XXXVm. No. 2 Tevet 5759 THIS ISSUE: IN -ea -~ ...... a-<><>"--=----

4 YEHUDIT ROBll'iSOl'l INTERVHiW 6 Hamevaser Exdusive RABB! OR, .JONATHAN SACKS WOMEN IN JEWUH UFE. LAW & LORE Bible l 4 Pandora: The "Eve" of Destruction Y0OIANMi DONATH 15 Yetzi'at Canaan: A Speculative w,,,.,.hr,n TZVl NOVICK 16 last Words to Her Brother ASHER FRIEDMAN 17 Chuldah: H<',rn,n,-., EUE WEISSMAN Rabbinic Literature 8 Yotse'ah Ve-Roshahh Parua' DAVID REGEV o~vid iturgy Benjamin 24 The Hundredth Shari Rosenberg DAVID KRIEGER Yehuda "' 26 Women and Ma'ariv REBECCA FELDMAN

30 :LSKY 33 A thodox Jewish Life? RABBI. YosEF BLAU

DR, RIVKAH TElTZ BLAU History 35 Women's Activism in Messianic Movements OiAN!E WEISER KADQEN Contemporary Halakhah 39 Hafka'at Kiddushin RABB! AARON RAKEFFET-ROTHKOFF 40 Kiddushei Ta'ut: Annulment as a Solution to the RADB! J, DAVID BLEICH 42 Af.Hen B'Oto HaNes !LANA HEFTER 48 The Obligation of Women on · and Chanukah Mon Nov1cK · REVIEWS 51 Yorn lyun: The impact of Domestic Abuse on Individual, Family and Community REUVEN WEISER, BENJAMIN RESNICK 52 CyberTorah . JONATHAN PR!CE 53 Overview c,f Recent Orthodox Jewish Periodical Literature MORDY FR!EJ)MAti . 54 t\aganotes: of Recent Anglo-Jewish Press YOt-JATAN KAGANOff 55 Book Reviews: Anne Frank: The ,..,,~,1.J1,ov, SUSAN G. JACOBS Texts of Terror SHAR! L ROSFN8ER(J to Isiae1 and at the deluxe I I and $1,317 from Los \Vith hV() So you.r

drearns. ):'ou can also earn free hckets tilld vvith either of EL i\l::s traveler clubs. (~aH Y<'Ur travel or 1-S(l)-EL .AJ_, SU_N

p,;,CkA§/: fr~::i•n l l /20/5-8 - J/JJJ/~19. {hni dwdt({l) 14 i::hrt~-- $53 US: d£-pa.rt,.n-rdlrrN_J'.itom;,

HAMf.VMiUl, 1evet.5759 3 ·o··' ·.·.... ; 'ur generation o( women curre~tly graduating from · .· college is the best-educated yet in Jewish history . . · . In both general and Judaic studies, we have far sur- passed both our mothers and grani:,lmothersin the scope of our knowledge and our opportunities to attain it. That we have access to this knowledge is a privilege for which pio­ neers such as Sara Schneirer have_ fought and continue to fight. . . ,· . . ' ·. Our generation, then, has been blessed with a respon" - sibility, We, the women have a responsibility to use what we have learned and to share it with others. We cannot limit our intensive exposure to the Jewish texts by which we lead our lives to high school or a year's study in Israel; rather, we need to continue to grapple with these texts in which our traditions are transmitted_ throughout our lives. We must work with the communities that have raised, educated, and will ultim~tely absorb us - to continue to . seek and welcome our intellectual contributions and to encourage and foster our involvement in academic reli­ gious, and communal matters and leadership. Finally, together, as a community, we must work to address prob­ lems that pertain to women and to men. An issue such as the agunah crisis is NOT a women's issue; it is, rather, a · · · · vate concern of ·shalom bayit, but a communal concern of shalom kehillah. Yeshiva University is the epicenter of contempomry centrist Ortho~~x thought. We, at Stem College for Women and Yesl\iva College, need to set the standards by which we will define ourselves. Perhaps Stem College's recent practice of purchasing and rehabilitating buildings is a metaphor for the requisite communal transition presently occurring. Stem has maintained the buildings' exteriors, while redefining and remodeling their interiors. What women's learning will enable~ then, is the strength- - ening of the foundations, roots, and spirit of halakhah; our collective learning helps us become a more halakhic and dyn~c coven_antal community. -YKR -

Jnin rh.: ~.ooJHJfJ ;·~n,iinf nn:~\f-:. i1n ,fr

OVER 1.50 BRANCHES N1mONWU>E.

\.VCb Sift.~ Vll\'VV-/: vvatCd.1-ou~t:'-.corn. ltJ receive VCtUr wE,n,,Jn'lkPr bro~·hure British Jewry the various groups w,,ll most of my connecrions .both with the· Haredi w(n'ld. a,nd Hamevaser Interviews with the !3'nei Akiva world. We do get aiong together. l think \Vt have an inT­ bl sponsible press, which cares less and less, and knows less and less. of the halakhot of Chief Rabbi of the United lashon AH: ln Israel, there is a 'Chmda!' (haredi­ Le 'umi) community; in American ebrew Congregations of 1here arc cn,m1nu1w ri{ those who hold 'B'nei Akiva' yet share some ide, the British Commonwe.alth vlogies with the Harcdi cmnp. Is then' such a center in Britain :0

people from both sueaiKe:,s from both groups - that's extremely RS: British Jewry i\n1cril·an nonUal. in term, of of the many of them, at the Orthodox and non-Orthodox. Of the people whereas in the past AH: And there are those who the · affHi,itcd to Shu!,· and !hat itself is o perc·tiw,,ge than i11 Arnerica - 72% are affiii­ RS: I believe the gap is much more aied to CJrt:hoclox Shi1ls, ()f thnse \Vho get Ali: Sanw. have commented that Orthodhxy than real~ and in ~orne cases even created that 1hc press. Chaza!, as yun knuw. s,1id cxtraor· .rnarried in i3 Shut. over 8{Jl.i0 Orthodox Shul. So it remain; a nr.-•n.,mnu there scerns to be a distinct Haredi corrunu.ni- about /ashon hara; they said it ly tradHion~:i cornnu1nity. and sorne of the 1y and B'nei Akirn·,:,pe community, and rhey was wor,e Hum gilui an1yo1, avodah wmh be rnernbers seem iv be al odds each uthe1; and damim pot together;they spoke even more so than in the United States. To And what did they m,,mbers of Orthodox Shub. lF}uu does the auribure this 1 mean? I believe that only today, with the sheer power of the media, we are beginning community ·· RS: I think I would attribute this to the par­ to understand what Chazal meanr ... that ticular nature of the media today. is a word, can heal or words can kill, that tendency today in all media in the States and constitute the fabric of relationships in sod· in BriDin to focu, on ,·onflkt and the re:mll eties, and When we USC \VOfUS !() shock Or i;, that, for instance .. when rnmebo?,'''"' at the happen momenL

AH: Whm the the .naure: British

,vhere five yearH agct~ l launched a. very roof caH.ed Je\vish to pmmote not only day schools but 1t'-\-Vish education at t:very leve11 infonnal alld ontreadHype pro- giwus. ~ind· ihat has new ,netJ.'.t~d \"/ith out

O\V!i t:qui...-ah:n! of UJ.t\. we c;;.dJ .i, UJL,~L the \.\·'hen i br;~~an ~L t:: ·v,.,- 1t \.'/! ;Hld L:-,n1c t.JUL hu[

United Jc.whh hE1el AppeaJ: '.\tJ nnw our 1+;h(if { \\:i~nii;~gj i~.'; fdVC 'e-t.:;;s JtV/11c;h f~J}!tjca_] large~t fundrnising, charity ic, ,:qua!!y coH> RS: VVe have yet tq se;: and r rn :.un.~ Wt~ ~thi!o;}ophy tb~it cnH!d be UtK.h::r~:rtJfJd by nnn­

mitred to ,llpporw1g Israel and streng1lwning ,,,1;il1 -- sGnle wonderfully i:nspinng nev,,, Jew~ ,E weH 1 and ~t ha~, bt~en. I looked at tht;~ J.cwi~h identity in Britain. T!wi h,ic; created approaches t.o which .._,nnH:' out of tht conu:.pt c;f brit tn1d tri{:d tu ex.ph.tin hov/ ;t an ixtraon.linary outburst of i!1novative pro­ ",ynthesb of d~ep Torah karning with rhc ~o(:i;;d co\.-'enant differ\ frorn a ~_,ociaJ [~ontract, gran1s, V./c nov; have-, throughout the \Vintt':r r:·nJcrging st.::ite of secuhu di\cipliflc.s, rn give and 1 rri:.:d tn l,,ok ar v1ha1 JtHJal~n1 rnight bn::ak..) thousands upon thousands of people you an example. \Vhen ( \.Vih ;it univtc-:ity< j have tn ~ay :ribuut 't-vbat h t aHfd in ~_,c.1nh: cfr ·

going to karning_ events ---- days of ieaming 1 had a very gnod friend t'~11leH:ek of Zornherg. ivhu._ us yuu kntJW~ ha:~ virinen a had ~;on1c influence nn President Chntf;tL ~1nd learning during the winter break; I've never very beautiful bonk abuu! Beraishi!. N1..~\v, on our BrHi~h prizne tninS.qer, Tony Bio.jr< seen this before in anglo-kwry. l thii,k Bcrai~hit. 1\vivah's book, i~; !hft ~bout Torah Nuw._ 1 didn "t knov_,· hniv thi~ :-:ayntbe:d>. would there\ been ft rise in activity levels and in u'tnaddu or 7,~irah v 1 chaklunah - itjuq doc~ CfHiit' out; ] jusr :mt and fr_1r a year :'iH.!dh.~d .Jewish identity over the last five vcars, Also, it_; it Torah which challt~nges of __th~e~co~rru~nu_nit __ Y~ _co_m_e (!__l!,_f p[(ht} ~ynthesis of deep Torah learning with fetninistn, and wi,l at kast he-H-, practi-­ hold its own. the emerging state of secular disciplines. n cal!_v, ca11 Ke will not con- acc{;;tnrnodate tirme to decline. torian and something of the gifts of a philo,o- ,rnmen in rheir qunt J~'r e.tp,md,,J mil's m pher to provide v~ry deep understandings nf · . and Jewish life" AH: What are the Chief Rabbi\ immediate partteu!ar, areas of halakhah, and most goals for the impruvemellt of Jewish l({e in famously, his first booJ,; about honoring par­ RS: l don"t knnvv. ,It's a very' difficult ques­ England? ents. which was a model of how these things tion. ln England, we instirntcd a pn:,nuptial should be done. So rm sure that we wili see agreen1cnt: \Ve brc,ught together aH the Bate! RS: My immediate goal ·_ l mean. we've a new kind of Torah which is very, very Din in England. exc,,pr tht' Au;t, cr,mmunity achieved this Jewish continuity thing. which hroad. and at the same tuhe. very deep. all fae Batei Din in !:kitair1. We con,truci­ is an ongoing program, and its biggest pro­ because we will have a generation of b'nei cd a prenuptial agreem,mt which ha, heen grams are funding Jewish educators, giving Torah who are aho extremely capable at approved by Eiyashiv: it b Lhso only scholarships for people to become good other disciplines. No way of predicting what prenuptial agreement that is appnJv::d by Jewish educators, because we say they are the future ·s going to look like, bur I predict hnn. and it is ~igned hJ, 70'Jf of the couple~ the agents of change; if you have good that it will be very exeitmg. who get man-ied under my aegi~, which i, mechankhim, each [mechanekhJ)nay influ­ almost 70% of all kw, who get married in ence hundreds of others, so we are increasing AH: Which model nf synthe6is does the Chief Britain. At the same time, we gm get legisla­ that. We are increasing. the rate at which we Rabbi prefer - Torah u·Maddn, 'fora/z Im tion front the governrnent. and at the same send Jewish children to s1udy in Israel; we Derekh Erctz or Rav Kouk'.\' U:·Hashkif Garn tin1e. v.;e agreed on con1rnuna1 :-:anctions now have 40% of all Jewish c.hildren in :U HaHol !vfiTokh Aspaklw:m Shel Kodesh - against husbands rvho refused to give their Britain spend ~ignificant study time in Israel, or perhaps an entfn,fy dlfferent fiJnn oito­ wiv<.'s a get. So we put !ogetht>r. in a smgk and we're also funding youth groups. like gethcr? year, probably the most effe,·tive ,et of mea­ your NCSY - we're funding abou! 27 dif:for-· ,ure, ever takell by the Britbh kwi,h com­ ent youth movements, and those are the key RS: l don·t think there is any one ;mswcr. and n1unity to ht:lp agunut, and thar has rv~en~ so areas where we're making a difference. over I think Jt is t,vrong lo look for one ans\'lf·er. For far. very sut'cessfuL and above starting every yc:;.if rnore ne\-v i1Ht,mce. my last book was a book of politi­ Jewish day school,. ral theory; it was seriaiized in the (London) /U the same Lime, I and my Belt Din TimeS; H was a secular book, read and csrnhl!shect certain parameters for women "s AH: Whm dc>es the Chief Rabbi predict tr, be reviewed by sernlar ~miitical phiiosophe,~, prayer groups~ but they arc not Ienie,nt para­ the next rnajor trend, or tn.?nds. in Jcivish but it is a very Jewish hook nonetheless. If~ mcte-rs - -~ve do not allotv \vomen~s prayer

7 onr· ancJtbtr ar any point. Nt)w f_:ihviously, 1 gro,.1p~ IO \ISi." ii Se,frr Torah. J,Od Wt: (l,1 nm ,:in1 n1uch n1ore pt~ssirriistic than l wns five a}k,,, ,hem 10 llke pb.:~· in ,1 Slwl J! a time pro· vcars ,Hi,,. when l ouhii,he, )Toti have in the State:-; a bh1ck hnv wh~n ·co1nihnnaJ ~c-r\·k'cs are laking pia'--~t:, So wh,, because~- I wn~ havinf:: in 1nind ,vhat \vas stiB fe,,or a, Yak called Sk-pht'fl L Carter. l tr_v tu1d ioJlo,v a n1i<-kll:: \Vay here. l be!1eve H vvas quhe a rnoderatc ang:lo-Jc\vi~h con11T1tn1lty: ha~ jui-.t vvritten a buok caned L~L1

is, fnnu the Cba:c;:sldic iA-'OrhL or !ht ·Ye: hlv:1h n1,1-r1t1ef ()f Ref~ uf tbt· i.:orrarnJ.n]ty frorn i.H.H the Shlorno Carlebavh ,,1rt .. r w,iy -· wt' sta,i­ tion. I ffH:an, then,~ 1 s rhJ doubt that wt-ut rnain fundLii;~ini! be.Jog fur brAd k:i uHr rnain ed a Shl,wno C.trlchacb Shu! in L()nd"n Anierican JevvTY hr-is rnaJt: ti~ it~ contr!butlu-n fur"iding bt'·in_g tqiJai·iy- fiH- L;r,1.el aw.J thr_: support them alL you iwwr know which to the Jewish \VCtrid ii the i)of )\irni h stn:nglhe11ing of Jc\1;,i\h ~dentfty r~t hi:.1t.ot !(£-':,:lut.n1dh is going to he_ touched by ·which i\rtscroIL is NCSY none of tho..;e things Sccon::.Hy I had the gre{1l priv!h::;e- of pbying kiud of Kiruv. But what wnul

pos,ihly do. !f you could per~u.;de a Steven - the Soncino; so \Ve rnade our uV/n contri­ taught a\ part ()1 the natiorw! curricuiurn in Spielberg· to wear a yarmulke and put on butions, and ! hope rlnt we'll conimue to every pub!ic. schooL \Ve' vt; just 1\,\'o v"·;.~ek~ tefiili11 -- maybe he doe, wear a varmul.kc and make our own contributions. In lsraeL all the ugo had a green paper - th,H i:< ;; pnhr:y paper put on 1eji/lin: I don'! want to he chmhuf key Jewish questions an: questions in the frorn !ht~ Horne Secretary ,. on fan1dy pohcy. b 1k 'sheirhn. But if you could d\) that. for public do1nain ---1hey're in the str~et; the-y~re in \-Vh1ch I had a shart · in :.1dvising tht• gov" somebody like Steven Spielherg or the many not in the ·Shul or lh~ schooJ or the- borne, So t""·rnrncnt. Those rhing·-,, I haven-t chang~'.d rny other people who are heroes for many young if you want to sec JuJaisrn in the rr.:slna nlind on ~d :dl -· the nece:~s.ity fn-r a rnur.al people, you wouid rnstantiy adikve the kind harahbitn. you·ve got t_o go to hraeL That's ~,ociety, the nect·ssity for putting connnuiry of Kimv success that you Dever imagined. It why I say that every young child in the goiah or renewal on our ag~nda those thing>, I doe~n't mean to say that will change people's must spend serious time in lsrael; because il' havcn"t changc:d .. ~nd r've s:-:tn people !)Ver live:, -- l don't mean 1hal at all; l me:m it will you don't spend time in Israel, whafs the year..., buy lnto our \-Vay c;f fra1ning thing:-;. open doors that otherwise will h:iVc been Judaisrn? Ifs a congregarionl it's a rdipion. I arn rnucb rnorc pes~trni"'tic th:1n i Ve/as closed. That's vv'hat you think of ir as: ifs e,nJy when a.bout hny rapprnchenie:1!. betwcf_·n ()rthodox you go to Israel that you ~ee it\ a peopic. it\ and Rt:forrn Juda!srn, or even bet\veen rdi- AH: In the Chief Rabbi y buok,

to do and yi1uld he1 n1t1re in rnoderatc and stiB rn_aintain an Todav vou have a ,;odety in which every­ the :'Hotiern (Jrlht.1de:c cotNJtUH?il_v; sottti' h,:n·t? thing, i~ 'do your own thing;· ,:1hica1 rda· articles.,. J inH H'Otttiering wlua the view wa.~ .:tbout h'hat lies ar the tivism has taken rnol: we can't even - in America. you can. but in Britain. vou can'1 even say that a two-parent family 1, hdtcr RS: Wdl, y0u know. Haym Sohiveit<:h1k than H union or a cohabitalion or n one-parrnt family ·· you can't even say this gave a \'t:fY init'T('StiHg cs.u1,c1mrn,,, w!Jidl l huve in one pf rny books - f anymon:. A11d therefore the pressures which society nre t:nor- l:an ·r ren1ctnbt'r \Vhkh because I wrnle·quilt' are anu-Jewish in a lot - rhat the shif1 to the ha, been rnous, and therdore, to maimain an rnused by the and political dis- um, you have to move more to the lrn:::a,ii:m .<:>f Jew, ~_v;::r ~-iIJ&l'c.JlJL Ru~M-~a.,,n'---'t""h~e=refore. to_ som,; pogroms. am! lwcnuse of that. Jewish life has nwved from life tradition to book tradition. delighted to sec the And r ve seen that: I see it today -- you know, , right. However, if a move to the right means first of a!L the first lune we saw it was abom le·ss tolerant, that is u11,acce,ptr,ble, ,wenty years ago. when who had because I think the more you are. the l?abbi be/iel'f: rhar the beha,rd in a '"""~u"m way for centuries and more medakdek you are with mitzvot, then centuries .. that was the minhog hamakom - automatically, just as you are machmir bein peaci! process in Israel ~rill a!l(JJ.1· nioderate Religious Zionism to tf.lke rout? suddeniy stmtcd changing because they swrt- adam ! 'makom. so you must be machmir bein cd reading the mishrwh bernrah. and they adam /'chaveiro. and therefore you have to RS: lf rhs: peace prnces, in brnrl sucereds, didn't realize that the mi.1'1mah berumh be careful about lashon hara, and you have then ,he biggc,t in Israel will lx records traditions from Eas!1crn Europe, but to be careful in the opposite direction 11bout imem«l -· in other worJs. c:rn we live not neccs:mrily from Central or We,tem ahaval and darkhei no'am: so I say, l"r, and ,ec-ular: what is rhe form of Europe, which may be just as n!d or even how· come there hasn't been a move to the the Mats: ,hat we w:mt'? 7joni,m solved the okkr; l mean. ftalian Jewry. for instance. has on mitzvm bein adam l'chaveiro'1 problem of medinah; it never even tried to customs dating way, way earlier than Eastern we need that just as much as bein ~ohe thee problt:m of ow;'Fa/T:-Tnc;re ~iIT\Tif--"tmi'ope. -~'c-1:1:re'-misrmrrfr-fnm:m::th---atiam-+'mttkmn,-·-- ·------·-·- .... ------darrn:ntal differen;;:e bdween state and sod- became very people started behav- ety, and 1herefvn: l am very troubled that no ing like the mi.,hnah bernrah. In England, for AH: I was to ask about !ms- one in brae!, to my ~)wiedge, has sat down many years, for over a century, we used bands, but HaRav already exm,2rniell and ''"'"'"'"'~''' a theory of society. Zionism sorm,thing called the Prayer Book, was the theory of the .h~\vish state~ where\: RS: We will not allow a recalcitrant husband Llie theory of a Jewish Ii''" a very, to hold any position of office in a shul; we So h,,ve asked lhe hag. 1,xlay, many ,huls are using Artscroll. won't alk1,v him to have an even, We to otganize an intc'rna­ So Arhcroll is second book tradii.ion which believe that communal shame must be tional conference on that subject. \Vitb the has ,:hanged our shul customs; l think you applied to recalcitrant husbands. But it's mind;; of tht' Jewish world. of ail can"t avoid ihat. Sol think there·s some truth very difficult thing to do now with intema­ kinds, because I believe thar one hundred to bis tiom•.l mobility; the trouble is, we can have years after first Zionist congress and HowcYer, I think the more relevant truth all these wonderful things in Britain, but if years atkr the State brad, we have to is something different. What is derekh the husband immediately refuses to give his mtwe to Zionism It Zionism part J wa•, ha-emtza 'it? H irn ·t the middle wqy; wife a gel, and flies off to America or .to the Zionism of the Jewish state: Zion1sm part it is the way that allmvs you to keep an Israel. how do we exercise some kind of con- n .is the of ihe 3ewi&h or as Hbrium; so it may be like a see-saw - if you trol'? I don't think people realiz.e to what I'll pui it arKither way. when the word teshu­ have got, a heavy person on one end and a extent the problem of today is a rnot Iashuv, are used in person on the other, you need to move problem of mobility, and it can wke vast Moshe Ral:>beim.1 or by the ;.;enter t1.n.vard the person. The cen­ expenditure, and you know. the employment ;er of if you like. That is derekh ha· of detectives, to find a husband who emtza 'it. It is not centrisl Judaism, ifs is himself, and often hiding him· Judaism that allows you lo rnaimain an self abroad; so although we are doing our land; lihrium. And therefore. that depend:.; on how besL we still have ~ome unsolved ca,es, and ~~ ]e\V:-, much pre~:;ure i, put on the other side. they are very And that means we Now iCi; dear mt. that, for instance, if vou Nnw. l run upset Um; t.ik

tnain Practical Sc5}sjons \Vhic:h c{1nfront is§w-~s ft\cing the- r,ilib1n<1t.:: and down the mild.

Sl!cSS!ON I: Tme Ii'All,M A'!i CoNFIDANT: H,uAcmc AND L~f,Af,flAMn~c;ux1111s

"DIH)P·Ov'T 1),:eNs" St:ssxoN IU; Bus;NTI.$$ E:nm:s · How we sHovu, /Iv!!.TIWC'f O!Jl? !MALfil B,,;nT TO 0)1'/DUCT &sJNE$.S 1-\11fi th~1t !~; \\·hy I ft:d that by heing proud a.ad up fn.mt as Je\VS \Vhl le a1 the :.,an 1c titne hdn2' n1oruL Join~ acts (it cheser/,. \V:.:~ trans, wtt hat,;r ~t br:~~u.i~c it dtY..:xn ~r h.,\vt~ an e~~tub­ ranc1:.~·.J \Vt" den'r need 1!'. So the Rt~fi i;ve1 forgoth:n. If yt)U \Vant tn knov/ \Vhat 1b:c ha.sf{; stru;,.·n!l"c nf ;) SJJ1.,·lcty, ln Atnerica, brought being to solve this eternal in the affairs 0f hmnan heings. 1t 's a '"'"'''"'"'"'" £If chUJ\.:h urn.I :-.lJte is 1.1 fundanien­ rh) !t1ng~r nct:ded to soh'e: thi~ Britain Bui tlunk tile mme iniercsting ,nu ·as<~h rov, I mentioned a ''{nk L1w Professor cal!cu fuis :Jn e='iitblJ:-.hcd church. \\'hat .An1ericans is n~)t ·whether tho:;e- n1ov ..."'111cnt~ \;:iU si.:,rvivt: L Carter_ who's o. black Lmliernn. d0n-t under:-.tand and n,"~iHy dnn "t LH1dcr· tht_:·y \'I-ill ~urviYe. \\·ithotH ;,1ny real int~rnnl !-k tell, story in hi, book o! huw, when he sJ.:h1d i~ thtn you can !Ltvc< an e--.:li.lb!ishcd is, what m.::w ~hurch and have an extn;n1ely t\"lcr:un ~1..,)ci~ n1ovtrrH:';nh v.:iH A.nd to n1y 111inJ. was child, he _was sitting on the steps of hi~ - his purcnh haJ rt,;: in ,on1l'.' resnet:ts. BriL:1in 1~ a 1nore tnler- hy far and ;.nvay. the rno~t needed ne\v n1lJVC into a com- 2.~~ rhan °t\n:1~1irg: fn .:it,U!le il'5P-~~:J;5.'.'. n10nt is. a rt1ove1nent, \l/hich l arn ahnust sure, has less anti-Sentitlsns than /\1n~rira~ and \viU con1e inlo heing: in the cen- V/hite neighborhood in th,,t i, t,;;•,:au,c ,rn c'StabiisheJ chmch ii,elf tury which will be like the Cha,sidic move- lw felt drea

cr1mr~ and bt' a Rabbi hen:.· in the States. If'i a and ~o or~1 and those are very real pow~r'.' -, l i!hbcir!J,o(ld. f-Ie said, ·'that for me has fowish com1mm1ty of which you. Ye,hivJ never use them. i believe that you always remained throughout my life as a model of the OV, the RCA ~houid be very have to work influence. And the whal it is to be a human " And Chief Rabbinate has an influence over the then he tells us the name of this she was direction of !he Jewish community cnlled Sarah Kestenbaum. no alive: All: Does the 1ha1 :he mon·· which 1s very great. and it also has an influ- she's the relative of some very friends nienrs to1nprisfris the Jeivish picture ence over hf1\v the Jewish con1n1unity is per- of tnine, because as soon as I read this pas- non-Jews. whkh is also yery sage, I them up and l said. 'is that a -- ivill continue 10 But the truth is. as yon know, as relative And he goes on to explain, the Gem[lfa says in 55 and as the this black Lutheran, that Jews do this kind of Rambam rules in hilk!wr de 'ot 6, thing because of their tradition of chesed - each of U$ has a ~p!Jere or intluencc; the Resh and he uc;cs the wurd chesed and !V1rs, Galutn has a of influence, but each Ke,tenbaum was a very lady. And that was one deed, and this now is forty of elnrnilY is - jus.t cr~ntinue tft er.,i~t Ifs lin1.chot 1,'aino rnocheh hu h"t.Ho years later. and this man, whom tb111 Sn:1,lar Zionhm hrHwo1•, Every one of u, has influence. could have guessed would become ·one of the OQ\,\ :J;ld it bec-n ev~r since the e~ta~ the pcr:1on with the greatest inllu-­ country's law ha~ never Hibn)cnt i~r the 5;t;1tt~ '= it did "';bat needed to cnce in the \vorid h~ a parent 'and to1onltn:n. St) each of us has infinitely more every of us ½'ill be pnr~nt8 .. hecause th(~ influence 1han we lhiuk, and that can ht> rHus.t -sutccssfui ,1f the llnit.t?:d achieved by one deed, So when the Statei doe:i> not h:;1ve ih<: infhl,.;nce over one t\arn:bam say~ in hifkhot teshurah that w~ \Jf' the citi1:~nt of tht': Unltt:d States that ev~ry ,lwu!d sec our next act as if it will affect the iather mother ha~ o,rer th¢!r i.'hil.:l Su each lxilance of the \\.:hole \'-.,Urld~ it i\ fflOre true.," ol' us has tmhe!ie,<1ble influ,:nee; mid we and more true than any of us ;,ur life. reuHzt,

Pandora: The .•Eve• of Destruction it becom,;:s ckar from his descripti\)n. HcsioJ i, speaking hen: more uf the ne,:d for ,,>nc' than of th;:. need for a wife.) Hc,i,ld finally r1:c- suited hJ hi~ mind." lfhc mar, anct,,ra ii, Gres:k n~ytholo~!'.:' ant! Ev.: in ths: JJiblC. shar~ !llllll)'. (unmcndslhat r;nan1nlln)' ·•a good wtfe rnnliuuaHy i:omend, wirh µood.'' haractc:ristk~. The pura!!eJ~ arc cti,cu,,~I by a,•!~ ~ieii\f .rie,~ Mtts tilld' ~ht w.:lii1111i, ·'evil that pc:'h.1ps \m the tree of knowiedge. God then see, that . . H~ioo dld "'" k1mw tbilt the drs.>nes are 1he male Adam had been lonely and forms E\e, a 1.:ompanion and he!per, from the' ~. Dt.1il: t;lw ~od.:ittl!: t,ot~ are fcroa.ld He then s1..ites tho,.uzh. thn, a one uf bis ribs. 111e Serpent cajoks the woman into eatmg from 41:~it'l& li.J,ktag for a n::ic1 who does u,:i, get mamoo.-since he forbidden fruit and sharing it with her husband. When God asks tJ1em . •iott and she irr rum blame, •. '1"J".~ a ~dty ~ 11~, without JCDyon~ ro tt-nd his ye11.r~ ,, tAs ,vhat had happened, Adam blaxne,, the woman, the Serpent. God punishes all three: the Serpent loses his legs and is reference to Lillith's killing her own children, rather than a presenta­ to be trampled upon by the woman's descendants; woman will be tion of the whole story.26J I believe that although the legend of Lillith subjugated to her husband and will give birth with pain; man will existed in the times of the , it reflects Greek influence. For have to work hard for survival, fighting against weeds that will example the child-killing evokes. the Medea myth as a possible always grow on his farmland. God then bans Adam and Eve from the source.27 The Lillith story is in conflict with the Torah as well as the Garden of Eden.14 · Talmud in attitude, and it is more in line with the misogynistic Greek Before comparing Eve and Pandora, one must mention the leg- view. end ofLillith. According to that story, God creates Lillith from filth The most important diJference between the Greek and the and sediment. She becomes Adam's first wife, but they never get Biblical approaches is deeper than the role of the woman and lies along since Lillith objects to Adam's desired method of cohabitation instead in the fundamental difference of how the existence of evil is and she challenges his. superiority. God then banishes Lillith, and she interpreted. Tbe sees Adam and Eve's eating from the fruit gives birth to demons, at the rate of I 00 per day, who bring evil to the as a result of their desire to gain knowledge. 28 Thus, the Jewish focus 15 wor_ld. This legend, however, is probably of late is on man's strong quest for knowledge, which was origin and certainly does not have the Torah's strong enough to risk punishment for breaking the authenticity. law, rather than on an attempted explanation of the Perhaps the most obvious difference between evils in the world. If one were to say that the prohi- the Greek and Jewish accounts of woman's creation·. bition of eating the fruitwas intended to set man up is its very,method; that itself can shed light on the essential difference for a misdeed, it would come close to the Greek version of events, in between the Greek and Jewish attitudes. In the Greek version, the which ·Pandora is purposely put in the world to bring evil. While her gods formed her independently, out of clay and water, 16 while in the curiosity in opening the box can also be viewed as a quest for knowl­ Bible, she is created from part of Adam. 17 The Torah therefore com- edge, nowhere in the Greek story is it suggested that the box was a mands man and woman to marry "and become (like) one body." 18 trial for mankind. Rather, the curiosity was a basic part of her design, Similarly and more importantly, woman is created with two very dif- purposefully incorporated in her as the primary means to assure that ferent intents: the Torah calls the woman a "helper for him," 19 while she would carry out her intended, although concealed, mission of Hesiod refers to her as "evil."20 _ bringing destruction to man. The main difference could thus be The Talmud displays a similar positive attitude towards women defined: while in the Greek myth, striving for knowledge is regarded in other places as well. For example, regarding God's fashioning as a necessarily evil and a source of destruction, the Bible seems to . woman from Adam's rib, the comments that women have a say that man's inherent need for knowledge must be balanced with "greater [level of] understanding."21 The Talmud also compares a respect for law and order, and it is runaway curiosity that, by causing woman to a jewe122 and further refers to _women as "good" in saying man to forget his Creator, leads to the loss of special favors. that when Adam blamed Eve, he was a '.'rejecter of good (kafui Even here, although the evil results· of transgression are funda­ tovah)."23 Finally, the Talmud says that a woman has the potential mentally similar between the two versions, the "punishment" in the ooly lo rise, oat to fall 24 · -- ...... Tofah. is-simply thewithtlr-awal of undeserved special favors; from · I believe that these Talmudic passages present a more accurate then on, man can obtain anything only in exchange for something picture of the Jewish attitude towards women than the.legend of (e.g., work, pain) rather than getting everything ready for use and Lillith, cited by Graves25 from the Yalkut Reuveini ( 17th century), entirely free. The Greek view, however, regards the need to work and the Book of Befl Sira (an apocryphal book) and the Midrash Rabbah the finite limits of human life as inherently evil and as reprehensible in Numbers ..(Upon consultingthe latter, .I found that it was merely a as disease and suffering.29 $between aas well, In anoth. •>>If\ . . . . ·. -~·. a. ttitlerent . ~m:.. ,OJ)i~. It stresaes thatAdatn aad BY~ had Qniy a single mitivi.uir and they · failed to keep even that one. 30 Tile Midrosh contrasts Adam with Job, faulting Adam for listenin~ to his wife, as opposed. to Job who did not. l This perspective blames Adam for carelessly acc~pting; without consideration, wha:t his wife gave him. The Midrash, even appears misogynistic, speculating f~ the fact that the letter 'samech' first appears in the Torah ·at this place that the creation of woman was synchronous with the creation of Satan.32 Looking at it this way, the Midrash seems to portray woman as a trap, a potential source of evil for man. perhaps paralleling the legep.d of Llllith as mentioned above. This idea is very similar to Hesiod'.s approach.33 . The similarity between the Midrash and Hesiod extends to their acknowledgement of · woman as a necessary evil. The Midrash and ,Talmud both comment on Adam's loneliness: "whoever is without a woman is left without happiness ... 34,35 The Talmud goes further and says that anyone, even one wlio has chil­ dren, should not be without a wife. 36 Hesiod, as mentioned above, also talks about the

get married.37 problem; the disregard o a pro ttion 1s sec- 11 . . . , • · · • . . . . Yet an. other very important parallel 6ndary.. . . . ' . EC.~tratus:TheLlfenf""'?lfoJ!iusofTyana, Conybeare. Harvard Umversity Press, Cambridge, Tl"llIISlateiiby and between the Greek and jewish versions lies Fm~ly, the v1llam differs between the.-- William Heiru:mann ltd, London. lC/50. B~k 4, Chapter 39, in that in both, the evil ~ults or punishments two stones. In the Greek sources, it is the f~h I. ·...... • . · · d 'th · 38 d • a1· d h l'k ·. . . Plotinus: The Six Enneads. Translaledby S. Mac~nµa and are associate wi agncu,lture. Hesiod go s m t~e _an um~n- 1 e : ?eed. ~f a.s. P\'f, Ele bOSlile powers much stro~ger him." The Talmud (Yevaniot 63a) explains rhe dual mea:fn .of ·~·: by the'ftct1mat Adam sinned, con- than himself; thus, the best he can do lS to O .· ,ru lS ~Panl:kD.llledal!gbterofBlechdleus.olfei:edher· 35 6 . ~ IJl .du~ Sllllllfil:uild becamo a symbol of the Land. or at least 36 'Jalmud: Yevamot 2b, ··· · llfthc1-i. ... ,--~of ~ agri,;u!IUle.. , 37 Talmud: Yevamot 61b . (ipw;,,Cnme, ed.. 38 Hesio,;l:~li00-6IO. · .....,....._· ··--...... ,., •.· ·.·~./':•.·- .w~ ..·~. . ·.~ ~of The~· 39 RobertOraves: ffebrew Myths: Chapter 12, article 6. .· . •"i> : ·...·.~ .... co ·. 21,1997. . 40Hesi

HAMJ.VASH, Tevet 5759 Chuldah: The Unsung Heroine' ·------~-----"'-----~------··---· ·----- Hy L'Xplorin~ ChukLff "-, t k1ra_itikt ;,,v~ nhsj' dht:11v~;r ;J I:/;_'°",h l :1pt1nmch to the prc•iiCiU~ quc~tiun\, Tht "hu1tJ;.b p!t>"ent:-, u:\ with a hi-n- ake a pnll ,>f Jew, ac1uss the w.irld,i,, delcrrnin,· the mu0.! mrlu- tk"d ck,cnptiun of Chukh1h··. had;;zi:,•Jr,d "Ci1uhL.1h t.'1e prnph-<"!£,,. Tent1a! h0roa1e of tfH.~ 1anakh. ~,~.stncr rntght rt:<·en·1..~ th..-: niosl the \.vife tA ShaliHn the .,,,;n of Tikv4h the sun of Charcht-b, kt~..:p::r of vote:-i, V/ilh Devorah, Yael ~ind .Ruth cqo1petin1 !or a clo\C: ~cc.. the v;,,-, relay" a rnes~agc of hope to '{o~,hiyahu. Israei's aix1ndonmcnt of rhe Ho!_y (Joe. {)ut of this despite ht'r fore+,(,djng y.,orch: ahhuugh the ~iHJarion desperute situation rises King Yoshiyahu, v1ho kads appear ... rb:,,nial, ~ v,,·ifldow uf oppont11iity yt;t exjs;t,;.,. one of the greatest spiritual revolutions in JevJish his- She represent'- the cun.urioner"(, abihty in atiain virtue iory. ChiJkiyahu, the xadol., di~cover~ an a,-., a con1nioner. revoiutiuniLing her household to the ancient Torah scroll in the T.:-mple. Concluding that point wherc God alrno,t hceomio, a member of this discovery is a result of divim, providence, Yo,hiyahu scrnh'mc,- family /for hcv, d,c coald ,he atbin tlic ,tarn, ,,f propli!'.k,,"',. ,engcrs to be doresh f-lash<'m .seek out Gud) for guidance on ,he mat- Yo,hiyc1hu ,,trove- to in,pir<' the hraditc•,, to folinw Chuidah \ model, ter, The servants solicit the advice of Chuidah. hringing (Jod into the ''ins ar1d out-.'' of everyday iife.7 He irnag1ncd Chuldah announces, "ll.::!l the man that sem you to me. thus ,;ay, that hi:-: :,pitilliai cxplmi,m v,ould ,p:,rk 1-..,vnlution,, 'Nirhii, calh the LonL 'behold i will brin11 evil upon this place and upon ih inhab hnrnl'8 This may. io foct. he the n::.is.,m Chuli.fah WJ' given thi, ta:,k by !!ants ... therefure my wrath shall be kindled against this place and God. 4att--flBt-oo--EtHt;fl{.4!ed.'--Bu+-ttHhe-.Jdni-ot=-Judtth·, who si::nt ynu to Unfr.rr!unateiy. Yoshiy:1hu's drc;im 110\U materi;,lized. \Vhile thl' inquire ot the Lord, thus shall you cay to him; ·thus says the I ,orJ Uod Tanakh describe, in dctaii !he rem<;, al ,,f idobtr), from the public of l:,raeL regarding the word, which thou h:lst heard; because thy heart places. it makes no menli,m of any ,ueh :JC'ion, within the inJividual was 1ender and thou hast humbled thy,elf before the Lord when rhuu home,. The prie\!s of Ba'ai ,md their altar,, were ,.!c,troy<'.d, hm tile didst hear what I spoke against this place, and against its inhabitants. living rooms nc:ver rece~ved ~imilar redecoration. Chilidah remained that they should become a desolation and a curse ... thy eyes shall not the louc repre,cntative of Israel\ potential.

see tht' evil which J wiB bring upon this place.·~· (Kings H 22: 16-20) f;~~;~~~\hu10n~ art t~k:i.:11 f:r;rr. :n2sJ~Lt1.:,/!~mJlihk. K0rcn Fubi::hcrc.. '!;"-!h·:,t arrJ t'.Jnrc :-.:,. Bur,_,ld ;.-; ..ct. ;~r.;:_ 1 31 ~:~l::;'. :1~~,v~~:~~:t~::!:d,;;t~~~!'.'.~~~! ;:~~:~}i::v,~~\.'.::,:i~~:::: ;Bi£;;,~·;'.~i~~:;:;i;.'.;':i~';;:i ~~:~~:~~;~: :~~;:;!:~;;;;~,};:~ii'.:l~'.1,i;::;::~;:~::',;,;\;i:::::'.:~;1:::!~:.;~!; ever1 in postponing sunu11c-n1s the decree. f{e then all J~ws to Jenbalcrn come. RMi1 qui:st:uD;, thr i,J~r~ > 1 fu t.'hu!d(/h mT:ah ht.. h- J ;..·,·:i,d a p:--t,pb~t 1..h:i1 n ·:.dditior.ally. bo;h ~ ga:.h-:nng:, ~,j th.:! ~1.1pk Ulll ·~!iMt mt pur­ more promjnent prophet, first prophesies in the thirteenth year of fklS(' l,f );i:,piring me fKtrle in renew rhei~ ,1,mmnmi:nt lo Ha,/:e,i, Hn1Hy. R,i,;ifl i}~dai: 41., illt'.:'ipt\".t'< lht Si;rtf Yoshiyahu's reign: the scrol!- ,;vas found in the eighteenth year. "fnis (/Jt",J~rtm O:i~: .r~ s,,.,-mg tiMt th,: kinr mu:'lt i-it tit· cn2 r,; r,,d the Tor~ at lfr:Wi. i!S YN.-.iyalw did mtw- ccn~- ,,, ..,,,,h,,,,,,,« fro1n the ",;boon docks'' di solaces '"firmi\;ahu~ announcing_ a ipony. lt mi! he tt12t Yo•'fu_,1,itu '.4:.t':;. rn i:icr. irymg to ~m,ub,:tt ihc Ht;kfrt mud. I: J ..... ) Th;,: 'faJmud'~ 111:~·~r.:- ,~ 4:Jitc ~triking cwi:-:ick-rins th(· fact 1fla1 Chm'd.Ji!'ll r; rw:.h ;-, tiardl~ roflip-:1..,.,:.inr.art that defines Israel ·s destiny until the destnlCtion of the The 'Ti.lmtld qu1_itcc; ,mmher :m;-;\\C! that Yi111r:.\l1Ju had ~1,,k ft> rttum th,:: tc'rr b.~t rr;bt~~. Tht~ m~y br <,in:iisr to Ii.: Rurfvr;\ .tpprtM..:h. 1',,fon.:01_·i;:~. Yirwyah1/:. mi\-.;i0a, a-. i.kfinc

Radaq, a,suming that Yirmiyahu was indeed 1he preicrred !~·~:~1~~·~~;:~:_;~~i:~;::;;;:~ ~~~:!·f ~~'.1::/:n::,::,~;~~ i~; :~~\~;,;;;Jlt~~-i:~):r\~1.~1t~t;~re }01h1 it!hU ;t~.~ ,lrr5d) propher.. exp!aius thar it wa~ the urgency of the ~inmion that morivat­ r.:muvtd 1hr 1dohnry bdor? the //ak.ht;. (hJJiJii~ :rN)irt'- hiJY! 1:, ~r, l :;it;p forth-er tbrn h::: :;irta;Jv h,fa .and lt Jd!J· ed YoshiyaJiu ro choose Chu!dah. Yirmiyahu wa, tmavaibblc. leaving f\;?~~;~~ 1 ~~ ~:~~:i~;t~fJe;ric 1 1 1 1 c,mrn:mdntrm~. ~11pk Chukiah :1, the only option. Rashi. quoting the 1alnmJ (Me1;1//oh !4bi, ihc ~:i _ti:ij·~/!::~,:~~~~}~; r;~~:~ ::·1:1: ;« r~: ~~;:~~;,//~::~;t::;;.:~ ~~: ~~ ~~~ i~P~: \~Jthm c.-ery,.fay l1i::. Siniilioi:dy. rtWfl)· i ~tales that the choice of Chuldah reflects a greater need for compas~ion i!:cr,· ;m:- r<>r:1.Hchbt'htt-e11 fii,kh,:! mJ ffo.! );r...;i. Hr;lh,.: 11!-lj hr, !I ··mtni-iiu, S1M:.'' JJ1 ;:;Hemp! 10 H'H1lfici r,,21.t'; ,{ 1httr i.(;m:t,illnt11L for "' nwi:-i: ,ldailt"Q ,fo... ~·u·:5.1on tlfl :ti~ wpi.: ·,;~t R::bb, \1, i ... "nashi1n rachmaniynt hein." Yoshiyahu choo~es the w;:,rm hearted k~.-f(j~.',:!_.. ·,'"...,~.!~.i-LC.,i,-~,. :,',J,·l:J.f/f.'-~.:,5,,:,•. ·.<,,. \~_?,:,·,_,'.,:,·~.';_,:,",:.,',,~.-,.~.·.,~~~.,-,~~-·,~,·.f... ;_'~,·-~'.( '. " ~ - r:-:: 1 r.. ,..,, ,.. _ ri,. _ 1 _ Chu]dah purpo..;cly, f:tg:.iinc,t the ;.ts~un1ption nf R,:1daq, as pt:u1 of his n . . -_ . r.. . . ;,;,-as.: &.t,~ <1ttrmm t,; t:'rmg fr,.- ft'V!1lonor: mto t!k ie·.--!sh ;-!'Ot!':t.~. ,\:1,.Jy,i_;, Jt 1!J." 11af•m: uf Kl 1!!J,-;f'! Pt_c:.,i, quest to redeem 1he Jcwh.h nation,-'.' )E~,H your jfiJ G.

HAt111tv11.su. Tevet 575.S 17 'Yotse'ah ve-Rosbahh Parua':' : A,\Jn~epth analysis of primary sources regarding covering women· s hair

then it's quite possible that _the ancient Israel that they should not go out , BY DAVID ~GBV Israelites also had a similar law. In any case, with uncovered head? RAv9 JUDAH hese are to be divorced with- our law already had precedents in ancient STATED IN THE NAME OF SAMUEL: l O out receiving their kethubah: times. .PENTATEUCHALLY IT IS QUITE SATIS­ T FACTORY [IF HER HEAD IS COVERED a wife who transgresses the Now to address our questions. Our first BY] HER WORK-BASKET [KALLATAH]; law of Moses (dat Moshe} or one question is: what is the source? ACCORDING TO TRADITIONAL JEWISH who transgresses Jewish practice The in Ketuvot 72b, cited PRACTICE, HOWEVER, SHE JS FORBID­ [dat yehudditJI ... And what [is above, calls the law "Jewish practice." This deemed to be a wife's transgression DEN [TO GO OUT UNCOVERED] EVEN · · . .,__,-gaittsrJ.feWish prlictice?tioing--o"'ku..,t---seeiemsto indicate that the law.developed out ·wiTH HERBASKET l6N HER HEAD]. l l with uncovered hair [yotse •ah ve- . of practice. The Rabbis felt it important to According to Samuel, both the Mishnah a_nd roshahh parua'] ... 2 (Ketuvot 72a) codify the practice as law. However, there is the Baraita are to be accepted; the law is both The nature of the obligation of women another view. The Gemara ·there, refers to Pentateuchal and Jewish practice. ·to cover their hair raises several historical another Tannaitic source: And what is the sourc~ for the law in the and halakhic questions. To begin with, wh_at ... it is written, And he shall uncov- Mishnah? In Yerushalmi Gittin 9: 11 is cited a is the source of the obligation? And what rea- er [u-fara '] the woman's head Baraita:12 son and rationale is there for the obligation?· (Numbers 5:18), and this, it was Lo, it has been taught: The House , ,What does Parua' mean? Does it mean liter- taught in the school of R. Ishmael, ofSharnmai say~. "I know only that ally uncovered or perhaps unbounded? How was a warning [azharah] to the a writ of divorce is issued on . much hair must be covered, and does a wig daughters of Israel that they should grounds of unchastity. How do we fulfill the obligation? Must a woman cover not go out with unco_vered head [bi- know that if the wife goes out in her hair at home or in a courtyard? Do frua' rosh].5 public with her head unkempt [yot­ divorced women have the same status as The school of R. Ishmael seems to take the. se 'ah ve-roshahh parua'].:.[the unmarried women with regard to covering law as Pentateuchal. We find a less extreme husband may clivorce her]? · their hair? view in Sifrei to. Numbers 11: Scripture says, Because he has_ Before we can even consult the preemi­ " ... and imbind the hair of the found in her indecency in anything nent rabbinic commentators ·· and halakhic woman's head": ... the words of R. -[devar 'ervah]."13 authorities to help us an~wer the above ques­ Ishmael. Another matter [davar The School of Hillel interprets the verse tions, we must first tra~ the obligation back acher]: The verse teaches concern­ · differently,, allowing more reasons for one to to its ~liest days in the pre-Rabbinic period. ing Israelite women that they keep divorce his wife. In any case, a woman who The earliest source of which I am aware for their heads covered. 6 And while does not cover her hair is committing an inde­ there is no clear proof for that the obligation of women to cover their hair cency and deserves to get divorced. 14 This is derives from the -Middle Assyrian Laws proposition lre'ayah la-davar], derived from the Pentateuch, possibly giving there certainly is ample evidence in (§40):, our law Pentateuchal s~tus. We find an even (42) Women, whether married or its favor [zekher la-davar]: "And harsher view in Sotah 5:9: 15 Tamar put dirt [efer] on her heat!' [widowsl(43) or [Assyrians] (44) 1 R. Meir would say: "Just as there who go out.into the (public) street (2 Samuel 13: 19). 8 are diverse tastes with. regard to ·(45) · [must::not have l their. heads The law. is derived from the Pentateuch but food, so there are diverse tastes [uncovered]. ·· (46) · Ladles by apparently Ol!IY as an asmakhta, a verse to with regard to women['s behav­ lm'th ... (47) whether (it is) a veil(?) which theJaw could be attached. Support i& .iorJ ... And you have a man into · .(48) ot'robe or {mantle?], (49) must needed from a book from the Prophets. The whose meal a fly falls, and he picks · l:le~; (50) (they must not have] source of the law doesn't really seem to be it up and sucks .it [for the soup it ;~ beads [unc«>veredJ. (51) Pentateuchal. absorbed] and to.sses it away,. and ~... (52) or... (53) or ... (55) In the Amoraic literature we find a cen­ then eats what is on his plate. This ...'~JD@tl l:le. veiled lbutl, (56) trist view. The (almost) full context of the ,is the trait of a bad man [rasha'], .~\-.;die,y pi; the ~~c) a~t · Gemara in Ketuvot 72a-b .reads; .. who sees his wife going around they sbtlt lsurelyt be .ANl> WHAT {IS DEEMED TO BE with her head uncovered [yotse 'ah .A WIFE'S l'RAN.SGRESSION ve-roshahh parua'] 16 sh,ameless AGAINST} JEWISH PRACTICE? before her boy-servants, shameless OOINO OUT WITH UNCOV- before her girl-servants .. .It. is a · . ERB]) HEAD. [Is not the prohibi­ commandment to ·divorce such a ti911. a&llU\St going out with] an woman, as it is said, When a man uncovered head Pentateuchal; for it takes a wife and marries he,; if then is written, and he shall c,ncover the she finds no · favor in her eyes because he· has found some inde­ wonialJ ~ head, and. this, it was wigllt in the school of R. Ishmael, cency in he,; and he writes her a bill of divorce and puts it .her wiS ·a w~ to the daughters of · in

RAMlVASH, Tevet 5759 halld tu·1t1 .,endv her ,:-i,a t41th hou5-e hair. a0 the ·n;t1nutf !{1._'darbn ]Oh fe½tifie.s. \\\~ find t{ diffc:~r{~ni ?,,~~phHw.tior, ufh:tt:d in and she depa!'ts .out o..f his house. ,f'l1tn ~OIIictirn1.'.'.S covt·.t Hlt;jr Nian}:r.,;.r.c, RahhJh 9: i {;; And if she goes and becomes ,moth- hea,Js and -s·omet!n;e:i not; but r'\ND LET THE H/\JR ... iH) er nu1n :, "lVife (L)e.uteronon1y 24: 1- \von1en's hair is alw·ays 1..~nvered~ f..CK)SE (Nurnhep-: 5: 18}: W'hy·, 2) - and Scripture calls him ''a dif­ and <...'hiidren are ah-vavs barehead- Hecausr: it thual for the daugh!t':f\ ferent man/~ becduse he h; nor his eJ !8 .. of hcit~l tn have rhefr head_;;; ct::\---- match. The first man put her away So why ~pecificaliy nbJigaH." J. \-V{'rrn~-n1 in this 1::rcd, CorhequenOy, t.cvhen he hernusc of trausgre:;sion, and !hi, custon1:.1 Hncovt:rs the h21ir t__ :rf her be.ad, he other one comes along and stum- We had alreitd)' sc:cn !he ,1,,,,;yrn,n L,v,,, say;.; to !°k:r- ·You ha.vc dtpIH"fJ~d bles through her. The second hus­ They beg the que,t1on: what', ,he connce!Hin fnvn che \Vay ~,r lhi:~ daught~r~ of band, if he has merit in Heaven, het\iVeen rnarricd and uplJer class Vi.-'fJJncn'' f\tal:L who::,;{: hab!! it i~ tu have their puts her away. And if not, in the Perhaps up~-r das:, worncn are considered a~ heads covert:d_ and you have end, she will bury him, since il is hcJonging _to a certain sc)cial group; unc doe'.._ c.vJ!ked in the \Vay:" crf th,: idob­ said, Or if the latter husband dies, not deserve. tn beho!

AVAILABLE ONLY •

19 ~lte~& ·~itb . an · unveiled into the streets· with a bare head, removed? Th~ simple answer is that we are ··~~.~ disgr;aces her head; for while a woman goes out with her told that-in the verse itself. However, I have ·tliiJ is,Qno;and .~. same as being head .covered?" .He said to them. explicit proof that the Rabbis thought so. ' ahi~: (~) If. a w9man is. n!>t "The matter may be compared to Tosefta Sotah 3:338 expands: ~ltod, iet her be sheared: and if it is the case of someone who had com- She wrapped a beautiful scarf [sud- di&gr;aceful for a woman to let her- milted a transgression and who is darin;39 for him, therefore a priest self be .sheared or shaved, let her be ·ashamed before people. Therefore takes her cap [kippahh] from her veileQ::.(13) Judge for yourselves: the woman goes out covered up head and puts it under foot. She is it proper for a woman to pray to (out of shame for their progenitor's braided her hair for him, therefore a God unveiled? ( 14) Does not nature sinJ."29 priest loosens it.40 itself teach you that ... ( 15) .. .if a The law is connected to the Original Sin and Here we are explicitly being told that the woman wears long hair, it is a glory given the following reason: shame. The priest both removes her covering and loosens to her? - because her hair has been Original Sin is used differently by The her hair, in that order. ·This is also seen in given for a covering. (16) Now if Fathers According to Rabbi Nathan (version Pesikta Rabbati 26: .. · anyone seems to Ile coptentjoys, we~--.1~+)--14~23::.:0,::;·_~... _·-. -.~ ..... ,-,.~.-.---. '--'· ·-~---'--+--·~I~e_rell}iah went on: I.say, With whom ·-'--" ·-· do.nofliave such acU:~torri. nor do . Ten decrees were decreed on the . . . may I be compiired"? WitfiTfligh the churches of God.24 First Man and ten on Eve: ... she Priest who w.as chosen by lot to Paul, who himself tried to abolish many goes out to the marketplace with give [a woman suspected of adul~ aspects of Jewish Law, takes a very stringent her hea9 covered [yotse'ah ve- tery] "the water of bitteme~s" to position concerning this 'Jewish custom'!25 roshahh mekhuseh] as a mourner.31 drink. He bared. ·her head, disar- He testifies to the existence of the law, and The reason here is the following: mourn- . rayed her hair, held out the cup to probably takes it even further. According to ing.32 · drink-and saw that she was his him,.the reason for the law is Na.tural Law, Now we can move on to the third and mother!41 woman's hair is her glory, and, therefore, it most crucial question: what does. p.r. '. I shall cite several sources tb show that must be covered. It also seems to have a sex- mean? Does it mean to uncover or to disar0 this is how much of · ual connotation, which is why it's so impor- ray? A number of sources can be read like the understood the phrase. First. of all, can the tant for her to be veiled during prayer. Paul latter option, thus allowing women to walk in word really mean "to loosen''? .Yehiel Jacob even realizes that the community of Corinth public with bare (braided) heads. However, Weinberg42 claims: no. He claims that the will be unfamiliar with this Jewish practice, many sources explicitly say 'covering.' The root p.r. '. is really two roots. One is with an and therefore defends it with the disclaimer whole commotion begins in Numbers 5: 18, 'ayin and with a ghayn (written as an 'ayin at the end. Numbers Rabbah, just cited, also which we have already encountered. with .a dot on top). Since the Hebrew Ian- s wed that e custom was 1stmct y w1s Numbers 5: l rea s, concerning t e guage oesn eren a e e wee se in those times. punishment of the Sotafi: two letters, the two roots, Were later confused: Tiiere is also ~ 1tradition for a similar After he has made the woman stand The former means to uncover and reveal, and view, appearing in""Philo (of Alexandria) before the Lord, the priest shall the latter means unburdening. Accordingly, Judaeus' Special Laws 3:56, regarding the loosen· [u-fara.'] the hair of the in usage with "hair" it could.mean either let- sotah: . woman's head and place upon her ting the hair grow, or unburdening tfie head The priest taking the offering hands hands th~3eal offering of reme- from its. cover, respectively. It could not it to the woman and removes her brance. · · . , mean loosening of the hair. Therefore, kerchief, in order that she may be The Talmud in Sotah 8a34records a .Baraita: Numbers 5:18, which could not make sense judged with her head bared and A PRIEST SEIZES HER GAR- in the former meaning (for what is the priest stripped of the symbol of modesty, MENTS. Our Rabbis taught: and accomplishing. in just letting her. hair grow), regulady.\VO~ by women who are let the hajr of the woman's head go must. take on the latter. meaning.43 This. is . . w~Ily mnocent26 27 loose [u-fara']. I only have here . very nice-if it were relevant, Just like in • h is now:a m.o4~ty issue. this continues mention of her head; whence is it in Numbers :Rabb3h 8:9, derived thll;t it applies to her body later literature the :word often means "to •· · In the innermost ~rts of thy house [that he uncovers her bosom]? The loosen,'' it could have similarly meant that by · , (~ms 128:~), implies ~t when text states, 'the woman's.' If so, Rabbinic times. The fact that "u1ara"' was ... ~ conilUcts he~lf in ;tccordance what is the object of the text declar- reinterpreted as "loosen" demonstrates that.. · ~th the}e• religion ['.:H to r~_,\:;_:t

verse thas; He \Vd.ts;;hcJ her t!Hfd he ·-0 :r;.. b:r thtii ii(.ctd·,_ Thf-.. i!;·i;½ ttfr'~ '!!;\>.,1:p!H,n Phdn t\nd the pr\est ~haH \-~aH;s.c the ~landing outside the th1nr ui h,.:r /:\(CtH'dlO,t' In hifn, unty VJlHllcf) V,;°i"'.i'

0 the oi'I "..Vith her palrns :1nd put her chief rqrular!y vvorn bv women. H, :il,n con - By the later TJnnaitic iirnct,. ~h t·vidcnced by hands upon her head [ to anoint ill. ti mit·, in 60: our rce.,t~arch :-,t) faL f.tD obliga!'ic,n :,,v;t', pJai:.x:-d again'-;t He then ~ent up witncs:-ies 1 Whe,1 thc,e prelirnina:·ie,, are com­ calk:iJ ·Jev,ish custnJn "' {;dat reluuidir' _L it her and came 10 R. Akiha and said pleted. the woman i, to come tm­ turn;-. lHH that therr_" 0 "i on!y om:_· "'otu\:t· vvhich tt, hirn: 'HHve I to give such .1 ward with her head indicak'\ hnv-1 thh wa\ Uont~ The ftvh~;hnah 48 woman four hundred zu;:r Bm R. lttlCOVt' !Hf'47 , .. Sotah 7a rufe.;;: 5~ A!dba said to him: Your argument We have also seen this continm:d in PmiL, /\, priest :,.;ei.ze\ h(-;r g:..1nnent"·- .urn,! is of no legal.~ffeet, for wheff one statement,, about unveiled w•~nien. he UDC('.!VC'fS her b<)SOiT,, affJ.--he injurts oneself though forbidden, We have seen Sifrei, Number~ Rabbah undoes tsoff-'rl her hair, R. Ju£bfi he is exempt, yet, were other, to 9: 16. Genesis Rabbah, and the Fathc,s s~ys: Jf her ho:-;01n was beau1ifuL h~ injure him. they would he liable: so According lo R. ·.Nathan49 explicitly taiking dt-ic'.; not uncover it and ! f her haH' also he who cuts down his own about women's heads being ''.covered'' wa\ beautiful. he drn~s not undo plan1s 1 though nut acting lawfully~ Similarly. according lo Rav !l.59 C'mekhusot"J. is exempt, yet were others to [do it], R. Judah" the priest kave~ the Shesheth (in Berakhot). it would make little they woi'rld be liable,'55 According to uncovered. wrnr1~m 's hair the way it v.:as, unc(1vered and sense to have a woman's 'enah The law was transgressed by uncovering the braided. ---PerhjpS. Ho~ever, ac.cc,rding to We find an interesting Tannahic source, cited hair) not loosen·ing it. 50 \vhai we've s..;ajd. that firq the wornan \ head in Yoma 47a: Finally, Midrash Panim Acheiim 6 (ver- i, uncovered, fulfilling !\umbers 5: l 8. ,mt! The sages said unto her iKimhith]: sion 2) states: lo merit such then her hair is h)o..;ene,L acc(1n]ing to 'the What hast thou dune Conie and see how much is !he two high (by ,vay of rihbui;, it. [·glory, that yo;1 saw mtrit of Shimei', wife. At the time derash of that verse ,ons, on one fulfilh phe,is, both your that Zadok and Abtathar fkd, for :-r1akes n1uch •.;cn~c. After th,~ priest the day]?. She said: Throughout Absalom wanted to kill lhem, they the Pcntateuchal ob1igat.ion. he i'.; reyuin~d to ___f_ja_,,ys of my life the beams_ ofnr',[_ .found the door to Shimei's house fulfill the. exegetical one if it dc}l..::sn~t_ieaf!_to the piait, of house have not seen open. They entered there and low­ the \Vornan \; beautiful hair U) he vie,.:vect_60 There my hair. They said to her: themselves into the well. ered We no,v rnove to our next question: hoiv were many who did likewise and Immediately Shimei':, wife came 5 l much'/ The continuation of the Gemara in yet did not succeed. and spread a cloth over the well. . Ketuvot 72b reads: We learn here of an act of pious women: they and scattered .groats on top of it; for R. A,ss, STATED 11' THF r>aA:V!li OF R always cover their hair. This makes more it is said, "and the wife took a cloth. YOHANAN: WITH f\ BASKLT sense if the letter of the law only required. spread it over the .n1outh <-?l the vv'r-dl, fK.4LfA7Affj. ON HER l~FAD A V'/0'.V!AN} covering in fewer drcumstances, but no! if it and scattered P,TO(ltS Oil !Op of it" (2 iS NOf GL'ILfY OF [GOING OUT \.v1i·r-(I didn'I require actual covering at ~IL Kimhith Samuel 17:19),56 and she uncov­ AN CNCOVEH.ED flE0\D I f(YISF'ltN VL­ didn't let the plaits52 of her hair be seen, ered [u-far'ahj her head and sat on· RUS'HA.Hfl PARu,i ·j. fn co_ncerning this implying that that's what one's obligated to the cloth that's over the mouth of statement, R. ZflRA P01NTED OUT cover in public. fa addition, the Mishnah in the well, like a woman doing her THIS DlFFJCULTY: WHERE [lS THE Bava Kamma 90a-b stale,: duties. The servants of Absalom WOMAN ASSUMED TO HE]? If it be ... removed his garment from came and found her sitting with her If he suggested, 'In the street,' [it may be uncovered [para'] lhe head uncovered. Absa!orµ's ser­ upon him, objected that this is already forbid­ head of a woman in the market­ vants said: Is it possible that right­ den by]Jewish practice; but [if she place, he must pay four hundred ,eou;; ones are sitting in the well and z11z. This is the genera! practice, this [woman] is sitting on it'1 though all depends upon the digni­ Immediately they returned. The ty fof the insulted person!. R Aki ha Holy One, Blessed Be He, said: said that even the poor in lsrne! Since these two righteous ones have to be considered as if they are escaped through her, two righteous fre,imen reduced in circumstances. one~ in the future will descend from for in fact they are the de~cendents her. .. -And whn arc these7 of Abraham. Isaac, and Jacob. It Mordecai and E~iher.57 once happened lhat a certain person H makes link sense that a woman would uncovered the head of a woman in !oo~en her hair when going to the bathmom. the market place and when she She would, though, take her kerchfof off. came before R. Akiba, he ordered Now I would like lo cite all the sot..n:es the offender ,o pay her four hun · brought as proofs for the latter (i,:nienl) dred zuz, The latter. said to him, option in our question and evaluate them. 'Rabbi, a!low me time [in which to Out of all the ones cited thus far, none seem carry om thcju

H,U,UVASUl, Tevet 5759 )~( ~· a. oow:tyard:· {the objection sewn, or with a hairnet [kavul] into ified, since 'going out' naturally implies the [if that were so the street, or with ... 65 courtyard too. This is against what we've ·•.·-~,--~that 7 , t~<~~ t9t leJve. our father It is difficult to see a woman going out with seen so far. 0 A~.,.l~lel daughter who both ribbons and a head-covering. It seems There also exjst& a gray view. ~- in · ' ~ temain with her husband! - that her ribbons might be enough .. S~ is at Ketuvot. 72a brought up· the. possibility that .. ~~. OR rniioHT Bil. SAID, RAV most wearing a cap (kippah). We have also R. Yohanan only made his statement regard­ · 'KAl:{A.. NA,61 REPUE~.,ffHE STATE· e!lcOuntered Rav Shesheth in Berakhot. He, ing the courtyard, but the law in public is MflNT lU!FERS TO 0~WALKS] presumably, would not allow any hair to be more stringent. We find this interpretation in FROM' ONE COURTYARD INTO ANOTH• revealed, for it is a sexual incitement. Yerushalmi Ketuvot 7:6: ER IIY WAY OP AN ALLEY.62 . [IF, SHE GOES OUT] WITH HER R. Yohanan seems to allow a basket as a We can now move on to our next ques·- HAIR FLOWING LOOSE-in the head-covering in public. This is far from tion: Is tbere an obligation at home?_ MoSt courtyard did they state their rule, stringent. However, Samuel, who we ~·aw of .the sources talk about the wife g9ing out, all the more so in the alleyway before, a contemporary ofR Yohanan, dis- im~lying that while _she's indoors; she's n~t [mav.oi]. R. Hiyya in the name ofR. ·. .·· agreed. R: Zeira and ~e later· Amorai.m fol- ?bhgated. The Assynans, too, o~ly forbade 11 Yohanan:. ''she who goes out in her --- lowed Samuef;R.Yotianan. coula6eoofeno:-~-1n-i,ubttc:"'·-Accordin~ to ·tlte-source~---wig [KAPLA11N]1 l is not su1:ije"-r1.b ed against R. Zeira. The first objection saw a woman's uncovered hair as an inde- violating the rule against going out assumes that R. Yohanan agrees with cency, it should be also forbidden indoors, at with ·her hair flowing loose [YOT- Samuel. . However, Samuel lived in least when others are ·there. Kimhitfi covered SE'AH ·VE-ROSHAHfl PARUA '].". That , and R. Yohanan in Tiberias, very her hair indoors, bufthat's only bi::cause she.· which you have said applies· to the far ~way. Both were the heads of their was pious. In fact, her piousness seems to be courtyard, but as to the. alleyway, Academies. R. Yohanan could easily dis- that she covered her hair indoors, even she is subject to violating the tule agree with Samuel. He probably didn't think though she's only obligated outdoors. against going .out with her hair of combining the Mishnah (dat yehuddit) The next question: is 'courtyard' flowing loose. There is a courtyard with the Baraita (Pentateuchal). However, we 'home' or 'public'? This question does not which is tantam~>Unt to an alleyway, · don't know how he felt about the status of the apply to those who would obligate women and an alleyway which is tanta· courtyard (question 6}. The second objection even at home. One could argue that the court- rount 1? a courtyar~. A courtyard is based on a Baraita quoted in Gittin 89a: yard is like the home, and that the only prob- . 1.nto which ~e _pubhc way breaks If she ate. in the street, if she !em is only when the woman ·is in public; through-lo, it is tantamount to. an quaffed in the street, if she suckled after all, the repeated emphasis is on 'going alleyway._ And an alleyway which in the street, in eve case R. Meir out.' One. could also arg:ue that .since ·the t~ pub he way does not pass says that she must leave her bus- 'Jewish custom' came from the sociological . .·· · ·1~ · . . . . courtyard. .. band . R . Akib a says sh e must do so reahty, the law was never decreed .at home; · . . as soon as_ gossips who spin in the since women probably. didn't cover the1r Acourtyl'\fd 1s not t~en as obv1_ously tanta- .moon begm to:alk about hey. R. he.ids at home. But why argue, when we have mountto the street !he. Gemara 1~terprets R. ~ohanan b. Nun. thereupon s~d to texts? The Mishnah in Bava Kamma and the Yohanan. the: ~ay 1t_ dtd :fle. M1shn@, and him: If you go .so far, you will not Mishnah Avof According to Rabbi Nathan ends up restncting his leniency to the court- leave our father A1?raham ~ single both explicitly talk about the "marketplace." ~ard. The legal differences bet~een the pub- daughter who can stay With her We similarly find in SSb· he and the courtyard are apphed to 'Jewish husban~, whereas the Torah says: If WHEN RAv DIM! CAME HE SA~ IN custom.' We shall return here later. heftnd m her some unseemly thing THE AME R E · ' ,. . N OP. LEAZARINTHE What about single women? Well, the (Deuteronomy 14:1), and 1t further ·-NAME OP R· H . A . · · A ·h · It if · · . ANINA. 8 EATHeN A.ssyrlans certainly seem to have allowed it. says. t t e mout o two witnesses WH . . · . ..oi ~il thi ~th of three witnesses OALLOTJ,.l)A BONDWOMAfl TO HIS This might have been the ancient Israelite shall ~- th,ing be estabJished (vs. SI:AVE [FOR. CONCUBINAGE] AND custom: The passage in Sanhedrin 58b 14); .• lllld just.·. as there .the 'thing' THEN TOOK HER FOR fIIMSELF IS EXE- implies that it is the ·custom of unmarried must be.e. learl.y """'"rtai.·n d,. ·,h cUTED. ON HER ACCOUNT. From_ • ·women.. not to cover their heads.73 ...... ~ e so ere whe[ h dd th . ;.·must·.. 1... · ·, ·.. ., · .....,_,• .,,._,. 63 n ts s e regar e as e. part1c- .... . 'U'i' .c,ear,y asceurum,u. . . . Furthermore, the Mishnah in Ketuvot 15b .I.:¥~ t,, Nun's argument is elearl" ~larWh_. con_cubhmefr of th~ slave]? rules: ··· .••,,. · ···· _., ,· , • ·. c, ., ... en 1s s e ee agam [tooth- lf a woman became a.widow or was tban. R'. ~ s 8; there sa big ers}? - SAID: FROM THE ! divorced [and she say~. 'Thou didst ~:· Che IGsjng_,a wi{cl and llot see- TIM£ THAT HB BARES HER . HEAD 66 marry me [as} a virgin/ and he jo·tia ~ ~e. , ·. ·· ... •. . [YIPRA • 1IN .THE sTREETsP · says, 'Not· so, but I married thee !_ ,. { .... _. \ .•.. ~- ·.• ., :i ; ... , ... ·. S~ 3:3, ~ the other hand, the _Mishnah Shabbat [as] a widow,.' -,-if there are wit­ •-~-~.~oa.iywea®ga scarf'. 57a differentiates between a hairnet and the nesses that she went out with a V:l?'}Y: .. t¥t inuc:h various ottw items with which a woman may hinuma and her head uncovered We~sohav,e. not go om into public. A.hairnet is forbidden [roshtllih parua'],. her kethubah is ~:::~ only into th~ street, but the M.ishnah 64b tells two hundred [zuzJ.74 Similarly, the M1slmah in 28a ltlso rules: '~ ictal; ·Mishnah us, A may go out with ribbons ,:\>' woman The .following are believed on testi­ made of hair ... with a hairnet and fying when they .are grown-up to with a wig l;'ah nokhriri8J into a what they have seen . when they ~rd.,. were small: A person is believ~ on A~ and a wig had to be explicitly qua!- saying .. .'I remember that that

HAMlVASH, Tevet 5759 · woman went out with a hinuma and the passage in Sanhedrin implies that women Said R. : '/Whatever resb uncovered head' .. _75 stopped covering their hair when they on the hair is called a lock Both these testify that women did­ became available again to the public. But the (pe'ahJ."89 n't cover their heads before they got married, matter is not so simple. The Yeru~halmi in A 'lock' is not merely a 'wig.' Now, what b even on their wa:y from their fathers' home to Ketuvot 2: I says; a 'kavul'? We find in Shabbat 57b:90 their fiancee's. Furthermore, I believe these . SHE WENTFORTH ... WITH HER And it was likewise taught: A Mishnahs teach us something we didn't HAIR FLOWING LOOSE. R. woman may go out into the court­ understand before. The same phrase ('.'yot­ HIYYA IN THE NAME OF R. yard with a kavul and a clasp. R. se 'ah ve-roshahh parua "') is used both here YOHANAN79: "[TIS ON ACCOUNT OF Simeon b. Eleazar said: (She may concerning a virgin, and in Ketuvot 72a, THOSE WHO Wl;INT FORTH ON THE go outj with a kavulinto the street regarding a married woman. The problem DAY OF ATONEMENT ... go But if it is too. R. Simeon b. Eleazar stated a with the married woman seems to be that because she went forth with her general rule: Whatever is [ worn l she's acting as she was before she was mar- hair flowing loose, and witnesses beneath the net, one may go out ried, as a virgin, ·and not a~ if she's singled concerning her give testimony that therewith; ~hatever b I worn( out to her husband. she had not had sexual relations, above the net, one may go out with it.91 -·--·_ ... :. " ..,. · 1 . , 76 . . ni~. should we not take ·account of the We see that 'kavul' has a similar definition. woi:e: ~:0::; !e~:rh:~;? F=,;n:n;,._ ,-- · p?sqtJiltiityhthatt she mf ay have beet:n a virgm a e s age o consumma 10n So it makes sense that 'kavul' includes all could argue that all the sources (Baraita in of the maniage? That is to· say, a items similar to it, including a 'lock. ·92 We of the Ketuvot 72a, Sifrei and Numbers Rabbah virgin at the consummation now see that women also used to go out in marriage,· who remarries, does not 9: 1677) that use the phrase 'the daughters of public in locks and hairnets. ., women. go forth with her hair flowing Israel' is referring to all (adult) Conceptually, two can argue over However, this is not necessarily the authorial loose ... 81 whether a wig is considered as part of the at all clear. However, it could intent. Moreover, most women used to be The text is not wearer's body. If it is not, then perhaps it Gemara interpreting R. married young, so there's less of a chance of be read as the should be permitted as a head-covering. We to cover . the phrase including such a minority group. Yohanan as obligating all divorcees find this argument in 'Arakhin 7b: · One could also point -out that the Sifrei their hair, even those still virgins.82 IF A WOMAN HAS BEEN PUT . cited a passage about Tamar as a prooftext; Perhaps we can get some clarification TO DEATH [ONE MAY USE HER and Tamar was unmarried. However, the from another source from the Amoraic peri­ HAIR]. But why? These things are Midrash itself admits that there is no _proof od from some non-Rabbinic sources. Out of forbidden for any use? -RAB SAID: for the matter. Moreover, it is quite possible · the Aramaic incantation texts that have been [THIS REFERS TO THE CASE] WHERE that this consideration was not part of the found in Nippur, No~B.is~''a.charmfor a man SHE.HAD SAID:.fiIVE MY HAIR TO MY authorial intent, as nothing of it is mentioned and a woman, particularly against the DAUGHTER. But if she had [similar­ in the text. . Lilifus; .. made out in the form of a divorce- ly] said: Give my hand to my Another argument could also be based writ."83 It c~ntains: · daughter, would we have given it to on the two sources that blame Eve for the ... [na:ked] are you ·sent forth, ·nor he(? -RAB SAID: IT REFERS TO A law. There would be less reason to differenti- are you clad, )Vith your hair dishev- WIG. Now the reason [for the per­ ate between married and unmarried women, elled [satirJ and let fly behind your mission] is that she had said: 'Give for all women are the descendents of Eve. backs.84 . [it],' but if she had not said: 'Give However, these sources are quite aggadic, The spirits loosen their hair when divorced, [it},' it would have been as part. of and it is difficult to give them with much his- like humans. This implies that the head is her body and forbidden [for any use]. But this matter was ques­ torical weight. . uncovered before the disheveling. tioned by R. Yose b. , for R. The best "proof." I believe, is from the ·· statement of Rav Shesheth in Ber.a:khot. He· Are 'foreign locks' only for foreign YosE B. HANINA ASKED: WHAT ·reads a verse in.the Song of Songs as teach- women? We've seen the Mishna:h in Shabbat ABOUT THE HAIR OF RIGHTEOUS 64b. It allows a wig ('lock') to be worn on WOMEN, AND RABA HAD REMARKI;D: ing ·. that a woman's hair is a sexual incite• the Sabbath i~ the courtyard only. Before we HJS QUESTION REFERS TO [THEIRi ment. It would ma:ke. little sense to restrict WIG [is it destroyed like the rest of this to married. women.78 If this interpreta- deal with the meaning, a technical problem must be solved. That Mishnah .listed both a their property with the inhabitants tion is correct, then, what we have is Rav wig and a hairnet; however, the Mishna:h in of the idolatrous city, or is it part of Shesheth being the first in the tradition to 57a only qualified a hairnet in forbidding it to their heads]? The question of R. obligate unmarried women in covering their be worn fa public only. What happened to the Yose b. Hanina referred to the case heads. It might have already been the custom [such wig] its hanging on a peg; wig?85 It seems to be that a wig is included of of many. single women to do so. but here the wig is attached to her in' ~kavul.' Why?86 First of all, what is a . Alternatiyely, one may argue tha! once Rav [head], therefore the reason [it is. pe'ah nokhrit? Rashi87 explains that it's a Shesheth offered his interpretation, it took permitted] is because she said: type of toupee that a woman wears so that upon itselfa life cif its own. Rav. Shesheth did 'Give [itJ,' but if she had not said she could appear to have more hair than she not realize the import of his words, but what 'Give [it],' it wo1,1ld be as her body does.88 TQis means that it's not a wig in the they say cannot be altered. and forbidden·93 · that's not conventional sense; it's something The plain sense of the Amoraic statements is if she's not married anymore? The the hair, ·but for blending What there for covering that there's a dispute whether it's obvious the law applies is supported by _the Ass~ans tell us outright that in with it. This that one's wig js part of one's head. The to. widows as to married women. However, Yerushalmi in Shabbat 6:5: · ( contlnu,,d on p. 57/ RABBINIC LITERATURE

HAIIIIVAsia, Tevet 5759 23 SMl'ASANI· KIRTZONO: . .,· . ·~; The Hundredth Berakhah

Natrunai replied . . . to teach that av DAVID KRIEGER cannot create berakhot, but in another place . eating through a blue, worn Shilo sid­ he seems to state exactly th~ opposite · that they should be careful to bless dm, I fondly remembered the m_any we can create blessings, even after the time them and not rely on answering L amen because there is a fear of years I had prayed from one. I turned of the Talmud. The Magen David concludes to the birkhot ha-shachar and noted the con­ that Rosh means that normally we cannot death [sakanat mitah] for one hun­ trast between the large print of the birkhot create berakhot, but we should keep customs dred Jews every day like there was ha-shachar and oddly small print of the regarding berakhot, even if they have no before David decreed one µundred omen's berakhah of she'asani kirtzono, clear Talmudic source. Instead of rejecting · berakhot .... placed under the men's berakhah of she'lo our minhag to say she'asani kirtzono ~ith Becuase an imminent threat of death 10 asani ishah, as if it were an infrequently "shem u 'malkhut", we must understand the exists even today, the Shelah allows a . recited prayer. The next day, using an meaning of she'asani kirtzono and its basis berakhah she'aina tzricha, an um:iecessary ArtScroll siddur, I immediately noticed their as a berakhah. · blessing, in order to fulfill the me'ah layout of birkhot ha-shachar. Artscroll Our daily responsibility to say one hun­ berakhot. The Bahag11 even counts recital places the berakhah of she'asani kirtzono dred berakhot provides an overall frame~ of birkhot ha-shachar among his list of the next to the berakhah of she'lo asani ishah!. work for the birkhot ha-shachar. Naftoli mitzvot. Because of the importance given to Perplexed, I decided to determine the status Weider notes that the term me'ah berakhot the me'ah berakhot, on days like Yorn Tov of she'asani kirtzono and its relationship to means birkhot ha-shachar in the writings of and· Shabbat when we do not say all of the she'lo asaniishah.1 · many Rishonim6• Thus me'ah berakhot has me'ah berakhot, the Gernara suggests fulfill­ As I tried to find the source of the . a strong connection to birkhot ha-shachar. ing the requirec111ent by making extra berakhah, I realized that it has no Talmudic There are two sources for saying meah berakhot on besamim. basis; Rav Ovadiah Yosef2 cannot even find berakhot. The Gemara in Menachot7 classi­ Despite its suggestion, the Gemara does a Geonic source. He concludes that women fies me'ah berakhot as an obligation: "Rav not allow these extra berakhot to count s ould sa she'asani kirt ono without the Meir sa s that a rson is obli ated to sa amon the hundred for weekdays. We must ''$hem u'malkhut" (God's name) and bases • one hundred berakhot daily." ·- According to conclude that these me'ah berakhot do not his reasoning partly on the Rosh who pro­ Rav Natrunai Gaon, to contrast, David represent a precise numerical figure of how claims, "she'ein l'v.?l_reikh shum berakhah HaMelekh instituted me'ah berakhot when' many berakhot we musi say, but rather they she'lo nizkera-b'talmud." In other words, plagues ravaged Eretz Yisrael. The Tur8 identify a specific collection of berakhot. reciting a blessing whose source is not quotes both rei!SOhs as sources. for me_' ah Rav A:mram, though, suggests that we had a Talmudic.constitutes reciting God's name in berakhot; the reasons do not mutually con­ specfic one hundred berakhot, but we lost vain. Rav Ovadiah Yosef refuses. to accept tradict: them.12 The R.ishonim and Acharonirn echo women's recitation of she'asani kirtzono And also l:>ecause many people ate this position by taking great pains in listing with a herakhah. He even encourages all unknowledgeable and do not know every one of the hundred berakhot. 13 If we · teadlefs to stop the current mistaken practice [the berakhot], it was decreed that can say any hundred berakhot; why ·would of using God's name when reciting this they should be read in the shul and we need to know which ones to say? bl . ~' . people will answer amen after Three of the· me'ah berakhot seem ~- ·' .· · . Perhaps Rav Yosef should have noted them aQ.d, thus, fulfill their obliga­ unnecessary, and the Gemara in Menachot .the position•of the·nu-J and the Shulchan tion. But, it is definitely an obliga- specifically stresses thern14: "Rav Meir ~; .wlm<'botli imply that women shoul_d . tion .{hovah] on every person .to says, •A person is obligated to say one hun~ i~f s~'asarii kirtzono with "shem bless them [like] that which R' dred berakhot every day ... • R • Meir says, 'A · ... Both the l\if .ind the Sht1lchan Meir said ....And Rav Natrunai person is obligated to say three berakhot .~the ~itati<>n ofshe'asanikirt· [GaonJ replied ... [that we should every day ... "' requires me' ah n,with the recitation' of she 'lo say the berakhot because] King herakhot, and he requires these three specif~ •i ~e.are obligated David z"tl decreed · one hundred ic berakhot among the hundred: she 'lo asani ~h~ berakltotevery berakhot ... because every day one , she'lo asani_ aved, and she'lo asarti .. ·._. evc,i 4.IY, ;le:'lo asani hundred waple were dying .... ishah. By juxtaposing the two sayings of ' bl~$ '. .slit~(fili ··The' B,ach9 also explains · that the two Rav Meir, _the Gemara identifies these three . .. die Rash, sources compieQteni each other: blessings as paradigmatic of the hundred. ll®,eailbe That which ·cttie Tur says]. ,;but it is On the other hand, they need identifying . 4efinitely an obligation" ... _In other because they may seem superfluous: "What words., no person shoi.lld. rely on does he bless? [He blesses] she'lo asani iUlllwenng amen and not bless by aved. [But} isn't this [the SliIJle as the ~-.. him,: hilllself, .• because it is sunple that berakhah of she'lo asani] ishah?" The it is_ an obligatiQn on Gemara responds with_ the following words: . .··~'."'!·· evety®i::~ .. and he cites what Rav. "Evt!d zil. tfeC' The 'dispute· the "She'asani kirtzo110 deserves a place alongside she'lo asani ishah because it shares the sa1ne halakhic status. Both berakhot ste1n froni the need Jor me'ah berakhot. '' punctuation and n1t:aning of the la;-,t \-VOrd betakhot to the- n.: Ra~hi first reads the last word as "rjd," ble~s she 'lo t!Wllli aved iil order to fini,h ilht: deserves a phice ,lk;ny~idt:· sht·' 'fu f.l"iUtti meaning "more:· "Zit," in this context hundred he rakhot_l. ~· i5hah. for it ;,,hare'½ the 'iJfni~ hu!akiuc ;~JXU'.cc Hoth hf'rakhu! ::-.tern fron1 the need n'!i.$ ;ah means "low"· a slave is lower than a free Like the three berakho~1 quoted in the man. ln other words, the hemkhah of she'. tJernara~ the herakhah of .\'fu.;'t1stali kiruorh; bcrakh,It. In asani aved does not have 1J1e same impli­ has qucsth,nablc cirigins. i 9 Nonethc!e,,, the cations as she'iu asani ishah. A man may Tur and the Shukhan Arnkh hoth require ;, thank God that He did not make him an woman to say .,he'asani kin::.mw beeaw,,: ;,_ rTik' purpu;;c-iJf frih arHcle-1~-:-rcrT:ITscua;.\ the rrkaning ishah, whom God command:; to peiform woman, like a man. needs to say ,,ne hun­ of she'asani kin.::ono. fl(jt \h,---,'io a;;t.au i>hah f\:_n :tr: fewer commandments, and he may certainly dred~ specific herakhot every day~ they in,.dcpth di,;;ui.1-~inn Gf lht !aUer f:wrakfwh. -;;:e thank Him for not making him an eved, who instituted !his ho·akhah a, women\ hun Woiov:c!sky and fddman, IrnsijJ:.i.flJ.1 ·:9:4. l9:i5 2 Yshaveh IJ;Lat 4:4: l 9-2:L lives a degraded existence. No11e of the Ach,mmim Jredth baaklwh. 3 :Itn::, Orach Chai,n 46 However, both Rashi's second explana­ ,rate conclusivciv what this berakhah 4 Shllkhil!1 An_1k,h, 46: 3-4. tion and Rabbeinu Gershom interpret "eved means. The Mag;n David20, for example. 5 01.tt~UA!Jllfll 46:7 Shulch~~n/vu!,;h 46:h r~HUs· zil tfei" differently. "T-P-Y" should be have- the cu.\kirn to hlci:} states: "Therefore, it comes out well !hat she ''There a.re tho::s.e who punctuated to read "tafei," meaning "add." ha'noten la'_vaef kuah:_ and trv:ir w0rd\ don't seem is also obligated to bless on her ma'aleh." "Zil," in this context, means ··go'' - go add correct." In his gluss nn 1hb srnl.ernen1.. Ra1wt adds: The Tur gues;;es at the source: "And women "But the simpk: cu:.~tom J.., to ~ay lC' the blessefog aboiit a slave in order to attain have the.custom to say she 'mani kirtzono. It Sfor ten s.rnirces t-o this effect :..,c.e h:s article in Sinai one hundred blessings. Based on this inter­ 44:t-7, pp. 2)8-260. this manner pretation, .ihe 'lo as'ani ishah' and she 'lo is possible that they act in 7 43h. asani aver! have the same function. because it is k 'mi she 'mmzdik olov ha 'din al 8 Im.:, Orw:h C-lnim_ ,-t6:1-3. for acccP, tinL_' bad: however_ 9 Bach, Orach Chaim, 46 Repeating herakhot does not bother Raheinu ha 'ra ·a1z,-<2i -· . 22 iO Mcseche-; Sb,ibbos. l :5 l. Gersbom 15: " ... go and add _ anpther this formulation is odd. The Leket Yosher f I See .E.ngyJorL@ja. Tahnudit \:OL 4, p. ,:;i L note repeat]." ·-·---- · · ari equally disturbing and illogical berakhah and who cares [if you cites 228/ for other soun.:e~. Why should we recite a superfluous blessing for women: " ... islwh omeret 12 Sec Sidd11L_fs.J:lj.:___.f',_mnun ((.ired in ttu;;..<1l.E-:tt berakhah~ The Rishoniin would reply that b'makom slfe'lo asani ishah she'lo asani Y]1;Li!lQ146: 11 i, vvho says. ·"And jt appeart; !ha! [the berakhotj were forgotten, and Tannaun and .--\mornirn the need for me 'ah herakhot ovenides any b 'he mah." If sudi a blessing were instituted, crime anJ ordereJ t.fKm.'' should also say it' Since neither women concern about repetitive berakhot. men 13 See, also. Rambam, Hi!chot Tcfiht Tur. ~in< and Furtherrnorn, Menachot16 reads: "These are nor men 1:ecite this blessing anymore. we Shukhan Arukh, 46. they fthe three berakhot]: she'asani Yisrael, must conclude that the obligation of saying l 4 Menachot 43h she'fo asani ishah ...." But the berakhah of one hundred berakhot nt'.cessitates the need 15 Rabelnu Gershom 4-4~L 16 .Menachot 43h. that for any berakhah, even if it lacks a clear she 'asani Yisrael afi1m,atively implies 17 See Bach) Ornch Cha.in1 4-6:7 we thank God for not making us. women or explanation. 18 ivknachot 44a. servants. We must interpret this textin the Gerim, like women, lack a hundredth 19 H !1:, possihte that the_Adwronim ~re not !nv,:nting_ manner .in which we understood Rashi and brakhah; gerim cannot recite the blessing new herakhot but trying w find tfo; nki hundred herakiwt that were lost. See Si

I th,•111- RY R!lJtBCCA FEJ,U;.i4"'>; not heir cu~t,,m w accept upon selvc:, the obligation of ma 'a riv, nor he topic of w,-1men imd the rtfi!lah did the ,·lwkhamim require it of them. o:f nut ·a riv i-:-; a fascinating one. for This position of Ramban slcms fwm in its prebing. l,n,~ n:\ eals the ;,i'·' the understanding that refi!iah is a deeper essence ,1f prayer in its various commandment of a ,olely Rabbinic cxtertSHJns, Indeed, the nature of miturc: thh s!and, in ,ontrnsl lo the nta 'a riv~ f)()~ition ,vithin the e.volutlon of ;g opinion of Ramham. 13 who believes rt'filitih into liturgical forn1 .. as vvcn as ~,..,.--i$<~~"""" 1,:jillah's priodpal origin to be how \rnmen an: \\'(Wen into this rich .b.iblicaL 14 Haml"mn.ae.Jtau:,;,,!!J:e.llu.su:u:.~ tapestry inYiie some e'(plor:rtiun. · OnEzra and blc tu o!ht:r mit:mt asdi s!u:ha:man g f'G· his Sanhetlrin amid the Babylonian man. po~itive pr,·cepts rhat arc to be ful- exile from Israel following the filled within a prescribed time.2 destruction of the Beit HaMikdash. Nevertheless. the Gemwa3 teache~ that. Before this time, prayer had been exe- duc 10 rhe facr that tc_f1!h1h "Rachamei cuted in any mode, any fashion, at any Sinhu, " ,;omprises au appeal w God's time. Fearing a mass assimilation with mercy, women are as ubiigated as mm. neither centralized worship nor a The Gemani !Im~ indicates rh:n altlwu2lh structural format of prayer, Ezra for- tejl!ii1h b ostensibly a,soda!ed with mulaled a universal text, established time-constrninni mil:;vot, the concept of specific times for prayer, and ordained supplication somehow fashions an exception to ,he normative that ma'a riv should be said at night Operating with the reasoning relaiionship beiween women and such mitzl'(1f. \Vhat is the nature of Rambam, lHagen A,·raham15 writes that once tJi!!alt are fort-idden,5 the exerdse of /Jakasf1

·that rna ·arh· assumes a reduced forn1 i;Jf ,"'-rf!.:fu_gh f¼"-·i•w~'n 1 · • ~ • -:~J.-.: for his but Vi:n1.,halmi \'t~t)ifrr;f 1<2 !;_,r ;.d1nn.1,k po·",..;11-i!it:1 rather, histork. ') 1 \Virile Rash{2 l agn:'cs with the ba~ic iU K Ocvid that the es~cnc·e of prayer is as it is set forth he to add that rhe no1ion of bukas!wh is forcdu! w ;\':.:/f':,h l ! Htt11'/l1LUY!. f-hikh:1t ':.J,. SoJoveitchik \VOnJen in rna 'a,rir vv;::IL Rav 12 h1 lw, !J,1.· ..1,ngof l{1 R,,s1rrhm11 reaches !he ~ame conl'lu,ion Rashi25 a muque con!1uence abo Sfw!dwn Andh l!1d{1n of the of Rwnh1m1 and Rwnban.;•.; l .ike ! ,i l!ifk!wt Tt'ftllah 1·~.).h. l4 lb!d .. j J that the ·e,sellce of is it\ munifcsta· Ramhmn, he believes IS O,·a,·h ( !Uti:?.,i of the to serve God ,vith all one's hearL hih!i,.:;;l free from time·constraints, that, c,J11·,e,.1un11u women are l6 Beraidwt 2{1b incontroverlibly ib biblical compnnenL However, l 7 ('Jw.liin 9 J b. Tehtflim 55: ! f teaches lhat frr_,m Reb Hayyim n,,v,,,p,,,_. this conclusion; Ar:,;c:w!i once the elementally equal between men and women had heen laid in its biblical stage, it i~ to any hi,;tori. Sec Rahbi ''!"it1LfL1k ElbugJ~n·a,, ,,,,,,.. ,,,.,,,c cal eventualities. ·chutah 1-laHistont, pp 7-g~7li_ It ¾hOi.tifJ .1bu '.k nokli th:11 thic. rninhag A dfacussion of the issue of women and ma'arir has by the du1.¾:ho,niti~ ;,v.:ts; only 1,1t..ab1.:-d in Eae·ef and v--,,·a_., rhn effede"d in therefore brought other, more aspects of to It fault ofthi, ;c; that it .~h(H..:ict ha;,c: Unk effr:ct upq-n is such a discussion that could perhaps provide a fresh perspective lion~ for lhi<.: difficulty ·Ad!. to, and enhance, our 1 .~.~~(;~~~~~~~ i~'a. ;e!:~kt~,:~:;;v;~ts .~:1;.(\1~:1·,1:~~h~:~~;:l:; :(~'1:9. ::-~~\;~;,;,;:~hl;;~~h :~,;~,:Ji::; NOT1'S 'J~{i!lah l :6, uri clarifo... ation of th..; k!"'rn dn /ah Aet·a Ser ah,) F,,uh f.t:!)f!-~Jf t(; i)itrt'i :Woshe f:_'.;. ,1,,,·n,<.;i!>e t I wish to expres~ my gratil.udt to father and tcach.;t Rabhi David iv1. VaX_·,if2fi and R. f'v1c1\h.:' H:.1lbe:-.:,tam··1 {h} 2(1hl 1.hat ma·uri; Feldman, ,and to my brotho:r and teache-r Danie! Z. Fdd1nan for tf1cir con- Yehoshua:\ opinion Bera.k!wt nvm,,,.,,,·,r, tejiflafl. 1 he~ :.tlso tl1 tinued excellence anJ guidance, and for directinE me to certain sources. in he(\}ffiC 3 a,, weH othi:r <;11;:?:~e-e.;tlon\ aa;; ----··-- --·rs.even!mle;;;;:·,m:rumcsr

I 27 j for divorce is unnecessary, although Rabbeinu BY llAJlBI .MOllDBCHAI Wlu..IG sents its author's position on these sensitive and complex issues, which despite his limita­ Gershom forbade, under pain of cheirem, Rosh Ko/lei, "l*xner Kolle/ Elyon, RIETS 6 Revised from his anic/e in On:lws Aliyah 2:2. Kis/ev 5756 tions, may enable us to better understand the divorcing one's wife_against her wilI. Torah's timeless message. Moreover, by Torah'law, a.man can have e Torah reflects divine wisdom. As A.Mitzvot more than one wife, whereas a woman cannot T:elieving Jews,. we look to its Halakhah recognizes many differences be married to two men. Here too, Rabbeinu mmutable laws not only as a practical between men and women. By categorizing Gershom iss.ued a cheirem against polygamy, guide, ·but also as a source of transcendent these differences, ~e may find it easier to both whic.h can be rell!X,ed only by one hundred· rab­ ethics. Normatively, we may not merge the anaiyze their independent motifs, and to estab- bis. in cases where the wife is mentally unable Torah's two roles. Even if the perceived reason lish a unifyingtheme among them. · ·or wrongfully unwilling to accept a get.7 As a or ethical basis for .a law does not apply in a One such category is the female ~xemp­ result of this· distim:;tion, an unfaithful wife is particular case or era, the practiced halakhah tion ~m time-dependent positive command­ guilty of a cardinal sin and the offspring of her remains binding. Nevertheless, searching for ments. Also included in this category is the adultery is illegitimate. If a married man has the meaning of mitzvot is desirable as it deep­ fact that a woman's obligation to study Torah illicit relations with an unmarried woman, the ens our widerstanding' and appreciation of is limited to its practical dimension and funda­ siil sis. less' severe''' and' the' children' are untaint-,' TeflHl aae its Di,,)ilte Sgwx.e, 1 meot?ls of faitb 3 Womeo.are oor required ro·· ed ' ·, . ' ' By definition, this application of limited· learn Torah every day and night as men are. Also Within this category is the halalchah human intellect to the infinite wisdom of Many reasons· have been given for . these that a wife'.s vows can be annulled by her. hus­ Hashem's·Torah ~. and possibly distorts, exemptions: Rav Moshe Feinstein4 writes: band, but not vice versa.9 A wife assumes the the Torah's divine meaning. Humans not only Aside from the great reasons for the customs o~er husband though they conflict err, but are invariably the products of their mitzvot which are not known to ordi­ with her own. 10 Why? time, plii,ce and experience. This fact, however, nary people, nor even learned Torah . Perhaps the reason is as- follows. did not deter Torah leaders from expressing scholars, but which Hashem keeps for Polyandry is prohibited because of the need to their views on ta'amei hamitzvot. Especially in Himself, there are simpler reasons establish pa~nuty. A woman who has two hus­ times when Torah was attacked and falsified which are clear to. all. Hashem built bands cannot be certain who the father of her by its critics, they saw the necessity to clarify into the nature of all creatures that the child is. This uncertainty; which would under­ alld expound Hashem's laws, based upon the females will raise the offspring. mine Torah society, does not exist in the .case classical sources. Humans are also included, and the of polygamy. ThewQfks. pf the Rambarn in the medieval nature of women is' best suited for As a result of this distinction, marriage.is period and of Rav S, R. ~h in the modem rinsing children, which is .their most defined as a man taking a woman. Ultimately, one are riowthemselves classics. Nonetheless, important work for the Sake of she enters his home, and not the reverse. Smee lliey conmin'some ideas that today's Torah Jew Hashem and His· Torah. Therefore he can have two wives. he cannot be viewed .as finds ,difficiult. to accept. This phenomenon they are exempt· from studying Torah entering his wife's home, because he cannot be j~ not W vi~ed $ a criticism of oontem­ and performing time-dependent posi~ · in two homes at once .. ,·~ 'lbrah. Jewry, It lllerely reflects chang- live commandments. Therefore, the man is the active party in ing ~ in. the world of Torah, as the Rav Feinstein adds that the exemptions marriage, and can effect a divorce unilatei;ally; · · . · · thire is .nQ definitive apply even when circums~ces change'. Thus, he brings the woman into his home if she con, the rich women of generations past, and the sents, and sends her away, by Torah faw, even women· of today, whose hired help care for against her will. And since she enters hjs their, children, are still exempt. Similarly, .· home, he can annul her vows and his customs ';.;a~~=~!: · thougll ~ey are oot occupied with childrear­ are determinant. ·· . .-of a single~ ing, u'nmatried and childless women, or those Her adultery, like polyandry, can result in . . '--~;bas ,' •, .. <,' ' .. •whose children are grown. remain exempt doubtful paternity, and· represents unfaithful­ from these commandments despite the fact that ness to the man whose home she has entered. ttie: ... --..11 reason dcies not · 1 . These considerations do not apply to a married ... .. ; ' ..~ .... ))ivOffl! appy. man, who may, by Torah law, marry another ~,ty . The laws of marriage and divorce.are .also wife . . 'tlet\ -. dU'[erent fol'. men and women. The man, is C. Private Role · ' '.--~bodl~.a.i~vorce,.~ethe . The ~t category is the most .elusive. .. ~1&.~ve.• ByTO$hlaw, her consent There are many 4istinctions between men. and

HAME.VASH, Tevet 575,9 women which do not fit into any of the above halakhic differenceH between men and women: reward exceed~ that of men. two classifications. For example, women are· Time-dependept and time consuming positive K Ti.eniut · disqualified from the monarchy, and according mitzvot. marital law, and public activity. Yet The private role of the Jewi~h woman i~ to the Rambam, I I~ all positions of author­ they all relate to one unifying theme. Hashem, expressed by the Psalmist:22 "Every honor­ ity. They are alsp disqualified from formal tes­ in His infinite wisdom, decreed that only able princess dwells within." Unfortunately, timony in a heit din, although their credibility women have the capacity for conception and this idea ha<; been misinterpreted a, a put-down is unquestion~ as evidenced from their ne 'e­ childbirth, and He created them differently. In to Jewish women, who allegedly have been manut be-issurim.12 His Torah, He gave laws and exemptions to relegated to a hidden, unfulfilling way of life. Women are not counted for a minyan, help them raise their offspring. Marital law, In fact, this very same verse describes the which is relevant, in limited cases, evetJ to too, reflects this basic biological distinction, greatest person of all time, Moshe Rabbeinu. To~ah law. 13 Finally, women do not inherit and the incentive for the private role of women The Midrash23 tells us that Hashem modestly from their parents if they have brothers. 14 is a clear outgrowth of their unique role as revealed Himself in a tent to Moshe, who is True, by rabbinic law, they are entitled to a por­ mothers. compared to the inward princess, because of tion of the estate for support until they marry D.Dlscrimination the value of modesty, underscoring the (this suppgrCincludes coverage of wedding One can accept the validity of all of the supreme value of tzeniut. expen,ses). 15 But why don't they inherit equal=.-' above and still raise troubling questions. The beauty of tzeniut is also expressed by Iy with.their brothers? .. Doesn't the Torah's system discriminate Rashi24 to explain why the Torah wa,; given to Perhaps the answer is as follows. As noted against women? Even if all of the halakhic dif­ Moshe Rabbeinu the second time in absolute esrrlier, childbearing is a woman's most impor­ ferences are rooted in women's potential moth­ privacy. The great publicity and fanfare of the tant work for Hashem and His Torah. Since erhood, don't they make women second class first revelation are blamed for the evil eve children are raised primarily at home, a moth­ citizens? Does a woman have less kedushah which caused the first luchot to be broken. · er is encouraged by halakhah to concentrate than a man, as the berakhah of Shelo asani Thus, tzeniut is by no means a negative her time and effort there. While there is cer­ ishah implies? term, nor is it limited to women. All persons taioly no prohibition against a woman's busi­ The Torah's answer to these questions is a should walk before Hashem with tzeniur.25 ness, employment, or other activity outside her resounding no! Rav Moshe Feinstein I 9 And Moshe Rabbeinu, the greatest of all per­ home, the Torah's laws are geared to the ideal explains that a woman's sanctity is equal to a sons, is extolled for this trait. Every Jew should of childbearing. man's. The berakhah of Shelo asani ishah does attempt to avoid publicity a, much as possible. A modem analogy is instructive. not imply that women have less kedushah. For this reason, the Torah commands that Governments provide incentives to achieve Rather, it is the las.t in·a series of three berakhot the national census be conducted indirectly, by whatever objectives they ·seem desirable. a Jewish man recites in recognition of his extra counting coins.26 An explicit count can, and China, in an attempt to curb its .population, mitzvot. The woman's berakhah of She'asani did, 27 lead to a fatal plague, because it violates levies high the principle of taxes against modesty which h_nge families. "flashem, in His infinitew_isdam~decreedthatanly women calls for under­ Israel, on the have the capacizy for conception and childbirth, and He statement and other hand, the avoidance encourages of publicity. r- created them differently." large Jewish Similarly, pub­ families by giving a cash gift for every child kirtzono thanks God for the special role He licly viewed wealth is subject to an evH eye, born. Childbearing is· neither criminal nor gave her by forming her physiologi~ally so that . which can destroy it.28 mandatory in either country, but the law of the she can be a mother. This parallels the man's Certainly, there are circumstances that land reflects each country's needs. berakhah, because it is precisely this potential require publicity. The fanfare associated with The Torah, too, provides monetary incen­ for motherhood which exempts the woman the divine revelation at Sinai was indispens­ tives for women to marry and to bear and raise from those same mitzvot that the man's able, because that revelation is the cornerstone chil~n. Property is inherited by sons,. who are berakhah thanks God for assigning him. of our faith.29 Public life and communal wel­ more active fa bu~iness; 6 l daughters, who. do Once w~ have said this, the tables turn: fare sometimes demand that a per,;on assuine a not inherit, are encouraged to marry in order to The Talmud O teaches that women receive more visible role. Nevertheless, tzeniut, mod­ achieve·· financial security.. · Husbands are more reward than men in the next world. Why? esty is an ideal to ,be cherished. required to provide for their wives and children Shouldn't men, whose kedushah equals that of The especially inward role of the Jewish athome.17 · · · women, reap equal reward? , woman can now be seen in its proper light, as .For similar reasons, women are exempt Our answer here is based on the concept an ideal. Men are required to publicly serve the from public and communal activity; they that the righteous are "discriminated against" community and engage in public: .activities, shc,ukl not he required to leave the privacy of in this world, to be more fully rewarded in the However, the Jewish woman is granted the the home for the unprotected arena. Therefore, neXct.21 In a world of illusory glory, women, opportunity to serve Hashem in the preferred, wotnen cannot testify in the 'presence of a heit who are charged with fewer obligatory quiet way. din; which is a very public forum. Indeed, had mitzvot, and who lead less public lives, are Indeed, the concept of tzeniut, with its par­ they notbeen disqualified,, they could he sum- -sometimes considered second class. To make ticular application to women, is as timeless and 01oned to testify, like men, even against their up for this "discrimination," their reward in the universal as the Torah itself. The first Jewish will. For this very reason, a Jewish king cannot next world is greater. woman, Sarah, is described as a tz'nuah.30 In testify, even if he.&<> desires.18 Women do not This explains the Talmud's next state­ the story of creation itself, the Torah teaches count for a minyan, for if they did, they would ment: Why do women merit? Because they that a woman should not be a gadabout.3 I he obligated to leave their homes to make a assist their children - and husbands - to study Since this privacy is linked to childbearing, it minyan. Finally, the monarchy and other posi­ Torah. Is this the only merit women have? precedes the establishment of the Jewish .pea-. tions of authority require extremely public The Gemara's question may be reinter­ pie and begins with Chavah, the first universal lifestyles -by definition. Women are encour­ preted: Why do women merit more than men? mother. aged to lead private, family lives and are, The answer is that their role, as enablers for Undoubtedly, the specifics , of tzeniuJ 2 therefore, diSqualified from these positions. children and husbands to learn Torah, is less . depend upon time and· place. The Talmuct3 In sum, there are three basic categories of ·glorious in this world. Therefore, their ultimate implies that women were (continued on page 32)

ffAME.VASH, Tevet 5759 29 DR. JO!,L B. lVOU.l\VELSKY Grnnps is. I fear. bur a s;ymptom of the fact after all, many other issues facing Orthodoxy rlut our lt'ader, are not approaching the i.;sue and other ball ks w he fought-· is often a mat­ cif 1he changing roie, of women in the l'v!odem ter of perspectiv;:,_ In any event, it prcl'cnts J Orthodo'l community with sensitivity, per- critic,il mass of public support from coale,c- spective, or sweep ing. Why should it be. a,; Esther Kwus, ha, Third, there i, a fear of unleashing a hrn · ! !\"ad yet another amcle mi noted. that "any i,,ue related tll wDmen process that will get out of control. Not every Women\; Prayer Grnups. \vhether it evokes irrationai'fears in all segments of the complaint has a ready haiakhic remedy; it is . concerns their general halakhh: per- Orth0dox community. It often di,tons judge- simply not trnc that a halakhic ,olution can mi,$ii:li!ity (,r 1hc' po~itton of nny pa11icular ment. cati,c, otherwise fair and rational peo- always be found simply if there is a rnbhin.ic pmek ,,n their ad\isah1iity. I am n,minded or ple to drnw unc,mfinn,cd cundu,ions. and will. Indeed. halakhah is not egaiitarian. A .:,1:nm,·nr; made by R;iv Ah;1mn Lich1tnstein u,tmHy brings out the least kind and generous wom,in may be halakhicaHy permitted lo say ck,,c w two des:a,k, ag,,. ·'on one ,·,f my vi,- aualities of nomwlh scnsi,iw and respective Kaddish in shuL hm she is indeed excluded it, [to Amt:ri,i]," he wwt<:, '·l recall bcing people" 1Jraditio11: Winter 1993). Is there from being a shaliach tzibbur almost 0Yi:f\1·hdmed tiy the imprc$sion rh,,t really any question ,hat we :ire functioning ln Fourth, poskim generally respond toques-- ---1lie. ,m,io' ,·l;mlln1w'~~miru.--<\.merit:.in---a p1-ist-tcll.J.i.ni&..cr.airLwhich ~,-repting certain____Jiu1J.S_pllLbefure.. J:hemJ1:y_thm,e .. JNitiLw.illlm_ Orth,-..k,xy were n~ither dt'm11grnphic nor ide- initiative, originally promoted by feminists no they are ill regular contact. Their generation of 0logical, n11t he,, 10 deept'n Jewish identiry longer carrie, with it the implications that we women are generally nm as well educated and wdJ the coramunir), ~1d 1hJt hm\ ro come acc,·pt femmi,r ideolog1 as a whole') Why, Jewishiy as that of their daughters and daugh­ w grip, boldly \Vith ,he social ,tnd intdkctua! ihen, is there n,11 genernl emhu~iasm over the ters-in-law, and are often quite comfortable irnpact of $<'.l:Ulur cultun,. TI1ese were .. r:uher. fact that the m(1s1 k-..·ishly-educated group of with thdr n'iore passive role~. Perspective~ (k!em1ining the s~itu~ of metropolitan nubim women in Jewish history is investigating how will change a~ rabbis ,:ome into increased con-­ and tind1ug the right Hma tish. l do um. of · their rich education should bc> reflected in their tact with the concerns of the younger genera- coorH~. nlinicnil(! i_n the sJighi~st the m:.cd for every-day religious life? lion and n1e-et younger colleagues vvho con1.e deaiin~ w\lh the minutine ofhabkhah seritlus- A fev.- po,;sibk <".xp!anations come to from a different perspcctiYc. !y and respomibly. But this mu~t b,: dom:. a, mind. Firs!, th,,re i, a ~icge memality in the Fiflh - and this is most troubling - many geYlolei risrael always insisted. with sensitivi, ()rtht)dc1x ntbbinate that n1ak.es rational dis- young \VOrne.rL afraid of being branded as ~-, wiili pers~eiiw. wirh ,wec:p. And of the~e w,sion dil'fo:ult. Brcuuse there are many "feminists." do not voice their true concerns. we .;;urremly have h>o link." (Tradition. a,pecb of feminism thm are indeed offenshe The Talmud shiur is just not worth the shh/­ S1;ring. 1982). to traditional kwish values,ig1d because some dukh. Not only does 1his mask the need to con- !nlke:pectations l.ittic. it ·,JY!J i;ttert:~t tllem ii. these' pra:,er licl)' with others \vho do nol ~hare their about bnsic Jc-wish literacy, Fifty years ago, gm\Jf'l,, '*i I Sl)ipect that the l1)E11.l P.tl.mber of h.ilakhit conunitnwnt. Appredaling the kf!it-· yeshi\ah ekrm:ntary schools wert, giving women l!\'.toss tbe c:ou111,y \\ho p111'tid!J6tc in imacy of the majority wh,, ;ire tn.ily m,,tivatcd awards at graduation to the fow graduates who •Ria'.- c•f ~i,c group;:; i;;. but a small perce11,are by Torah con,:.:ms lliCi:um,,s harder. went on to ycshh·ah high schoob. Now a o.f 11-;: llW;JI whn, 1or-::;ai,npk. pa11icipa1e lit the '.:r.cl.',>nd. a~ in many ,irnilar ,imahon~. a ye~hivuh high school ere tha,1 a li!w nihhioic leader, an:, p:i- full-,,~1c p~,,;1-s,:.:ondary scudy in Jsni.:l is fast · · ~M'l'.1'.if ~ W.l!· Qfte. ~ehow <'Heir fl,J ,at.:-lv wrnpad,etit m rmmv ilf th-: ~uo.rl!e~tions hc:.:oming the norm. Over the,e (fo..:ades. , , · , · in· the yc:,.hiv::m .or fttr .~or~tn ~s incrca~ed ritii~l invu!·ve~;ent, .but Tabn'ud studv bccan1c~ rn~1re dcn1ocrati?.ed. W.:m,i;u's; Prli';er ~imply don·t ,,ant :. public fight over 1h,: and 1hs- dof ~vomi shiur i,, not n.',mctetl to ~aoctl~ nf ,he SY,lft· iss,,e&. Whether thb \~ thl!mc of Jeader,hip or 111lmidei h,;J,h,1mim wh,, are re,·iewing paM in- ,..,.... .,,.,,, .. gi~·eo t(!-'~ ·Prayer sttateilc- <:otlServ~tkm of re1ru~rcts - the.re. are,, depth Sh.idY~ but Includes large oun1ber:-;.of lay- men who cannot function without the latest naturally be drawn to greater involvement in organize themselves in a Wbbur, the women ' ArtScroll volum~ in hand. mitzvot. Why should our educators be reacting have to find dark comers to furtively daven In this environment, it is natural that to this new phenomenon by encouraging mine ha betzibbur, as if they were doing some­ women too would consider Talmud study to women to minimize their involvement in thing reprehensible. Likewise, in work set­ be included in the ,requirements for basic optional mitzvot? What perspective on Torah tings that permit it, men regularly daven min­ Jewish literacy. The Rav zt"l delivered a shiur and woman does this reflect? This deserves a cha betzibbur, while the women are left to inaugurating a Talmud program for women at broad discussion, not a distorted focus on fend for themselves." Should we not be dis­ Stem College, and it was on his initiative and some individual item like talitot. cussing what should be done to change this authority that Talmud was taught to girls in his So too should we be speaking about the reality? Yeshivah in Brookline. This was place of women in our synagogues. I am not A woman who holds a during Halle! because, as Rav Mayer Twersky explained, "if referring here to technical questions such as in shul is somehow viewed as making a ever circumstances dictate that study of.Torah women saying Kaddish or reading the protest.,_(This despite the fact that, in most she-Be'al Peh is necessary to provide a firm Megilla. I mean rather the issue. of whether Moderrl Orthodox homes, women join the foundation for faith, such study becomes women should be made to feel comfortable in men at meals ·in the sukka and "bentch lulav" obligatory .... It is clear that the guidelines of our shuls. The Young Israel movement takes at home without any eyebrows being raised .the Talmud in· Masekhet. Sota were never great pride in the fact that it created an envi­ even . though they are exempt - from these . intended for our epoch." (Tradztion, 'summer· ronment where women feel at home at ser­ mitzvot.) I think the negative reaction is due to 1996) vices - witness the large number of women .the fact that men somehow see the shul as Irideed, as Rav Lichtenstein has argued, who attend Modem Orthodo~ synagogues their prerogative and feel that all ritual expres­ "the study of Torah she-Be'al Peh must ·be each Shabbat morning. But it seems to me that sions should be in the men's domain. Hence a intensified. From a practical point of view, it is despite all the \alk about th~ importance of woman taking a lulav during Halle! is not seen appropriate to teach women the sedarim of women davening betzibbur, there is no real as one trying to experience Halle! and lulav 2:eraiin, Mo'ed, and Nezikin and the small commitment to such a position. more fully, but rather as one trying to change amount of applicable material in Nashim, Contrast the picture of Kabbalat Shabbat her status from shul-observer to shul-partici­ and Taharot. And when these areas services · at a secular college campus like pant. But don't we want women to fully par­ are taught, they must be taught in depth .... It Columbia or Penn with those ·at our local ticipate to the extent the hafakhah allows? is.impossible to teach 'at the tip of a fork"' shuls. On campus, the women come in large What are the implications of living in a (TenDa'at, Spring 1989). numbers and at home they stay home. Of world where every social. and professional How, then, has this c~allenie to define the course, there are social reasons for the former, association in which we all participate more parameters of literacy necessary for men and but. I think the more fundamental reason is !!Ild more proclaims inclusion for women, women in our contemporary society been met that, for all its faults, the secular campus sends w'hile one of our central communal institu­ by our rab~ tions sends a binic and message of hmukh lead­ "Many yoi,ng;:women, .afraidrof being hTanded as exclusion? It is ers? lnsteact' of one thing to discussing 'feminists, ' do not voice their true concerns. say that W h j C h · The Talmud shiur is just ·not worth the shiddukh. " halakhah pre­ sedarim cludes women should be introduced at various · levels · of the message that women are full participants . from participating in certain aspects of the women's education, the great debate is on and our shuls do not. Why else should women synagogue experience, such as aliyot. It is whether the course should actually be called not come to shul Shabbat afternoon? They another not to explore the limits of inclusion Talmud (as opposed· to Torah she-Be'al Pe) have an obligation to daven and are out of fear. that problems will arise to wlµch and wheth.er the students can really study from ususally not tied down with household duties. we do not yet have solutions. We should be a· reguJar · Gemara volume or. must restrict But the rabbi does not invite them; he is not discussing this matter with confidence. themselves to stapled xeroxed sheets. And concerned that none show up for seudat she/­ But perhaps the most important discus­ instead of encouraging more· women to ishit. I have yet to hear a comment from the sion yet to be had is on how the principle of become proficient in Tofah she-Be'al Pe, pulpit that women who have no children at kol kevuda bat melekh penimah, the time-hon­ there is a ncitcVery-subde campaign conducted· home should be coming to every ored position thafwomen should n.ot actively by a number of rashei yeshivah to deride week long before the Torah is taken .out. Of participate in the public arena,.not be abused women who pursue advance