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Women As Religious Leaders: the Sources Biblical and Rabbinic

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Women As Religious Leaders: the Sources Biblical and Rabbinic Pag 317-340.qxp 02-07-2007 22:26 Page 340 Pag 341-356.qxp 02-07-2007 22:27 Page 341 FRANÇOIS SOYER isolated case and that many other trials exist in the archives of the Women as religious leaders: Torre do Tombo that contain correspondence from the Spanish Inqui- sition. 45 Modern studies of the Inquisition have to a large extent the sources biblical and Rabbinic overlooked the manner in which the Inquisitions in Spain and Por- tugal were able to cooperate in the repression of heresy across the Isaac S. D. Sassoon boundaries of their kingdoms. This oversight is all the more strik- Institute of Traditional Judaism, Teaneck, N. J., U.S.A. ing since there has been as increasing interest in converso communi- 46 ties residing astride the border. Likewise, there has also been rising What’s in a name? that which we call a rose scrutiny of the social, cultural, political and economic interaction By any other name would smell as sweet; between the kingdoms of Spain and Portugal in the early modern (Romeo and Juliet II, 2, 43-44) period. 47 In spite of this, the state of current research in this area means that the nature of relations between the Inquisitions of both Juliet was articulating a simple yet profound truth, that entities Iberian kingdoms, and their evolution during their three centuries are not objectively impacted by their names – whether inherited or of coexistence, remains elusive. A clear picture of the level of col- given. But what about titles? Do people not change, both in their laboration between the Spanish and Portuguese Inquisitions own and in their fellows’ eyes, when honorifics are conferred upon between 1536 and 1821 will only emerge through further research them? For some mysterious reason we humans often react differen- in this particular domain in both Spanish and Portuguese archives. 48 tly to people once we discover them to be persons of title. It is al- most as if an invisible barrier has gone up. Victorian etiquette man- uals devote chapter after sonorous chapter to correct forms of address, which if breached, heads could roll. Today, especially in democracies, we may be less touchy about points of honour. Even so, in a diluted form, titles have their place in any civilized society, because over and above protocol, titles serve a practical purpose. A title can convey information as to its holder’s qualifications, which (though nobody’s business!) is not without its usefulness. As to reli- 45 To cite but a few examples see, for instance, A.N.T.T., Inquisição de Lisboa, processos gious titles, they serve as seals not merely of competence, but also n°s 1431 and 5035. Also Inquisição de Évora, processo n° 3538. of integrity. Additionally, such titles identify the faith-community or 46 PILAR HUERGA CRIADO, En la Raya de Portugal: Solidaridad y Tensiones en la Comunidad denomination of the bearer, and his or her allegiance. Judeoconversa (Salamanca, 1994). 47 See the work of ISABEL M. R. MENDES DRUMOND, Um espaço, duas monarquias: inter- Did I say his or her? While we may find the phrase ‘his or her’ relações na Península Ibérica na época de Carlos V, (Lisbon, 2001). unexceptional, there are those who are bothered by its use in the 48 I would like to express my thanks to the Awards Committee of the Leverhulme context of religious titles. For such use of gender-inclusive langua- Trust for their grant of a two-year postdoctoral research award (2006-8) that is currently ge can be construed as taking sides in the debate over religious roles enabling me to conduct research on the theme of collaboration between the Spanish and Portuguese Inquisitions. My gratitude also extends to Ms. K. Chambers, who read and for women. It is certainly not our intention to be partisan. Howe- edited this article. ver, the ancient sources are far from monolithic, and while some 340 Cadernos de Estudos Sefarditas, n.º 6, 2006, pp. 341-356. Pag 341-356.qxp 02-07-2007 22:27 Page 342 Pag 341-356.qxp 02-07-2007 22:27 Page 343 ISAAC S. D. SASSOON WOMEN AS RELIGIOUS LEADERS: THE SOURCES BIBLICAL AND RABBINIC curtail women’s opportunities in the religious sphere, there are note: “Os três enviados de Senaquerib são designados não por no- plenty that open their doors wide to the ‘woman of valour' as we mes, como antigamente se entendia, mas pelos seus cargos, que re- hope to demonstrate. Within Judaism the bone of hottest conten- presentavam os títulos mais elevados dos oficiais da corte assíria”. tion is the ordination of women to the rabbinate. To understand Additional rabs appear at Jer 39:3,13 (in v. 13 we also meet rabbé, the pros and cons of women’s rabbinic ordination, we might as well the plural construct form of rab) and at Jer 41:1. But unlike the kick off with the history of the title rabbi. rabs of the Book of Kings who are Assyrian, Jeremiah’s rabs are The first point to remember is that ‘rabbi’ is almost certainly Chaldaean. 2 unattested as a pre-Exilic Israelite title. 1 At 2Kgs 18:17 we read in It is believed that the Jews borrowed the title from the Babylo- the Masoretic text “The king of Assyria sent Tartan, and Rab-Saris nians. However, there is no evidence of the title rab or rabbi (which and Rabshakeh”. Traditionally, these words have been treated as is rab plus the Hebrew suffix for my) being formally bestowed on personal pronouns. This seems to have been the understanding of Jewish teachers before the tannaic period. To be sure, disciples the LXX whose “Thartan, Raphis and Rapsakes” is an obvious would address their teacher as ‘rabbi’ and refer to him as ‘the rabbi' attempt at transliteration. Likewise, the Aramaic paraphrases of among themselves. Both usages are amply attested in the Gospels Scripture (generically known as targums) in line with other extant (e.g. Mt. 23:7-8; Mk. 5:35) as well as in the oldest talmudic sources. rabbinic writings all treat Tartan, Rab-Saris and Rabshakeh as per- While that earlier usage of ‘rabbi’ was no less deferential in tenor, it sonal names. would not have defined the man thus addressed for the world at Modern scholarship, on the other hand, has identified biblical large. Rather would it have been a courtesy title for internal use, as tartan with the Assyrian military title: tartânu (see BDB p. 1077). Si- it were, whereby juniors express subservience to their superior; ana- milarly, the rab prefix of Rab-Saris and Rabshakeh it construes as a logous to ‘sir’ in English public schools and in the armed forces. title signifying chief. Accordingly, in translations that acknowledge Thus, in his classroom his students would have addressed the the findings of scholarship, such as the New English Bible or the famous Hillel (who flourished around the year 30 BCE), as rabbi. Nova Biblia dos Capuchinhos, the three envoys become, respec- But to third parties he was bare, unadorned Hillel, as shown by tively, “commander in chief, chief eunuch and chief officer” and “o innumerable mentions of this sage. A couple of generations after general do exército, o chefe dos eunucos e o seu copeiro-mor”. As Hillel, we encounter the first leader to be inseparable from his rab- if to preclude all doubt, the Biblia dos Capuchinhos adds in a foot- binic title. This is Gamaliel I – leader of the Pharisaic sect in the middle of the first century ACE. We are not told what triggered the 1 Rabbé ha-melekh (= officials of the king) figure in the Masoretic Text of Jer 41:1. innovation whereby the rabbinic title began to be formalized. In his Seeing that the rest of the personages listed there are Judaean, it is only natural to think of that verse’s rabbé ha-melekh as ex-courtiers of Judah’s king. Those who reason thus, go on letter to the community of Kairouan, Sherira Gaon (d.1006) has to conclude that Jerusalem had adopted the title rab prior to the Exile. However, the Jer. this to say on the subject 41 story postdates the expulsion of Zedekiah and his retinue, so that their presence at Mispah is all but precluded. So who are these rabbé ha-melekh? To modern scholarship the question of their identity has become moot, inasmuch as it doubts the historicity of men who have already vanished by 41:2. No less significantly they are – as John Bright notes – 2 See previous note; also DEAN O. WENTHE’S, “The Social Configuration of the “absent from LXX and II Kings xxv 25, and are probably best omitted”. (The Anchor Rabbi-Disciple Relationship” in Studies in the Hebrew Bible, Qumran and the Septuagint Presented Bible vol. 21 p. 248). They are likewise absent from Josephus (see Ant. X, 9, 4). to Eugene Ulrich, Leiden 2006 pp. 143-174. 342 343 Pag 341-356.qxp 02-07-2007 22:27 Page 344 Pag 341-356.qxp 02-07-2007 22:27 Page 345 ISAAC S. D. SASSOON WOMEN AS RELIGIOUS LEADERS: THE SOURCES BIBLICAL AND RABBINIC In the earlier generations when they were very great they were not in massive evidence, though only ex silentio, is sufficient to deprive need of titles; whether it be the title Rabban, Rabbi or Rab. The use of such women’s ordination of that all important legitimizer – namely titles spread from the students of R. Yohanan ben Zakkai onward [i.e. from the destruction of the Jerusalem temple in the year 70].
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