1. Is the obligation to care for the orphan and widow something active (you do) or passive (that you abstain from doing)?
2. What do you think it means to "ill-treat" the widow or orphan?
3. Do you think the consequences of this divine order can be felt realistically today?
1. What does it mean to "do good"?
2. What does it mean to "defend the cause of the widow"? How do we do that?
3. What is the implication of the fact that widows are often mentioned last among the groups of those in need?
1. What are we meant to learn from the things that God does for those in need?
2. What does it mean that God gives "courage" to the orphan and widow? Why do they need courage? Courage from what?
3. What is the implication of the orphan and widow appearing last in the textual list?
1. What do we learn about the attitude towards women from this text?
2. Based on this text, how are men supposed to act towards women?
1. What leadership qualities did Miriam display in these verses?
2. What is the role of the women, and a female prophetess, in this turning point in biblical history (after crossing the Red Sea)?
1. What method of women's empowerment and heroism does Yael display?
2. Is Yael a female role model or not?
3. Would this story play a different role in Jewish history if Yael were a man? What makes this story unique?
1. How does this text make women appear? Is it realistic or idealistic? Good or bad?
2. Should women want to be depicted in this way?
3. What are the expectations of women and the treatment of women from this text?
1. What are the factors that guide this text to map out priorities?
2. What factors make women in poverty and bondage different than men in the same situation? To what extent are these factors true today?
3. What other social justice themes emerge from this text?
Translation | Original |
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Even though a father has permission [from the Torah] to betrothe his daughter while she is a minor to anyone that he wants, it is not right for him to do this. Rather, the sages have commanded that a man should not betrothe his daughter while she is a minor. Rather, she must become an adult and say, “To so-and-so I wish to be married.” [AJWS translation] |
ואע"פ שיש רשות לאב לקדש בתו כשהיא קטנה וכשהיא נערה לכל מי שירצה אין ראוי לעשות כן אלא מצות חכמים שלא יקדש אדם את בתו כשהיא קטנה עד שתגדיל ותאמר בפלוני אני רוצה.
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1. What are the factors that this text points to as being ethically problematic when a father betrothes his daughter while she is still a minor?
2. Where in the world are women still denied agency over their own lives? How can we intervene?
3. How is this text's attitude towards women different from other older texts we've seen?