Both feminists and traditionally-minded Christians—although many fewer rabbis—have tended to interpret the opening chapters of Genesis as a justification for male domination over women. But Roslyn Weiss reads the account of the creation of man and woman, and the relationship between Adam and Eve, in a different light:

It is, after all, the woman who lacks nothing; she even contains a part of the man. The man, by contrast, is now incomplete: a piece of his body has been removed. Furthermore, the woman was never alone; from the start she had a companion. She is introduced into the world to satisfy the neediness of another, but she herself is not needy. Adam is delighted at the sight of the woman when they are first introduced to one another. He exclaims: “This one at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh” (Genesis 2:23). There is no comparable reaction on the part of the woman.

God corrects the first flaw in Creation—the loneliness of the man—by creating the woman. But the creation of woman gives rise to a second flaw: the man becomes so attached to the woman that he obeys her rather than God. This, too, must be rectified, and so God levels the playing field of desire.

For more than a year, the Iran-backed Houthis have been launching drones and missiles at ships traversing the Red Sea, as well as at Israeli territory, in support of Hamas. This development has drastically curtailed shipping through the Suez Canal and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, driving up trade prices. This week, the Trump administration began an extensive bombing campaign against the Houthis in an effort to reopen that crucial waterway. Burcu Ozcelik highlights another benefit of this action:

The administration has a broader geopolitical agenda—one that includes countering China’s economic leverage, particularly Beijing’s reliance on Iranian oil. By targeting the Houthis, the United States is not only safeguarding vital shipping lanes but also exerting pressure on the Iran-China energy nexus, a key component of Beijing’s strategic posture in the region.

China was the primary destination for up to 90 percent of Iran’s oil exports in 2024, underscoring the deepening economic ties between Beijing and Tehran despite U.S. sanctions. By helping fill Iranian coffers, China aids Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in financing proxies like the Houthis. Since October of last year, notable U.S. Treasury announcements have revealed covert links between China and the Houthis.

Striking the Houthis could trigger broader repercussions—not least by disrupting the flow of Iranian oil to China. While difficult to confirm, it is conceivable and has been reported, that the Houthis may have received financial or other forms of compensation from China (such as Chinese-made military components) in exchange for allowing freedom of passage for China-affiliated vessels in the Red Sea.