Indima Ehloniphekayo Yowesifazane

“KUNGANI owesifazane kumelwe afane nendoda?” Lombuzo odidayo wawuyisihloko sendaba eyabhalwa isazi sengqondo uCarol Gilligan lapho sathi khona: “Indawo yowesifazane ekuphileni kwendoda iye yaba yileyo yomondli, umbheki, umsizi, nomhlanganisi walobobuhlobo obuyinkimbinkimbi, naye ngokwakhe, athembele kubo. Kodwa nakuba abesifazane baye bawanakekela kanjalo amadoda, kuyiqiniso ukuthi amadoda . . . aye abonisa ukungakwazisi lokho kunakekela.”—Psychology Today.

Kuyiqiniso elaziwayo namuhla ukuthi abesifazane abaningi banomuzwa wokuthi bavunyelwe ukuba bakhononde ngokungalingani okuthile nobandlululo olwenziwa kubona. Yebo, amadoda anobugovu aye axhaphaza abesifazane kuzo zonke izingxenye zomhlaba—kudlulana ngokwamazwe athile nempucuko. Abathile bachaza lokhu njengokubangelwa izimiso zokuhlalisana ezinikeza abesifazane indima yokuzithoba. Abanye bakhomba iBhayibheli njengokumelwe lisolwe ngokwengxenye ethile, bethi kokubili emiBhalweni yesiHeberu neyesiGreki (ngokuvamile ebizwa ngokuthi iTestamente Elidala neLisha) iBhayibheli libaphatha kalukhuni abesifazane. Ingabe lokhu kuyiqiniso?

Injongo KaNkulunkulu Ngowesifazane

IBhayibheli lithi: “UNkulunkulu wamdala umuntu ngomfanekiso wakhe; . . . wabadala owesilisa nowesifazane.” Yayiyini injongo yalomehluko ongokobulili? Impendulo isobala. Kwakuyokwenza lombhangqwana wokuqala ukuba ukwazi ukufeza umyalo waphezulu oboniswe evesini elilandelayo: “UNkulunkulu wathi kubo: Zalani, nande, nigcwalise umhlaba, niwunqobe, nibuse . . . nezilwanyana ezinwabuzelayo emhlabeni.”—Genesise 1:27, 28.

Phawula ukuthi lomyalo “bawunikezwa,” bobabili indoda nowesifazane. Bobabili babengenakuhlanganyela ekugcwaliseni umhlaba ngabantu kuphela kodwa futhi nokunqoba umhlaba nokubusa phezu kwezidalwa eziphansi ngokuvumelana nentando kaNkulunkulu. Ukuze benze lokhu, bobabili kwakudingeka babe nezimfanelo zokuhlakanipha nezingokomoya, futhi babenamandla alinganayo okuzihlakulela.

Nokho, uNkulunkulu wabela indoda nowesifazane izindima nemithwalo yemfanelo eyehlukene. Ngalesosikhathi kwadingeka ukuba uAdamu atadishe izinhlobo zezilwane futhi azethe amagama, wenza njengomuntu ephelele, ongenasici. Wayengantuli lutho kulowomsebenzi ayewabelwe. (Genesise 2:19, 20) Kodwa lapho sekufika isikhathi ngendoda ukuba iqale ukugcwalisa umhlaba ngenzalo, ngokusobala yayidinga umfazi. Kungakho “uJehova uNkulunkulu wathi: Akukuhle ukuba umuntu ahlale yedwa. Ngizakumenzela umsizi [“umphelelisi,” NW] onjengaye.”—Genesise 2:18.

IBhayibheli lithi uNkulunkulu wenza owesifazane waba “umphelelisi onjengaye.” Igama lesiHeberu elihunyushwe ngokuthi “umphelelisi” lingahunyushwa futhi ngokuthi “okufanelanayo” okuye kwachazwa “njengento efanelana kahle nenye.” Injongo kaNkulunkulu ngowesifazane yayiwukuba abe ngumphelelisi ofanelekayo wendoda ukuze bagcwalise ukuthunywa kwabo okuhlangene, kokuba ‘bagcwalise umhlaba futhi bawunqobe.’

Ilungiselelo LikaNkulunkulu Lasekuqaleni Liyaphendukezelwa

IBhayibheli liyasho ukuthi “uAdamu wabunjwa kuqala, emva kwalokho uEva.” (1 Thimothewu 2:13) Lichaza owesifazane ‘njengoyisitsha esibuthakathaka,’ futhi lithi, njengoba indoda inenhloko (uKristu), ‘inhloko yowesifazane iyindoda.’—1 Petru 3:7; 1 Korinte 11:3.

Ngokwelungiselelo lokuqala likaJehova, indinganiso yomshado yayiwukuba umuntu abe nomfazi oyedwa. (Genesise 2:24) Indoda yadalwa kuqala futhi kwakumelwe ihole kuzo zonke izindaba eziphathelene nokukhulekela nemisebenzi yaphezulu okwakumelwe yenziwe ngombono wokugcwalisa umhlaba nokuwunqoba. Lokhu kwakuyohlanganisa izindaba zomkhaya. Ubaba kwakumelwe abe inhloko yekhaya, kodwa lokhu kwakungenakulimaza umfazi. Kunalokho, kwakuyoba okwenzuzo yakhe ngoba wayeyoba nothile wokumsiza lapho esebenzisa igunya alinikezwe uNkulunkulu phezu kwabantwana bakhe.—Efesu 6:1-4.

Njengakweminye imizamo yomuntu, isono nokungapheleli kuye kwavimbela lobuhlobo obufanele phakathi kwendoda nowesifazane. (Roma 7:14-20) Amadoda anobugovu aye asebenzisa kabi amalungelo awo obunhloko, eletha ukuhlupheka okukhulu kwabesifazane kuyo yonke iminyaka. Ewubona kusengaphambili lomphumela wesono, uJehova watshela uEva ngemva kokuhlubuka kwakhe: “Ukunxanela kwakho kuyakuba sendodeni yakho; yona iyakukubusa.” (Genesise 3:16) Lokhu kubusa okusetshenziswa kabi kwakungeke kube ukusetshenziswa kobunhloko ngendlela efanele. Kwakuyobonisa isimo sendoda sokuba nesono, kanye nesowesifazane, ngoba ngezinye izikhathi sasiyoba khona ngenxa yokuzama kowesifazane ukugabadela igunya lomyeni wakhe.

Abesifazane Ngaphansi KoMthetho KaMose

UMthetho uJehova awunikeza amaIsrayeli wavikela amalungelo ezintombi. (Eksodusi 22:16) Walondoloza “amalungelo afanele amadodakazi.” (Eksodusi 21:9, NW) Abafazi kwakumelwe “baphathwe kahle” ‘bangakhohliswa.’ (Duteronomi 13:6, NW; Malaki 2:14, 15) Abafazi kwakumelwe baboniswe inhlonipho ezindabeni zobulili. (Levitikusi 18:19) Abesifazane kwakungamelwe baphathwe kabi ngokobulili.—Levitikusi 18:8-17.

Sibhala encwadini iReligion and Sexism, isazi sezenkolo uPhyllis Bird sithi: “Imithetho yamaIsrayeli ihluke ngokuphawulekayo kweminye imithetho eyaziwayo ngokuqina kwayo okungavamile ngokuphathelene nesono esingokobulili . . . Umbono wamaIsrayeli ngendawo efanele yobulili nesijeziso esinzima esasitholwa ababenza izono ezingokobulili kucatshangelwa ukuthi wawubonisa ukwehluka okwakuhlosiwe emikhubeni yabantu ababewazungezile (ikakhulukazi amaKhanani) . . . KwaIsrayeli amacala angokobulili angamacala enkolo. Awazona izindaba zangasese kodwa ayizindaba ezibaluleke kakhulu emphakathini wonke.” Ngokuqinisekile imithetho enjalo enzima yavikela amalungelo abesifazane.

KwaIsrayeli, amadoda nabesifazane babebhekwa njengabalinganayo eMthethweni uma babenecala lokuphinga, ukuganana kwezihlobo, ubudlova, noma obunye ubugebengu. (Levitikusi 18:6, 23; 20:10-12) Imithetho eqondene nezinzuzo zeSabatha, imikhosi, izithembiso zobuNaziri, namanye amalungiselelo kwakusebenza ngokufanayo kumadoda nabesifazane.—Eksodusi 20:10; Numeri 6:2; Duteronomi 12:18; 16:11-14.

Encwadini yezAga, iBhayibheli litusa “umfazi [“omuhle,” NW],” “umfazi okhutheleyo,” “umfazi ohlakaniphileyo [“oqondileyo,” NW],” ‘nowesifazane ohlakaniphe ngempela.’ (IzAga 18:22; 12:4; 19:14; 14:1, NW) IzAga isahluko 31 zichaza ‘umfazi onjalo okhutheleyo’ futhi zibonisa indlela umyeni wakhe ayemethemba ngayo nayemnikeza ngayo amalungelo amaningi ekusingatheni izindaba ezibalulekile zasekhaya. Ngokungangabazeki, lapho kulandelwa uMthetho kaIsrayeli, abesifazane babengaphathwa kabi.

Abesifazane Abasebandleni LobuKristu

Ngaphansi koMthetho wezinzalamizi nokaMose, isithembu nokuba nezancinza kwakuvunyelwe; kodwa kwenziwa ngokusemthethweni, futhi amalungelo abafazi nawezanciza ayevikelwa. (Genesise 16:3; 29:23-29; Eksodusi 21:7, 8; Duteronomi 21:14-17) Nokho, uKristu wabuyisela indinganiso kaNkulunkulu yasekuqaleni ngomshado, okungukuthi, indoda ibe nomfazi oyedwa. (Mathewu 19:4-6) Wachitha ukwahlukana nganoma yiziphi izizathu, evumela isizathu esisodwa esinamandla—ukuphinga.—Mathewu 19:7-9.

Yebo, ukuqinisa kukaKristu ilungiselelo lomshado kwazuzisa kokubili amadoda nabesifazane abasebandleni lobuKristu. Kodwa kusobala ukuthi abesifazane yibona abazuza kakhulu.

Ngokwezindinganiso zobuKristu, abafazi kwakumelwe bathandwe futhi baphathwe kahle. (Efesu 5:28, 29, 33) Amalungu esilisa ebandla kwakumelwe aphathe abesifazane abasha ‘njengawodadewabo ngenhlanzeko epheleleyo.’ (1 Thimothewu 5:1, 2) Abesifazane abadala abangamaKristu bamukela umoya ongcwele futhi ‘baprofetha,’ noma bakhuluma ngesibindi “ngemisebenzi emikhulu kaNkulunkulu.” (IzEnzo 2:11-18) Abesifazane abadala abangamaKristu kwakumelwe “babe-ngabafundisi bokuhle” kodadewabo abangokomoya abasebancane. (Thithu 2:3, 4) Bonke, abadala nabancane, kwakumelwe babe nengxenye evelele ekufezeni umsebenzi ‘wokwenza abantu bazo zonke izizwe abafundi.’—Mathewu 28:19, 20.

Ilungiselelo likaNkulunkulu lokuqala ngomshado labuyiselwa ebandleni lobuKristu. Lapho, isimiso sobunhloko sowesilisa kwakumelwe sihlonishwe. (1 Korinte 11:3) Abesifazane abangamaKristu kwakumelwe bahloniphe amadoda abo. (Efesu 5:22-24) Kwakumelwe futhi balalele abadala abamisiwe ebandleni, bonke ababengamadoda, kungakhathaliseki ukuthi ayengashadile noma ‘ayengamadoda amfazi munye.’ (1 Thimothewu 3:2) Abesifazane abangamaKristu kwakumelwe bashiyele ukufundisa obala ebandleni ‘kumalunga emizi [“amadoda amadala,” NW]’ anjalo amisiwe futhi bayeke ukuphikisana obala nothisha abanjalo. (Thithu 1:5-9; 1 Thimothewu 2:11-15; 1 Korinte 14:34, 35) Lokhu kwakuyokwenza kube nokuthula emabandleni ngamanye. (1 Korinte 14:33, 40) Noma iliphi ithonya labesifazane elingafanele ebandleni laliyobangela isahlulelo esingenamusa sikaKristu.—IsAmbulo 2:20-23.

Ukukhathalela KukaJehova Abesifazane

Ingabe iBhayibheli likhuluma kabi ngabesifazane? Cha. Kuwo wonke amakhasi alo, lembula ukukhathalela okujulile kukaJehova ngenjabulo nenhlalakahle ‘yalezitsha ezibuthakathaka,’ anguMdali wazo. Banikezwe udumo. (1 Petru 3:7) Wazi kangcono ukuthi iyiphi indima efanela abesilisa nabesifazane, ngokwenzuzo yabo bonke. Uye wanikeza amadoda ubunhloko kodwa amalungelo amaningi akhethekile uwanikeze izinceku zakhe ezingabesifazane, kuhlanganise nodumo olukhulu lokuba ofakazi bakhe. “INkosi iphumisa izwi; abesifazane ababika indaba ejabulisayo bayisixuku esikhulu.”—IHubo 68:11.

Isazi sengqondo uCarol Gilligan sabuza ukuthi, “Kungani owesifazane kumelwe afane nendoda?” IBhayibheli liyaphendula: Asikho isizathu esihle. Uyojabula yena ngokwakhe futhi enze abanye bajabule uma efeza indima yakhe ayabelwe uNkulunkulu.