The Jewish Woman
I. Role of the Jewish Woman Under the Law of God
The dissemination and encouragement of misconceptions and false
notions have come primarily from the cavalier manner in which untruths
and half-truths are constructed from premises that in themselves are true.
Hasty conclusions that hold good only for a limited number of people or
special circumstances are proclaimed as universally applicable and are
used to place the imprint of supposed truth upon notions that are very
far from the original premise and whose very essence would resist such
distortions. The natural sciences and social and historical studies suffer
equally from such morbid distortions of logical judgment. The premise
on which the conclusions are based may be true, but the conclusions
themselves are false. But if such pseudo-scientific conclusions can be
made to support notions that happen to enjoy popularity at a given
moment, these conclusions will be passed from hand to hand like
so much small change; they will be automatically accepted into the
treasury of accumulated popular notions and prejudices, and no one
will go to the trouble of testing the quality of the time-flattened coin to
see whether its value really accords with the value of the denomination
stamped upon it. The coin may be made of the most inferior alloy in
the world, but what does that matter? The coin is accepted for the value
stamped upon it and it gets us what we want. What more, then, do we
need to know?
Not a few notions and prejudices current in Jewish life today, which
are being passed from mouth to mouth and from book to book, owe
their coinage and acceptance to similar irresponsible modes of creation
and dissemination. [Unjustified conclusions about Judaism are being
formed on the basis of certain general characteristics:] Judaism has
a Bible and a tradition; Judaism has priests and a Temple; it had its
origins in the East; and today it is split into parties debating which
of its traditions should be changed and which preserved. The fact that
these external features occur also in some other religions is considered
83
..
84
COLLECTED WRITINGS
sufficient justification for automatically applying to Judaism and its
various manifestations all the characteristics of Bible and traditions,
priesthood and Temple that went into the formation of other religious
faiths. The tendency is to interpret Judaism in terms of all the notions
that have taken root among modem Europeans as regards Oriental life
and customs and as regards the strife that is now taking place in other
religions. It apparently does not occur to the disseminators of these
notions that in Judaism the significance of the Bible and tradition,
priesthood and Temple is entirely and markedly different from what it
is in any other religion, that the Orient may have been the birthplace of
the Jewish people but not of its customs and of the Jewish way of life. It
is these customs and that way of life, emanating directly from the Law
of God, that have made the Jews a nation set apart from all the others
in the Orient of old and in Europe today. The innermost essence of the
issues that are dividing Israel today into opposing parties has nothing
in common with the questions that serve as party slogans in the camps
of other nations.
No Jewish concept has suffered more from such distortions than the
present-day notions of the position accorded in Judaism to the Jewish
woman. Even though every page of the Jewish Bible, every word of
Jewish tradition, every leaf of Jewish history, indeed, every Jewish
home, past and present, bears unambiguous and eloquent testimony
to the contrary, current popular notions about the position of women
in the Orient have been exploited to help spread the most baseless
fantasies about the degradation and subordination of womanhood in
IsraeL The modern era is glorified, above all, for its efforts to deliver
Jewish womanhood from the yoke of Oriental degradation. Is this not
an ingenious bait to dangle before Jewish women in order to win their
favor for efforts at Jewish religious reform? In this process only one
small consideration has been overlooked: The effort to win Jewish
women for the Israel of the future is in itself an eloquent refutation
of all the notions about the degradation of women in Judaism; as a
matter of fact, it gives most impressive proof of the high position
and profound influence enjoyed by the Jewish woman in Israel. The
reformyrs apparently believe they can win their case only if they win
over the women to their cause.
Let us attempt to outline the terms in which the Word of God
expresses the role of the Jewish woman. Let us examine the Jewish
laws that regulate her position, the. realities of Jewish history in which
she has been a =~=
set forth the k.:.::::tJ
portraits and ch::..-;.:1
European notic:: J
Judaism like so =..1:
.cnN N'::l x:;;" ,
nl'::' " " itlV:::' .,.-s::
'f"1N:'l 7:1.' nU71~-~ ­
His image; in (--::: ::n
created them 1:<: --.. ,
of them, 'Be frc.:::'::l
exercise domic::: ,
every living
Note the
the plural, ",·hi.::-: -,,- c!
Scriptural pass2.~:: ::::
man and WOJ:1:::":-__:: :l
expresses the
woman as hUIT_2-:: ::..:
man created ir. -~-_= :J
and female C0:::-.::-3
equally close tc ~~::
Will: cnK Ki: -::.::-:" .
The Hebre,,- :::::­
:'l::lpl. The male -:: -:'
the revelations -::J
of mankind. T::e :::.
of the traditior:s -; :
of mankind. T-_= =-:
is formed that ::::"-­
end of the star:· -:
not to be affec:e': :­
assigned to hi17. :::­
traditions he :-,2-5 ~e<
these with tht'
the male conti:-. ..;;:::
links to the c:-,2.:- ­
determining ;2.:: - ~
The female _0
THE JEWISH WOMAN
r;.:
~.~
:0 Judaism and its
and traditions,
:-=~:::::n of other religious
l:'
:e::-:Ll5 of all the notions
~.S ~ :egards Oriental life
_: :',;' :iling place in other
:.".:: :':sseminators of these
.: :..~:; Bible and tradition,
:ifferent from what it
~ ~··e "t.:::en the birthplace of
c . :::e Jewish way of life. It
ro--:~ :":rectly from the Law
;.,::: .:..::m from all the others
r::·e .:::':.ermost essence of the
C':':':
parties has nothing
!::' .::...-:., slogans in the camps
t,.::' ..
=.
~:
:s ible
= sc:,:i distortions than the
:.:.:
~::
.":.rdaism to the Jewish
word of
[5:.:::., indeed, every Jewish
II.:':'S ~d eloquent testimony
IC<':': ::.ie position of women
the most baseless
L>:":':"::~::0n of womanhood in
= "-: ::cr its efforts to deliver
t.!=~ ':egradation. Is this not
I'" :::-.en in order to win their
r=' 1:: this process only one
c -:-::e effort to win Jewish
::5.=::: all eloquent refutation :: '" ,:men in Judaism; as a ~ ~: :·~f of the high position :'" :s:: woman in Israel. The - =-c.e~r case only if they win := ,':':: Bible, every
::: '<:ich the Word of God
:...:: '':5 examine the Jewish
~o ,: ]~\,'ish history in which
85
she has been a figure, and the statements of the Sages of Judaism that
set forth the Jewish view of womanhood. The resulting biographical
portraits and character sketches might then dissipate the much-vaunted
European notions and fancies about the subjugation of women in
Judaism like so much glistening haze before the rays of the rising sun .
.onx x,: x:jm ,:n ,nx x,: O'i';X 0;1:::1 ,/;);1:::1 C1X;' nx o'i';X X,::I',
I1l,: "" :l1U:" Y'X;'I nx 'X;tl, ,:" "I:l O'i';X 0;'; ,tlX', O'i"X onx 1':"
Y'X;'I ,~ n1/)1.l,:1 ;'I'M ,,::I' 0'/;)1/):1 fJ'~:' 0':'1. "And God created man in
His image; in the image of God He created him: male and female, He
created them both. And God blessed them both and God said to both
of them, 'Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and
exercise dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky and
every living thing that moves upon the earth'" (Genesis 1,27-28).
Note the change in the subject of the first verse from the singular to
the plural, which we have also sought to convey in our rendering of this
Scriptural passage. Occurring as it does in the very first introduction of
man and woman in the story of Creation, this change most significantly
expresses the complete equality, indeed the close union, of man and
woman as human beings created in the image of God. The concept of
man created in the image of God embraces both sexes; together, male
and female comprise the term "human." God has created them both
equally close to Him and for the same active purpose according to His
Will: OM X,::1 :1::1jm "T.
The Hebrew term for "male" is "T; the Hebrew for "female" is
:1:i'l. The male is "T; this means that he functions as the depository for
the revelations of God and the intellectual and spiritual achievements
of mankind. The male has been entrusted with T"'T, the preservation
of the traditions of the human species as reflected in the developments
of mankind. The male is "T, the bearer of history; within him the link
is formed that binds together, in a full circle, the beginning and the
end of the story of mankind. The work and creativity of the male are
not to be affected by transient influences. As he performs the functions
assigned to him, the male must always remember ["'TJ the duties and
traditions he has received from God and from the past. It is by wedding
these with the phenomena and the conditions of his own lifetime that
the male continues the work of Creation, the constant process of adding
links to the chain of historic tradition. Thus, the work of the male is a
determining factor in shaping the course of history.
The female is :1::1p~ (:i'~-fixed; cf. ';l! 1"1/) :'I:i'l, Genesis 30,
86
COLLECTED WRITINGS
28; ~J:Ji" 'iT '0 '1WN, Isaiah 62,2, Cf, also the forms iT:Jll ,iT':JN, etc. *),
Woman receives her purpose in life and accepts it. The male chooses
a vocation and thus creates a position for himself. The female, on the
other hand, receives her vocation and position in life by entering into a
union with a man and identifying with the vocation he has chosen and
the position he has created for himself. The Jewish maiden becomes
a mature human being, a full-fledged adult Jew, only once she has a
husband. Only through her union with her husband does she receive her
own uniqueness, entering the more narrowly defined sphere of human
endeavors in which she, too, united with her husband, is to fulfill her
own purpose as a human being and as a Jew through the vocation and
position she has received as the result of her marriage. And precisely
because she is not required to choose a vocation and attain a position
on her own can the woman function as the nurturer of all that is truly
human in mankind.
Consider the momentous words with which the Father of all
mankind, the Educator and Guardian for the course of human history,
has proclaimed the ultimate healing and ingathering of mankind from
the vagaries of their experiments in history-making: f'N:J ;"JW't'I 'iT N'1:J '::I
':Jl :J:J,on iT:Ji'J "It is God Who creates the new [things] on earth; woman
encircles the man" (Jeremiah 31,21). The male must strive to attain a
vocation and a position for himself as defined by his specific lot in this
world, through which he is to make his personal contribution to the
fulfillment of the purpose common to all mankind. But as he struggles
for success and achievements, he runs the danger of losing himself; he
may come to regard his endeavors, which in fact are only means toward
an end, as ends in themselves, as the all-absorbing purpose of his life,
forgetting his larger purpose, his task as a human being, which all his
material achievements are only meant to help him accomplish. Indeed,
he may in time come to subordinate and sacrifice the truly human
aspects of his life to these endeavors, This error probably accounts for
virtually all the errors and delusions that have marked the history of
mankind. It is the woman who can lead the man back to true humanity.
The enigma of history can be solved when one considers the dominant
role of the female. The male is "encircled," i.e., he is kept within the
sphere of purely human existence and activity by the female, who has
been entrusted with safeguarding the nobler aspects of life. That is how
* See Hirsch Commentary, Genesis
1,27, (Ed,)
the male Cd:. ~c;,!l
pristine sta:c; ::' .i
That is t::c; ~
the words -:-;; :':', .
female. 1'be5:: ::.ll
create the !:",::-.o.:. I
state and pe:-s:::.3l
~,p refe:-; :: :::!l
begetting
godly and r.:.:::-~
their parents :-, :.: '
the father. o.::~::Ul
female qual:~. c':
given to he:. '';' ~~
contributing :: ::E
~:J' refer;; . - ~
you have piC.:_::!2
the best tna: :s ',;.:t
education. yo::...: ;]
wild. The or:::-:::''':::I
the commar:c:::-,e::l
parents on e;;r:, 1
on the parr 0: ':.:..
the mother iT: ::-::
effort is
!:
of the godly;::::
the result tha: ::-:::
The we,,>- ­
be seen, amC'::.g
denotes not
"training" ar:: "e:
union of the :-:. ­
and nurtures ::'::'
outside, the '::-=.;;.:,
seedbed and :::.;.:-,
from the fa::: :.::..:..
of "!:l does ::-.:::':
significance ~,::
develop the .... ::-:
THE JEWISH WOMAN
:-=.:; ,~,:!(, etc, *).
r::: male chooses
":::c ::'emale, on the
:::. ::;'ltering into a
ht= ..is chosen and
=~jen becomes
t: :::.::e she has a
Ie;· ,:::e receive her
I
of human
IC.. :5 to fulfill her
I :.:::e vocation and
life And precisely
:: -=.::ain a position
c: .J1 that is truly
:: e Father of all
;:: -: '-.'.lman history,
,::' ::-.ankind from
-;>(: ~~:i1n 'il
K': ':J
! :- earth; woman
t 5 :::-:\'e to attain a
lot in this
to the
L;: .:, he struggles
himself; he
)C::. means toward
1C..",?"2,e of his life,
:::t:. v,hich all his
::.:~ ::-.plish. Indeed,
: :'-.;0 truly human
c.::.:::. accounts for
i:::': :b.e history of
" :.:: :rue humanity.
i.:::.e:5 the dominant
::; :':ept within the
~ :~male, who has
~: :::e, That is how
c:::~,bution
87
the male can revert from being merely a prestigious public figure to the
pristine state of a human being in accordance with the Will of God.
That is the reason why the blessing and the vocation expressed in
the words iilv:::n...'K;?)' ,:" "D was accorded equally to both male and
female. These four words sum up the purpose of the human species and
create the moral basis for the institutions of marriage, the family, the
state and personal property.
"D refers to marriage, the union of the two sexes for the purpose of
begetting offspring that will continue the noblest and the best of all the
godly and human qualities of their parents, O?');ll:J om?),:, resembling
their parents not only in body but also in spirit The male quality of
the father, directing and shaping the destinies of the family, and the
female quality of the mother, receiving and accepting the directions
given to her, will unite in their children to form new individuals, thus
contributing to the endless variety of human personalities.
,:, refers to the family. You are to nurture and educate the offspring
you have produced so that they may grow up in your image, replicating
the best that is within your own selves. Without care, without the proper
education, your offspring will become morally stunted and will run
wild. The one-time act of giving birth to a child is not sufficient to fulfill
the commandment of multiplying the human species or to replicate the
parents on earth. This endeavor requires a continuing process of creation
on the part of both parents, a constant, united effort of the father and
the mother in the care, the rearing and the education of the child. This
effort is nothing else than the continuing transfer of the noblest and best
of the godly and human qualities of the parents to their children, with
the result that the parents are then truly replicated in their offspring.
The wealth of profound ideas inherent in Jewish etymology can
be seen, among other things, from the fact that the Hebrew term iI:'
denotes not only the concept of "multiplying" but also the concepts of
"training" and "education." The work of child-rearing is the fruit of the
union of the two parents, male and female, The female parent produces
and nurtures the human being; the male produces the citizen of the world
outside, the bearer of God-ordained and man-sanctioned tradition. The
seedbed and nursery of human education is the home, the family. Only
from the fact that the commandment ,:, makes child-rearing the object
of "1) does marriage, the union of the two sexes, derive its moral
significance and its great, Divine purpose, which is to help build and
develop the world.
88
COLLECTED WRITINGS
1l't'IJ refers to society, to the state. The fact that every married couple
is told 1l't'IJ, fill the earth, see to it that the earth becomes and remains
filled with its noblest contents, an abundance of human beings, implies
that the parents' task extends beyond the intimate sphere of their own
home. Every parent is required to contribute his or her share in the
establishment and preservation of as many human families on earth as
possible. Every parent is responsible for the survival and prosperity of
all these human beings.
i1w:J:n: This Divine commandment justifies and hallows the acqui­
sition of personal property. Note, however, that this commandment
comes only after the commandment dealing with marriage, family and
society. The implication is that the acquisition of personal property is
humanly and morally justifiable only if it is regarded as subordinate and
conducive to the advancement of the purposes of marriage, family and
society.
The blessing and the fourfold commandment dealing with marriage,
the family, society and the acquisition of personal property is addressed
to i1:Jjm "'I:n, male and female alike. It is true that, according to our Sages,
the "defective" spelling ("'Ion :J'Ii:::J) i1lU:J:n implies that the commandment
to make a living, to procure the material means required for marriage
and for the establishment of a home, is addressed to the male alone.
It is the God-ordained function of the male to work so that he may
subdue the earth for the purposes of mankind. Thus, the commandment
to marry and to establish a home is categorically binding only upon
the male. Nevertheless, the fact that these commandments are actually
directed to both sexes implies that the accomplishment of mankind's
task to build up the world requires the harmonious cooperation of male
and female on a basis of complete equality. If the female is exempt
from the task of acquiring money and property, from the hard labor of
"subduing the earth," it is only so that she may be free to devote herself
to the nobler aspects of human life, the endeavors more closely related
to the purposes of true humanity. It is the function of the female to
manage and utilize what the male has acquired through his labor for the
human and moral purposes of home and family. It is the female who
makes the gains of the male's labor usable for their true purpose, and
who sees to it that they are employed only to advance human welfare.
W:J1' TI"lW!:l 11"lW!:l 001:::J T'~'n l'~'n K'Jl::l C'K: The man brings home the
wheat, but does he chew the wheat? He brings home the flax, but does
he clothe himself in it? This argument is recorded in the Talmud (n1IJ:J'
as proo f ::..=.~ 1
human ende,,·.. ~ :l
Initially.
,
woman
of them cre.'1:~::
His represe:::..=.:: f
to both 07 .-~2,18)
~~
relationshij:' :e:-;.,'
man the p2L"'::"::: : ..l
of his OWf. :e::-;;":l
life's purpc:;.e ..!'."j
material rr.e.:..:.~ =::
could
~:::::l
factor on e:;:- ]I
wife in an:":::~
the word 2: c..;)
joyless he .,;.:..:.:.J
no mane, '';' ...:!.: I
can gi\"e rL....-:: :..:.e
"It is 1:,:: ;JI
purpose .::;:..:.:..:. :Je
The mon:.e::::.::s
for any or:e :;e::
laboratiol"", . :<01
by comp:e:::e::.ii
fitting hel f:e~
that, by ti<:.:::; ~
done. ena1:':e, ::J
specifica.:.:::. 2SsJ
enables 12:.= :::1
entrustec. :.:: ::-.::1
together, :: ~:.::
labor. p-.:;:e .:..:.':,
.lO)
Nov. :: :.::c
achieye :i. s;l
best use c: :::lI
consurrc:-.:::::: ...
labor pre 0 ~;:?J
THE JEWISH WOMAN
J:"'..::-:led couple
remains
implies
":: :: [heir own
!:- ,~-.!re in the
l:-.;, :'n earth as
L ::-',',;perity of
~, .;.~j
:he acqui­
_:,'mandment
l;':':. family and
JO[ "": ;::roperty is
;;_:·:;dinate and
i~::. Llmily and
IC ,'.,
~
:;.. ::'r marriage.
r::.. ~ addressed
our Sages,
.::: ~mandment
E:: :,x marriage
b:: ~ale alone.
s.: :.";ar he may
.:: 'Tcmandment
only upon
~:s JIe actually
I: ,: mankind's
l';:':-'::::OD of male
c.""::: is exempt
1": ::.::rd labor of
L ::::'. ote herself
related
E :_~= female to
::> :.lDOr for the
:::e female who
":; ;urpose, and
:~::::an welfare.
-:~i,:5 home the
;; ::a.\. but does
-:.--a.:mud (m~:l'
Ci,: ::'
89
.10) as proof that, with respect to one's livelihood, the nobler aspects of
human endeavor must be credited to the woman.
Initially, the Word of God (Genesis 1,27) introduces man and
woman together into the work of creation as human beings, both
of them created equally in the image of God and designated as
His representatives on earth, their positions and tasks being assigned
to both of them together. A subsequent Scriptural passage (ibid.
2,18) clearly makes a point of addressing itself particularly to the
relationship between man and his wife in order to impress upon the
man the paramount value and significance of his wife for every aspect
of his own personality and for the fulfillment of his vocation and his
life's purpose. As the "subduer of the earth" and as the winner of the
material means enabling him to marry and establish a home, the man
could easily come to view himself as the only real and indispensable
factor on earth and, under the spell of this illusion, to act toward his
wife in an overbearing manner. It seems that precisely for this reason
the word of God seeks to make man aware of how helpless and
joyless he would be without his wife, even in the midst of Paradise,
no matter what his own strength and insight, and that only his wife
can give him the support he needs to make him whole.
"It is not good that man should be alone" (Genesis 2,18). Man's
purpose could never be adequately fulfilled by individuals acting alone.
The momentous task that God has set for human beings is too great
for anyone person to carry upon his shoulders; it requires the col­
laboration of two human beings who share the labor and complete it
by complementing one another. "I wish to create for him ,,1J::l ifY, a
fitting helper." ifY (cf. i1N ,'~N ,i1Y ,iliTY) denotes the kind of help
that, by taking over a portion of the partner's share of the work to be
done, enables that partner to concentrate his own energies on the work
specifically assigned to him. In this manner each of the two partners
enables the other to accomplish the aspects of the work specifically
entrusted to him. As a result, it becomes possible for both partners,
together. to accomplish the sum total of the work. This is division of
labor, pure and simple.
Now if both partners, each in his own sphere of activity, are to
achieve total satisfaction in their joint endeavor and are to make the
best use of their personal energies and potential, thus ensuring the
consummate accomplishment of that endeavor, then their division of
labor presupposes that each of the two partners should be different
90
COLLECTED WRITINGS
from the other in strength and potentiaL However, at the same time,
the two should be bound together by such strong bonds of solidarity
that they will complement one another and the weaknesses of the one
partner will be compensated by the strengths of the other. This thought
is expressed most significantly by the apposition ""1:l. ,,,~ assigns to
one subject a position which is different from that of the other, but
which nonetheless is determined by the other's position. The word '"~
clearly places the woman on the same level as the man, while at the
same time giving each a distinct position of creation and endeavor. The
male cannot assume the position of the female; conversely, the female
cannot occupy and hold the position of the male. But both of them are
stationed, and working, on an equal level; working hand in hand, their
functions interlock, as it were, with each doing his or her own share of
the task that both must accomplish together as human beings. Also note
that this division of labor between male and female was not a matter of
convenience or accident. From the very outset, the female was created
l1l1!), in such a manner that she could complement the work of the
male. Man and woman were fashioned for each other, and both of them
together were created for one and the same purpose. The man regards
his wife as part of his very own being but at the same time as a creature
distinct from himself. He calls her i1W!( because she was "taken from
1Ii'!(." She belongs to him. It is she that makes him whole; without her,
his existence is only half a life. "For this reason a man leaves his father
and mother and clings to his wife, and they become one flesh" (ibid.
2,24).
Here, then, we have the profound significance of marriage as an
institution established by God.
of the tree. Eve' s :¢:.
husband in his ch2::~
to the effect thaI ~.:: ]
persuaded him to ::~: i
the tree. He consic.e::-~
of the forbidder. :- .. ­
.lI
God Himselfhac
to become "one fe5::-_'
and aspirations? 1:' S:.
desires and aspi:-:.-=:n
actions. And nc'·,' G-:.j
and Eve and to :::e:.r
Man's expulsion -=-­
of mankind
:::
Let us see r.:·;, I
woman during L:e : =c
how woman's 1X',:-=::<I
the lofty signif:.:.::::: j
It has becOJ::'~ :..:i
3, 16) C'~::l ';7:' :l7.
children." But e'.:;::-. .:: I
passages should :.:: S:l
Scripture to de!:::-:e ::.:]
[to leave behind, :: :J
in the sharp :; 5:::­
or leaving,
"renunciation,' .
significantly to ::es:;:'
woman but also c: :3
II. Eve
1n?'Wn 'I/)'~ ., ,,- :-:: '
1"n '1.:)' ;:l ;n':K- -:=3:
The wife's position in relation to her husband is clearly reflected
also in the story of the first fateful misstep of the first human couple in
their life together. "She also gave some of it to the man [who was] with
her and he ate" (Genesis 3,6). Adam then explains, "The woman whom
You put at my side gave me of the tree and I ate" (ibid. 3,12).
It was neither greed on the part of Adam nor any gift of persuasion
on the part of Eve that made Adam eat of the forbidden fruit. He ate of
it because Eve herself had eaten from it and because she had given him
The use of the::
stresses that Gcx:
to the man bef:::-::
,11::11l1 i1::li~ :-:--
1
:::!'
.:::'=­
should contrib'J:= S:p3
addressed by Gc·;:: :: 1
* See Hirsch c: =.=I!'::ll
THE JEWISH WOMAN
=:: same time,
Cs ::: solidarity
~,,:::s of the one
e:- -:-:'Lis thought
:. -:; assigns to
f =-~.:: other, but
r:- -:-:le word '13
1.::.;' :-tile at the
c ::::-.':eamL The
sc::.. the female
~:.-_ of them are
a: ::: :'and, their
1::: • \,n share of
e=-::£s. Also note
; ;? matter of
r.:..:;; -.; as created
t,:: ·'''ork of the
1:.': :·oth of them
"tt.: .:::an regards
r;::-:: ::s a creature
i2.S "':;:L1.;:en from
Jl::. ',;' ithout her,
~.::.'. es his father
:'1::: ::esh" (ibid.
::-:."'-.-riage as an
reflected
couple in
:.. ::0 was] with
~ '';'2man whom
t.':::-.2:.'1
i::':
-~ persuasion
"'-.:1:. He ate of
II! ::::: given him
91
of the tree. Eve's behavior and Eve's judgment were decisive for her
husband in his choice. He attempted to justify his act not with an excuse
to the effect that he had been tempted by the fruit, or that Eve had
persuaded him to eat of it, but with the fact that Eve had given him of
the tree. He considered Eve's action sufficient justification for partaking
of the forbidden fruit himself. After all, Eve was the creature whom
God Himself had put at his side. Was Adam not supposed to cling to her,
to become "one flesh," one single creature with her in all his endeavors
and aspirations? If so, then they should remain united not only in their
desires and aspirations but also in bearing the consequences of their
actions. And now God's sentence closed the Paradise on earth to Adam
and Eve and to their descendants over thousands of years to come.
Man's expUlsion from Paradise opened a new stage for the development
of mankind through trials, purification and character training.
Let us see how God's sentence has established the position of
woman during the course of mankind's journey through the ages, and
how woman's position, even after the expUlsion from Paradise, reflects
the lofty significance of her life's purpose.
It has become customary to interpret the Biblical verse (Genesis
3, 16) 0'3:J ','in :JllY:J as a condemnation: "In pain shall you bear
children." But even a cursory examination of all the relevant Scriptural
passages should be sufficient to note that the fOOt JllY is never used in
Scripture to denote physical pain. JllY is a phonetic modification of JTY
[to leave behind, to forsake, to let go, to relinquish]. Hence (as implied
in the sharp II sound) this verb has the connotation of parting from,
or leaving, something with reluctance. It would thus be equivalent to
"renunciation," and it is in this connotation that Scripture uses it most
significantly to describe the newly-decreed destiny not only of the
woman but also of the man. Of the woman it says: l'lJil'l i7JN l'llVN1'I 'iN
,ni'1lVn 1lV'N 'iN1 0'3J ','in :JllY:J 13,m 11':JllY 1'1J'N. Of the man it says:
,"n 'b' 'i::l m'i::lNn T1:JllY:J ,i1:JYJ 1'17,)'N1'1 1'1,1ii( '111 '7,)N 0'N'i1 (ibid. 3,17).
The use of the past tense in the two verses ibN C'N'i1 ,'7,)N 1'1lVN1'1 'iN
stresses that God spoke to the woman before He spoke to the snake, and
to the man before He spoke to the woman. * Before telling the woman
1l'Jlll' iT:JiN iT:Jil'l, God had first told the man l'll'i::lNn T1JllY:J. This fact
should contribute significantly to our proper interpretation of the words
addressed by God to the woman.
~
,. See Hirsch Commentary, Genesis 3, 14-15. (Ed.)
92
COLLECTED WRITINGS
l~:llll7:l: "renunciation." This is the element of training that will
henceforth be the distinguishing feature of man's mental and moral
work upon himself. Paradise on earth was lost through greed; only
through renunciation can it be regained. The Paradise on earth will be
opened only to those who have learned to renounce it and are capable
of renouncing it. To renounce the gratification of sensual impulses
and cherished desires for the sake of a higher purpose, to perform
one's duty in a spirit of renunciation and to find one's happiness in so
doing-that is the task through which human beings are henceforth to
mature into men and women, and through which both man and woman
are to preserve and demonstrate the Divine qualities inherent in them.
The gates of Paradise will be locked to them in order that they may
go through this training course. The earth will assume new forms in
its relationship to man; henceforth, the destiny of the man, who was
initially appointed to "subdue" the earth, will be ;'l?::lNn 1~:l;rl7:l, "you
shall eat of it in resignation." You will have to do without many things
in order to earn just the bare bread of your existence.
This change in nature's attitude toward man, in that nature will
no longer gladly offer him its fruit without his working for it,
will affect the woman no less than it will affect the man, for this
particular Divine sentence to a life of renunciation includes the wife
no less than her husband. However, the woman will be called upon
to bear an even greater burden of renunciation than her husband. Her
whole life will become an act of selfless devotion to the wellbeing
of others, above all to the wellbeing of her husband and children.
The true woman personifies duty gladly performed. She will take
pleasure in the practice of p:llll7; she will find her personal happiness
in self-abnegation, in self-sacrifice for the happiness of her husband
and children. Thus, the true woman, the true wife, is the noblest
embodiment of the human being created in the image of God.
Having said to the man m?::lNn p:llll7:l, God said to the woman iI:liil
1lii'11 1l~:llll7 iI:liN. "I will multiply your renunciation to even greater
lengths," and the same will apply to 1liil, your pregnancy, which will
be a continuous surrender of your own life's strength and energies
to the existence and wellbeing of another person. O'l:l ',?n :l1ll7:l: in
renunciation will you bear children. And we would say, "bear alld
raise" children, because the act of childbirth and the subsequent raising
of the child is one continuous l~'i;' for the mother. (Phonetically, ;'i;'
is a modified form of ;',l7, the state of being exposed, without cover
or prote.::t:c:-.. :.i
which. i:-. ::, :1
complete c: :-5.:il
God 5"-:.';' :,:
"Your lor.g::-.~ !
Th e w 0 r:: -:-'"1:'
which all :-:-.::=
the conr.C::":' .­
Your entlre~-el
your hus c.::.::: ,
and aFFr;:'. ~ ,OJ
over yot.:: :., - '
This SUl.e;-.:~:­
prerequis:::::
be the oce
s:;
as ...::~. ~5
are put I:::.: ~:-11
and to w::.~ ~
united e::.e~~:::".
The \
"j
rnri;"'! \\;0.5 '::'':'::-e!
Therefc;-e ...:..:.:.::
the sake '2: ;::' :: to the \\1:: _: J husbanc s:-:.::.:, :".Ii
God fo~ l:. .. _:I
tasks sh.:: ;j:':':r..- ~
The suJ:::.cr':':::-.::'::~
nature's Ie:,,:.::·::
the family. But. :._-:;,.­
first bro·,:~.:".: ::
his wi ~e ::'5 :,-,,!
had be:.:::::::-.:: :..-~
Wife as ::-.:: __ :.
perpetu,,:. _~
his wi:'e _.- ­
r.o:
=-.
THE JEWISH WOMAN
:::-3.ining that will
=:o:ntal and moral
greed; only
~= on earth will be
Le
and are capable
.: ': 5cnsual impulses
;::~~0se, to perform
ceo:' 0; happiness in so
!:€> 2Ie henceforth to
t:>:.:::-: :-.'lan and woman
c.;;, LrL.1.erent in them.
~::~r that they may
t:''i''''::::e new forms in
rr: ::-.: man, who was
-:~: 1\~ J1:1~Y:J, "you
~ :~~Jut many things
. <
~
- :nat nature will
\,orking for it,
e::: ::e man, for this
cc :r.dudes the wife
' ;;' .__ be called upon
L
::-.:::r husband. Her
C - :0 the wellbeing
~.~ .:::. j and children.
c.:.-':. She will take
r ::-.;~sonal happiness
0=55 of her husband
10.:::::. is the noblest
::..:.g= of God.
:i : = :he woman 1"I:1i1"l
r: :-: to even greater
egr.2.r.cy, which will
re::g:n and energies
~ :':: ',;n :J~Y:J: in
)'':':: say, "bear alld
Ii! s.:bsequent raising
r ?honetically. :"Ii:"l
l:'S=:. without cover
t~,
93
or protection, to outside impressions and influences. It is a condition
which, in its most extreme form, ends in :"lin. destruction by fire.
complete consumption by an overwhelming force.)
God says to the woman further: 1:1 ;\/)/'J' l(,jJ, 1ni',\/)n 1\/)'1( ;I(t
"Your longing shall be for your husband and he will rule over you."
The word :"Ii',\/)n (from P'\/), "leg," and i"\/), "the market place" to
which all men direct their steps and to which all roads lead) has
the connotation of a strong movement toward an object of attraction.
Your entire being and all your aspirations will be directed toward
your husband. You will do everything in your power to win his love
and approval and to make him happy. You will allow him to rule
over you; you will submit to his will and allow him to guide you.
This surrender on the part of the wife to her husband is a basic
prerequisite for the unity of husband and wife. The husband cannot
be the one to submit to his wife because the husband. in his position
as i::>T, is the upholder of the Divine and human traditions which
are put into practice in the home through the institution of marriage
and to which both husband and wife, together, should dedicate their
united energies.
The very first commandment from God not to eat from the yY
nY,jJ was addressed to the man and, through him, also to the woman.
Therefore, Adam should not have disobeyed God's commandment for
the sake of Eve. Rather, Eve should have subordinated her own desires
to the Will of God as communicated to her through Adam. So. too. the
husband shall henceforth act as spokesman for the vocation decreed by
God for all human beings. and shall see to it that these God-ordained
tasks should be discharged also in his own marriage and in his own home.
The subordinate role of a wife to her husband became more evident after
nature's relationship toward man was changed (1i':J~:11"1/'J'I(:"I 1"Ii'il() and
the resulting reliance on man's labor for the maintenance of home and
family.
But, contrary to the long-cherished popular notion that death was
first brought to earth through the action of a woman, Adam perceived
his wife as the mother of life. "Adam called his wife :"I,n because she
had become the mother of all living" (Genesis 3,20). Adam viewed his
wife as the upholder and instrument of immortality on earth and of the
perpetuation of the parents in their children. That is why Adam called
his wife :"I,n, not :"I'n (cf. nY, :"IW, the giver of spiritual life). She was
not merely :"I'n, the giver of physical existence to her children; she was
94
COLLECTED WRITINGS
the nurturer of her children's spiritual lives. This, indeed, is the unique,
lofty vocation of every true mother, 'n ,~ ON.
Therefore it was also Eve, not Adam, who named the first male child
to be born on earth. All her exultation and sense of self-pride are evident
from the triumphant manner in which she shouted out the name she had
chosen for her first-born. (Pi', from l'P and mp; cf. 1'1l from 1'1l and il111.
There is a conceptual relationship between l'i', the expression of grief
or pain over the loss of a possession, and mi', or Nli', to vindicate the
light of ownership.) 'il nN urN 'n'lp: "I have acquired a man with God!"
Eve proudly exclaims (Genesis 4,1). This child is mine! I have acquired
him jointly with God by sacrificing my own heart's blood and my own
life's strength! Could this exaggerated self-confidence (probably based
on a mixture of motives) with which Eve carried and nurtured her child
beneath her heart have had an adverse effect on the temperament and
attitudes of her son, with dire consequences in his later life? This is a
question every mother would do well to consider.
It was also Eve, the mother who, following the murder of her second
son by his own brother, named her third son Seth, "replacement,"
because she regarded him as a God-given substitute for the son she had
lost.
III. Sarah
From the mother of all mankind we now turn to the mother of the
Jewish people. At the very outset let us state that all the momentous
tests and acts of self-surrender with which Abraham demonstrated his
awareness of God, his trust in God, his loyalty and obedience toward
God, and his love of mankind took place in close union with his
wife. Sarah. Indeed, Abraham could hardly have gone through any of
these trials if Sarah had not been his faithful companion in his long
wanderings through life, if Sarah, too, had not been inspired by the
spirit that moved her husband, and if Sarah had not shared his every
good endeavor and aspiration as his close and faithful companion. The
spiritual and moral halo that crowned Abraham's head was also an
eternal diadem, an everlasting ornament, on the forehead of Sarah. For
when Abraham left his native country. his birthplace and his family
to follow the call of his God, isolating himself from the world around
him for the sake of his God. Sarah, too, left her loved ones and, for
[he sake cf'- ' '"
in the mic:': . j
Sages corr.::'::-· J
the souls \'. '- - 1
Abraham hi'.:' ::'~
the same \F~~: .::.:l
for yoursel:', 5,: J
into the de,: :~:': :
life of the ;::::':0 1
the hiphil f,::~, ;;­
set out for t:-,:: =:~
moved on," :-. :j
to wield his :..::,]
move from (',= ~.Jj
And when ,:'.::.'-:.3.
he pitched ;: ~. :::::1
the fact that ,""::-.::.:l
first concer:: '.' .'-0 1
tent of Abr~-,.'---:-­
Sarah, ;'1?~l', S~,:: '
etymologic;:;: ::.-:.;
speech ane 5;':;:~:'::
reflect the
-" ;
Mother Sc.:-::'::- -.
of her Scrir:'~:::':: ­
as she had be:::. :;:
hundred a, ,ell:: :-,
out in anothe: ::,;
our Sages ar.. :.­
We usually 5i'.:- :
beautiful as 2. :.
of beauty no: ::: ~
angelic fear..::::; :
They looked ::, '
had already -' '.
capable of e::::-."
the era that t =..:.
* "Beaut:
~- _
-'.
THE JEWISH WOMAN
e":. i5 the unique,
fit ~:-st
male child
-;-:::':c are evident
t.'::e :::an1e she had
fr-::r. .,~ and it'l.
r;:= 5sion of grief
. :;: vindicate the
t =-",,1: with God!"
I!' : ~a\'e acquired
k.~": and my own
e ; wbabl y based
c~",:,..:red her child
t==;:-erament and
e~ life'} This is a
r.:e~ of her second
t:. "replacement,"
e::: :'le son she had
:::= mother of the
C :2i.e momentous
::::nonstrated his
.:"ejience toward
s< c::ion with his
Ie" ~rough any of
;:,-=--:i;m in his long
::: :::spired by the
!( ;::-:ared his every
- ~ornpanion. The
:'e-,;j was also an
c::d of Sarah. For
.::: and his family
, :.~.e world around
'. e': ones and, for
t
95
the sake of that same God, followed her husband upon his lonely road
in the midst of the rest of mankind. Not without good cause do our
Sages comment on the Scriptural passage r'ln::l W):lI 'WN: WDlit nN:' "and
the souls whom they had made in Haran" (Genesis 12,5) that, while
Abraham had won souls for God from among the men, Sarah had done
the same work among the women. True to God's directive, 17 17 "Go
for yourself," go on your own, isolated path, Abraham and Sarah moved
into the desolate southern region of Palestine, far from the communal
life of the cities. The sacrifice this entailed seems implied in the use of
the hiphil form of the verb in it,itit CWr.I pn:ll", telling how Abraham first
set out for the mountains (ibid. 12,8). The form used is not the kal, "he
moved on," but the hiphil, "he gave orders to move on." Abraham had
to wield his authority in order to get the members of his household to
move from the hospitable locality of Shechem and the grove of Moreh.
And when Abraham settled in the mountains, we are told it7it!\ 1:)", "and
he pitched her tent," not '7itN:, "his tent." The Sages take due note of
the fact that Abraham pitched Sarah's tent before pitching his own. His
first concern was always for Sarah. But then Sarah's tent was also the
tent of Abraham; il?ilN:, the tent of Abraham was actually the tent of
Sarah, iliitN:. She was the essential spirit of the home. Such delicate
etymological and orthographic nuances are probably found only in the
speech and spelling of our Holy Tongue. It is these fine nuances that
reflect the spirit of the Hebrew language and of Judaism.
Mother Sarah was beautifuL As our Sages put it in their interpretation
of her Scriptural obituary, Sarah was as beautiful at the age of twenty
as she had been at the age of seven, and as innocent at the age of one
hundred as she had been when she was twenty. We have already pointed
out in another essay* the contrast between the time-honored view of
our Sages and the notions of our own modern age on this subject.
We usually say of a woman that she is as innocent as a child and as
beautiful as a young girL Our Sages, on the other hand, saw the ideal
of beauty not in girlhood but in childhood, before the little one's pure,
angelic features could be marred by the cruel paintbrush of passion.
They looked for the ideal of womanly virtue in the maiden whose mind
had already matured but whose heart was still young enough to be
capable of enthusiasm for everything noble, great and sublime. Alas for
the era that equates innocence with simplemindedness, and therefore
* "Beauty and Long Life," p.
137 in this volume. (Ed.)
96
COLLECTED WRITINGS
expects to find innocence only in children and can find no other praise
for youth except beauty!
Mother Sarah was beautiful but she did not know it. She did not
even think that she was beautiful, as we learn from what Abraham said
to her when famine forced them to leave their remote habitation in the
mountains and move into Egypt, close to the cities and the camp of
Pharaoh's court. "Look," Abraham said to Sarah, 'l'\!.'" ~l illil "but I do
know that you are a beautiful woman" (Genesis 12,11).*
From what we know about the precautions taken by our forefathers
during their sojourns in ancient Egypt and Phoenicia, we have reason to
believe that virgins were safer from attack in the licentious cultures of
those countries than married women. A foreigner who was known to be
still a virgin enjoyed more protection from molestation than a married
woman visiting from abroad. For this reason Abraham felt that Sarah
would be in less danger if he identified her as his unmarried sister rather
than as his wife. Sarah, however, was too innocent to be aware of her
beauty; she could not believe that her charms might prove dangerous
for her, not even when her husband pointed it out to her. She was simply
not vain enough to believe that the deception suggested by Abraham
was necessary. Only when Abraham explained to her that he himself
might be in danger of being killed if it became known that Sarah was
his wife did she agree to Abraham's plan. She did so not in order to
protect herself but only for the sake of her husband's safety. However,
Abraham had forgotten about the moral standards that prevailed among
the princes and the mighty of the land. It did not occur to him that they
might not respect even the honor of a virgin. As a result, only an act of
direct Divine intervention saved Sarah from harm.
Sarah had no children. This was the only respect in which her
husband's hopes for their marriage had remained unfulfilled. What if
Abraham and Sarah would have to abandon this one hope in their old
age? The accomplishment of Abraham's mission depended on whether
he would have a son. He had received God's promise that he would
become the progenitor of an entire nation that would be a blessing to all
the other nations on earth. But now it seemed that his marriage would
end without having produced even one child. If Abraham were to die
childless, what would have been the purpose of his life? Who would
not understand the pain that Sarah felt at this thought? How happy she
.. In his Commentary to this verse, R. Hirsch explains that the word Nl is used to
emphasize a statement that is contrary to another's belief. (Ed.)
would have bee. :: .
for his future c~~~::--~
that, at least
able to fulfill 0.~:;.;.i
Nevertheless 5.l
fulfillment of :: =~ ~
to mothering ::. ;.::.
capable of C07.:~~·,j
help cause a c::-'::.::: :.:
nurturer and e::,::.:J
mother.
second wife. \\ .:.==­
Abraham \\o'':~_ ::-zi
Only wit.h ~:;211
she wished. H",~:; J
effort it COs[ S~i:::I
m~~ ill:l~ ';')( . :-;"'5
for your
::~
will have a :::~..::: j
to Sarah's re.: ..::;s:...
Unfortur:::.::;::· .
the assumpti:- :j
her maidser..::.: i
to obtain
remove him ~ . ~~
him entirei: . :::J
consideraticr: :.:-.31
carried his 2 :-~ .. .: .
a slave. He:- :: -:; ~
woman. As:':
child she W2.5 ;';;'J
could no
5i
Sarah's ::::a
on self-dec::::::::::
its care the :,::_-:1
world, it we _,.::: Jl
progenitor. I:-. .::,j
be conceiye- ::.::.:
of Abrahar::-.. : :.J
THE JEWISH WOMAN
!C -:::.:
no other praise
c:.; it. She did not
c ..;. .-.ar Abraham said
r:: :::- habitation in the
~::.=.; and the camp of
, '~~r' Nl mil "but I do
i!:,,::
our forefathers
i..::::... ·•.. e have reason to
: -- :e:ltious cultures of
"";'::2 was known to be
!::>:..::::c,n than a married
ts::...-'3.m felt that Sarah
~.-::-.aITied sister rather
:::::: to be aware of her
r:..:.~::: prove dangerous
.:.: :-.er. She was simply
~~ie;ted by Abraham
:. :.er that he himself
i:..-.:.;.r. that Sarah was
_C 50 not in order to
~.:·S safety. However.
:s '- ,[ prevailed among
( :·:.:-ur to him that they
~ 3. ~es'J\t. only an act of
r:::
~
=-""rect in which her
Le: ~ ::fulfilled. What if
:,: =::e hope in their old
,:::pended on whether
that he would
: ..::.: be a blessing to all
:::.;.: ~is marriage would
;: AJraham were to die
.: ::.1, life? Who would
,: -5ht? How happy she
)C.
,
;:~.:;:"ise
:::~:
cte word
I\l
is used to
97
would have been to bear Abraham a son, and to raise and nurture him
for his future calling as heir to Abraham's mission! But now it seemed
that, at least judging from human standards, she would no longer be
able to fulfill this wish of hers.
Nevertheless, Sarah wanted to come as close as possible to the
fulfillment of her desire. She wanted to come as close as possible
to mothering a son for her husband. If she was no longer physically
capable of conceiving and bearing a child for Abraham. she could still
help cause a child to be born to her husband and then become the child's
nurturer and educator in every respect as if she, Sarah, had been his true
mother. Accordingly, she asked Abraham to take her maidservant as his
second wife. When this woman would bear Abraham's child, Sarah and
Abraham would raise the child as their own.
Only with great difficulty could Sarah persuade Abraham to do what
she wished. Here again Scripture uses the word !tl to show how much
effort it cost Sarah to overcome Abraham's reluctance: 'n '1'~11 !tl mil
iIll;)l;) m:l!t '7,!t 'nn!.lW 7!t !tl !t:l 1'l17r.l. Look. I am the only one to blame
for your having no children. Please come to my maidservant; perhaps I
will have a child through her (Genesis 16,2). At last Abraham acceded
to Sarah's request, and Sarah gave him her maidservant to be his wife.
Unfortunately, Sarah had miscalculated. Her plan was based on
the assumption that, even as Abraham's wife, Hagar would remain
her maidservant. Only under such an arrangement could Sarah hope
to obtain complete. unimpeded control over any child born of Hagar.
remove him completely from Hagar's educational influence and raise
him entirely in the spirit of Abraham. But Sarah failed to take into
consideration that a woman who had become Abraham's wife and
carried his child beneath her heart could not be expected to remain
a slave. Her pregnancy with Abraham's child had made Hagar a free
woman. As soon as she was aware that she was expecting Abraham's
child she was seized with a compelling thirst for freedom and felt she
could no longer submit to the authority of a mistress.
Sarah's hopes had been deceived, but then they had been based
on self-deception all along. For a nation that was to have entrusted to
its care the spiritual and moral future of all the other nations of the
world, it would not be enough to have a man such as Abraham as its
progenitor. In addition to being sired by Abraham, it would have to
be conceived and borne by a woman such as Sarah so that the spirit
of Abraham, coupled with the nature of Sarah, might be perpetuated
98
COLLECTED WRITINGS
in that nation. A woman of Egypt would not be a fit mother for a son
of Abraham.
The imprint of their origins has survived remarkably weil, clear
and undiluted, in the character of the Ishmaelites, the progeny of
Hagar fathered by Abraham. The monotheism of Abraham, the Hamitic
sensuality and thirst for freedom that stamped the personality of Hagar,
and the virtual fanatic belief in the providence of Almighty God, drawn,
as it were, by Hagar from the "well of the Living One Who sees
me"-this mixture of qualities has shaped the traits for which the
Arabs are known to this day and with which they have made their
own contribution, in the form of poetry and scholarship, to the spiritual
symposium of humanity.
Sarah was already ninety years old and still childless when God
reconfirmed His promise to Abraham that he would be the progenitor
of the nation of God, and this Divine promise was exalted to become an
everlasting covenant by virtue of Abraham's circumcision. But Abraham
was only one of the parties in the covenant; the participation of Sarah
was essential to its realization. When God reconfirmed His promise to
Abraham, Sarah was included in the covenant as a matter of course.
A nation of God could be produced only from a union of a man such
as Abraham and a woman such as Sarah. Therefore, as a supplement
to the covenant marked by his circumcision, Abraham is told by God,
"You shall no longer call your wife Sarai but Sarah, and I will bless her
and (as part of My covenant with you) I have already appointed for you
a son from her. ..she will become nations, leaders of nations shall be
descended from her" (Genesis 17,15-16).
From that time on, both Abram and Sarai were to have new names
reflecting their Divinely-ordained purpose. Abram became Abraham,
from C;' 1J~. to express the soaring (1J~-wing) spiritual energy of
the multitude of nations. The text reads tl'1l T'l::l;"i J~, not C'll pl::lj1 'J~.*
Abraham would be the spiritual father of the nations that, without his
spirit to guide them, would become a lawless mob, T'l::l;"l. Sarai became
Sarah. Contrary to popular assumption, '1117 cannot very well denote "my
princess;" if the word had that meaning, what would be the explanation
for the plural form and the pronoun? Also, the feminine suffix would
be missing. The Hebrew term for "my princess" would not be '1117
* One would expect the text to use the construct (nl:)'7:)o) form ':II!. indicating specific
paternity (e.g" IYl::l ':II! I!ll1 enl). The absolute (1"\l)l) form:ll! indicates the generic concept
of "fatherhood." (Ed.)
but 'li;~, I: ~.e!
these tw;: :'.:-:-:-~
from i1':' . ~:=5
both of r,r,:-.::'-: !
in tl'i"~ ::; :-,
9,6) are:::e:-·!'!i
8,16) is ce:-:';-J
of "dorriL_:
rulershiF --';'
than:' ce;:. ::-.:e.
the othe:,,:¢~
defir.es t::= ::-.:1
of ;'1i':'::, "=~.li
prince as L-.:: :::l
his rule 2C.:'" 'J
keeps a'.: .___ e ::l
the ru"r.-:--·-=:",. :!I
~:':' _.::.s :~=::i
Sara..'1
=_e::-~.:· JiI
j1'"1W.
as ':':::-:'.;!:
modera::':--~ ::1J
mothe(-, ~.:-:­
partieu;::=- ''::',::':1
mothers :-:':..::­ '
what is ;;::.:-: ,
the nu:::.:.::-::::-' l
baseness,
:::-:;
their 0\1.:: 2.-::
as wife .:.=.: ::::
away n:::::'.=';
and the ::- - =--"-.
indiyic:.:.::,:s
world.
Sa:-';:.~, 2:.0
her hu,;':::=-.:
nation '.;::s .­
bear hi= ~ s:·:
to a rr.2C. -'
(Genes:s ,­
99
THE JEWISH WOMAN
x.':'_ ::.
weil, clear
progeny of
IC",--::. the Hamitic
"': of Hagar.
'. God, drawn,
~=.::;": Who sees
L' ;:r which the
:-_,,',e made their
C:: :: the spiritual
.
~~:':
when God
b: ::~e progenitor
t:: :0 become an
~~" But Abraham
c:::::;on of Sarah
,;: :::5 promise to
r:::::::er of course.
: a man such
= supplement
t
~Qld by God,
&..: :.;ill bless her
t:::·:inted for you
::"::Jns shall be
[ __ :':;5
::...;, e new names
e-..: ';'::-.e Abraham,
i:- : ~::; energy of
~::
:".; prom '::IN. *
:'-.~:.
without his
:- Sarai became
,'" e:: denote "my
e ::-.= explanation
~.::= 5uffix would
C'_._ not be
,'w
IIl.c~:~lting specific
5 '" ec:1eric concept
but 'I'l'W. It therefore seems that the difference in meaning between
these two names, ,'w (from ;"w) and ;,'W (the feminine form of 'w,
from "w), lies in the difference between the two roots il'W and
both of which seem to denote dominion or rulership. The words 1'l"W
in C'i'7N Cl.' 1'l"W (Genesis 32,29) and il'W~;' in il'W~il ;'::l'~7 (Isaiah
9,6) are derived from il'W. The word C"W in
C"W '::l (Proverbs
8,16) is derived from
Both these root words have the connotation
of "dominion" and "prince," but each implies a different concept of
rulers hip. il'W, related to l."W and "'0, i.e., "to extend," "to be more
than," describes the prince as the one who stands out from among all
the others because he is greater and mightier than the rest; thus, it
the root
defines the prince as he appears in the sight of the world.
of il"Wl'J, "measure," or more specifically, "periphery," has us see the
prince as the moral authority who sets the "measure" of all things under
his rule and who, by his personal example and influence, encloses and
keeps all the individual and collective endeavors in his nation within
the periphery of law and order.
',w, as derived from iI'W (as '1W is derived from il1W), identified
Sarah merely as the mistress who stood out from among all the others.
il'W, as derived from
on the other hand, describes her as the
moderating, tone-setting authority. This, in fact, is the true function of
motherhood in general and of all true mothers among our people in
particular. Gifted with a delicate sense of morality and decency, these
mothers bear within their own hearts [he fine. sensitive measure of
what is good and right, and by their personal example they become
the nurturers and guardians of morality and self-control. Crudeness,
baseness, licentiousness and immorality will keep their distance, of
their own accord, from the place where a true daughter of Sarah reigns
as wife and mother. The very presence of such a woman will drive
away rudeness and lack of moderation. The soaring spirit of Abraham
and the moral standards guarded by Sarah-these are the outstanding
individuals whom God has appointed to educate the nations of the
world.
Sarah was ninety years old when she learned that she was to bear for
her husband, who was one hundred, the son upon whom the promised
nation was to be founded. When Abraham was told that Sarah would
bear him a son, he laughed and thought to himself, "Shall a child be born
to a man of one hundred and shall a woman of ninety indeed give birth?"
(Genesis 17,17). And when Sarah heard this promise reconfirmed, she
,'W,
,'w.
,'W'
,'w,
,'W,
100
COLLECTED WRITINGS
laughed within herself, "That I should be given vigor again now that I
am already worn out, and my lord, too, is an old man!" (ibid. 18,12).
At this point we should note parenthetically that when Sarah ad­
dresses Abraham, or speaks of him within the hearing of others, she
never refers to him as "my lord." In the close relationship between
Jewish husbands and wives there is no room for such expressions of
subordination from either partner. Nevertheless, in her thoughts Sarah
regards him with deep respect as her lord, whose wishes and endeavors
she is happy to serve. Furthermore, let us note that it was probably
not an ancient Eastern custom, but merely a custom in the family of
Abraham, that the wife did not appear before her husband's guests or
participate in their conversation. We can surmise this from the question
that the three guests ask Abraham, "Where is Sarah, your wife?" In
other words, the guests are surprised that Sarah is not there to serve
them their refreshments. Abraham replies (Genesis 18,9), 1;>;111;::1 mil, she
is inside the tent, of course. It is Sarah's sense of propriety that keeps
her from coming out to join her husband and his visitors.
It appeared ridiculous to both Abraham and Sarah that they should
have a child at their advanced age. And when their son was born the
rest of the world, too, laughed at the sight of the ninety-year-old mother
suckling the baby at her breast and at the claims of these two aged
parents, with one foot in their graves, that they were raising this child
to be the progenitor of a nation that would subdue the other nations.
This element of the ridiculous was of such a basic significance in the
birth of Abraham's son that it was only right for Abraham and Sarah to
be made aware of it. Therefore, when Sarah was ashamed to admit that
she had laughed within herself, God told her not to deny having laughed
(Genesis 18,15). As a matter of fact, her laughter was so significant
that it was immortalized in the name of the baby. p,m: (as distinct from
P'MW, which is used primarily to denote the laughter of joy) has the
connotation of "ridiculous" or "absurd;" it implies a person's reaction to
unexpected contrasts between the tiny and the gigantic in phenomena,
in actions or in expectations. The idea that a couple in the tenth decade
of life, who until then had been childless, should suddenly be capable
of producing a son, and that this incredible event should be capped
with the preposterous expectation that this son would be the progenitor
of a nation that would have an impact on the future of all mankind,
seemed ridiculous to all human judgment. And it was entirely proper
that it should appear to be so. From the very first stirrings of expectation
until the ultimate: -eJI
descended from .'\:~
indication of the ',;.:4
to God and trust :::. t
of this nation, its ;':';"11
these "ridiculous" ',"'!j
contrary to the 1:2::-:n
indeed appear ric:::':':'..
ultimately pnl'. it;..:3
the hopes of all :.:. ~ :.:::
one nation win ];.e: ::..:lJ
Sarah said, "God ~.~ 1
laugh at me"
her breast, she eX_.3
Abraham even ;r. ::: ~
Isaac?" (""~ me:aI:S K
"Sarah has nurse;: _;".J
realized that, W1::-. :..:-..!!
of a whole natiae. ::.: ~
But no one ::.: >:.:!!
little latecomer. :::.:
did the infant's ·c:::.:.
vigor of young rr.:::":'
general to the bir:, ::
Ishmael, on the c::.e:
attitude of frank ::::.:
of assuming Ab:":,:.:-.:;,
with his half-broL"::::
and, in order r:,::.: ."l
future life, his fC:':-.·
as a maid-sen a::.:
controlling authc::::­
of importance er ..; -. ;
By the time S.::­
Isaac was a rna::.::::
by the loss of h:, ",
and no one, not e· :::
.. See Hirsch C C:7.::"!
THE JEWISH WOMAN
~.:..:r: now that I
• ::ld. 18,12).
.. ::;:n Sarah ad­
g -: others, she
_:between
~ ,;:":;:>ressions of
r :::2ughts Sarah
!:5 ~.d endeavors
_.·,as probably
=-= :~"e family of
t.::..::'::· s guests or
r;::-:". the question
.. :'Jr wife?" In
c': :...':ere to serve
S .• '~::l i'I:I:"I, she
F:::!:Y that keeps
1(",
:"-.'::: they should
c:: '·'as born the
-: :: .::[-old mother
:'-."se two aged
this child
(::...:=~ nations.
t~.:j.::ance in the
12:..:-:".•md Sarah to
D;;': :0 admit that
~ laughed
~ SJ significant
"-~ '::istinct from
: :~ .;0)') has the
r".::· 5 reaction to
.:: ::: phenomena,
:...~.= :enth decade
be capable
:c~:d be capped
:.;: ::ce progenitor
.: all mankind,
; ;:::Iirely proper
;" :~ expectation
101
until the ultimate realization of its great mission on earth, the nation
descended from Abraham and Isaac was to be a nation of God, an
indication of the workings of Divine Providence, a proof that loyalty
to God and trust in Him will ultimately win the day. The beginnings
of this nation, its survival despite all odds, its hopes for the future-all
these "ridiculous" visions would come true despite expectations and
contrary to the normal course of natural events. This nation should
indeed appear ridiculous with its absurd claims and self-assurance, but
ultimately rMll" it will be the one to have the last laugh on earth. While
the hopes of all the other nations will come to naught, the hopes of this
one nation will be fulfilled. That is why, when this son was born to her,
Sarah said, "God has prepared laughter for me; all who hear of this will
laugh at me" (Genesis 21,6). But, as she lovingly cuddled the infant to
her breast, she exultantly added, O:"l':lI~? 771.> 'b "who has explained to
Abraham even in part the more profound significance of my nursing
Isaac?" (77b means to give partial details; cf. rn?'?b. *) :"1'1/) O'l::l :"IP'l'i'I
"Sarah has nursed children!" Of all those who had laughed, none had
realized that, with this one infant Isaac, Sarah was nurturing the future
of a whole nation at her breast, i'I'l/) O'l::l i'lr'l':"I.
But no one looked with so much derision on these hopes for the
little latecomer, and gave such crude expression to his contempt, as
did the infant's brother, Ishmael, who was already an adult in the full
vigor of young manhood. In connection with the attitude of people in
general to the birth of Isaac the text uses the words '? PMll' llbl/):"I ?;,. Of
Ishmael, on the other hand, we are told that he was actually pnllb! His
attitude of frank contempt proved that Ishmael would never be capable
of assuming Abraham's heritage and of preserving it in partnership
with his half-brother Isaac. He therefore had to leave Abraham's home,
and, in order that he would have nothing more to do with Isaac's
future life, his mother, too, was expelled from Abraham's household
as a maid-servant (l"lb;'1/) ?ll 01/)). Sarah's role as the deciding and
controlling authority in this incident shows us, once again, the position
of importance enjoyed by the wife in the Jewish home.
By the time Sarah died at the age of one hundred twenty-seven,
Isaac was a mature man of thirty-seven; yet he was all but shattered
by the loss of his aged mother. He felt a gap in his life that nothing
and no one, not even his father Abraham, was able to fill. He remained
'" See "Hirsch Commentary. Genesis 21.7. (Ed.)
102
COLLECTED WRITINGS
inconsolable until he brought home Rebecca as his wife and saw in her
a spiritual reincarnation, as it were, of Sarah. 'o~ jJjW il'il~jJ i'MlC' jJ~:l"
She became his wife, he loved her, and only then was Isaac comforted
for the loss of his mother.
This account is not only the most beautiful epitaph that could be
written for a woman but also a brilliant example of the respect in which
Jewish sons hold their mothers. With the death of Sarah the home of
Abraham had lost its moving spirit; when Isaac brought Rebecca home
as his wife, the spirit of Sarah returned to the home of Abraham.
Our Sages tell us that as long as Sarah was alive, the Presence of
God hovered in a cloud above the tent. When Sarah died the cloud
departed, but it returned when Rebecca entered there. As long as Sarah
was alive, the bread in her home was blessed. When Sarah died that
blessing departed, but it was reinstated with the coming of Rebecca.
As long as Sarah was alive. the doors of her home were wide open in
generosity to all those in need. When Sarah died this generosity ceased,
but it was resumed when Rebecca came. As long as Sarah was alive
there was light in the home from one Sabbath to the next. When Sarah
died the light went out, but it was rekindled when Rebecca took her
place. Thus we see that already in the days of Abraham the presence
and blessings of God, and the spirit of humanity and serenity in the
home, were dependent on the presence and the activities of the woman
within.
Abraham's own love and respect for Sarah are evident from his
tears and lamentations at the time of her death and from the care with
which he made the arrangements for her burial. His mourning was not
put on for public display; he withdrew into his tent to weep beside his
wife's remains iln::l:l" jJjW, 1~O' Cilj:l~ ~:l'1. When Abraham finally
rises from the presence of his dead, whose loss affects him, as her
husband, more than it does anyone else in the family, he does so only
to purchase a burial property that will be deeded to him and therefore
safe from disturbance by others. (In the days of Abraham, the land on
which Sarah was buried was still alien soil.)
Note that the legal formula that eventually came into use for the
"acquisition" of a wife in Jewish marriage harks back to il1WO ilM'i' jJM'i'
T'j~Y, the legal formula employed by Abraham in his purchase of the
burial property. It is significant that the legal basis for Jewish marriages
today should thus recall the first Jewish marriage, Abraham's love for
his wife which endured beyond her death. This historic association
should have ::::= :.;J
woman as Ll!:. !:l
upon Sarah. v.
another, as di:: ;c:.,;:::
of your days.
Of course :::-.'!!!'
formula. "So. :.:'C!
they say. Yeo;. :: ~S
he acquires :-,;;~ ::.;
will, and ther: ,:-.t.!
most sacred :::=~'YJ
The me·,: :..:;
bands are g.:.~~::.
painstaking ;:~= 11
wife for ;,i, ,,- l!
of the wife's ::-.:..:1
meticulous :~= :::J
servants. :"'1e:
solemn YO\\~:" ::
Canaanite r.'::::: ::. i
native lane!. :: .~
Isaac.
Idolatr;. :::.:::: ~
in Aram th;;.=-_ :' 1
moral com::--' ::
from the Bc,:~:~
licentiousr.e;s ::.:
the possib::'::::. :::;
education. ;..:..: =:lI
by the p-e:-,: r:=-. I
individual ::-:.::: :l
change ir:
influences :: ..!.~1
Canaanite ::::-_::':1i
The
:l
of characte~ .::: :=11
-=­
THE JEWISH WOMAN
'.cire and saw in her
L::
~::<: ~-.~.
::.::- ',c
;'7;"11'\;"1 pnlt' ;"11'\::1',
"s Isaac comforted
c__
=;mph that could be
-_ ::le respect in which
:.L:'-. -: Sarah the horne of
~~-~2:.:ght Rebecca horne
~ _::-.~ of Abraham.
Ii>"-, ~:";e. the Presence of
'.:,;,,- SlIan died the cloud
~: :::;;~e, As long as Sarah
;.:::, '.:"Jen Sarah died that
t. :'-.:: .::oming of Rebecca,
r :-:: -.:: were wide open in
:'::: ::-::, generosity ceased,
k'
-::~ "s Sarah was alive
c:-: - ::-:e next. When Sarah
.. ::-;::1 Rebecca took her
; - -' .,!,,;:'raham the presence
r:: ::"-.:::, and serenity in the
t::-:: ~~:l\<ities of the woman
~~.:... 2:t:
evident from his
from the care with
c~ :1~5 mourning was not
:C'::: to weep beside his
:- ',\ ~-jen Abraham finally
,;..:: - " :lffects him, as her
- he does so only
~::=.:: :0 him and therefore
" -' Abraham, the land on
::.:.:.-
~::i
'::ime into use for the
to ;"W)'J i1n'p ;"1n'p
::: his purchase of the
<: .::.-:, for Jewish marriages
,-~.~;:;, ,-\braham's love for
- historic association
:::~:.' ~,;;ck
103
should have the following succinct message for every Jewish man and
woman as they enter marriage: Look upon Abraham, your father, and
upon Sarah, who was to give birth to you, and love and honor one
another, as did these two, your original father and mother, until the end
of your days.
Of course there are those who point with some irony to this legal
formula, "So, you see, Jewish men acquire their wives by purchase,"
they say. Yes, it is true; the Jew "acquires" his wife, Note, however, that
he acquires her not from others but from herself, out of her own free
will, and then she remains his own most precious possession, his own
most sacred treasure, even beyond death,
IV. Rebecca
The most eloquent. complete refutation of claims that Jewish hus­
bands are guilty of "oriental-style" disregard for their wives is the
painstaking care with which we see Abraham supervise the choice of a
wife for his son Isaac. Only one who is himself thoroughly convinced
of the wife's crucial role in the future of the horne could exercise such
meticulous care in this matter, Abraham has Eliezer, the oldest of his
servants. the one who is in charge of his entire household, take a most
solemn vow that he will not choose for Abraham's son a daughter of the
Canaanite nation in whose midst he dwells but will travel to Abraham's
native land, to Aram, in order to secure from there a suitable wife for
Isaac.
Idolatry, that spiritual aberration of mankind, was no less prevalent
in Aram than it was in Canaan. However, it did not produce as much
moral corruption in Aram as it did among the Canaanites. We know
from the Book of Leviticus that the most outrageous orgies of Hamite
licentiousness took place in Canaan and Mitzrayim. There is always
the possibility that mental aberrations can be corrected by the proper
education, but moral corruption produced by inherited disposition and
by the personal example of others can become so deep-seated in an
individual that it is difficult, if not impossible, to effect a complete
change in him. The tent of Abraham was well protected from the
influences of Aramite idolatry, but every effort had to be made to keep
Canaanite immorality from its threshold.
The dowry required of the first bride in Jewish history was purity
of character, a fact reflected also in the manner in which Eliezer sought
104
COLLECTED WRITII\'GS
to accomplish his mission. The text reads ~'1:)l1:) C"1:)) ;''1WY iJY;' ni'"
' 11m i'i.' 'N C''1m Oil< 'N 1'" ci'" ,'i':l ,'J,I< J'D " , 1'" "Jil< (Genesis
24,10). The words 1'" ci'" that come only after the reference to the
paraphernalia he takes with him show that the first "" in the passage
does not allude to Eliezer's departure but to his preparations for his
journey, to the manner in which he sets out on his mission. When he
comes to his master's native land he does not want to appear as a
wealthy gentleman but as a servant, a slave. He wanted to be received
and accepted not for his appearance but for himself. for the person he
was. He took ten camels from among his master's camels, choosing
those that looked every bit like the camels of a wealthy man. but he
himself traveled on foot, leading the camels. Moreover. the camels did
not bear the precious gifts intended for the bride; Eliezer had taken
them only for the transportation of the future bride and retinue (Genesis
24,61; cf. Ecclesiastes 10,7). The gifts for the bride were carried by
Eliezer himself.
Both the master and his servant were convinced that Divine Prov­
idence was especially concerned that Isaac shOUld get the wife best
suited for him. Both Abraham and Eliezer raised their eyes heavenward.
praying that God might send them His angel to show them the right
path to the right wife "for His servant, for Isaac," for the one whose
whole life was consecrated to the service of God and who, in seeking
a wife, sought only;,", the completion of his own place in life so that
he might be able to serve God as a "whole" human being.
But how would Eliezer, that servant of the house of Abraham, go
about seeking the maiden capable of filling the gap left in the home of
Abraham when Sarah died, a maiden who, in partnership with Isaac,
would be able to carryon the great heritage of Abraham and Sarah? He
would recognize her not by her wealth, nor by her physical charms, nor
by her intellectual accomplishments, but only by her character, by the
humanity and morality of her heart, by her readiness to help others-in
short, by her ion l'l1"l:)l, that character trait which has remained the
most distinct identifying mark of the sons and daughters of Abraham
to this day. The maiden whom Eliezer would recognize as the wife
sent by God for Isaac, His servant, would be one who, when Eliezer
would ask her to let him drink from her pitcher of water, would offer
water not only to him but also to his ten camels that were waiting some
distance away (the text reads iN:l;' 'I<, not iN:l;' '1'). And by the way, let
it be noted that a camel is capable of drinking quite a large quantity of
water at one r::::-.:: ,.
him a vieek if ~_~.,;e
regularly dru;:'_:': '::'.1
The maide~..~ ':l
wife for Isaz;; '" =11
for human l:ce:::;s !
how to expre~s :e
by prompL \:f:-!:I
being asked
there was L1 e ":':--:.f
brightly with::" ~e
their tent It see~-s
trait was no: f-:::::;:
clan of Abr.c::c=_
which Elieze~
Abraham's
Had suc·~;: -:~
concern. and :--"'~ :
would haye ~e:::. -i
of Aram to ~"--:::
However. the ~~
Isaac, the ser·
"
maiden to t::e :e~:..
he would be ,::'::e ~
He had ::~=--~..
appeared at ~e ';.!:l
the son of:\L~,,-~_.'
Yiskah of Ge::es3
related to 15~_-:'
of Abrahac 2-::~ iI
both the Bib~.:~ :J
put more sere"" :JII
must have bee:: :< 1
outstanding :. =..?il
a stranger as
gJ
that these "(1=-,=:::
more th8!l ::_e :.:::s
prejudice.
Consicer :::s=
!
THE JEWISH WOMAN
:1:"; -:~':'i
"v"
-:-!\ . Genesis
e:-:::::e to the
r .-:: passage
1J.: _ -,5 for his
~~ - \\'hen he
, .::-::;;ar as a
[ :." received
t".:: ::-;;[50n he
e:" :hoosing
-~~. but he
k: _ .::nels did
::;~~..id taken
c ':: Genesis
re . .:rried by
r:: ',:::c Prov­
:::: ", ife best
::-,::.:: .. enward.
11:::-, c:-te right
f: -:J;; whose
( '~seeking
c ~,~e so that
go
home of
, ... :th Isaac,
~ Sarah? He
t ;: ::.ill11S, nor
':?.:::er. by the
l;;:::,ers-in
-e::-,.iined the
,:: Abraham
2.5 ,he wife
1.':::::1 Eliezer
"'.:'Jld offer
some
, :.'-:e way, let
e '::Jantity of
r\:,
105
water at one time so that enough water is stored up in his body to last
him a week if necessary. (One camel raised in Paris is known to have
regularly drunk four buckets of water at a time.)
The maiden whom Eliezer would identify as the Divinely-chosen
wife for Isaac would be one that would have compassion not only
for human beings but also for tired, thirsty animals, and would know
how to express her compassion not in idle, sentimental phrases but
by prompt, vigorous action taken on her own accord, without first
being asked to do so. In short, she would be a maiden within whom
there was the same spark of practical loving-kindness that burned so
brightly within the hearts of Abraham and Sarah and upon the altar of
their tent. It seems that even in those days this Abrahamite character
trait was not generally found among other people but primarily in the
clan of Abraham. Consequently. this was the one character trait by
which Eliezer felt he would be able to recognize the proper bride for
Abraham's son.
Had such purity of character not been the primary object of Eliezer' s
concern, and had it not been such a rare phenomenon in his day, it
would have been quite easy for Eliezer to find a maiden from the land
of Aram to marry the only son of a wealthy man such as Abraham.
However, the task at hand was to find the right wife for a man such as
Isaac, the servant of God. It was therefore essential that Eliezer put the
maiden to the test, trusting that, with God's guidance and providence,
he would be able to accomplish his mission.
He had hardly uttered these thoughts to himself when Rebecca
appeared at the well. She turned out to be Rebecca, daughter of Bethue1,
the son of Milcah, wife of Abraham's own brother. If, as tradition has it,
Yiskah of Genesis 11,29 was identical with Sarah, Rebecca was closely
related to Isaac by double family ties, Her grandfather was the brother
of Abraham and her grandmother the sister of Sarah. At any rate, if
both the Biblical narrative and the information volunteered by Rebecca
put more stress on Bethuel's mother than on his father, then Milcah
must have been a most praiseworthy, distinguished woman, sufficiently
outstanding to make her granddaughter still proudly identify herself to
a stranger as the granddaughter of Milcah. This little detail, too, shows
that these "Oriental" women must have been regarded as something
more than the insignificant, nameless figures portrayed by common
prejudice.
Consider the delicate brushstrokes with which the Word of God
106
COLLECTED WRITINGS
depicts the splendid character and behavior of this maiden. n:l~ 'l.');"n
;,!l.'1' N? \U'N' ;'!?,n:l 1N~ ;,!N'~ (Genesis 24,16). She was very beautiful, a
virgin, ;,!l.'1' N? \U'N'! This phrase could not have been intended simply
to identify her status as a virgin, for that is already indicated earlier
by the term ;'!?,n:l. Also, elsewhere in Scripture the description of a
virgin is \U'N iil.'1' N? (cf. Judges 11.39); in this narrative, however, the
text reads iil.'1' N? \U'N. The usual way of describing a virgin is simply
to state that she had never had intimate relations with a man. In the
story of Rebecca, however, the purpose apparently is to emphasize her
chaste personality, which was such that no man had ever dared make
any advances to her. The pure, virtuous personality of a truly modest
woman has a magic power that drives away everything base and ignoble
from her immediate sphere; no eye would dare cast a lewd glance upon
the majesty of a truly pure woman: iil.'1' N? \U'N.
Rebecca went down to the well, filled her pitcher and came up again.
Eliezer, the servant, ran to meet her. "Let me drink a little water from
your pitcher," he begged her. "Drink, my lord," she replied, quickly
lowering the pitcher onto her palm and giving him to drink. After having
let Eliezer drink his fill, she said to him, "I will draw water also for
your camels until they have finished drinking." Saying this, she quickly
emptied the contents of her pitcher into the trough, ran back to the well
to draw more water, and drew enough water for all his camels. This
brief Biblical sketch portrays her as a wonderful person. She is kind
and courteous, even addressing a mere servant as "my lord:' She moves
swiftly if there is anything she can do to help another person. She is not
garrulous; she does not waste many words to explain what she is about
to do. She first allows Eliezer to drink; only thereafter does she inform
him that she also wishes to attend to the needs of the camels. She does
not pour the rest of the water from her pitcher to the ground but pours
it into the trough. Though she may have to run back and forth from the
well eighty times, she accomplishes this arduous work for the thirsty
animals with cheerful speed and vigor, and she is generous with her
time and effort. At the same time she is careful not to waste any of the
little water that is still left in the pitcher. Is this not a portrait of a truly
splendid woman? She does not spare any labor, no matter how difficult,
to promote the comfort and well-being of others. At the same time she
attaches due importance even to the smallest result of her work lest it be
wasted for no good reason. See, too, how exuberantly happy Rebecca
is at the thought that she has been able to refresh Eliezer's camels with
cool water frorr. ~!' 1
in your father' 5 :.;J
"There is alse -==:::
stay overnight." 5:-..;0:
to the drink. a.::: :J
This was :- :!'7.:j
wife for lsaa::. '~-.!' ~
Kote ho';' ::-.= :-:
Eastern cul':'.::-=~3
from ':ler p20:e:::cs -.'
realizes t':la, t:-.= =~
Providence. ,.,: .•
the propose.2 =,;::-~
line ganner:::s ~=:- j
:;'\,:'1l':~
==­
"'
are made ag.:.:.::-.i: iii
says. ane
"-"'::ell
her fa,:rily ::-.~_ :-_e'C
It is S;IT~::_::'::'': 1
regarded as .:':-.:_S.':'li
matter.
Is~~ .'~ ~.":'5
silent thT'C'I·':"':- . . .
3...iangerr_e::-_:s ::-= :::
~ather's :3.:::-_f..:.~ .;e:"
whic':l. m2~e
jappine55. [>~"';.
Abraham :.E:.:.:
:=j
-,;:.- -~
How rrc:.r.:j .. _.--'!:
times Je"." i5~~ =-~-:---..
",;.·ith ~::; .... --':::­
-:or:s:de;:2::::--. -::. ~~J
Here J.;:~::-_ ~::
co:r:nn:c':': ~e:-_;,.:: =...a
l~ G1e p:-:='=
.lle m3.':e ;..:- =~,,=,::
L1e rr:a:,: :-~"'7~~=~
:--er..eC:12':-:'
:0 l:e C'!
:::J
=~
:.:.~= !~~,J:
THE JEWISH WOMAN
=3.iden. r1:JO 'Yli"ll
co...:.s '-ery beautiful, a
1::.:-:::-. intended simply
:=c::. indicated earlier
::-.e description of a
c:::,\e. however, the
ic: ~ " \·irgin is simply
s c,;,:th a man. In the
~ :, ,0 emphasize her
b2': e\·er dared make
e::. of a truly modest
I:::.::.g base and ignoble
s;;: :?; lewd glance upon
ILS
e~
-'--''1d came up again.
r.:;.: " little water from
. s::e replied, quickly
:: innk. After having
I ':::-dW water also for
r: c::g this, she quickly
L :-~'1 back to the well
his camels. This
l ;:,c[son. She is kind
lord." She moves
t:e~ person. She is not
12..::: what she is about
a:':er does she inform
'::.e ;::amels. She does
:..-:= ground but pours
l:j;: and forth from the
• ';;' ork for the thirsty
;s generous with her
0>1 !::l waste any of the
oc 2. portrait of a truly
, rr:aaer how difficult,
A: the same time she
[ :: her work lest it be
happy Rebecca
E:ezer's camels with
107
cool water from the welL When Eliezer asks her, "Would there be room
in your father's house for us to stay overnight?" she quickly replies,
"There is also plenty of straw and fodder with us, and also a place to
stay overnight." She first thinks of the food the animals need in addition
to the drink, and only thereafter of the lodging for the man.
This was indeed the proper wife for the son of Abraham, the right
wife for Isaac, the servant of God!
Note how the rest of the story, too, refutes the fanciful notions of
Eastern culture. Contrary to popular notion, the girl is not "bought"
from her parents with a "bride price." Only when Rebecca's family
realizes that the meeting of Eliezer and Rebecca was an act of Divine
Providence, so that they cannot do anything else but give their consent to
the proposed marriage, does Rebecca receive gold and silver jewelry and
fine garments. Her family receives only gifts of secondary importance,
Tnl'll:l, literally "fine fruits," perhaps preserves. Also, no arrangements
are made against Rebecca's will. "We will ask the girl," the family
says, and only after Rebecca has readily agreed to the marriage does
her family hand her over to Eliezer.
It is significant that the one person whose wishes should have been
regarded as decisive in this arrangement has nothing to say in the
matter. Isaac, whose wishes should have mattered the most, remains
silent throughout. While Rebecca is asked for her approval before any
arrangements are made in her behalf, Isaac permits his father and his
father's faithful servant complete freedom to act for him in a matter
which, more than anything else, will be decisive for his personal
happiness. Does this story not reflect a character trait in the family of
Abraham that still predominates within the families of Abraham's true
spiritual heirs today, promoting their true happiness throughout life?
How much ridicule has been wasted on the fact that until very recent
times Jewish marriages were made not by the well-known blind deity
with his quiver of arrows but solely on the basis of thorough, rational
consideration by the parents and families of both parties!
Here again we see a time-honored Jewish custom, with its good
common sense, that has proven more effective than any other approach
in the promotion of personal happiness. In other societies marriages
are made by emotions as blind as their god of love. Passion acts as
the matchmaker, thus excluding, from the very outset, the role of calm
reflection in a matter where dispassionate consideration would seem
to be of the essence. Partners whose emotions are blinded by passion
108
COLLECTED WRITINGS
never get to know one another before marriage; as a result, they enter
marriage with notions and expectations that have no relation to reality.
But very soon reality brings disillusionment, chilling the passions and
estranging the partners from one another. Jewish marriages, on the other
hand, are made on the basis of calm deliberation and careful reflection,
testing whether the prospective partners are mutually compatible in
their emotions, character, personality and all the other factors that
determine marital happiness. These are considerations and reflections
of which neither the young man nor the young woman are capable but
which are within the capability of the parents, relatives and friends of
both parties. Only when good common sense would approve of the
union are the couple's feelings toward one another taken into account.
That is why statistics show a disproportionately higher percentage of
happy marriages among Jews than among members of other societies.
Therefore, too, in Jewish marriages the wedding* is not the climax
but only the highly promising seeding of love that unfolds more and
more with every passing day of the marriage. This is a love that, as
the partners pass through life's days of sunshine and tempest, becomes
ever more firmly rooted and bursts into ever more glorious flower as
the two hearts grow into one another and the two souls. deeply involved
in the serious business of life. become aware of what they mean to one
another and realize what a treasure each has in the other. An Isaac who
chooses his Rebecca on his own may well make a mistake, but an Isaac
who permits his father Abraham to bring him his Rebecca will rarely
be disillusioned.
Note, finally. the striking contrast between the Aramite family on the
one hand and the family of Abraham on the other. See Isaac permitting
his father to act for him in the most serious decision of his life. On the
other hand, see Rebecca's brother, Laban, rudely pushing his aged father.
Bethuel, aside when this most important family concern is discussed,
impudently lording it over the family and shoving the "old man" into a
corner like so much castoff household refuse. Even when the family is
called upon to give its formal sanction to the proposed marriage, Laban
does not allow his father to speak before him. The "old man" does not
get any of the delicacies that Eliezer has brought for Rebecca's family.
It is the son and his mother that do all the talking (with the son speaking
before his mother. which was considered proper), and when the bride
* R. Hirsch alludes to the German term for "wedding," Hochzeif. literally "high
time" or "climax." (Ed.)
receives the farrL:. ';: ':"l
it is not her father :.. ~: I
In view of the : ~ -~!
of the House of :'1.:-.0<
to depart at an
::.?
been marked by 1.:::'::":'::
and kindly heart. :-:::.": g.
thing. too, that I ;:::::~-jJ
he took as his \\ ::e :::.::
of Laban the Arar:-.::e
And so Rebe;::.o :J
reincarnation of ;::' -:J
only through th:s ~'';: .',
mother.
Even as s:::.~.:.:-. ;,3
steadfast, loyal,::,: --:- -..:::l
wanderings
.-1
into the spirit o:~ ::..." :-:'J
that, long before;;:.::..::: 1
the Abrahamite '.::: .. ;;:
dissimilar SOl', :,::.e ::
husband's eye:,
:-c":':
An unprejuc::::: ;,.
Isaac's blessing... ,-,
receiving his f2.::-;:~ ~:
by a discerning '.;.::: :
in a question CI"::.C:..
Rebecca's act :-..':.::. :-=-::
course. quickl> c..;.:.'
the true results ,~.= =::-'
a v,:oman of R:::-::::
hopes upon. a ,,:e;;-~
Whether .,\:: ::'=:­
disposition to ;:os:::.:~;
we construe i:
:~~
as part of Di\::.:, ?:'"
all meaning :f ",~:
testamenta.,,; ..::;;:.:
and the Go_ -: '::.':.,
l,
THE JEWISH WOMAN
.1 ~::''Jlt.
they enter
~ . _..::1On to reality.
~ ::~:; passions and
-..:;::,;. on the other
:: ~ .:..:-eful reflection,
:::....:. 20mpatible in
factors that
c.> 2..;d reflections
[2..": l,e capable but
:: =, ::md friends of
1:-: ::.pprove of the
~:::r: into account.
percentage of
• :: 2ther societies.
:-:ot the climax
t _:'".:Jlds more and
S :3
love that, as
C ::':":.pest, becomes
~ ;'. -:ious flower as
~, :::eply involved
a: :-.::: mean to one
:'~-.::~ An Isaac who
::" :::.~:e. but an Isaac
I"..e:e::ca will rarely
r.:.~..::e
family on the
I;:aac permitting
r: :' "tis life. On the
t:.~.; "tis aged father,
:'::::::11 is discussed,
old man" into a
::::n the family is
!oC: -:::arriage, Laban
:: man" does not
:: ::<'coecca's family.
'::~. :he son speaking
,.:..:-~ when the bride
;C~
== .
,.~,'i!.
literally "high
109
receives the family's blessing as she leaves her home to go with Eliezer,
it is not her father but her brother who blesses the departing daughter.
In view of the foregoing, it certainly was all the better for the future
of the House of Abraham that Rebecca, its second matriarch. was able
to depart at an early age from a home environment which seems to have
been marked by rudeness and vulgarity. and in which she, with her pure
and kindly heart, had grown up like a rose among thorns. It was a good
thing, too, that Isaac had already reached the mature age of forty when
he took as his wife the daughter of Bethuel the Aramite and the sister
of Laban the Aramite.
And so Rebecca came to Isaac. He led her into Sarah's tent as the
reincarnation of his mother. She became his wife. he loved her, and
only through this beloved wife did he find comfort for the loss of his
mother.
Even as Sarah was to Abraham, so we see Rebecca. too, as a
steadfast, loyal companion to her husband, Isaac. in all his trial-filled
wanderings through life. Indeed, this daughter of Aram had entered
into the spirit of the household and mission of Abraham so completely
that, long before Isaac himself could do so, she was able to judge, from
the Abrahamite viewpoint, the worthiness and unworthiness of her two
dissimilar sons to be the heirs of Abraham and Isaac, and to open her
husband's eyes to these realities.
An unprejudiced, sober examination of the much-maligned story of
Isaac's blessing will show that Rebecca's ruse, which resulted in Jacob's
receiving his father's blessing instead of Esau. was simply an attempt
by a discerning wife to help her husband attain better understanding
in a question crucial to the future of their family and its mission. If
Rebecca's act had been nothing but a ruse that could be and was, of
course, quickly discovered, how could she have expected it to yield
the true results she desired? Above all, how could anyone imagine that
a woman of Rebecca's character would care for, much less build her
hopes upon, a blessing obtained by trickery and deliberate deceit?
Whether we interpret Isaac's blessing as a father's testamentary
disposition to establish the future leadership of his family, or whether
we construe it as a promise made under Divine inspiration. to be fulfilled
as part of Divine Providence, in either case this blessing would have lost
all meaning if it had involved an act of deceit on the part of Rebecca. A
testamentary disposition based on false presumptions is null and void,
and the God of heaven and earth, Who had chosen Abraham for the
110
COLLECTED WRITINGS
sole purpose that Abraham should bequeathe to his descendants the
legacy to practice tJ!ltv~' np'll, and Who had made the fulfillment of all
His own promises dependent upon the accomplishment of this purpose,
cannot be deceived, nor could He have allowed this legacy and His
promises to stand on a foundation of deceit. Not even a heathen would
consider one of his fetishes ready to enter into such a scheme. And
certainly no one could have been farther removed from such behavior
than Rebecca, the successor of Sarah in the household of Abraham.
But Esau, that "hunter with his mouth," understood how to deceive and
capture his father's heart and had succeeded so well in hoodwinking the
prematurely aged and nearly blind Isaac that the latter truly believed
that Esau was the proper inheritor of the moral and spiritual legacy of
Abraham. This despite the fact that Esau had so little understanding for
the Abrahamite vocation that, for instance, he believed he had satisfied
the requirements of his Divinely-ordained calling by adding one wife of
Abrahamite descent to his Canaanite wives who had caused his parents
so much grief by their conduct and their lack of all sense for morality.
At this point Rebecca, the sensible wife who surely must have tried
often, without success, to disillusion Isaac, finally devised a drastic
plan to make her husband realize how gullible he was and how, in his
blindness, he could be deceived even by so obvious a disguise as that
of Jacob pretending to be Esau. She deceived her husband in order to
cure him of his illusions. That is why Isaac was seized with such terror
when he realized that he had been tricked. Immediately, the blindfold
fell from his eyes. Quickly composing himself, he added, deliberately
and of his own free will, the words that confirmed his blessing: 1"::1 Cl
"n'.
We have dwelt upon this episode in the life of our matriarch not in
order to find an apology for her act, nor because of any feeling on our
part that we must not allow any shadows to attach to the biographical
pictures of our great forebears. We completely disagree with that view.
OUf ancestors were never presented to us as angelic models to emulate
in every respect; indeed, had they been presented to us as angelic
creatures, their example for us to follow in our own lives would have
been far less ideal and instructive than it actually is. If we were to
discover no shortcomings in their personalities. they would appear to
us like higher beings who, free of all human passions and weaknesses,
never had to struggle against sin and were never in need of an incentive
to virtue. We would conclude that, given our own human imperfections,
any effOrT C:-.
P:-;:~.~
to failure.
Word of Gc::
:-.i:3­
2J
:l:::1d
morality a::: . :.l
nearness. :.~::-. :.:'
'Jur o\\"n
~2·.~
=:- :..:
Also. ,:-­
forefathers: . - ::j
g:-eat an.:es::. :-.1
on t.'1e \\'c-" : =1
~ages a15c- ::-.
Still. ,-,e '~'::~:::1
terIT~5 :::: :;: ~~.p
inci\·ic.:.l'?"~ ~~ ::.::-~-:
;~:":'~:l
t::1e deli.: 3.:=
:,a';e ;-=3:-=-~
~e,:aLi5e ::C.::: :::.2;
_A. step ~¥\. ~:=; ~
~O\t; ie: _; :J
_.. _., :::.,::J
\\~e
2::l':c L-:e
.::2.-.~_~~=
:.-:~ II
t-1e \'ic-:i:-:_,
- _~~
-at:er
..
~e!TI_3ir..5 R::r:- :~_-~ '",
~
e~,-er:
~ra:::er
:'T_
l-is
~e3I:.
~
c: . . :._ -
2.::~-::
S:::e
';'-l~_
:l:e
r:~.:-:e::-
1
~
::-~-i
=-_:
~:1e
--
:
_--~
::\t'r. :::I~' ::.-_~=-
O::e _-"- ._ ~ :;
-... i5~
-~-"-- ,
:~
THE JEWISH WOMAN
:r..:.-.= ::' nis descendants the
L ::-. .::'::e
the fulfillment of all
lr:.: .. snment of this purpose,
L ... :,'~.:: [his legacy and His
L '< -: e\'en a heathen would
~ .~.:: such a scheme. And
e- : ',ed from such behavior
=~ ::-.ousehold of Abraham.
c::~5:,:'od how to deceive and
C ; -,', ell in hoodwinking the
L,"::: :'ie latter truly believed
,cc.::: and spiritual legacy of
a:: 5:' little understanding for
. -~;:>elieved he had satisfied
by adding one wife of
had caused his parents
11.:,: -:- all sense for morality,
e.~ .. ~ surely must have tried
'"'_
devised a drastic
L - he was and how, in his
50: -j';ious a disguise as that
~., c i1er husband in order to
&.: '" "s seized with such terror
_
the blindfold
c,:::r. he added, deliberately
~,::-::" :T:'led his blessing: l'i::l Cl
Ie
of our matriarch not in
:'C::,,:.lse of any feeling on our
.. _ :mach to the biographical
disagree with that view.
models to emulate
to us as angelic
.own lives would have
",::tually is. If we were to
t~_:;es. they would appear to
Dassions and weaknesses,
'er in need of an incentive
~..: J\\n human imperfections,
III
any effort on our part to emulate their saintly qualities would be doomed
_ to failure. Precisely by not concealing their shortcomings from us, the
Word of God has brought our patriarchs and matriarchs closer to us as
human beings, human like ourse1ves and exposed to the same struggles
and temptations. And if, nevertheless, they attained that high sense of
morality and loyalty to their calling that made them worthy of God's
nearness, they thereby demonstrated to us the heights that are within
our own power to attain, despite our weaknesses and imperfections.
Also, our Sages never turn a blind eye to the shortcomings of our
forefathers; on the contrary, they demonstrate how each error of our
great ancestors had its own unhappy consequences. The commentators
on the Word of God, including, for instance, the T"::l7:)i, * follow our
Sages also in this respect.
Still, we believe that the lives of our forefathers should be understood
in terms of pragmatic historical research, which seeks to explain the
individual features of their lives as part of the total picture of their
personalities and aspirations. In so doing, this approach seeks to trace
the delicate allusions that should not escape the attention of the reader.
We have presented our own interpretation of the story ofIsaac's blessing
because that incident can be meaningful to us when seen in this light.
A step by step analysis of the narrative confirms our view.
Now let us consider the true nobility shown by Rebecca and Jacob
following this incident. It is quite common among baser characters that,
once the damage has been done, it is the aggressor, even more than
the victim, that works himself into a rage of hostility and hatred, as
if seeking to justify his action, persuading himself that the victim had
fully deserved what had been done to him, and more. But in this case,
even after Isaac had reconfirmed his blessing in favor of Jacob, Esau
remains Rebecca's "eldest son," Jacob her "younger son," and Esau the
brother of Jacob (Genesis 27,42). Esau's mother sympathizes with Esau
in his anger, but both her sons. Esau and Jacob. remain close to her
heart. She fears that even as she bore both her sons on the same day,
she will now lose them on the same day, the one, Jacob, physically as
the murder victim and the other, Esau, morally as the murderer of his
own brother.
One can imagine how a lesser woman might have exploited Esau's
wish to murder Jacob, telling it to Isaac to justify her own conduct
* Cf. !":l7.l, to Genesis 12,10. (Ed,)
112
COLLECTED WRITINGS
and as proof that the foolish Isaac had loved. and even had intended to
bless, a son who was in fact a second Cain. But Rebecca did not do so.
In an effort to shield her husband, she spares him this sad discovery.
giving him other, innocuous explanations for Jacob's sudden departure
from home.
Also note how Rebecca and Jacob anxiously avoid giving the
appearance that their striving after Isaac's blessing and the privileges of
a first-born son had been motivated by material considerations. What
does Jacob have to gain from obtaining the rights of a first-born son
and his father's blessing? Esau, his twin brother, has already acquired
two wives since the age of forty and has been living in grand style
at his father's home, at his father's table and from his father's wealth.
lacob, on the other hand, is still unmarried, and when he finally leaves
his parental home to establish a home of his own, he leaves as a poor
man, taking with him nothing except his staff, lest Esau miss so much
as a pin after lacob's departure. After that. he must perform slave labor
to acquire a wife and to provide for his family: i1wx:n i1WN:l ?N'W' 1:l11"
,~W (Hosea 12,13). All this documents the nobility of character for
which Rebecca and lacob are remembered.
V. Rachel and Leah
We will now address ourselves to the two women who, in fact. were
the founding mothers of the tribes of the lewish people, lacob acquired
these two wives by toiling as a slave for fourteen years. No ardent
wooing from the age of chivalry can compare to this man's toil to win
his wife. Jacob performed fourteen years of slave labor for a scheming,
vexatious master, all for the latter's two daughters, who would not
receive any dowry when they married, Since lacob received no wages,
he was still as poor after fourteen years of loyal, hard slave labor as he
had been when he first entered Laban's service, He had become richer
only in wives and offspring and in worries about them, without so much
as a penny to set up a household of his own. Has any other man ever
made such enormous sacrifices in order to win a wife?
lacob's fourteen years of slave labor laid the foundations for the
spirit of all subsequent lewish marriages. The example set by Jacob is
eloquent proof of what the Jewish wife means to her husband, reminding
the lewish man that in choosing a wife he should not seek to win a
dowry but should regard his wife herself as his most priceless treasure.
Jacob's fourteeI'. :.;: "-~~ ='
marriage and the J,;'.~ .o.~ ::':
wives are subjectec. :: --:-:::
In this portrait c': .,,~:-:­
mother, the most
of the two sisters. '.'::''' :.:~
Jacob's wife only ct.::: .: :'l
It was for Rache: _..:.: : 11
home, and these yea:; .:.;~
because of his 10\'; . ~ R­
and probably also t,: - j
marry the younger ::;': :-., j
also the elder, for ~: .S -::
daughter before he::- -=:::.,,~ ;;
And so both Le::'- ~.':
did not make Lea:. s.:.::::~ :
;'1x?~ ?n., 0) (Ger.:::s:- :-~
Leah; after all. Ra::-:::: -::.j
according to the B:::.: ~
In other words. ~:s ::::.::..-: 1
of her husband's )'::'.:: -::-:-Ji
however. this does :-.:: :::.:::ll
but merely that Lea:. '.:·':'5 :
This slight on]:. '""..:..: :l
the true significan:e ::' ::
wonderful mothe: ::;: :':.::
Jewish wives ar.d :-::-.:::==
spell that motherL:·:·: '~. : '1
upon a husband' ?:::::: S
his children couIe
merely as his betrel:::: - .:.::.;
and thus also L'le ,'.;'::.:...--:::: .
home, in the nar::es
she had been the :;:55:'-: ..•
the joys of mo;:he~~.:·>:" '>..
happiness and
,,: :'<!
birth to her fir:; L 5.. :..'!::.:
was why she na~.'!:
son, she said ;""=~=:- '--:,
THE JEWISH WOMAN
had intended to
did not do so.
L-::: :::is sad discovery,
:::: s sudden departure
:: e·;::1
R::~-::.:ca
;;xoid giving the
the privileges of
! ~:::siderations. What
:::s ·Jf a first-born son
t ::lS already acquired
l . ,:r:g in grand style
lC ':is father's wealth.
''';' .-:e~" he finally leaves
f7. :-:e Jeaves as a poor
~: ;:5au miss so much
::..::: ~-erform slave labor
1:':-::' ~',i}~~ ;"'11." '~17"
C.::;, of character for
tg "-.:"".:
cei. ",'ho, in fact, were
!Y.'=;ie. Jacob acquired
'!...=:::: years. No ardent
; :::~5 man's toil to win
i: .,,:·Jf for a scheming,
who would not
:.L:" ~eceived no wages,
• ::.::rc slave labor as he
He :,ad become richer
6e:7:, without so much
l.=s .L-: yother man ever
i ~.... ~~e :
b-e ~oundations for the
:l...,.n:ple set by Jacob is
::.e: :-tusband, reminding
:0':: _ :lot seek to win a
L: 5: priceless treasure,
113
Jacob's fourteen years of slave labor should serve to clear the Jewish
marriage and the Jewish home forever from the allegation that Jewish
wives are subjected to Oriental-type degradation.
In this portrait of Jacob and his family Leah is shown as the prolific
mother, the most important nurturer of the tribes of Israel. She, the elder
of the two sisters, was the less beautiful of the two, and she became
Jacob's wife only due to the machinations of her father, Laban.
It was for Rachel that Jacob toiled for the first seven years at Laban's
home, and these years appeared to him as no more than one happy day
because of his love for Rachel. Laban said to his future son-in-law
and probably also to his daughter, "Whoever in our midst wishes to
marry the younger of two daughters thereby implicitly wishes to marry
also the elder, for it is not customary among us to betroth the younger
daughter before her elder sister."
And so both Leah and Rachel became Jacob's wives, but Jacob
did not make Leah suffer for being the wife he had not wanted. ~;"IN"
;"IN;/::) ;n, Cl (Genesis 29,30)-To be sure, he loved Rachel more than
Leah; after all, Rachel had been the wife of his choice. But note that
according to the Biblical text he "also loved" Rachel more than Leah.
In other words, his heart went out also to Leah; she was not cheated
of her husband's love. True, we read (ibid. 29,31) ;'116 mmlV '::l ';"I N"';
however, this does not mean mmlV ;"IN; '::l, that Leah was actually hated,
but merely that Leah was the less beloved of the two.
This slight only had the effect of keeping awake in Leah's heart
the true significance of conjugal love with all its fiery passion. This
wonderful mother of the Jewish people, this splendid model for all
Jewish wives and mothers to follow, realized and understood the magic
spell that motherhood, woman's true and most sublime calling, can cast
upon a husband's heart. She understood that a wife as the mother of
his children could perhaps mean more to her husband than she would
merely as his betrothed and his bride. And she perpetuated this thought,
and thus also the sublime values of the Jewish marriage and the Jewish
home, in the names she chose for her sons. It was because, as a bride,
she had been the less beloved of Jacob's two wives that God granted her
the joys of motherhood, so that she became the cause of her husband's
happiness and pride at becoming the father of children. After giving
birth to her first son, Leah said, HGod has seen my sufferings," and that
was why she named her first son p'N'. After giving birth to her second
son, she said merely, HGod has heard that I am the less beloved." The
114
COLLECTED WRITINGS
slight she suffered was no longer noticed by the world outside, but
she still missed the tone of intimacy in the private words that Jacob
addressed to her. It was no longer so obvious as to be seen by others,
but she believed that people could still hear, from her husband's tone in
talking with her, that she was the less loved of the two wives. Therefore
she named her second son Pl11J1I1. By the time her third son was born,
however, she felt that her husband had become bound to her by ties of
conjugal attachment and devotion. Therefore she named her third son
",. By the time her fourth son was born, she was a truly happy wife.
She was filled with gratitude toward God, and therefore she named the
child il"il'.
Thus, Mother Leah chose for her sons names that were to perpetuate
for all time the values that make a Jewish marriage happy and sacred.
The names P,N, and i'111J1I1 imply that the eye and the ear of God
participate in every marriage; that God sees and hears the conduct
and the relationship between the two spouses; that God is the witness
between husband and wife, the third participant in the covenant of the
two; and that whatever husband and wife say and do in their marriage
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
between husband and wife; each of the partners considers himself and
herself il". the debtor to the other. Only through the presence of the
one can the other feel truly whole. This feeling of mutual indebtedness
and gratitude makes for increasingly close and intimate ties ~tween
husband and wife. The name il"il' implies that even as each of the
partners feels ;"", indebted to the other, so they unite in gratitude to
God, il"';', that brings both of them closer and closer to Him. Every
breath of husband and wife is an act of gratitude, gratitude for every
moment of good health and happiness granted to them, for every joy
given them and for God's help in good and evil days alike. All of this
gratitude should be given in the manner God expects it, not by empty
phrases and ceremonies but in the form of joyous, devoted obedience
to God in every phase of life and with all the vigor of one's very being.
,:l1l1111' and 1",,::n, respectively, denote the diligence of the man in
acquiring what his family needs (':l1l1) and the work of the woman,
which is to use her husband's acquisitions to transform her home into a
comfortable habitation (":IT). Finally, we have ,'" and '1I1N. * ,'" implies
apparent, unexpected good fortune, while '1I1N denotes the inner bliss,
the moral and spiritual riches that make for a truly happy marriage.
:::...-! ::,.:
.,'"
---"
:'i
3-"~ ~
"--­
!.: :=~::1
..,= :-.;.,:.,
~
::::-3
.::c
=_2--:-_~ ~
:~:.
~-~
l..-.::;
"-::"$
;;:-_ ~,;_ !'S :..:i
.":,';:;':
:.':;.
:: ..:]
,
-7:~;'!:::
~
__.. .= __
l
:-=-~ -~-:-:
.
-.:.:
J
::~ .~~
.::.; !:..-p
:.~.:! ::~-:: -= :~
:s :::;
:::l
~,-=:,: =:=~
.::.=~= -:.:~
':I
:~-
.:! ::-.::~:: : !:I
~-
:-'r::--;.=::::,_~ ~
'., -- -, . ::'!i
...:--=-;.;:
:=:::':: - :r:J
- . ____ . :,:0;:
-­ --
"\ f - __. - .
~
>,=-==~
:J
__:'C:':::!C':o
* 'l, from "l, to drive in quickly. suddenly. to separate. "'l, a raiding troop; hence,
--=":'c.::::
-:-1'
THE JEWISH WOMAN
t.e ,:. (·rld outside, but . ;' ~ ..:.ords that Jacob : ~:. :"-e seen by others, ~ ~~; 'msband's tone in II:'; :-:.:' wives, Therefore t:c~ -~....,rd son was born, -,' .:.~ to her by ties of :",,' - ; :ned her third son :-;~rulY happy wife, ::-:~e:0re she named the
::s :"-,';: \1. ere to perpetuate
r...;;;:;: happy and sacred. e.;: -~,.j the ear of God ::: . cc.::'. hears the conduct • '_'-'.: God is the witness ::-;e covenant of the • ::::. ::0 in their marriage
,
;'I";, the bond
..<:::-0 • .; :lsiders himself and
l"': _;;:~, :.he presence of the
~: mutual indebtedness
.!.:.:: ::-;:imate ties between
_ --;. ~\en as each of the
; ;:;.: :nite in gratitude to
.. ;-". ::loser to Him. Every
~;.;;;::'.e. gratitude for ev~ry
/C.:::: :2 them. for every JO.y
c:: .:!.J.ys alike. All of thts
;.:.,: ::x;:~cts it, not by e:n pty
If ',2''':5. devoted obedtence
t:.~::;;:0r of one's very being.
_;..~
__ '­ ~'·iC'ence of the man in
te:. :::-.e work of the woman,
. . ' '.;n,form her home into a
'~:.~:; and 111.'N.* ,~ implies
.:-~ ~"'notes the inner bliss,
~ : :-:' ,,~~rulY happy marriage.
iL-::-
_~J-:
115
These are the essential points, this is the "marriage manual" that Mother
Leah left to her people through her children. If children, C'l:1, are the
true "building blocks" that go into the construction of the House of
Israel and of every single home in its midst, then Leah, through the
names she gave her children, has pointed out to future generations the
spiritual and moral building materials and mortar needed for the healthy
development of the House of Israel and all the homes within it.
We see, then, that it was given to Leah, the sad one of the two
sisters, to attain and perpetuate in her life the cheerful, happy aspects
of marriage. Meanwhile, Rachel, the happier of the two sisters, had
been made to taste the solemn, trial-filled aspects of marriage and
perpetuated these in the names she gave to her children. The names
11 and ';I'\!:ll, respectively, remind of Divine judgment and of the
struggles that are our lot. When, after long years of patient waiting,
Rachel could finally hold her first-born son in her arms, she did not
give herself completely to the bliss of long-awaited gratification. She
regarded her first son only as an "on-account payment," as it were, a
promise of additional children. To show that she was not yet satisfied,
she called him 1')0". And after she had given birth to a second son,
who held out to her a promise of fulfilled hopes at last, she had to
pay for this promise and this fulfillment with her life. She lived only
long enough to give to her child, who received life through her death,
the name of 'm~ 1:1.
Note that all the tribes of our nation received their names from
their mothers. The fact that it was not Jacob but Leah and Rachel who
chose the names for Jacob's sons is another indication of the position
of women in the House of Jacob. We see that, far from suffering
degradation, the women actually occupied a position of authority in the
family, and that Jacob treated his wives with the utmost respect for their
personal dignity. So, too, he did not make the decision to return home
without first discussing the matter with Rachel and Leah (Genesis 31,4
fO, whose intelligence and judgment he respected. He made his final
decision only after both wives had consented to it of their own free will,
without coercion from anyone .
Moreover, the relationship between the two sisters, Leah and Rachel,
seems to have been a thoroughly cordial and friendly one. True, we
unexpected fortune. 'iVN, from 'iVY. 'l1N, collecting. '1iVN, to step up. 'iVN, progress;
hence. 'iV1Y, riches. See Hirsch Commentary to Genesis 30.11-13. (Ed.)
'1,
116
COLLECTED WRITINGS
have only one passage in Scripture to document our assumption. But
precisely that passage portrays the two women to us-to the best of our
understanding-as engaging in innocuous mutual banter. It is difficult
to believe that Leah's words 'lV'~ nN 1nnp ~Y~i1 (Genesis 30,15) were
meant seriously. Why should these two sisters, whose entire lives were
shaped by the importance they attached to their husband's love, have
placed their love for their husband so unworthily and senselessly on a
level with insignificant flowers that grew wild in the fields? "Is it a small
thing that you have taken my husband from me?" Leah says to Rachel,
"And now you want my child's flowers also." That would be like
saying, "You have already stolen a million from me and now you want
me to give you a pin also." Hence we would regard this contretemps as
nothing but harmless banter. Leah's little son has brought home some
flowers from the field and gives them to his mother. Rachel, sitting next
to her sister, asks to be given some of the flowers. "You are asking a lot
from me," Leah replies jokingly. "You already have my husband and
now you also want my son's flowers." However, she lets Rachel have
the flowers. "Well, p\ just for this, because you've been so kind, Jacob
will visit you tonight," Rachel replies in the same casual, friendly tone.
Rachel died as a young woman on the family's way home to Canaan
and consequently was not buried in the Holy Land, in the tomb of the
other patriarchs and matriarchs. Even as he lies on his own deathbed,
Jacob sadly recalls that there is no national memorial to the one wife
of his choice and his heart. It was not given her to bear to Jacob the
first-born of all the tribes of the Jewish nation, and when someday her
descendants, grown into a nation, will visit the tombs of the patriarchs
and matriarchs at Machpelah, they will not find a tomb of Rachel there
on which to shed a tear in her memory. It was this consideration that led
Jacob to adopt Rachel's two grandsons, Ephraim and Menashe, as his
own. By creating the two half-tribes of Ephraim and Menashe, Jacob
created a national memorial, as it were, to his lost love, and at the same
time elevated his and Rachel's son Joseph virtually to the position of
a first-born. When Jacob blessed his children during the final hour of
his life, characterizing each one of them, he was strengthened (if we
understand his words correctly) by the memory of Rachel and recalled
her in the blessing he gave to her beloved son. Joseph had been crowned
with the diadem of wisdom, virtue and majesty among men, but it was
not life that had endowed Joseph with his nobility of mind and spirit;
he had received those qualities before he was born, from his mother,
:'1e source of :-_., -::e
5?here of orc.':::::-· :,:
When St::: .=. -~
Ennoble: ~:::'-JIj
\Vome::.: S:-:: :l
Unfortuna:e::. - :.:
on alien soiL s: :3
';;as destroyee .=.: ~- :
tear-drenche':: ~:.;.- ,::j
lament from tr.:: ::~
::er childrer:. S:-.:: _.:.:1
:::f God. Hc\\ e'·:::- ,,~
~ld dry your t;;~, ::l
return home fr-=-:-. :_:-J:!
end: the sons ",-; :-::::1
n. T
If we eDt;;:: ::::. ::
the women c·;;;;;;_~:·-­
expect froIT; :i-.:::·:·i
matriarchs: D.: ~::!
decline in 1:.1:; ::s:~=-:-.
woman's role :r ::::
periods: Has :,:", -::..:
Jewish nacio:: :;.:,: :..
nations, ar:;;;ie::. ::- ­
fewer inspire': -.0. , -:-~
role in the fa-! . ~ :.:-·e
When L1:: :::" ,.
mentally a::,: ~:::
:-,;":7'~ ~·hc :::;"":---~
their men 0:-,
and trust a:7.::-.; ',:e '
* See H:r;:~ - --",
THE JEWISH WOMAN
c·..-: ~5,.;rnption. But
5--:: :;:e best of our
'::;::.:.:=~. It is difficult
::-r.~::;:' 30,15) were
[,;.:: -::.::re lives were
IL, ~ 2..-.:';; love, have
iE;: ,-e:.:seiessly on a
~ -=;:.:5 ~ "Is it a small
L.='::':'. 52;'S to Rachel,
7-~:), o'Jld be like
It: JW you want
~
: ..:>ntretemps as
home some
, :;.~: ::e:. sitting next
-':: .:. ~;: asking a lot
t· -: ~:. ::usband and
s:,-: :,,:5 Rachel have
~:~~:. 50 kind, Jacob
C~ _2... :'riendly tone.
',iO ':'.:' c.::ne to Canaan
C. ,- :::e tomb of the
I': '.3 :'.l.n deathbed,
c:- ::. the one wife
.. ':,,:,:: ;0 Jacob the
to:
::e:-. someday her
en; ::' :"1:: patriarchs
C:-:-. ::' Rachel there
c: ~;::e:ation that led
, '':e:.ashe, as his
::.:.::. '.lenashe, Jacob
,: :: 2..d at the same
L. .' :::e position of
=-.= ~ :::.e tnai hour of
(if we
: C=,:::-.el and recalled
-;.: :-.::'~ been crowned
:"::. ~ :-:-.en. but it was
:- -.: :.:.:::-:d and spirit;
C
,~
..
:~ ='::: his
117
the source of his being, whose spirit towered high above the narrow
sphere of ordinary domestic pursuits:
When still a lad Joseph was ennobled, *
Ennobled already at the source.
Women! She, too, strode over the walls!
(Genesis 49,22)
Unfortunately, just as Rachel died at an early age and was buried
on alien soil, so, too, the kingdom established by her descendants
was destroyed at an early date and her children were forced to take the
tear· drenched road into exile. And if, to this day, we hear the whispering
lament from the treetops of Ramah, we know it is Rachel weeping for
her children. She cannot be consoled because she misses the Presence
of God. However, she is comforted with the words, "Weep no more
and dry your tears; there will still be a reward for your work. They will
return home from the land of the enemy; hope still blossoms for your
end; the sons will return to their Homeland" (Jeremiah 31,14-16).
VI. The Woman in the Jewish Nation
If we enter into the wider circles of the Jewish nation, will we see
the women occupying a position different from that which we might
expect from the biographical portraits of the nation's patriarchs and
matriarchs? Do we ever, in the history of the Jewish nation, note a
decline in the esteem in which women are held or a denigration of the
woman's role in the home and the family from what it was in earlier
periods? Has the participation of Jewish women in the affairs of the
Jewish nation ever been less significant than that of women in other
nations, ancient or modern? Does Jewish history have fewer heroines,
fewer inspired women of word and action who have played a crucial
role in the fate of their nation?
When the Jewish nation lies in chains, when the men collapse,
mentally and physically, beneath the yoke of tyranny, then it is the C'1Vl
m'Jp'i who acquire immortality in the nation's memory for cheering
their men on, keeping up their courage and sustaining the spirit of hope
and trust among the people.
mother,
* See Hirsch Commentary. ibid. (Ed.)
118
COLLECTED WRITINGS
When the sinister politics of a tyrant are pledged to the destruction
of the nation at the very hour of its birth, it is the midwives, simple,
ordinary women from among the people, who have the courage to defy
the command of the mighty and to confront an angry Pharaoh with the
spirit of women who fear God more than they fear men.
When the nation despairs because it seems that its leader, a mere
mortal, has disappeared, loses its faith in its everlasting God, and falls
back into the orgiastic worship of Egyptian idols, it is the women who
remain firm in their loyalty to God and refuse to participate in the
creation of the nation's idols.
In view of all the foregoing, when God wishes to turn over His
Law to that nation which is to bear it aloft through the world, both
for its own salvation and the salvation of the rest of mankind, it is the
women whom He summons first into His presence and upon whose
acceptance of the Law He builds the covenant of faith and the hope of
fulfillment. When a Sanctuary is to be built for that same Law of God,
it is the women who vie with the men in selfless work and devotion for
the Sanctuary. And whenever this Divine covenant and this loyalty to
the Law of God are reconfirmed through a reiteration of the Law at a
national public assembly, the women are not missing from the crowds
that rally around the Law.
And was it not two women, Yocheved and Miriam, who rescued
the infant Moses and to whom Moses owed his earliest training and
education, the first childhood impressions that generally leave their
mark on the child for life? Was it not another woman, Hannah, who
bore Samuel for her people? Was there ever, at the same time, a more
tender, loving marriage than that of Hannah and her husband Elkanah,
coupled with the position of freedom and respect that Elkanah accorded
to his wife, the mother of his son? And could the wife of Manoach,
or Abigail, or the Shunammite ever be described as anything but their
husbands' equals in every respect, women truly respected in their calling
as mothers, homemakers and wives? Are not Ruth and Naomi figures
of whom the women of any nation could be proud? Indeed, how many
men are there from the same period in Jewish history who could be
named as noble personifications of their sex?
Miriam, Deborah and Hannah-the nation's memory lists these
women gratefully among the outstanding spirits, the personalities whose
activities brought blessings to their own generation and to all the
generations that have followed since. When God, through Michah,
.;.:s:--~e
....
:.L
r~-=:-._:-.:
:--:-~,:~:-:.:e: 2.~.=.:-~~'- -,;.!,
.:..:..: \1tr::..."7'. ,_
:.:. ~
~-=
'';:::
_~: ::'~J!
~
=c:' :':-c"1iers ~.::=,:
=r: e:-;:. of t..~e
=~:.
:"'''7' :::-~
well r3.:',":
he~~ ~
__
~.-:..l
Det:or~~. ~:--:;~--=~~
~:-.?:e:. ~~e ~.:c·::-"~:-:-~~:'!~
.~
•
::'1 L"':e
:0 };r.:..y
. . . __ ::
::.=:.
sase~ ~.~
,
;...-~.:: res,:ue~
­
,2:
;:,
~
'::; :.: :J
'"
'." -~-.: ,.
~-.~~ ~
­
:~~]ian t ':~2.::-" : : ;., :
That
=J
-=--=-- ~
7..c1e
~s '.1.::~
::-::J:tal; tna.:: .- -,- - J
:e':I'ill:anC5 Tes:·::--. =tJ
,:': cia;,!T; an: - :':::::0':;
o~:red bone. . ~', ::~2-'l
:d
-,;' rtich it
-~ ~
Zi;:m:­
t=NPle." "~l~:::::~_ -"­ same tIme L-.;: --:
scmetimes ii, e"
-,~
:s pictured ~5 .'-. _ 1:
,ajvatior. 0: ___ ~-'___ ':
a youth wc·:" :: ..,~:J
Isai&1 6::'::
maide:_ -
L~e
-~:-.:.=
go f0:-~-_ '
Or. she !;L"7',::~,:s __ i.::
of her :.0''::'-, -:~
\~<ill
THE JEWISH WOMAN
to the destruction
:-:e midwives, simple,
"':': :-.~', e the courage to defy
I:: ::.:: .::.:-:gr: Pharaoh with the
~~. :7:::': men.
I!':::=; :::3.: its leader, a mere
ts :,.
God, and falls
! ... :" :t is the women who
:=:'_'= tJ participate in the
e::::
..0
~!-~~es
cc
to tum over His
the world, both
::c ~!;' ,)f mankind, it is the
• -~=;..==-"~e and upon whose
t2..::: '. i;:;ith and the hope of
r "~. :::::., same Law of God,
:'-:'.::;; ··~J,k and devotion for
c. ' ::::::.:r:t and this loyalty to
t -::.:=~::.:iQn of the Law at a
from the crowds
c~
__
c ::...._ .\Edam, who rescued
e?rliest training and
E _.::.: ;enerally leave their
cc:'~ ·;,oman, Hannah, who
'e"~ .:0: :..":e same time, a more
Ie
::er husband Elkanah,
=--;-:-;" :-::.t Elkanah accorded
c:
:':-.~ wife of Manoach,
....-;:::--:': - 25 anything but their
L:: ~:,,;:,::,;:ted in their calling
::-:. :;;'.::': and Naomi figures
~ _. __ :' Indeed, how many
!;., ;..
who could be
,-=-.: ::,
C
...:... _.. s memory lists these
::-:e personalities whose
~;-.!~2[ion and to all the
. :::;::;:. through Michah,
119
wished to remind His people of the mercies He had shown them, He
recounted among those mercies the fact that He had sent Moses, Aaron
and Miriam to be the leaders of the people. Miriam is regarded as a
prophetess who led the women of Israel by her personal example just as
her brothers acted as leaders among the men. Even during a later age,
the era of the kings, a woman, Hulda, comes to the fore as one of the
Divinely-inspired prophets of her day.
Deborah's triumphant hymn and Hannah's prayer of thanksgiving
may well rank among the most beautiful outpourings of Divinely­
inspired hearts and minds in the treasury of our nation's literature.
Deborah, prophetess, judge, bard and victor in battle; courageous
Yael, the homemaker who stabbed the tyrant to death; Hannah, imbued
with the spirit of God, mother of Samuel, the woman who taught us to
hope, to pray and to give thanks to God; Michal, daughter of King Saul,
who saved the life of her husband [David]; the wise woman of Tekoah,
the peacemaker [who, at Joab's instigation, persuaded David to pardon
Absalom]; the wise woman of Obel (II Samuel 20,16 ff.), counselor
and rescuer of her city-what other nation's history can boast of a more
brilliant chain of women who, in a spirit of shining purity, contributed
to the happiness and prosperity of their people?
That is why thi,s people knows no more splendid image among
mortals than that of a woman of consummate purity, a woman who
commands respect but at the same time is surrounded by an aura
of charm and modesty, This people knows no loftier, purer or more
sacred bond of everlasting love than that which binds husband and wife
faithfully to one another. In contemplating the ideal of perfection to
which it aspires, this nation pictures itself as a "maiden," "Daughter of
Zion," "Daughter of Jerusalem," "Daughter of Judah," "Daughter of My
people," "Maiden Daughter of Zion"-these are the sweetest and at the
same time the proudest images in which God's own people sees itself,
sometimes in exultation and at other times in grief. Zion, Jerusalem,
is pictured as a woman ascending to the mountaintops to pf0c1aim the
salvation of mankind c;"m' n"IZ)::l~ P'll n"IZ)::l~ (Isaiah 40,9), Even as
a youth woos a maiden, so will the sons of Zion woo her once again
(Isaiah 62,5). The maiden of Israel will be built again by God Himself;
the maiden of Israel will be adorned with her tabrets once again and
will go forth in the dances of those who make merry (Jeremiah 31,3).
Or, she laments like a maiden girded with sackcloth for the husband
of her youth (Joel 1,8), Or, she sits upon the ground. solitary like a
120
COLLECTED WRITINGS
widow, weeping in the night, and the tears do not depart from her
cheeks (Lamentations 1,1-2). There is no one to guide her from among
all the children she has borne, nor is there anyone to sllstain her from
among all the children she has raised (Isaiah 51, IS).
The loftiest ideals upon which this nation should reflect with
Divinely-inspired purity and which should guide it to the most ethereal
heights of its mission and its perfection, namely, the relationship of the
nation to God and God's relationship to it, are portrayed in the image of
the relationship between husband and wife. The tie that binds the wife
to her husband and the husband to his wife is to give to God's people
a proper understanding of its obligations and aspirations, of what God
expects from His people and what that people, in turn, may expect
from God. Israel is God's own bride, His beloved wife, and all the
phases of Israel's devotion to duty, its dereliction from its duties, and
its eventual return to duty, its flowering, its decay and its restoration to
full flower-all of Israel's variegated history is reflected in the image
of a marriage with its happy days of faithfulness and its sad days of
infidelity, a relationship alternating between devotion and estrangement,
dissension and reconciliation, rejection and renewed acceptance into a
happy, everlasting covenant.
"When you were born," God says to the Daughter of Zion, "no eye
had pity upon you to nurture you ... You were fiung out into the open
field in contempt of your very being. And I passed by you and saw you
perishing in your own blood. And I said to you: In your blood shall
you return to life; I said: Return to life in your blood. 1 then caused
you to become as numerous as the growth of the field; you increased,
you grew big and strutted about in the ornament of beauty, your breast
was perfect, and you had flowing tresses; but yet you were naked and
bare. Now I passed by you again and I saw you; you were ready for
the covenant of love, and I spread My cloak over you and covered your
nakedness; I swore to you and entered into a covenant with you, and so
you became Mine" (Ezekiel 16,5-8).
"I remember for you," the prophet Jeremiah, at God's command,
cries out to the exiles in the wilderness of the nations, "the devotion of
your youth, the love of your betrothal, when you followed Me into the
wilderness, into a land that was not sown. Israel shall remain sacred
to God; it shall remain the first of His harvest. Whoever attacks it will
incur guilt and bring misfortune upon himself, says God" (Jeremiah
2,2-3).
"\\-:-.e?::
~
~
J
-
::
-
:t
- . :....::;.- '­
.... ~o 1S
::1
.
.-
-:::-
-.
~,
~
::.~r~, t:-~-=~-. _:--.~~~
..
-,",
'- ",,-; ~
..j
W:-.:.­
-='."'..':.:'
0:-.;:
-~.
:..=-.S··~,
~= ~eerr: -:
-:::-:
s=
:'1
:I
~~e ClstG--_~
e
:::::=1
-:""-.e
::-- :~ ='1
:e2..scr: :'- -:'-= 2-~~-~
:. .:u ~,-ee~
- =i
:. 'ur E..:.,·: :::-- :-;
?ear
:--~CI:.
::,e He:·.
C:.~.e
:: 1
\:.::e -~:-!.:":....!':=:
-,:' ~-e cf ,,' '_ --*
2.-53.
·~~2.=--_e. 5::":· S
"Fro::'. - .,. J
~':I:;.ge!" :2:.... ~.::: "J
I
~,;"iE
be·- ~ :.-. =.:.;
The
··'C~:";
:::?<
,''':'' -:'/'-- !\"'- ­
2f :.'-1is
~-:;-=
5Lgns 2: ::-.-":':-~
:::a:ac:e:-::e: -~-j:
:.. usb2.:-.: 2..:.": ­
using r:-.~-:~~;-:
Ir.':::;: :
'" xx ;-.-: -.­
THE JEWISH WOMAN
iL-' :",' not depart from her
rr" 'guide her from among
~ " .::;e to sustain her from
..c: ..':: should reflect with
;;.:::: :: to the most ethereal L - ::::" :~e relationship of the .:.,-:: ::: :~trayed in the image of e --;: tk that binds the wife -.::- '
give to
God~s
people ;::.- - ",;,irations, of what God
:::",'-:::. in turn. may expect
Le :",,:y,ed wife. and all the
-. ::':';; from its duties. and
f-' _,,_ 1> :md its restoration 10
;;: --:.. :, reflected in the image
i:---_-.;:,~ and its sad days of
e- =,,·.:,:ion and estrangement,
r.:: ~:::::ewed acceptance into a
--~ =""'~ghter
of Zion. "no eye
out into the open
c : : _"ed by you and saw you
1": :.- : ..;u: In your blood shall
: - :. :'Jr blood. I then caused
•-- -: :::e field; you increased,
r.'::':';'.e:::.[ of beauty, your breast
~- -: :: et you were naked and
[ '.:." :' Oil: you were ready for
,~,,,,. -c,cr you and covered your
:..;,enant with you, and so
L
-. _
- e~=::'.:Jh. at God's command,
: ::::: ::ations, "the devotion of
:.0U followed Me into the
:sfael shall remain sacred
",-. e<. \\'hoever attacks it will
~-.:,;"self. says God" (Jeremiah
<':=:::.
121
"Where is your mother's letter of divorce?" God asks those who
think they have been discharged from their covenant with God. "Where
is your mother's letter of divorce that I should have sent her away,
or who is My creditor to whom I should have sold you? Behold, for
your iniquities were you sold and for your crimes was your mother sent
away. Why have I come and find no one there, [why have IJ called and
no one answers? Is My power perhaps insufficient, so that it cannot
redeem? Do I not have the power to save?" (Isaiah 50, 1-2).
"Rejoice, 0 barren one, you who did not bear; rejoice aloud and into
the distance, you who have never gone into labor, for the children of
the solitary are more than the children of the married wife, says God ...
Fear not, for you shall not be deceived; blush not, for you have no
reason to be ashamed. You may [now] forget the shame of your youth;
you need no longer remember the disgrace of your widowhood. For
your Husband, your Maker, '1~:lll 'i1 is His Name, and your Redeemer,
the Holy One of Israel-He is now called God over all the earth. Even
as a wife forsaken and grieved in spirit has God called you again; the
wife of youth remains, even if she has [been] found [deserving of]
blame, says your God"(Isaiah 54, I; 4-6).
"From now on you shall call Me 'my Husband' and you shall no
longer call Me 'my Lord' ... I will betroth you to Myself forever.
I will betroth you to Myself in justice and righteousness, in love and
compassion; I will betroth you to Myself in faithfulness, and you will
recognize your God" (Hosea 2. 18; 21-22).
The words of the Prophets all carry that same refrain. According to
our Sages, the Song of Songs. that sublime prose-poem of Jewish life
(":11 ilji1n' ~'m T'nr,;:, O'i'lIJi1 ':1*), is a celebration of the relationship
of this people to its God, to Whom it is wedded, and that of God to
His people. Consider the purity (we would almost venture to say, the
majesty) that must have marked the man'iages among this people, the
signs of mutual love, respect, devotion and self-sacrifice that must have
characterized these marriages, and the happiness of the wife with her
husband and of the husband with his wife, if one could even consider
using man'iage as a metaphor in describing God's covenant with His
people.
Indeed. the profound character of this relationship is given full
expression also in the Sacred Writings of God's people. The husband
122
COLLECTED WRITINGS
is expected to regard his wife as the source of whatever good a mortal
may desire-life, happiness, joy, blessings, the greatest riches that God
can give to man. "He that has found a wife has found the good and
will obtain additional favor from God" (Proverbs 18,22). "House and
riches are the inheritance of fathers, but a sensible wife is from God"
(Proverbs 19,14). He is expected to be so completely under the spell
(this is the literal meaning of illiL' in the verse quoted below) of his
love for his wife that he should have eyes for no one and nothing else.
The unfaithful husband is severely castigated. "Let the fountain-the
fountain of all your existence-be blessed and have joy from the wife of
your youth! A loving hind, a gazelle in grace, let her breasts satisfy you
at all times; be absorbed completely, and at all times, in her love. How
could you allow yourself to be spellbound (nliL'l"I) by another woman?
How could you embrace another? Behold, the ways of man are before
God, and He examines all his paths. [Eventually] the wicked will be
ensnared by his own sins and he will be held against his will in the
bonds of his own frivolity" (Proverbs 5,18-22).
"And in addition you are doing this," Malachi (2,13 ff.) scolds his
generation. "You see to it that the altar of God is covered with tears,
with weeping and with cries of distress, so that He no longer turns to
your homage offering and no longer takes anything for His delight at
your hand. And then you would ask: Why is this? Because God has
been witness between you and the wife of your youth, whom you have
betrayed, even though she is your companion and the wife of your
covenant. [You may reply] Has not the unique one [Abraham] done
likewise, and yet the spirit remained with him? What do you want from
that unique man? [is the reply]. He was looking for the son promised
[to him] by God. But you take heed of your spirit so that it not become
unfaithful to the wife of your youth. For I hate divorce, says the God
of Israel, and iniquity always covers the garment that should conceal
it, says God; therefore take heed of your spirit and do not become
unfaithful. "
"Gain life with the wife you love all the days of your life on earth
that God bestows upon you under the sun, all the days of your existence
on earth, for that is your profit from life and from all your toil under
the sun" (Ecclesiastes 9,9).
"Happy is he who fears God and walks in His ways. If you enjoy
the labor of your hands, then you are happy and it will be well with
you. Your wife [shall be] a flowering vine in the innermost parts of your
house, your children ;~:= : j
where this is so, ther:: :::::
128,1-4).
Thus the Word o:'C::·: !
up with his wife. Eze;;:e: > 1
(Ezekiel 24,16). The B ~.:~: ~
the guide of his wife' 5 :. : -.:~':
of God.
In general, womar: ~s '=":'1
happiness and prosperi;::. ~5 :1
pation of women. Ir. :::e :,:,1
people, our daughters :;..-;; 1
fashioned with the sa=-.e sil
144,12). When God '" __ :::J
will rejoice in the dar.:= . .::..J:
(Jeremiah 31, 12). W~,e:: C;'JrI
spirit of prophecy wi!: 5=~
handmaidens (Joel 3.:-: ~J
become the city of tr.:::. D
will sit in the broad
:J
for the very aged, an::: :'::::: :.
and girls at play"
Even during the pe::-::•.:.s
influence of the Jewi5:-: ';" .:'::
time immemorial. In
first Jewish Commo!:··:. =-'-.::.:.
that the women misuse _ :::J
judgment with the '"e:'::::-o ]
and, let it be noted. a[,:- i
and the women had rr,:~ :::..1
exploited their positic';: . :'::l
mighty in order to aF;-e-'-.~
satisfy their vanity ar.c
became the "mistresses' ::
the Book of Jeremia:-.. . ~ ~
favored defection te :': .:0-=1
Ezekiel, they were the
::l
worship and becarr::: .__ :::1
in a manner that has::::::".::-: :::l
THE JEWISH WOMAN
: .,; Jatever good a mortal
;reatest riches that God
;;:;; ~.J' found the good and
?-:. ;-~js 18,22). "House and
t :0 ,.:::"".,:ble wife is from God"
under the spell
tr.;, ::~;;:: quoted below) of his
I!':'c . - ~,O one and nothing else,
::;::.::: _ "Let the fountain-the
c -'-_ ...:m: joy from the wife of
p::: .::: her breasts satisfy you
c ::.: ~: :imes, in her love. How
IL': .::-:-, by another woman?
ic:.. :,,~,;; ·.;.1;'5 of man are before
the wicked will be
be
',; ::.gainst his will in the
g-"
'.~~~",.::hi
,
(2.13 ff.) scolds his
is covered with tears,
.. . :':.::.: He no longer turns to
fi:=' '. :~ing for His delight at
~-'. :; ,'lis" Because God has
-- .
youth, whom you have
1:.; ::". :md the wife of your
Ie '::-.'::'Je one [Abraham] done
:: -::-.- \\'hat do you want from
s
for the son promised
so that it not become
cr _ .. :::e di\'orce, says the God
~ ;::.~,erlt that should conceal
.: _~ s::rit and do not become
. : ~ =.:
[ --.!
':'::':5 of your life on earth
IL_
::-,e days of your existence
-~
:'rom all your toil under
His ways. If you enjoy
and it will be well with
t:Je - :.':e innermost parts of your
,::"':5
-
0--'
123
house, your children like olive shoots round about your table. Behold,
where this is so, there the man who fears God is blessed" (Psalms
128,1-4),
Thus the Word of God sees all of the husband's happiness bound
up with his wife. Ezekiel's wife is described as the treasure of his eyes
(Ezekiel 24,16). The Book of Proverbs (2,17) refers to the husband as
the guide of his wife's youth and to their mutual covenant as a covenant
of God.
In general, woman is always seen at the side of man. The nation's
happiness and prosperity is considered inconceivable without the partici­
pation of women. In the hymn celebrating the happiness of the Jewish
people, our daughters are pictured as modest recesses of a building
fashioned with the same skill, care and beauty as the Temple (Psalms
144,12). When God will transform mourning into joy, "the maidens
will rejoice in the dance, and the young men and the old men together"
(Jeremiah 31,12). When God will pour out His spirit upon all flesh, the
spirit of prophecy will seize Israel's sons and daughters, servants and
handmaidens (Joel 3,1-2). And when Jerusalem will rise once again to
become the city of truth and holiness, then "old men and old women
will sit in the broad places of Jerusalem, each with his staff in his hand
for the very aged, and the broad places of the city shall be full of boys
and girls at play" (Zechariah 8,3-5).
Even during the periods of Israel's decline we can see the powerful
influence of the Jewish wife within Jewish society, as it had been from
time immemorial. In Chapters 3 and 4 of Isaiah the downfall of the
first Jewish Commonwealth is ascribed primarily to the circumstance
that the women misused their position of influence. God enters into
judgment with the "elders of His people and its princes" (Isaiah 3,14)
and, let it be noted, also with the women (ibid 3,16). Both the elders
and the women had misconstrued and misused their position. Both had
exploited their position of influence for selfish purposes-the high and
mighty in order to appease their greed and the "daughters of Zion" to
satisfy their vanity and love of luxury. Strutting about arrogantly, they
became the "mistresses" of their people. According to Chapter 44 of
the Book of Jeremiah, it was these "daughters of Zion" who especially
favored defection to idolatry. According to Chapter 15 of the Book of
Ezekiel, they were the ones that showed prophet-like enthusiasm for idol
worship and became "huntresses of souls" to this end. They held sway
in a manner that hastened the downfall of the Jewish Commonwealth
124
COLLECTED WRITINGS
(Amos 4). Israel had to be cleansed of its corruption (Isaiah 4) by the
collapse of its Commonwealth so that the ground could be prepared for
the nation's rebirth under God's nearness.
All the foregoing documents the high position and the influence
enjoyed by the women among the people, and makes it clear that this
people's moral and political welfare was essentially dependent on the
moral and spiritual nobility of its women.
~.e T.;.'2.j ~_~:;; ~
-:a
':'::~
as st:.. ~ __ :
~ ~.~
,.;.=-
Alii
~:\:: ~~,,-.~
~.:: '';;O~!-:
_.
. ­
52."'."=2.
~:::::
,,-..~,: ~::~
~
'-~:::1
-­
-' • ..:-
.2.­
.
..,
,~.
VII. The Life of a Jewish Wife in Retrospect
He who finds a wife of valor­
Her price is far beyond pearls.
The heart of her husband trusted in her
And he never lacked for unexpected gain. l
She did him good and never evil
All the days of her life. 2
She sought out wool and flax
And worked upon it with the delight of her hands. 3
:'Il
::::e
!...::: __ ...: .... :-
-
:"
-.=~ ':'--:J
NiIJ' 'IJ ;'n nlVN
;'1:'IJ C'J'l!:lIJ pn"
;'I;l1:1 :1; ;'1:1 n!j:1
10n' N; "IV'
:17, N;' :11fj 'iln;?:ll
.;,"n
'IJ' ;:.
c'nlV!:l' 1IJi ilIV11
.;'I'!:l:' f!:ln:1 1V:I7n1
1. "IV, lit. "booty." The term ';IV has the connotation of a gain to
which one had no claim or which one did not expect (cf. 11V!:ll1; iln'ill
;;IV;, Jeremiah 39,18). Her actions not only justified her husband's trust
in her but in fact surpassed any expectations he might have had.
2. A person can extend many kindnesses to another and still cause
him moments of pain by his whims and by his behavior toward him. By
contrast, the woman celebrated in this hymn never gave her husband
anything but happiness (Y1 N;' :1,fj mn'IJl) as long as she lived.
If we interpret 'IJl in the connotation of reward or compensation,
the meaning of this passage would be that she always rewarded her
husband for the good that he did her but never made him suffer for any
grief he had caused her. The apposition "all the days of her life" would
support the first interpretation, because it implies that no day of her life
ever resulted in trouble or grief for her husband.
3. She was diligence personified. She did not wait for her husband
to give her wool and flax to spin; it was not enough for her to perform
chores assigned to her. She herself sought out the material; she demanded
material in order to process it with the "delight of her hands." Note that
the text reads il'!:l:' f!:ln, not il'1' f!:ln as might have been expected. as in
'1!j ;"1':1 (Exodus 35,25) and the subsequent passage 111V':':1 ;'1n'1V ;"1'.
:~:
1
c.er_~:e~
-::'-.::'::-_ i;: ::::--­
~~::- ~.~:-~:s
- f:::l'=~':
... __ ' _ J
:~.
-'~'.;'j
--- -:-- ~
..:" S:-.e
.-:
::- . .
~-'-;==.
.::
~~"·'e
_:-t
:!:.J
..i:".
:!:"3.T: ~ g7':;
,;:~
:-.:::. e
:~:.:-~.::.:-
__ ~,.S.': __ ~. -::
.~~
.:;,
:':"5
;"-
~
-
'-.­
=\: . . .:~::~-~ '"-~ ,
:::.,:, ::-w;!
__ ... __ .7:..3= .= -: ­
,:. 5:-:­
-
.::..-!
THE JEWISH WOMAN
p:...: ~_ Isaiah 4) by the
: - _ ..:~j be prepared for
c --_ :.nd the influence
it clear that this
dependent on the
L:-'-.;:::S
RHrospect
~;:?), ,?) "M l'\WK
125
She was like a merchant ship;
,mo n1'lICI ;;11';;
She brought her bread from afar.4
.m:m7 K'JI1 PM'?')?)
It was sti)] night when she would arise
;;7'7 "YJ tlpn1
And give food to her house
ill1'J' '1'~ 111m
And work to her handmaidens.
.:;'I11Yl' j:'m
She saved for [the purchase ofP a field and bought it, ';;Mpll' ;;'w il?)?)!
And she planted a vineyard from the fruit
.c,;:) Y~J :1'0;:) ,'o?)
of [the work of] her hands.
She girded her hips with might
;;'m?) I1YJ ;;'lM
And made her arms strong. 6
.il'flY"1 y~Km
:-t1;:)?') C']']O?') pn"
il'Y::I ::I, :1::1 n~::I
10n' N'
l,'1
1:J-=-S -
it,'
"W,
::I,t! 'j1n'~l
.:1"M ,~, 7:J
:'l'\Wl:l' ,t.l;: i1W"
.il'O:J yon::l wym
~ :::-.::-.'tation
of a gain to
='.:-::: ief. 1WO ]
17 .,11'1'11
;;:::::': jer husband's trust
Ie: _.
have had.
Ii: :o-:::her and still cause
:,;;:.::,·.iOf toward him. By
::::.;:r gave her husband
- ::-. ~ :'5 she lived.
:-=., ::.::-: or compensation,
;-: :.:ways rewarded her
:: ::-.-':~ him suffer for any
~'" _-':. s of her life" would
';__ ::0 :jic no day of her life
"ait for her husband
for her to perform
:.-:= :,-:·.;,:erial: she demanded
- - :: ::er hands." Note that
~,,- ':::een expected. as in
- ::.",::.ge 11W';:)::I :-m,w ""'.
tl'l:l:J denotes the hands not as working. creating organs but describes
them in terms of palms that are closed or that are enclosing an object.
Her hands could not bear to be idle; even while her palms were closed
or folded in a position of rest they were yearning for work. This is the
meaning of :1'0;:) yon.
4. She was always busy. and because she planned even for the most
unlikely contingencies. she was in a position to obtain many good things
for her household.
5. tltl!, related to CtlO ,Ctl;:. The basic connotation is "to hold
together," "to concentrate." Hence, tl'tlO would denote materials that
have an impact out of all proportion to the small quantities in which
they occur. materials in which an abundance of energy is concentrated
in a miniscule space. Therefore C?)! means to produce achievements
of far-reaching significance with modest means and from small, seem­
ingly insignificant beginnings. Similarly, tl'tl?)" O',Y; they appear quite
innocent, but one single word from them will lead to murder. ;;~,
are transgressions which. in addition to being evil acts in themselves,
have far-reaching pernicious consequences out of all proportion to their
intrinsic nature. ;;?')I?') is mostly employed in a favomble connotation; it
implies constant, attentive watch over small, insignificant beginnings
which, as a result of this continuous attention, give rise to great
accomplishments (cL Proverbs 1,4, with regard to the task of rearing and
educating the young and, at the same time, training one's own character).
In our context the meaning is: By her constant effort to effect small
savings here and there, she eventually accumulated sufficient means to
purchase a field.
6. She was not strong or sturdy by nature. She made herself strong.
It was her diligence and sense of duty that gave her strength and power.
126
COLLECTED WRITINGS
She found that her endeavor was good;
:'I1nO :l,tl ':l :'I1:)31tl
From then on her light did not go out during the night..:'111 ?'?:l iI:l:l' ~?
She then put her hands to the spindle, .1?D ':ll:)n :'I'D:l' 1W]':l:l iln?w :'I'"
and her hands held the distaff.
But she also opened her hand to the poor
'1l1? ilW1" ilD:l
•P':l~? \"In?W :'1"'1
And stretched out her hands to the needy.
l?WI:) nn':l? ~1'.n ~?
She did not have to fear frost for her house;
All her household was clothed in fine wooL
.C'lW W:l? nn':l ?:l ':l
n? ilnW31 C":l11:)
She prepared bed covers for herself,
But her [own] clothing was of linen and purple. 7
.:'IW1:l? Tl:)l1~' WW
Her husband was known in the public assemblies,
iI?31:l C'131W:l 31'11
Where he sat among the elders of the land;8
.r1~ 'li'T C31 ,n:lW:l
She made a cloth and sold it,
1:l1:).n1 nnW31 1"0
.'l31l:l? il1nl 11.'1.111
And she gave a belt to the peddler as a gift. 9
7. During the winter all the members of her household were dressed
in wool, but she needed warm coverings only at night, when she was at
rest. During the day, when she was busily at work, no one ever saw her
dressed in anything but light linen. She wore wool only as an ornament.
She was too busy to feel the cold.
8. When her husband sat in the councils of the city or the nation, he
was pointed out as the husband of this particular woman of valor, whose
moral and spiritual influence could be felt in the words and actions of
her husband in public life. Thus, through the voice of her husband, her
own fine example and her wise and prudent counsel had a beneficial
effect in the community.
9. If this verse had been intended only to praise her endeavors for
the welfare of her household, it would be entirely out of context with
this section of the chapter, which describes the woman's spiritual and
moral influence. This verse would have been more appropriate at the
beginning, where her thrifty management of her household is praised.
Fortunately the phrase 'll1l:l? illm "1.111 necessitates another interpre­
tation. Tm does not mean "to sell;" in fact, it denotes the very opposite
of selling (cf. '1:ll? 1:l1:) ,~ n?:l~' :'I)lnn 1"31W:l 1W~ 11?, Deuteronomy
14,21). This phrase seems to indicate the way in which she obtained
the means for carrying on her good works. She did not perform them
with money given her for the household; she was too conscientious and
much too thoroughly imbued with the joy of giving charity. She wanted
to perform her good works with her own earnings, her own work and
her own strength.
Power and beauty "
~
And she faced the ;-"S: :..I
She spun and \1.:\:; J
]eft over and whi;::-.·~::.s
give it away in its ~::.:.:=
a poor peddler as c.
yielded much grea:e: 0
5nished belt as aL7.5 :: l
painstaking as she '.;.::.s
of her labor in a \\ ::.:. :.:l
her fellow man,
In view of t:::e :-::::
of what our Sage; : ,",
fear of God, the cc::~
:ircumspection t.:'.::.:.;.::
This same 5e:-.5::~::
public life. Just -"S :.:.cc...
and one for the
reflect wisdom 2.:::' ~
that work so we:: ::: :..:i:
of the mark to as~::: ::;
the best admir.is::::.::·=
manage his own :-.:=ce
15 the reasopi::g: ,'::::J
:;;-eference in ::-.e : '::i
married men w'- --:.'
proof of the~ 5£:.~:;' ::.:
These CO'::5::':::::.::::1
under discllS5ic- .S E::i
c'::::.e v,:o!Tj.an· S
:lI
';"'::
,:ood L'le res::::::.=.~ II
3.?plieci the ~.;..:::= ;=-...J:
T:"1lS :. -
:rc.:[
:-!s:.lu:eh::s.~
2..:'::'
~
0: tr~e
::-12.:
;;rr~e.
:~
51
..:.­ __ :::,c
':-:~
*'"'
127
THE JEWISH WOMAN
;"no ::1,tl '::1
h::..::-~~
;'~Ytl
:.':e night..;"l ;';::1 ;':J::1' It;
. ~ ';::;;- "0::1' ,'W'::I::1 i1n;w i1','
cr
-,
fl:':.. '
')Y; ;'W'1l ;'Il::l
.1"::1"; i'1n;w ;''1''
l ;W~ i'1l'l':J; ""l'l It;
.C')W W::1; i'1l'l':J ;:J '::1
i'1; i1l'lWY C":J'~
.i'1W,::1; 11:>l'''' WW
;';Y:J C',YW:J Y"]
'1"" 'lin CY 'l'l::1W::1
'::1~l'l' i'll'lWY r'o
•')Y)::1;
mm "lM1
5 ,: :-::;~
household were dressed
:light, when she was at
t:: 2..: '';'2~k, no one ever saw her
... :-: ';'001 oniy as an ornament.
5 -::-...::' 2.:
the city or the nation, he
woman of valor, whose
~~-: ::-: ::;e words and actions of
t. ::::: '.aice of her husband. her
~~::: .:::ounsel had a beneficial
11:''__;
~: ~:2.!
~:"
;::raise her endeavors for
::.:;
out of context with
:::",,: :':e woman's spiritual and
C': :~:-: :r,ore appropriate at the
11:.: -:' :-,er household is praised,
I"'" ::-:essitates another interpre­
l:'_' ':enotes the very opposite
-;-;:-: "10~ 'l;, Deuteronomy
::C';'l:. in which she obtained
IC~ Sie did not perform them
• ,::-:~ '';' 2.5 too conscientious and
r.:
charity, She wanted
r:: ::2:::::::gs, her own work and
Power and beauty were her garment,
And she faced the last day with a smile, 10
ilW':J;
"m t,y
.p,n" C,,; pnwl'l1
She spun and wove a cloth and sold it. As for the thread which was
left over and which was the product of her handiwork, she also did not
give it away in its crude state but used it to make a belt that she gave to
a poor peddler as a gift. When the peddler then sold the finished belt, it
yielded much greater profit than if she had given the money or even the
finished belt as alms to a beggar, We see, then, that this woman was as
painstaking as she was charitable; she knew how to employ the fruits
of her labor in a way that would yield the greatest possible benefit for
her fellow man .
In view of the foregoing, this verse portrays a shining example
of what our Sages call i'lK":J C"Y, the use of common sense in the
fear of God, the combination of good works with the intelligence and
circumspection that will yield the most beneficial results.
This same sensible morality should be the basic principle also in
public life. Just as Judaism has no double standard, one for public life
and one for the running of a household, so, too, public affairs should
reflect wisdom and administrative skills virtually identical with those
that work so well in the management of the home. It is surely not wide
of the mark to assert that the best father and head of a family will make
the best administrator and leader of a community. One who cannot
manage his own home well should not be named to public office. This
is the reasoning that may also have helped persuade our elders to give
preference in the choice of communal leaders and administrators to
married men who, by virtue of their marital status, have already given
proof of their skills at influencing people and managing property.
These considerations would indicate that the placement of the passage
under discussion is entirely appropriate. It shows, from the example of
one woman's work, how the fear of God coupled with common sense
stood the test of time and served as an example also for her husband, who
applied the same principles in the councils of his community.
10. This combination of kindness and punctiliousness was a basic
trait of the woman's personality. It was the strength (actually, the
resoluteness) and the beauty, ,im t,y, that characterized her presence,
and that is why she was able to face even the last day of her life with a
smile.
128
COLLECTED WRITINGS
She opened her mouth with wisdom,
And the teaching of loving-kindness
was constantly on her tongue.
She kept continuous watch over the ways
of her household,
And never wanted to eat the bread of idleness.
Therefore her sons now rise and laud her,
Her husband [rises) and he praises her:
"Many women have done valiantly,
But you have surpassed them all!
Charm is deceit and beauty is vain;
A woman who fears God is the one that
creates praise for herself.
Give her of the fruit of her hands
So that her works may praise her in the gates."
i11:>:ln:J :1nn~
,i1l'W7 7!.' 10n
i1'~
m,m
:1n':J
m:),7:1
i1'~'l
.7:;)1'1'11'7 m711!.'
on7'
:1'iWK" i1'l:J ,I:>P
.i177:1" :17!.':J
'w!.' ml:J m::Ji
.m7:;) 7!.' n'7!.' nK'
7'n
'~':1 7::Ji1' 7ni1 1PW
,77i1l'1n K'ii ':1 nK,' i1WK
>. dis upor. '::::: ~;'l
=". e and de" '­
She is the e'· =::-.
~._ at the 5~.= I
~_.;.::ers ::1ffe.:::::-:;: ~
T:'.emerr.::-:', J
,:.-=.::::.s of he:- __ _s:'
_.::e m :;:: Her me?;'. . ::-: of ::e:
:.=~;
-:,_::J
:r: :211o\'\'e-=- ~"". ::~
.~
F;::rTJr.2.:::,
2.:)
2.::::: -
::::1
':::e":
i1'1' "~I:> i17 'In
.:1'W!.'1:> O',!.'W::J :1'77:1"
Y1
-Proverbs 31,10-31.
This retrospective view of a Jewish wife gives us a most beautiful
portrayal of one woman's work. Even if Scripture had preserved for us
nothing more than this vignette from the history of our womanhood, this
one hymn would be sufficient to afford us a splendid view of the position
of women in Judaism and an eloquent rebuttal of all the fabrications,
past and present, invented by incomprehensible thoughtlessness about
the enslavement and degradation of Jewish women in days of old. What
European woman of our own century would not look back upon this
portrayal from remote Jewish antiquity as a shining ideal that she would
be delighted to approximate in her own life?
What, then, is the position of the Jewish woman and wife? She is
her husband's close friend and makes him happy. He feels secure with
her, and he looks to her as the inspiration for his greatest achievements.
She enjoys full independence as the manager and supervisor of the
home, but that is not all. She wants to do more than simply accept her
husband's earnings and use them for the good of the home, to feed
and otherwise provide for the members of her household. She herself
participates in the work that needs to be done. She is eager to make her
own economic contribution to the prosperity of her household. Thus,
of her own free will, she has made herself an active partner in her
husband's labors.
Constant activity is her element; good works are her delight; wisdom
l~"".e,:
__,,::~.
~:..=:e
~~~:~!
~:.--:;
:"'1iil
:.-:.2.: =- __ ":;" i
_:.:",':;:::: e
.e
-
,.
-~
~---
:::'tl
:-.::"~ ':e:::!
_....
::.J
.. - -=- ,;;;.
_~'::::'
_",
:,:-..e
= :o::..-::J
:'; :: ;:':::'.'~
::l
:'-.;: ?
-~- ...
_..'_ ....
:.:::
:~'::'
.:.... __ ._
,.~=;~...lli
-~=~'::::-
_ ~=:=~s...:-:
oJ
- _,>:s."!
:! -::..:w;
;;,
'-.;.
~
_J_
THE JEWISH WOMAN
·::n::l ;'Inn!) ;"!)
-:-;;':' ?,: ,on n"n1
.~;-::-
s, m':::lI on"
-'~;n,"
;'I'J: ,;>JP
.;"';'" ;';lI:
•. ":;':) n1J: n1:,
~
-::-: 'Y 1i"lI Ii!('
;:•• ?::i11yn;'l 'i'1Il
7.- 1\'-; '" n!(,' ;'IlIl!(
• '":' '1!);>J ;"
t'7':
dwells upon her lips, and her every word and action is a lesson in selfless
love and devotion.
She is the ever-watchful supervisor of the routine of her household,
and at the same time she is her husband's quiet, wise counselor in
matters affecting the welfare of the community in which they live.
The memory of what she meant to them will live on forever in the
hearts of her husband and children who, for the rest of their lives, will
rise in respectful tribu,e to her memory and will never cease to praise
her. Her memory will live on also outside her immediate family, in the
hearts of her community, as an eternal praise and a valiant example to
be followed by future generations.
Fortunate, and also immortal. the nation that can boast of such
women and mothers in its history.
,m
:'-:1'1Il: m77;",
r:.:::~bs
31.10-31.
1:.;: 2. ~.05t
beautiful
a-.: :::-eserved for us
o;:::-.:.::nanhood, this
\'.:::':' the position
L: =-~e fabrications,
"_~:::lessness about
1.:" ":. 5 of old. What
;:.:~: jack upon this
tcei. chat she would
tc :::::-.:: wife? She is
i:: :'ee:S secure with
~:=~: achievements.
cc s:.:pervisor of the
E s:::-.ply accept her
: :.::e :wme, to feed
15-:::-•.::1d. She herself
t:; ::::.ger to make her
I:::' ~.C'usehold. Thus,
e::.:: partner in her
~.:::
129
ielight; wisdom
VIII. The Jewish Woman in the Talmud
The collapse of the Jewish Commonwealth put an end to the political
history of the Jewish people as a nation. During the ages that have passed
since that time. individual figures have no longer been in a position to
influence the course of the whole nation's political history. The Jewish
people has been a large family devoting its life and energies to the
theoretical study and practical observance of the Divine Law they have
inherited. The house of study and the home represent the quiet but
nonetheless vital proscenium on which Jewish life unfolds. "Fhere are
no more prophets with pens to record the history of this people. Heroic
figures of spiritual scholarship and their teachings live on through the
posterity that carries their wisdom into future generations.
From that point on. too, acts of morality and devotion to duty have
been performed before God without fanfare. God records them in the
chronicle of developments that move toward one shining goaL Elijah
and the Messiah, who are waiting for the attainment of this goal that is
brought nearer by every good deed performed, append their signatures
as witnesses, as the Sages so ingeniously put it. to every such act
performed in Israel.
Of course we no longer have reason to expect the emergence
of new female figures crowned with the laurels of Jewish history.
Yet even one glance into the records that document the continued
survival of this people in all its spiritual vigor and moral nobility will
130
COLLECTED WRITINGS
demonstrate that the ages that have gone by since the fall of the Jewish
Commonwealth have remained true to the Biblical heritage also with
regard to the woman's position. The manner in which the Sages of the
Talmud discuss the position of the Jewish woman mirrors a respect and
appreciation, a tender and considerate attitude toward the female sex,
which could have originated nowhere else, in theory and in practice,
than in the wellsprings of the Word of God and in the life of the nation
drinking from these wellsprings.
To the Sages of Judaism there is nothing more sacred and godly
than the institution of marriage, the tie that binds husband and wife to
one another. God Himself blesses the bride and groom and adorns the
bride so that she may please her husband (1'" m~ 'n it:1, l"l'1V~':1). In
the view of the Sages the welfare of the whole Jewish community is
involved every time a new Jewish home is set up-o'ji;~ 1::1,:1 m;iljiT.l::l
(Psalms 68,27). Our marriage ceremonies take place in public, with
the whole community participating, for our Sages regard marriage as
;~'1V' "jiT.l (ibid.), the source and the root of all personal hopes and
happiness (:T l"l1:1'l"l::l). When the husband brings his newly-wedded wife
into his home, he does so in honor of God Who ordained the institution
of marriage in order to establish for Himself the everlasting edifice of
all mankind and Who, with every new marriage, makes to Zion a new
promise of consolation and joy in her children. Even as God caused the
first married couple to rejoice in Paradise, so He still makes marriage a
Paradise on earth for every couple between whom there is love. Indeed,
He is the Creator of the husband's delight in his wife and the wife's
delight in her husband. He is the Creator of joy and delight, of gladness
and of the bliss that may be savored even here below. For He is the
Creator of love, of brotherhood, of peace and of friendship which causes
the couple's joy in each other to grow into full bloom <T'~'lVl li1::l,::l). It
is from His own holy Name (, and it, the letters being divided between
lV'~ and ;'1V~) that God weaves the tie that binds husband and wife to
one another. If the husband and wife walk in His ways and keep His
commandments, His Name will bestow mercy upon them and save them
from all trouble and harm. But if the couple do not follow this way of
life, He will remove His Name from their union, and the letters' and ;,
will vanish, leaving only ION, fire, with fire from the one devouring the
fire from the other (::l'" ji'!) ,'T~r;N '::l" 'ji'!»).
What should the wife mean to her husband? A man who has no
wife, we are told, has no joy, no blessings and no happiness. He has no
TJ~".
' ;' :~e is
no \:. :.~~
n<::~ .: . ~
. ::,J
:::~iudes
.;. ",;ife
=2
::.:;
:'11
'.l,'-
...'
~rJ.lcrer~, ~~
di·."(':,=e~
:::ey
.
.
:,_e" ~
=an but. ':.:::=-=r
:..~uence
S-~
L1a:
e":~
•.!;,. b r""1aIr.
:::.:' ;J
:: ::un:~. =-~;,?
2.S :; '"-'"l
.i.)
:=:It: 2-5 :'::::f 3
_= A]::,..::.:..:.=;. ::
tn:.--=. =':.
~
"\~1eL
.=..:.:.
S:::'- j:j
\a.::.is::=':" :'1
:~.;.;:e
i .-:;
:-.~'('
T.:1e:e:,::-=
.';'::abarr: '';' ~
: :3.ra.;te: .::: :::.:
=.:
~::
:i
Del:
e1.-_7-'~':;,~
=-_e:-its c:
::.;:~
'::C".lSe 2---:'': ~:-~
:";,:sCli':'S. _=-;:
:;,.::e:-_c'
::'':'~= ~
:-e:'l--:: :::==
~:::.: ~_:..:..s:,;.::.....:
.:::.~-
a.:'.
0:-. :.e::
:-!
..:..:-..:...e K:':-l.::
5:::-..:._::: '.
_S:-:-~j
.... -~-
THE JEWISH WOMAN
:..~.~
:'a1l of the Jewish
;",eritage also with
;';1e Sages of the
l:.2:.-: -:-.::-:-Jf5 a respect and
e .-...::d the female sex,
~-:e':-:, and in practice,
:c
::- e life of the nation
~:::
~
::-. -
r=
sacred and godly
::-. .:sband and wife to
E': ~x'm
r"~
L:::
and adorns the
In
: :::,;,:,:, community is
:-':\ .~ "';::li n'Wl'(i:J),
::: _:-:','/\ 1~i:J l'l1?i1P,..,:J
ti::e : ::::e in public, with
~egard marriage as
r~
.:"ersonal hopes and
~-.:, :-.ewly-wedded wife
lie '- -=.:::ed the institution
::-~ ~-,-erlasting edifice of
tg'e ::-.::..:';:e5 to Zion a new
. -' as God caused the
f1::- :;:::: r::akes marriage a
~::::. ::-.ere is love. Indeed,
l :-_'" :fe and the wife's
, '::"-._ ':elight, of gladness
:::-e ~",:G\". Far He is the
f :'::-::::::;;hip which causes
[C. x::- (l'X1Wl rmi:J).
It
:;: :e::r.g divided between
&.::.5 :::.5band and wife ta
~..:~ ·,;3.)S and keep His
l-;': .. ::'em and save them
I: :: .. : follow this way of
t::
t~e letters' and i1
r::-. :~e one devouring the
r.:: ..:. . man who has no
c·: .::;:;:,iness. He has no
131
Torah, no wall to protect him, and no peace. In short, a man without a
wife is not a complete person (.),0 ,:::l0 n',..,::l'). A man who has no wife
has no help, no atonement and no life ('::l mit I'" i1::li l'l'WIt,::l).
Everything good comes to the husband through his wife. This
includes his piety and his moral character. One honest, pious man had
a wife who was honest and pious like himself. However, they had
no children. And so they said, "Of what good are we to God?" and
they divorced, The husband married a godless woman and under her
influence he, too, became godless. His former wife married a godless
man but, under her influence, the man became honest and pious. So we
see that everything depends on the wife ('1l'l1l'( cw), Even the homes of
Abraham and Isaac became pleasing to God and served the advancement
of human happiness only thanks to the influence of Sarah and Rebecca.
As long as Sarah lived, the cloud of God's Presence hovered above the
tent; as long as she was alive the family's bread was blessed, the doors
of Abraham's home were wide open to receive guests, and the Sabbath
light burned brightly all week long, from Sabbath eve to Sabbath eve.
When Sarah died, the cloud, the blessing, the hospitality and the light
all vanished, returning only after Rebecca had come to take Sarah's
place (tift) mN '0 i1:J, l'l'WIt,::l).
Therefore, too, a woman of valor is her husband's crown, Even
Abraham was glorified by Sarah, not vice versa ('l'( !'11N ow). The moral
character of the children is determined primarily by the godliness, purity
and modesty of their mother (ItWl'!:l ,1l'''''~' w"""). Even though women
are not expressly required to engage in Jewish studies, they share the
merits of their husbands in this respect as well because it is they that
arouse and promote the desire for "learning" in their children and in their
husbands, urging their children to study, encouraging their husbands to
attend houses of study and giving them a cheerful greeting when they
return home. Indeed, women were ready ta make the sacrifice of having
their husbands leave them for long periods to study at academies far
away from home (.1' 1m'::l "It~ i1t1'0).
On ben Peleth was saved by the sensible exhortations of his wife,
while Korach's death was due solely to his wife's inordinate ambition
(.'i'T",:-1l0).
Similarly, it was not a father but a mother who entered the annals of
glorious martyrdom with her seven sons (:1l1't)'1). Again and again, our
Sages point to the n"li":l C'Wl who sustained their menfolk in Egypt,
who did not allow themselves to be swept along when their menfolk.
132
COLLECTED WRITINGS
turned away from God to worship the Golden Calf, who from time
immemorial have acted as the nurturers and rescuers of the Jewish spirit
and who therefore were given a greater promise of salvation from God
than the men (.T' m:li:l).
A man who has a wife beautiful in her character and in her actions
is considered a rich man (:~::l n:lw). Therefore, one Sage always referred
to his wife as his "home" (:n'i' ow). In popular parlance the wife was
described as the upholder of the home (1:'1n':l1). The Sages interpreted
the Scriptural term for "home" as referring primarily to the wife (1(~1'
.:l). A deceased husband is truly dead only for his wife and a deceased
wife only for her husband (::l:ll"':'1lC). One who has lost his first wife
through death is as if he himself had lived through the destruction of
the Temple; the world grows dark around him. his steps become smaller
and his plans fail (.:l:l OW).
In view of the foregoing. a man should exercise more care and
purity of mind in selecting a wife than in any other decision. Some
take a wife out of sensuality, others out of greed. others for personal
ambition, and still others with pure intentions that are pleasing to God.
One who marries out of sensuality will have disobedient and rebellious
children. That is why the Biblical laws regarding marriage to a woman
that was captured in battle are followed by the laws concerning the
"stubborn and rebellious son." If a man marries for money, he will end
his days in poverty and dependence on charity. The sons of Eli. who
married women out of greed, lived through the humiliation of seeing
what was left of their home sold to others for one coin and one loaf of
bread. One who marries a man out of ambition will have descendants
doomed to ruin. Jehoshaphat, king of Judah. dazzled by the splendor
of the palace of Ahab, allied himself to the latter by marriage. What
was the result? After his death. Athalia, the mother of his grandson,
killed every possible rival in the family to make sure she could rule
over Israel.
On the other hand. a man who takes a wife with pure and pious
intentions will have children who will bring happiness and salvation to
Israel. This was the case with Amram who, through his wife Yocheved.
became the father of Moses and Aaron. Another case in point was
Obed, the son of Boaz and Ruth, ancestor of David and Solomon (Nln
•') l'W1"i' ,1:'1"1( ':l1).
Let a man sell all he has in order to marry the daughter of a scholar.
for if he then dies or must go into exile he is assured that, under the care
:r his wife, the :'::-.:_:::r
:Qt marry the da:.:;:::
::1tO exile, the c ~,::::::::I
The Sages ex;,,:..::
:.:onsideration. : 2'·:: ;3
Lother of allli.. i:-.E;. 1
:;.:ld not cause he~
:.ffend his wife ..:.., ..I
:.ffend her. Let e'· ';::.
.5 on her acco'..!:-.: :"~.3
Rabba would te::~-;;
';,ill become ri~h ::;; i
:0 his parents O:-.~-=
:5 also the meaL::-.E;:
~"ther and motr,e~ '!1
:0 honor his pare:-. ~.':
When lace!; 2.:-0""
:;im, "Is that t::;; ~..:C:J
:::urturers of the :;-~:::::
stand in shame (;.e:'::-;:
:"11S wife to ins\.::: "_::J
:lothes will be.;::
j
.."ife something ::-.::': !
;:loser with his
. .:;,
If your wife is 5".: =-­
.~: I()r~~). A !T.2.:-. ,:.:
jim. The terror :::-.2.: ­
:he lives of thCC:5:::::::::
her of her relig:~.::; .::
gentle manner :'-:-:
J us! as there ::::e .
:!.iffer in their ::=:':"-::c!
men will pour c: . ::':1
from it. This :2 ~e ,-=,
his wife indoe:-; ~ -::~
other men.
of the cup. T~.:5 ~ -:-:
husband who ::..:: -,
male neighbc,- :::::
::
=-=
THE JEWISH WOMAN
:::::c::.
who from time
:'-':::-; :: the Jewish spirit
e :. ; ::cLation from God
8:::::- 2.::d in her actions
E'';
always referred
r ;: 2... .2.",::e the wife was
I --e Sages interpreted
c: 2...-". :0 the wife (x!:)~'
t.'<::e and a deceased
tc ."::Cs :Clst his first wife
:je destruction of
t.~ ,:::-;s become smaller
more care and
: '-:: decision. Some
~: : :::ers for personal
t2: 2.:" pleasing to God.
iC:·:: _:e::t and rebellious
~ ~2...-:iage to a woman
tJe • ~., 5 concerning the
:::- ::.cney. he will end
-=-:::: sons of Eli, who
: _~::iation of seeing
1:-:' _ .::: and one loaf of
I " '::a\'e descendants
il.::.":: the splendor
t:::- -:. marriage. What
t..:,c:::-:;r his grandson,
i:: ; _. she could rule
~~=:-~.,::
~
re
'.
pure and pious
and salvation to
!;.~..-: .-.:- wife Yocheved,
::-::: - .2:se in point was
~ ' : .::.::6 Solomon (Nln
~. ,,55
e :.3; ,
of a scholar,
:=-::': :::,,-t. under the care
133
of his wife. the children will grow up to become scholars. One should
not marry the daughter of an ignoramus, because if he dies or must go
into exile, the children, too, will become f1X;'1 'r,)),' (.or,) o'noll).
The Sages expect a husband to treat his wife with the most tender
consideration, love and respect. The first man called his wife, "the
mother of all living;" that is why a husband should give in to his partner
and not cause her grief (.xo m:l1n::l). Let every man be careful not to
offend his wife. A woman's tears come easily; therefore it is easy to
offend her. Let every man be protective of his wife's honor because it
is on her account that blessings come into the home (.OJ X),":'!:) X:I:I).
Rabba would tell his fellow townsmen: If you honor your wives. you
will become rich (OW). As long as a man is unmarried, all his love goes
to his parents. Once he has married. his love belongs to his wife. This
is also the meaning of the maxim that "therefore the man leaves his
father and mother." etc. This certainly does not mean that he will cease
to honor his parents, but the iove of his soul will be for his wife (tl,l"').
When Jacob answered Rachel in anger (Genesis 30,2). God said to
him. "Is that the manner in which a man should speak to women, the
nurturers of the children? Truly. the day will come when your sons will
stand in shame before her son" ('I mN W'),' ;'1:11 n'wx':I). One who causes
his wife to insult him because he refused to give her jewelry and nice
clothes will become poor (::10 n::!w). Even if a husband must deny his
wife something that she wants or must rebuke her, let him draw her
closer with his right hand even while his left pushes her away (.I!:) ;'10~0).
If your wife is short. bend down toward her and seek her counsel (N::!:I
.Ol NY':'!:). A man should never terrorize his wife or make her afraid of
him. The terror that the husband aroused in the woman of Gibeah cost
the lives of thousands of Israelites (Judges 19-20). Even if he reminds
her of her religious duties, as he must do, he should do it in a kind and
gentle manner (:~ i'0'l).
Just as there are various attitudes toward food and drink. so do men
differ in their treatment of their wives. If a fly falls into the cup. some
men will pour out the entire contents of their cup and refuse to drink
from it. This corresponds to the way of Pappus. who used to lock up
his wife indoors whenever he went out. If a fly fell into the cup of some
other men, they will throw the flyaway and then drink the contents
of the cup. This corresponds to the correct and accepted manner of a
husband who does not mind his ~ife associating with her brothers and
male neighbors and relatives. On the other hand. there are those who.
134
COLLECTED WRITIJ>;GS
when a fly falls into their soup, will squash the fly and eat it up. This
corresponds to the way of the wicked man who sees his wife behave in
an indecent, immoral manner and does nothing to stop her (.ll 1'O'l).
In the Biblical chapter regarding the drink to be given to a wife
suspected of adultery, it is specified that before he can subject his wife
to this ordeal the husband himself must never have been guilty of
infidelity. Only if the man has never been unfaithful to his wife and
never indulged in any sexual irregularities will the drink be a reliable
test for the wife's fidelity (.il:l it010).
In general, we do not encounter anywhere in Judaism instances of
the kind of sexual isolation we would expect to find in Oriental societies.
Even at feasts the host invites not only his brothers but also his sisters
('l ml( '1 il:1' I('P'1). One passage in the 'n::1' I(np'OD (l"1.) 'D) describes
the daily life of a woman with her husband and children; it accords
very much with our own family life today. The wife rises early in the
morning and washes the faces of her children so that they will be clean
when they go to school. At noontime, when the children come home
from school, she is there and has her noontime meal together with her
husband and children (ow). If women are advised not to appear in large
crowds, this is not done because one fears the levity of the women but
because one fears the levity of the men (::1'" ml{ 'n il::Ji n'WI{'::1). Of one
who loves his wife like himself and honors her more than he honors
himself, who raises his sons and daughters in the right way and sees to
it that they marry early. it is said: You will see peace and happiness in
your tent (:::Jo m1.):1'). Happy is the man to whose decency his wife, his
Torah and his [way of earning a] livelihoood can all testify. Of such
a man it is said: Your wellspring, your origin and the root of all your
happiness is blessed (01P" Proverbs 5,18).
Even though the Sages of Judaism fully appreciate that women,
because of their nature, are basically different from men, they regard
women as full intellectual equals of the male sex. They interpret the
Biblical passage O'l(it nN O'P'I( 'il ill'" concerning the creation of man
by the hands of God as implying that women were created in an equal
fashion as men il,n, ili'll" Oil(' it"ll' ('::1 n11{ in, il::1i n'Wl(i::1). True. our
Sages note the unique female traits. particularly their greater sensitivity,
in such passages as, "A man is easier to appease," or "In the case of
women the fire flares up more readily," or "A woman is more frequently
moved to tears than a man" (,~l 1.)"::1 ,.1' iltJ'O (n n11( 1'" il::1i n·1/}l(i::1).
Our Sages also utter the profound thought that "women have only one
::e;lrt." meanin~ .­
can addreSS :~.:':-:3
3·.lt at the sarr.;; .• -~ :
::' men. The C"::.::.· ~
-:.210 to the ma:-.. :-.: - 1
::,:1n men (;:;':: --: ']
~egard the rr:,,::- ~ -"
.:-:spired by tr:e :;;-.:-: :'
:'Em than the -; .:::-.:::':
:-:-.en. so the \'. :::--::~ J
:: pure hum":-.
.. - . ­
:"':" L ,eyltlCUS -:- ::
: 2~,sidered rr.:~':_:-:-::"
s:-:"~jj!
Exo'::..:.s ' .:
:::-.:': 3 "'l
:\loreo\e~.
.~:':-'_s
\\'ith \\-~~:'- , ,
:::(1
us h01,o.. : !=. :': 1
=~. en rather ::-~2:-_ -=-j
_~ ~_C'\\'
:;:~ to
;,:-~:.
I::
g:,::--:':~':-
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reg:.: :~-;-~~
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::f t-~e ,: ~~-:~~ -.: 1
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:;~·:;,c::'r3....':.
=::..:-~
:-_~:'se:-,·2:-:-,--:~e:-:-
;.:~
*"J,
THE JEWISH WOMAN
t :..-"~ ."' and eat it up. This
.. - ':::s his wife behave in
1::..:-:: ,;op her (,:II l'tl'l),
C': ..~: :] be given to a wife
::: -: =e ~an subject his wife
..
::a\'e been gUilty of
t "':.:'~:0.ful to his wife and
,.;.' " :~-.e drink be a reliable
te:-:; '"" Judaism instances of
:-::. :":: :::1 Oriental societies.
i:·.: :.~.e:5 but also his sisters
"=- ".:-:"':;~ i.l"tJ 'll) describes
.:hildren; it accords
:fe rises early in the
r-e- 0: ::-'3.t they will be clean
rc:- .~.= -::hildren come home
c.-e ::::2.; together with her
It:. "0:: _ :: ot to appear in large
; :..-::: :e'.
of the women but
.- :-.~- -::i l"l'llIN1::l). Of one
:G :::: ~;ore than he honors
:.... e :-:ght way and sees to
[ ;..:;:: ?<"ace and happiness in
;;.- :,e de;;ency his wife, his
:;..:':.: ~::):: all testify. Of such
_ 2.:-:'': the root of all your
I!::". I
::.::
-=-- "
::.;,?~eciate
that women,
e:-:: -' ~~::>m men, they regard
~-'-:: 5:: x. They interpret the
c.:e:::::-.g the creation of man
t'e-.' :::e .::reated in an equal
-:-: - . -:-: :'I'llIN1::l). True, our
-.:- ::-:eiT greater sensitivity,
:,::::'-:'::5;;." or "In the case of
~.:...~ ·:::.m is more frequently
-::': - ~11\ Tn, ;'::l1 l"l'llIN1:1).
i. •..:: ...., omen have only one
135
heart." meaning that their emotions are less divided than those of men;
they can address themselves to only one subject at a time (",tJ" 1lI1'tJ).
But at the same time, our Sages consider women intellectually superior
to men. The Creator has given greater intellectual gifts to the woman
than to the man; that is why women attain intellectual maturity earlier
than men (;;,tJ ;"l). This, too, is why the Sages of the lewish people
regard the matriarchs, women such as Sarah and Rebecca, as no less
inspired by the spirit of God and no less capable of communicating with
Him than the patriarchs (!ljO 1'1':1JO ,'Ij l"l'N f"O :1:11 n'1lI~1:l). Like the
men, so the women, too, attained the full spiritual and moral grandeur
of pure human dignity through the deliverance and election of Israel
(::>Hl"l Leviticus 26,13). The glorification of God by women on earth is
considered more important than the glorification of God by the angels
(NtJ'nll"l Exodus 15,1).
Moreover, the Sages gratefully acknowledge the spiritual percep­
tions with which women have enriched the lewish conscience. Leah
taught us how to give thanks to God; Tamar hurled herself into a burning
oven rather than humiliate another person in pUblic; and Hannah taught
us how to pray and how to perceive God as "1':1:11 'il (m::>1:1 ,.tll mr:lltJ N::l::l
.1'; ,.f). In general, the view of the Sages of Judaism is that every human
being, regardless of class, sex or nationality, is capable of intellectual
and moral perfection. What was it. we read in ';";1' ':1, Nll"l, that enabled
Deborah to become a prophetess and judge in Israel at a time when a
man of the caliber of Pinch as was still alive? "I call heaven and earth to
witness. be a man a Jew or a non-lew, man or woman. manservant or
maidservant, only according to their actions will the spirit of God rest
upon them" (lj'i"'·Judges 4.4).