It has been probably a month or so since we read the parasha wherein we read that all the sons of Israel will be blessed in a certain way. Specifically we say, "May God make you like Ephraim and Menasheh." However, what do we actually know about Ephraim and Menasheh? From Torah, we know they are Joseph's sons and Jacob adopts them, and we know Menasheh is older than Ephraim. I am not sure what is in Talmud or Midrash, but the Torah itself is not very specific.
We also bless the daughters of Israel with a specific blessing. We say, "May you be like Ruth and like Esther." We know so much about Ruth and Esther. For starters, each have their own books in the Bible. Ruth is the first convert, while Esther saves the Jews from genocide. Both are strong women. (Though Esther takes her cues from Mordechai, she still stands up to her husband.) "May you be like Ruth and like Esther" translates (for me) to "may you be strong, may Judaism be important to you, and may you help others."
So why such a detailed description of what women should be like and such an empty one of what men should be like? (And of course, the binary gender paradigm persists throughout.)
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