and ritual pertained only to ancient Israel. When the temple was destroyed in 70AD, the ritual governing blood sacrifices using animals, could not ever be kept again. That was the sign from Yah that all of that system was over, for it is written that he who keeps the law governing ritual must keep all the law. However the rabbis who had enjoyed respect and privelege from the masses who needed them for service of ritual, since they were ordained by Yah for that task, killed the Son of God to continue with a form of religion, not sanctioned by Yah. Basically, "jewish fables and commandments of men". The real "High Priest came, and went, and that, acccording to the Truth. They were disenfranchised, unless they embraced the evolution of what was their religion, into the new, super, intended to be, world wide religion. That is what Pepin, the Short, Charlemagne's father saw. The Catholic church eventually saw it. Even Hitler saw it, and produced his Halloween variation of Christianity.
I too, once labored to produce dinners and the holiday spirit for such pagan holidays as Halloween. Christmas, Easter, etc. As I learned the Truth, I stopped, except to provide a very good meal so my family did not feel deprived.

Sexist Lazy men.