This Incredible Creation Called Woman. David Medley
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INTRODUCTION
A woman is a female human being. The term woman is usually reserved for an adult, with the term girl being the usual term for a female child or adolescent. The term woman is also sometimes used to identify a female human, regardless of age, as in phrases such as "women's rights". Women with typical genetic development are capable of giving birth from puberty until menopause.
Womanhood is the period in a human female's life after she has passed through childhood and adolescence, generally around age 18.
The word woman can be used generally to mean any female human or specifically to mean an adult female human, as contrasted with girl. The word girl originally meant "young person of either sex" in English. It was only around the beginning of the 16th century that it came to mean specifically a female child. The term girl is sometimes used colloquially to refer to a young or unmarried woman; however, during the early 1970s, feminists challenged such use because the using the word to refer to a fully grown woman may cause offence. Particularly, previously common terms, such as office girl, are no longer used.
Conversely, in certain cultures that link family honor with female virginity, the word girl is used to refer to a never-married woman; in this sense, it is used in a fashion roughly analogous to the obsolete English maid or maiden. Referring to an unmarried female human as a woman may, in such a culture, imply she is sexually experienced, which would be an insult to her family.
Various words are used to refer to the quality of being a woman. The term "womanhood" means the state of being a woman, having passed the menarche; "femininity" is used to refer to a set of typical female qualities associated with a certain attitude to gender roles; "womanliness" is like "femininity" but is usually associated with a different view of gender roles; "femaleness" is a general term, but is often used as shorthand for "human femaleness"; "distaff" is an archaic adjective derived from women's conventional role as a spinner, now used only as a deliberate archaism; "muliebrity" is a neologism (derived from Latin) meant to provide a female counterpart of "virility" but used loosely, sometimes to mean merely "womanhood", "femininity", or as a collective term for women.
In terms of biology, the female sex organs are involved in the reproductive system, whereas the secondary sex characteristics are involved in nurturing children or, in some cultures, attracting a mate. The ovaries, in addition to their regulatory function of producing hormones, produce female gametes, called eggs, which, when fertilized by male gametes (sperm), form new genetic individuals. The uterus is an organ with tissue to protect and nurture the developing fetus and muscle to expel it when giving birth. The vagina is used in copulation and birthing, although the term vagina is often colloquially and incorrectly used in the English language for the vulva or external female genitalia, which consists of (in addition to the vagina) the labia, the clitoris, and the female urethra.
The breast evolved from the sweat gland to produce milk, a nutritious secretion, the most distinctive characteristic of mammals along with live birth. In mature women, the breast is generally more prominent than in most other mammals; this prominence, unnecessary for milk production, is probably, at least partially, the result of sexual selection. (For other ways in which men commonly differ physically from women, see man.)
The material for the woman’s body was not taken from the earth as it was with man. God formed one side of Man into Woman: Man, as it were, was divided, and the one part formed into Woman ... built out, arranged as Woman. So that what was previously one creature was now two and thereby the complete equality of women forever attested.
Our Sages also ascribe the special characteristics of the female voice, character, and temperament, as well as the earlier spiritual and mental maturity of women, as being connected with this formation of Woman out of the already feeling, sensitive living body of Man, in contrast to Man, whose body was created out of earth. Therefore, women can help society in various ways, engaging in social activities and work for the betterment of society.
Young educated girls can engage in a profession of her choice. We need more doctors, engineers, software developers, and social workers. The world cannot continue to grow unless women come forward and take initiative in development. They can contribute enormously in the field of health care. Educated women will also improve the level of sanitation and hygiene.
As a mother, a woman’s role in the development of the emotional psychological aspect of the newborn child is significant. She is not only the creator and maintainer of her child but an educator and disciplinarian as well. Therefore, women are an important instrument of social change. The extent of women’s participation in corporate life is thus the measure of social change in India.
Women’s interest and participation in social life is increasing. This development is also the result of women’s education and secularization of social values. Women are participating in social organizations and leading a life of social involvement. Their interest in social and cultural activities is increasing. They have growing interest in travel and literary activities.
“And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone: I will make him a help to match him. And out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field, and every bird of the air; and brought them to the man to see what he would call them: and whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. And the man gave names to all cattle, and to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for the man there was not found a help to match him. And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs [alternatively: sides], and closed up the flesh in its place, and of the rib [alternatively: side] which the Lord God had taken from the man, he made a woman, and brought her to the man. And the man said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called woman [=Isha], because she was taken out of man [=Ish]. That is why a man leaves his father and his mother, and cleaves to his wife; and they become one flesh.”
The story starts with the man's loneliness. "It is not good that man should be alone." He is searching for a "help." This is immediately followed by the account of how the man named the animals. What is happening? According to the sense of the text, the answer is simple: the man is searching among the animals for a helpmate. He names all the animals, trying to understand their essential nature. But still, "for the man there was not found a help to match him." God then decided the man's mate could only be found in a creature closely resembling him, one fashioned out of one of his ribs. This is the way the woman came into being. The man called her "woman" [=Isha], as a symbol of the similarity between them and her source in him [=Ish]: "She shall be called woman, because she was taken out of man." The story ends on an optimistic note: "That is why a man leaves his father and his mother, and cleaves to his wife; and they become one flesh." The woman is part of man; for this reason, a man leaves his parents' house to find a woman, who will restore him to his original wholeness.
Woman was created from man, so he is the reason for her existence; that is to say, she was created to serve him... She was created from him, so she should be more obedient to him and perform the services he requires... This is not the case regarding other living creatures. And for this reason, they were created from one place.
The material for the woman’s body was not taken from the earth, as it was with man. God formed one side of Man into Woman: Man was divided and the one part formed into Woman ... built out, arranged as Woman. What was previously one creature was now two and, thereby, the complete equality of women forever attested.
After the heavens and earth were created, God rested a bit. He looked around at all that He had made and saw that it was very good. He gathered around Him all creatures, large and small, and said to them, "Today I'm going to take a little break and have some fun! I'm going to distill the essence of all of My creation and make a creature so stunning, so exquisite, so like Me that even the angels will be enraptured by what I've done. And, when I finally make man, it will be fun watching him spend all his days on earth trying to figure out my masterpiece. The more like Me he becomes, the more he will understand."
So, God started to play. He took the gentleness and luscious colors of butterfly wings, the graceful elegance of the gazelle, the majesty of the highest mountaintops, the awesome power and fire of lightening, the wisdom of the ocean depths,