I am going to verbatim type in a section from Steve Schlissel (who gets a bad wrap, but if you listen to him - has many good things to say) on the issue.

"One tradition with obvious roots reaching back to Second Temple Judaism is that portion of the Daily Prayer which thanks God for certain privileges. In the Jewish liturgy, a series of b'ruchas (blessings) is recited every morning. Three blessings are of special interest to those hoping to understand Galatians 3:28. Here's the relevant section from the siddur:
Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe
who has not made me a Gentile
Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe
who has not made me a slave
Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe
who has not made me a woman

Hmmm. The very same order used by Paul in 3:28. Isn't that interesting! Yes, but not half as interesting as the reasinging behind these b'ruchas. Keep in mind that the htreat in Galtaita was posed by those who held hte view that 'the Law and its fulfillment offer the sole divinely-given means and opportunity for righteousness before God' (DIX)
This is the key point in understand Paul's argument. If righteousness is, as Jewish thoroughly held (and still holds) a 'result. . . . (of) sustained performance of obligations,' then the one with the most obligations can attain the most righteousness. On this supposition it is easy to see why the Jew gives thanks for being a jew it is to the Jews that the Law was given. At the time of Paul, with the Temple standing and the priesthood operative, this was an especially important point. If Gentiles were not obligated to keep the whole Mosaic code, erroneous Jewish reasoning could argue that there would consequently always be a two-tiered membership in the Church. Thus Paul emphasizes that in Christ there is neither Jew nor Gentile. Thus far, the meaning of Galatians 3:28 is obvious.
Obvious, too, is the fact that a slaves has less opportunities than a free man to fulfill the Law's commands, and thus, according to some Jews, attain unto righteousness.
The third condition (that of being a man, not a woman) suggest no obvious advantage - until the Jewish thinking behind it is introduced. Then it makes perfect sense. Remember that Paul is telling Galatians that the Jews are wrong: you dont' become more Chrsitan by coming under more commands. But according to Jewish practice, meb have more obligations than women. women are not required to fulfill all the commandments! But according to Jewish practices, men have more obligations than women. Women are not required to fulfill all the commandments! For exapmle, it is only the males who were obligated to attend the three great festivals in Jerusalem (Deut. 16:16; women and children were permitted; but not required to attend (cf 1sam 1; luke 2)
Rabbi Dr. Louis Jacobs writes, 'The wording of the bedediction recieted each day in which a man praises God for not having made him a woman should not be overinterpreted since from the context it is clear that the thanks sare for greater opportuniites a man has for carrying our the precepts, woment being exempt from those positive precetps which for their performance depend on a given time of the day or year. . . . . In the Jewish Book of Why, A.J. Kolatch notes, 'Over man centuries, this prayer has been viewed by most Jews as an expression of thanks on the part of man for the good fortune of having been born male and thus being privileged to perform so many more commandments than a woman . . . . Women are considered on par with slaves and minors because unlike men, none of the three classes is obligate to fulfill all of the law 613 commandments. . . Women are obligated to observe all the negative commandments in the torah. . . . . . . . . . "

You can read on for yourself in Steve Schlissels article in the book in-titled the federal vision, pgs 250ff

you w

__________________
Gabriel Wetmore
Pastoral Intern, Fairview Presbyterian Church (PCA)
Fountain Inn, SC