Woman's Rights

ByAJWS Staff

AJWS On1Foot

Aruch HaShulchan, Laws of Tzedakah, 251:10

Translation	Original
If two poor people approach you, and one is hungry for bread and one needs clothing, you first feed the hungry person and then clothe the naked one. If a man and woman both come seeking food, you first feed the woman. If a man and a woman both come seeking clothing, you first clothe the woman because it is more embarrassing for her than for the man. But if a man is seeking food and the woman clothing, we first feed the man because physical pain is worse than shame. Similarly, if a male and female orphan approach you and both need money to wed, we first pay for the woman to get married even though the man is commanded to reproduce (and not the woman.) And in my humble opinion, it seems that the man should precede the woman because he is commanded to have children and she is not, and we cannot apply the principle of who we feed first to this situation... [Translation by AJWS]	אם באו שני עניים אחד רעב ללחם ואחד צריך לבגד מקדימין להאכיל הרעב ואח"כ מכסין הערום ואיש ואשה שבאו לבקש לחם מקדימין האשה לאיש וכן כשבאו לבקש כסות משום דחרפת האשה מרובה משל איש אבל כשהאיש מבקש לחם והיא מבקשת כסות האיש קודם דצערא דגופה גריע מבזיון [עי' סנהדרין מ"ה. ואפילו לאידך לא דמי לכאן ודו"ק]. וכן אם באו יתום ויתומה להנשא מקדימין להשיא היתומה ואע"ג שהאיש מצוה על פריה ורביה והאשה אינה מצווה כמ"ש באה"ע סי' א' מ"מ לעניין להקדים היא קודם. ונלע"ד דאם אין בכיס על שניהם הוא קודם מפני שהוא מצווה על פו"ר ולא היא ואין לשאול על מ"ש דאשה קודמת לאיש למזון והא בסוף הוריות [י"ג א] תנן האיש קודם לאשה להחיות וכו' ע"ש דלהחיות דשם אין פירושו מזון אלא להצילן ממות כדמוכח שם

Translation

Original

If two poor people approach you, and one is hungry for bread and one needs clothing, you first feed the hungry person and then clothe the naked one. If a man and woman both come seeking food, you first feed the woman. If a man and a woman both come seeking clothing, you first clothe the woman because it is more embarrassing for her than for the man. But if a man is seeking food and the woman clothing, we first feed the man because physical pain is worse than shame. Similarly, if a male and female orphan approach you and both need money to wed, we first pay for the woman to get married even though the man is commanded to reproduce (and not the woman.) And in my humble opinion, it seems that the man should precede the woman because he is commanded to have children and she is not, and we cannot apply the principle of who we feed first to this situation... [Translation by AJWS]

אם באו שני עניים אחד רעב ללחם ואחד צריך לבגד מקדימין להאכיל הרעב ואח"כ מכסין הערום ואיש ואשה שבאו לבקש לחם מקדימין האשה לאיש וכן כשבאו לבקש כסות משום דחרפת האשה מרובה משל איש אבל כשהאיש מבקש לחם והיא מבקשת כסות האיש קודם דצערא דגופה גריע מבזיון [עי' סנהדרין מ"ה. ואפילו לאידך לא דמי לכאן ודו"ק]. וכן אם באו יתום ויתומה להנשא מקדימין להשיא היתומה ואע"ג שהאיש מצוה על פריה ורביה והאשה אינה מצווה כמ"ש באה"ע סי' א' מ"מ לעניין להקדים היא קודם. ונלע"ד דאם אין בכיס על שניהם הוא קודם מפני שהוא מצווה על פו"ר ולא היא ואין לשאול על מ"ש דאשה קודמת לאיש למזון והא בסוף הוריות [י"ג א] תנן האיש קודם לאשה להחיות וכו' ע"ש דלהחיות דשם אין פירושו מזון אלא להצילן ממות כדמוכח שם

Suggested Discussion Questions

1. How does not having food affect someone? How is this different than the effect of lacking clothing? How does the Aruch HaShulchan weigh these needs?
2. Why does the Aruch HaShulchan address priorities of giving when the two parties have different levels of obligations to others or themselves? Should this be a concern?
3. Do we address similar conflicts today? How do we address conflicting needs?

Ezrat Nashim, "Call for Change," (Rabbinical Assembly of the Conservative Movement: 14 March 1972).

Original
It is not enough to say that Judaism views women as separate but equal, nor to point to Judaism's past superiority over other cultures in its treatment of women. We've had enough of apologetics: enough of Bruria, Dvorah, and Esther; enough of Eshet Chayyil (woman of valor)! It is time that: women be granted membership in synagogues women be counted in the minyan women be allowed full participation in religious observances women be recognized as witnesses before Jewish law women be allowed to initiate divorce women be permitted and encouraged to attend Rabbinical and Cantorial schools, and to perform Rabbinical and Cantorial functions in synagogues women be encouraged to join decision-making bodies, and to assume professional leadership roles, in synagogues and in the general Jewish community. women be considered as bound to fulfill all mitzvot equally with men. For three thousand years, one-half the Jewish people have been excluded from full participation in Jewish communal life. We call for an end to second-class status of women in Jewish life. [Jewish Women's Archive, jwa.org/feminism)

Original

It is not enough to say that Judaism views women as separate but equal, nor to point to Judaism's past superiority over other cultures in its treatment of women. We've had enough of apologetics: enough of Bruria, Dvorah, and Esther; enough of Eshet Chayyil (woman of valor)! It is time that: women be granted membership in synagogues women be counted in the minyan women be allowed full participation in religious observances women be recognized as witnesses before Jewish law women be allowed to initiate divorce women be permitted and encouraged to attend Rabbinical and Cantorial schools, and to perform Rabbinical and Cantorial functions in synagogues women be encouraged to join decision-making bodies, and to assume professional leadership roles, in synagogues and in the general Jewish community. women be considered as bound to fulfill all mitzvot equally with men. For three thousand years, one-half the Jewish people have been excluded from full participation in Jewish communal life. We call for an end to second-class status of women in Jewish life. [Jewish Women's Archive, jwa.org/feminism)