When all the animals were created, the male and female were
simultaneously created as separate entities. Essentially,
each live their own lives and they work together only for the
purpose of having children and, sometimes to help raise their
young.
Except for the task of raising a family, the male and female
animals go their own way and lead independent lives.
In contrast, originally Man was made as one being which was
then divided into male and female. So, essentially, in Man,
male and female are two different parts of one unit. These
two different parts have different functions and are designed
to always work together (somehow) to make a whole.
Therefore, when a man and a woman enter into marriage, they
are setting out to work together, as a single unit, for
purposes that go beyond raising a family. They are becoming
partners with each other so that each can supplement and
complement the other in order to accomplish missions that
neither could perform separately.
Chazal explain that men and women are built differently and
have differing abilities because their functions in life are
different.
We need to understand that being `different' does not mean
that one is better or worse. For example, a car comprises the
bodywork and the engine. The two parts work together to
enable people to get from one place to another. The bodywork
is the part we see. We open the door of the car and sit on
one of its comfortable seats. The roof and sides protect us
from wind and rain.
Superficially, the bodywork might seem to be more important
than the engine, which lies under the hood, hidden from
sight. In fact, someone who is not knowledgeable about cars
might not even know that the engine exists. However, in many
ways, the engine is really more important than the bodywork.
Without an engine, the bodywork is useless. As well as
causing the car to move, the engine generates the
electricity, powers the air conditioning, energizes the pumps
which pump oil and gasoline, and is responsible for all of
the other functions that a car needs to perform to operate
efficiently and comfortably.
We, of course, know that Man is not just another animal but a
separate creation having a higher, Divinely prescribed
purpose. So even from the youngest years, we need to instill
into our boys and girls the realization that though they are
similar in many ways, they are also different in some ways.
And these differences are essential to enable each to make
his or her unique contribution to the Divine Plan, each in
his/her own style.
