Book of Prayers
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Question
Hello, Upon leaving the mikveh, there is a book of prayers from which I sometimes try to pray a little to merit offspring. The book of prayers contains texts from the Ramban and other greats. For some reason, in many of them, there is a prayer for offspring specifically for a male child. Every time I read this, my heart aches. Are we not as important as males? Why should I pray for a male child? If I have a daughter, is that less joyful? I grew up believing that what God gives is good and that I am loved by my parents no less than the males (and even more).
Answer
Hello
Every person, male and female, has an important and honorable role, and the world and the Jewish people cannot exist without men and women equally.
The prayer for a male child does not diminish the merit and joy of raising a daughter, but the intention is as follows:
Parents earn reward for every good deed their offspring do. Since males are obligated to study Torah, the reward for each word of which is equivalent to all the commandments, and this commandment is not incumbent upon daughters, we ask for a male child to merit partnership in all these merits.
For this reason, it is known in the name of several greats of Israel that in generations where it is more challenging to raise sons in Torah and commandments, there is no preference for a male child.