sign in sign up
<<
Home , Jerusalem Talmud, Kolech

Beyond Apologetics

Orthodox Feminism in the 21st Century

There is no escaping the fact that hierarchical divisions among people are intrinsic to the Jewish tradition. Perhaps the most blatant of these is the distinction between men and women. The Tenth Commandment, which prohibits envy of one’s neighbor’s wife as well as his other property, is emblematic of this hierarchical structure. Throughout , the man is the normative, representative Jew.

{ By HANAH KEHAT

64 | Vol. 1 Spring 2008 Beyond Apologetics /// Orthodox Feminism in the 21st Century

HAVRUTA | 65 he position and function of the In Psalm 32, verse 6, it is written that Jewish woman is usually defined every hasid - “godly person” - should pray to Wadi Amlah, in relation to the man and not God l’et m’tzo, “at a time when God may be Yemen, 1983 T independently; she is his helpmate found.” In the Babylonian (Berachot and merits her reward through his 8a), Rabbi Hanina says that et m’tzo refers achievements. Not only did women not the time of finding a wife, citing the Book occupy any authoritative position in the of Proverbs (18:22): Matza isha matza tov creation of halakhic literature, they were - “Whoever has found a wife has found a also not its intended audience. Over the good thing.” And then the rabbis ask: In centuries, as this invidious distinction the Land of , “when a man married became entrenched, an entire system of a woman, would people would say of him, metaphysical and ideological assumptions matza (he has found), or motze (he finds)?” developed within that defined the The answer: “Matza, for it is written: essential nature, and appropriate behavior, ’Whoever has found a wife has found a good of each sex. This hierarchy of gender collides thing, and obtains the favor of the Lord.’” head-on with a democratic and egalitarian Motze, on the other hand, is linked by the worldview. Today, women pursue rabbis with a verse in Ecclesiastes (7:26) professional careers outside the home, and that speaks pejoratively about women: “And husbands and wives share responsibility I find more bitter than death the woman, in families and the larger community. The whose heart is snares and nets.” equality of women recognized by the laws Elsewhere in Tractate Berachot (57b), it is of the state clashes sharply with the picture written: “Three things enlarge a man’s spirit: painted in traditional Jewish sources. a beautiful dwelling, a beautiful wife, and Modern Orthodox Jews are thus beautiful clothes.” suspended between conflicting loyalties. The insular culture of halakhah is The well-known Mishnaic passage known characterized by hierarchy, absolute values, as bameh madlikin ( 2.6 ), recited each and a metaphysical conception of holiness. week in the Friday night service, reads as Centered in a figurative “Tent of ,” it follows: “For three sins women die in is cut off from other languages of discourse. childbirth: because they are not careful in Feminism, by contrast, is a product of a - the laws of family purity; hallah humanistic liberal world, in which mutuality - setting aside dough from the bread that and dialogue between equals are sacred they bake; uv’hadlakat haner-because they principles. Jews who internalize the spirit fail to light Sabbath candles properly.” The of democracy and egalitarianism may Talmud (Shabbat 5b) offers a comfortably argue that these values are possible reason why these particular three consistent with the traditional axiom that commandments were given to women: all people are created in the image of God Adam was the blood of the world…and Eve - but they still have centuries of Orthodox caused his death; thus the commandment teachings to contend with. of menstrual purity (niddah) was given to the woman… Man was the pure hallah of From ‘spoken of’ to ‘speaking’ the world, and Eve caused his death; thus the commandment of hallah was given to The deep chasm between the two kinds of the woman. Man was the candle of the discourse emerges if we attempt to apply world and Eve caused his death; thus the ancient Talmudic teachings to our own time. commandment of the candle was given to Consider the following three examples: the woman.

66 | Vol. 1 Spring 2008 Beyond Apologetics /// Orthodox Feminism in the 21st Century

These three midrashic texts speak for that some feminine discourse existed in themselves. The male is all-important, the the past, it was culturally marginal and woman is an object. We may look in vain for certainly was not acknowledged or included a proverb that says that a husband is a “good in the rabbinic canon. It is really only in the thing.” Here, the woman is mentioned only modern era that women’s responses to the in relation to her husband’s benefit from her discussions about them in Jewish legend beauty and morality, or else the destruction and law are documented and discussed. she may wreak upon him. While much talk about “the woman” is found in the Talmud, it’s always men speaking to other men. Deconstruction and Women do not speak directly. In contrast, in the cultural discourse Reconstruction conducted outside the walls of the beit In this unique historical situation - where - in the academy, the business world, old and new, continuity and change, come the social and political arena - women have together - we can map out several possible become integral members of the community reactions, which vary in their level of loyalty of speakers. When confronting a tradition to the traditional discourse. that perceives them as marginal, many First, we have denial. It is only natural women, religious Jews among them, rightly for religious groups to deny, consciously resent their exclusion and take offense at or subconsciously, the conflicts within various stereotypes, myths and images. their world, minimizing their importance, ignoring obvious tensions, and making no real effort at integration or synthesis. In The equality of women the religious Zionist establishment, many recognized by the laws of the educational institutions try to resolve such conflicts in a pragmatic fashion, rather state clashes sharply with the than on a philosophical level. This can work picture painted in traditional out passably when dealing with halakhah Jewish sources. and technology, for example, but the really difficult problems arise around social questions - the relationship with gentiles In this modern context, it is worth (including foreign workers in Israel), or the recalling the example of the matriarch right of all citizens to married. A lack of Rebecca. After being picked out as Isaac’s readiness to deal with such social challenges future wife, Rebecca is asked to make up is an educational failure that must be her own mind as to whether she’ll go off remedied. to Canaan right away with Abraham’s For the most part, this approach manages servant, or tarry a while with her family to preserve the religious comfort level. But it in Mesopotamia: "And they said ‘We will may also prompt the secularization of young call the girl, and ask her.’ And they called people who are exposed to humanistic Rebecca, and said unto her: ‘Will thou go values and experiences. When torn between with this man?’ And she said: ‘I will go.’” these values and their religiosity, they (Genesis 24:57-58). discover the depth of the gap between the Only today are women, like Rebecca, two worlds and, believing that they are being “called and asked” and invited by forced to choose, will sometimes prefer the the establishment to participate in the humanistic ethos. discourse about them. While we can assume Then there is the apologetic posture, in

HAVRUTA | 67 It is not difficult to locate in transparent and conscious; a deconstructive reading of these texts exposes interests the Torah many of the values and agendas below the surface. Such that have developed in the deconstruction of a culture necessarily entails a loss of confidence in it, often new world; charity and leading to alienation on the part of the social equality, the right to critic. Hence this method risks the desertion of religion by young people inclined toward respect as a human being postmodernism. created in God’s image and The healthiest approach is one of reconstruction, which builds a new minority rights are all integration between traditional and modern ancient Jewish values. values, presenting a fresh alternative for the person obligated to both halakhah and humanistic values. This path aims to create which a range of arguments is adduced to genuine dialogue with the world of external prove the superiority of religious values values, in contrast to the apologetic reaction over humanistic ones. This tack was taken that, seeing the mitzvot and Jewish faith by medieval sage Rabbi Yehuda Halevi as perfect and all-encompassing, devotes who, in his Book of the Kuzari, tried to all its efforts to defending them. The demonstrate that Judaism is more rational reconstructive approach displays a positive and consistent than philosophy. Rabbi attitude towards the culture and wisdom Samson Raphael Hirsch and Rabbi Abraham outside of the realm of Torah, and works Isaac Kook, among more modern thinkers, from the assumption that the Torah and followed in this path. the entire Jewish tradition were created Thus in the present generation, girls within a historical context. This position are taught, utilizing creative biblical and also finds a basis in what Rabbi Kook called Talmudic interpretations, that the status of “the greatness of the human spirit from the the woman is higher than that of the man. depth of morality and the peak of wisdom,” For example, in the proverb - “who is a good seeing in the progress of the human spirit (literally ‘kosher’) woman? She who does a revelation of the divine and a vehicle for her husband’s will” ( conveying the Torah and its ways into the Rabbah, 9) - the double meaning of the ever-changing present reality. Hebrew word “oseh” is employed so that the assumed this attitude in the Guide to the saying reads: “Who is a good woman? She Perplexed when he adopted Aristotelian who forms her husband’s will.” This sort of rationality as a basis of his thought and interpretive acrobatics is widely practiced to stated that the words of Torah should not resolve clashes between halakhah, Jewish contradict reason. If it sometimes seems lore, and egalitarian views. as though they do, says Maimonides in the At the opposite pole, we find Guide, we need to continue to probe for an strategies of deconstruction. Nurtured appropriate explanation. On this foundation by postmodernism, this type of strident he explained the entire sacrificial system cultural criticism tries to dismantle that existed in the Temple period as a way and decode a text in order to expose the of channeling the urge to commit idolatry, writer’s motives and agendas. Clearly, the so ubiquitous in that period’s rituals of interests of the speakers in, and writers of, worship, yet forbidden by Jewish Law. the canonical Judaic texts are not always Most of the religious public,

68 | Vol. 1 Spring 2008 Beyond Apologetics /// Orthodox Feminism in the 21st Century

uncomfortable with the dissonance with their husbands’ lack of understanding. produced by adopting a critical stance Exposing defiance within the texts, this towards the religious sources, is reluctant hermeneutical method provides an anchor to implement this approach. Nonetheless, it within the tradition for those who ask seems to me to be the only way to create real potentially subversive questions. cultural dialogue between the Torah and the , a leading Orthodox feminist modern and postmodern values. thinker, suggests strategies for shrinking the gaps between hierarchy and equality in Hidden Voices the halakhic realm. The above-mentioned apologetic stance, which preserves the Hanah Kehat, a Fellow How can this be achieved? First, by arriving existing norms, nevertheless requires at the Shalom Hartman at a religious definition of humanistic values. a shift in rhetoric from the traditional Institute, is the founder It is not difficult to locate in the Torah many hierarchical norm to a “separate but equal” and chair of the Kolech of the values that have developed in the new outlook. Thus, although it is a conservative Religious Women’s world; charity and social equality, the right strategy, this rhetorical shift can actually Forum and the director to respect as a human being created in God’s pave the way to far-reaching halakhic of the Institute for image and minority rights are all ancient accommodations. In addition, halakhically Jewish Humanistic Jewish values. permissible practices that have been Education at Orot We should, in the spirit of Maimonides, avoided for generations for cultural reasons College. also seek to contextualize Jewish - a prime example is the participation of values that today are objectionable or women in ritual - should be re- insupportable. Slavery was normative examined and instituted. in antiquity, when Jewish Law was first In areas where the above strategies do developed. Ignoring historical context not suffice, creative efforts must be made imparts the misleading impression that to exploit any openings that exist in the Jewish tradition is synonymous with halakhic system. For example, prenuptial patriarchy or chauvinism. In contrast, agreements that safeguard women from looking at texts through an historical lens being refused a get (divorce) represent such enables new interpretations and fresh a halakhically acceptable innovation. Lastly, perspectives on traditions that are offensive certain halakhic notions - like hitting one’s to women. It also enables us to differentiate wife or limiting women’s ability to leave between halakhic obligations and time- their homes - need to become formally bound traditions. obsolete within the halakhic framework. A new and open stance toward traditional A midrash found in the text Seder Eliyahu texts, fueled by loyalty to humanism, may Rabba (9th century CE) encompasses reveal interpretations of Torah that have beautifully the possibility of integrating the been hidden thus far. This approach extracts humanistic and halakhic worldviews: “I call out of the “seventy faces of Torah” hidden heaven and earth to witness that whether voices of subjugated minorities or those one be gentile or Jew, man or woman, male that identify with them, and exposes the slave or female slave, in accordance with sometimes subversive agendas beneath the the merits of his/her deeds does the Holy text’s surface. These interpretations uncover Spirit rest on him/her.” The work of religious dissident voices even in the holiest texts. feminists is far from complete, and it is For example, while for the most part the in the spirit of this midrash that we must silence of the matriarchs resounds, God continue exploring the halakhic possibilities displays sympathy for their complaints of adopting humanistic values into the when they do express their dissatisfaction realm of the living Torah.

HAVRUTA | 69