- Sanctuary in Time
- Promptness, Focus, Confidentiality, Trust
- We are all someone’s rebbe (teacher) and someone’s talmid (student)
- Bring your whole, authentic self
- Dan L’Chaf Zechut
- Suspension of Disbelief / Productive Discomfort
- "Eilu v’eilu”
I’m bringing a range of different sources. Some of them will be provocative. Some of them will deeply resonate with you, while others won’t. Try to reserve judgement until the end, and remember that the Talmud in particular is not just one opinion but a collection of a broad range of (often-contradictory) opinions.
1) What archetypes/roles does the Torah and Talmud see for women?
2) How do these archetypes speak to the traits, behaviors, or characteristics that are valued / not valued in a woman?
What words/adjectives/traits/behaviors come to mind when you think of Jewish women?
Please write 2 or 3 in the chat.
אשת־חיל
משלי ל״א:י׳-ל״א
Eishet Chayil - Mishlei (Proverbs) 31
Images from Seder Oneg Shabbos Bentcher
(English translation - Sarah Wolf)
Questions for Discussion:
1) What kind of woman does "Eishet Chayil" describe?
2) What are her capabilities? What kind of agency does she have?
3) With what attitude, emotion, or outlook does she go about her tasks?
(א) וטעם אנשי חיל אנשים ראויים להנהיג עם גדול, כי כל קבוץ ואוסף יקרא חיל, ואיננו ביוצאי צבא המלחמה בלבד, וכן חיל גדול מאד (יחזקאל לג ו), ובאר בה, חילי הגדול (יואל ב כה), ובממון, כחי ועוצם ידי עשה לי את החיל הזה (דברים ח יז), ישאו על כתף עירים חיליהם (ישעיה ל ו), ובפירות, תאנה וגפן נתנו חילם (יואל ב כב). והנה יקרא איש חיל במשפטים, החכם הזריז והישר. ובמלחמה. הגבור הזריז היודע מערכות המלחמה, ותקרא גם כן האשה אשת חיל (משלי לא י) בהיותה זריזה ויודעת בהנהגת הבית:
And the explanation for anshei chayil is men who were fit to lead a great nation, for every collection and gathering is called chayil. And this is not only used for those who go out as an army for war...but also for money, as in "My strength and the power of my hand made this wealth/chayil for me" [Dvarim 8:17]...and for fruit, "Fig and vine have given their strength/cheilam" [Yoel 2:22]. And here a man is called chayil in judgments--the sage, eager and just. And in battle--the hero, eager and knowing the logistics of war. And the woman is also called thus eishet chayil [Mishlei 31:10], for her being eager and knowing the conduct of the household.
(משלי לא י): "אשת חיל מי ימצא" - זו היא התורה; "ורחוק מפנינים מכרה" - שהיתה לפני לפנים, וזכה משה והורידה למטה לארץ. (משלי לא יא): "בטח בה לב בעלה ושלל לא יחסר" - שלא חסר בה דבר. ד"א "אשת חיל מי ימצא" - אמרו: מעשה היה ברבי מאיר, שהיה יושב ודורש בבית המדרש בשבת במנחה, ומתו שני בניו. מה עשתה אמו? הניחה שניהם על המטה ופרשה סדין עליהם. במוצאי שבת בא ר' מאיר מבית המדרש לביתו. אמר לה 'היכן שני בני?', אמרה 'לבית המדרש הלכו', אמר לה 'צפיתי לבית המדרש ולא ראיתי אותם', נתנו לו כוס של הבדלה והבדיל, חזר ואמר 'היכן שני בני?', אמרה לו 'הלכו למקום אחר ועכשיו הם באים', הקריבה לפניו המאכל ואכל ובירך, לאחר שבירך אמרה לו 'רבי, שאלה אחת יש לי לשאול לך', אמר לה 'אמרי שאלתך', אמרה לו 'רבי, קודם היום בא אדם אחד ונתן לי פקדון, ועכשיו בא ליטול אותו, נחזיר לו או לא?', אמר לה 'בתי, מי שיש פקדון אצלו, הוא צריך להחזירו לרבו', אמרה לו 'רבי, חוץ מדעתך לא הייתי נותנת אצלו', מה עשתה? תפשתו בידה, והעלה אותו לאותו חדר, והקריבה אותו למטה, ונטלה סדין מעליהם, וראה שניהם מתים ומונחים על המטה, התחיל בוכה ואומר 'בני! בני! רבי! רבי! בני בדרך ארץ, ורבי שהיו מאירין פני בתורתן!', באותה שעה אמרה לו לרבי מאיר 'רבי, לא כך אמרת לי - אני צריך להחזיר הפקדון לרבו?', אמר (איוב א כא): "ה' נתן וה' לקח, יהי שם ה' מבורך". אמר רבי חנינא: בדבר הזה נחמתו ונתיישבה דעתו, לכך נאמר "אשת חיל מי ימצא". אמר ר' חמא בר חנינא: מפני מה נתחייבו בניו של ר' מאיר ומתו בבת אחת? מפני שהיו רגילין להניח בית המדרש ויושבין באכילה ובשתיה. אמר רבי יוחנן: ואפילו בדברי הבטלה, שבשעה שניתנה תורה לישראל לא הזהירן אלא על דברי תורה, שנאמר (דברים כו טז): "היום הזה ה' אלהיך מצוך לעשות".
"A valiant woman, who can find" (Proverbs 31:10): ...Another explanation: "A valiant woman, who can find" - They said, "There was a story about Rabbi Meir who was sitting and expounding in the study hall on Shabbat afternoon, when two of his sons died. What did his wife do? She placed both of them on the bed and spread a sheet over them. At the end of Shabbat, Rabbi Meir came home from the study hall. He said to her, 'Where are my two sons?' She said [back], 'They went to the study hall.' He said to her, 'I scanned the study hall and I did not see them.' They gave him the cup of Havdalah and he separated [the days of the week with the closure of Shabbat]. He repeated and said, 'Where are my two sons?' She said, 'They went elsewhere and they are coming now.' She placed food in front of him and he ate and blessed. After he blessed, she said to him, 'I have a question to ask you.' He said to her, 'Say your question.' She said to him, 'Rabbi, before today, a man came and deposited something with me, and now he is coming to take it. Should we return it to him or not?' He said, 'My daughter, one who has a deposit with him must return it to its owner.' She said to him, 'Were it not for your consent, I would not have given it to him.' What did she do? She grabbed his hand, brought him up to that room, had him approach the bed and took off the sheet from upon them. When he saw both of them dead and laying upon the bed, he began to cry and say, 'My sons, my sons, my teachers, my teachers - my sons in the way of the world, my teachers in that they would enlighten my eyes with their Torah.' At that time, she said to Rabbi Meir, 'Rabbi, is this not what I told you - do I not need to return the deposit to its Owner?' He said, '"The Lord has given and the Lord has taken; may the name of the Lord be blessed"' (Job 1:21)." Rabbi Chanina said, "With this thing, she consoled him and his mind became composed - that is is why it states, 'A valiant woman, who can find.'"
Questions for Discussion:
1) What exactly happened? Why?
2) How was Beruriah able console her husband? Check out the "rabbi move" she lays on him.
3) Is Beruriah an eishet chayil? How? How does this deepen or complicate your understanding of the meaning eishet chayil?
Many women have done well (Proverbs 31:29): Another interpretation: "A woman of valor who can find?" - this is [the meaning] of what the verse states (Psalms 92:15), "In old age they still produce fruit, etc." - corresponding to Avraham and Sarah who were of the same measure concerning charity and acts of kindness; they were a good sign for the world. In this way, He does not prevent proper women from the righteous ones, [but] matches them. As so [too] do we find with the wife of Noach that her actions and his actions were of the same measure - that is why she merited with him and was rescued from the waters of the flood.
"Her husband puts his confidence in her" - this is Sarah, our mother, as Avraham grew rich on her account, as it states (Genesis 12:16), "And he benefited Avraham for her sake."
"She bestows good to him, and not bad" - this is Rivkah, our mother, who bestowed [good] to Yitzchak at the time that Sarah, his mother died.
"She seeks wool and flax" - this is Leah, our mother, who received Yaakov with a pleasant countenance, as it is written (Genesis 30:16), "And Yaakov came from the field in the evening, and Leah went out to meet him and said, 'You are to sleep with me, for I have hired you, etc.'" Therefore she merited and kings and prophets came from her.
"She is like a merchant fleet" - this is Rachel, our mother, who was embarrassed about [her lack of] children every day. Therefore she merited and a son came from her who was similar to a ship that is filled will all the good [found] in the world - so [was it with] Yosef, that the whole world survived from his merit and he supported the world in the years of famine.
"She rises while it is still night" - this is Batya, the daughter of Pharaoh. She was a gentile and became a Jewess and they mentioned her name among the proper [women], since she took care of Moshe. Therefore she merited and entered the Garden of Eden in her lifetime.
"She sets her mind on a field and acquires it; [she plants a vineyard from the produce of her hand]" - this is Yocheved, that from her came Moshe who is equivalent to all of Israel, which is called a vineyard, as it states (Isaiah 5:7), "For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the House of Israel."
"She girds her loins with strength" - this is Miriam, as before Moshe was born, she said, "In the future, my mother will give birth to the savior of Israel." Once he was born and the yoke upon them became heavier, her father got up and bopped her on the head. He said to her, "Where is your prophecy?" And he got up and spit in front of her face. And nonetheless, she exerted herself about her prophecy, as it is written (Exodus 2:4), "And his sister stood from a distance."
"She advises (taamah) that her merchandise is good; [her lamp never goes out at night]" - this is Hannah who tasted (taamah) the taste of prayer, as it states (I Samuel 2:1), "And Hannah prayed, 'My heart exults in the Lord, etc.'" Therefore she merited and a son came from her that was the match of Moshe and Aharon, which would bring light to Israel like lamps, as it is written (Psalms 99:6), "Moshe and Aharon among his priests, and Shmuel among the ones that call His name." And it is written about Shmuel (I Samuel 3:3), "The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Shmuel was sleeping in the temple of the Lord."
"She sets her hand to the distaff" - this is Yael, who did not kill Sisera with a weapon, but rather with a peg through the force of her hands. And because of what did she not kill him with a weapon? In order to fulfill that which it states (Deuteronomy 22:5), "There shall not be the vessel of a man on a woman."
"Her palm she spreads out to the poor" - this is the widowed woman of Tsarfat, who supported Eliyahu with bread and water.
"She is not worried for her home because of snow, for her whole home is dressed in crimson" - this is Rachav the prostitute. When Israel came to destroy Yericho, she did not fear from them, because they give her a sign - (Joshua 2:18) "this line of scarlet string."
"She makes covers for herself; [her clothing is linen and purple]" - this is Batsheva, that from her came Shlomo, who was adorned with linen and purple and ruled from [one] end of the world to the [other] end.
"Her husband is known in the gates," - this is Michal, who saved David from death.
"She makes cloth and sells it" - this is the mother of Shimshon [Samson], that through him Israel was saved.
"Strength and splendor are her clothing; [and she laughs to the last day]" - this is Elisheva, the daughter of Aminadav, who saw four joyful events in one day: her brother [became] a prince; her husband, high priest; the brother of her husband, king; and her two children, young priests.
"She opens her mouth with wisdom" - this is the wise woman who said (II Samuel 20:16), “Listen, listen! Please tell Yoav, 'Come over here and I will speak to you,'” who saved the city with her wisdom; and this was Sarach the daughter of Asher.
"She oversees the activities of her household" - this is the wife of Ovadiah, who rescued her sons and they did not worship idolatry with Achav.
"Her children rise and declare her happy" - this is the Shunamite, who is called a great woman (II Kings 4:8). And because of what? Because she pressed upon Elisha to eat.
“Many women have done well, but you surpass them all” - this is Ruth the Moabite, who came under the wings of the Divine presence. "Grace is false, beauty is illusory" - as she left her mother and her forefathers and her wealth, and came with her mother-in-law and accepted all of the commandments: the domain of Shabbat - "to where you will walk, I will walk" (Ruth 1:16); the prohibition of isolation with a man - "and in that which you will lay, I will lay"; the six hundred and thirteen commandments - "your people is my people"; idolatry - "your God is my God"; the four death penalties of the court - "and in that which you will die, I will die"; "and there will I be buried" - these are the two graveyards arranged for the court, one for the stoned and the burned, and one for the killed and the strangled. Therefore, she merited and David came from her, who gave pleasure with songs and praises to the Holy One, blessed be He. Therefore it is stated, "Give of the fruit of her hand and let her works praise her in the gates." Be strong in ethical behavior, keep the Torah, and be rescued from the evil inclination.
(כא) וַיַּפֵּל֩ יְהוָ֨ה אֱלֹהִ֧ים ׀ תַּרְדֵּמָ֛ה עַל־הָאָדָ֖ם וַיִּישָׁ֑ן וַיִּקַּ֗ח אַחַת֙ מִצַּלְעֹתָ֔יו וַיִּסְגֹּ֥ר בָּשָׂ֖ר תַּחְתֶּֽנָּה׃ (כב) וַיִּבֶן֩ יְהוָ֨ה אֱלֹהִ֧ים ׀ אֶֽת־הַצֵּלָ֛ע אֲשֶׁר־לָקַ֥ח מִן־הָֽאָדָ֖ם לְאִשָּׁ֑ה וַיְבִאֶ֖הָ אֶל־הָֽאָדָֽם׃ (כג) וַיֹּאמֶר֮ הָֽאָדָם֒ זֹ֣את הַפַּ֗עַם עֶ֚צֶם מֵֽעֲצָמַ֔י וּבָשָׂ֖ר מִבְּשָׂרִ֑י לְזֹאת֙ יִקָּרֵ֣א אִשָּׁ֔ה כִּ֥י מֵאִ֖ישׁ לֻֽקֳחָה־זֹּֽאת׃ (כד) עַל־כֵּן֙ יַֽעֲזָב־אִ֔ישׁ אֶת־אָבִ֖יו וְאֶת־אִמּ֑וֹ וְדָבַ֣ק בְּאִשְׁתּ֔וֹ וְהָי֖וּ לְבָשָׂ֥ר אֶחָֽד׃ (כה) וַיִּֽהְי֤וּ שְׁנֵיהֶם֙ עֲרוּמִּ֔ים הָֽאָדָ֖ם וְאִשְׁתּ֑וֹ וְלֹ֖א יִתְבֹּשָֽׁשׁוּ׃
(21) And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and Adam slept; and God took one of Adam's ribs, and closed up the place with flesh instead thereof. (22) And the rib, which HASHEM, God had taken from Adam, God built a woman, and brought her unto Adam. (23) And Adam said: ‘This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.’ (24) Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife, and they shall be one flesh. (25) And they were both naked, Adam and his wife, and were not ashamed.
Composed in (c.1455 - c.1495 CE). Akeidat Yitzchak, written by the Spanish rabbi Isaac ben Moses Arama (c. 1420 – 1494), is a collection of philosophical sermons on the Torah. First published in 1522 in Salonika, Greece.
Originally, Adam had called Eve “ishah ", emphasizing her parity with man, i.e. ish. After the episode with the tree of knowledge, he called her chavah, emphasizing the female element within her, and the fact that she was the mother of all subsequent human beings. Between these two names, the two functions of woman are defined. On the one hand, as the eyshet chayil, woman of valor, she possesses all the ingredients that can raise her to the status of prophetess; on the other hand her function is to become a mother...
When woman conducts herself true to her purpose as helpmate to man, she also retains the name ishah. When, however, she acts as a hindrance, her function is reduced to that of the female part within her, i.e. she remains only chavah, mother.
Mijal Bitton
The Forward, October 19, 2017
Careful readers of the Bible know that the creation of humans is told twice, first in chapter I and then again in chapter II. The first creation describes what in my mind is the true paradise lost: Adam is created in the image of G-D. This Adam is not male or female; they are both. Either, as the midrash says, Adam is an androgynous creature made up of both male and female parts, or a man and a woman are created simultaneously. And it is good, it is gloriously good. I so want to go back there, to grasp that primordial moment in which the first Adam/s are created, in which they see themselves and each other in God’s image and in which they do not treat each other differently because of their gender. Genesis I feels like a dream – a dream in which #metoo does not exist.
But it is not the end of the story. Genesis II recounts the second creation story and, I must confess, it feels less good. The Adam that is created by God is male and he is first. And to give him a companion God takes from his rib and creates for him a woman to be an “ezer Kenegdo”, a helping mate of sorts. And as I read the text I saw not only the creation of woman but also the birth of patriarchy – the moment in which Adam chooses to name her (as he named all the animals) and calls her Isha – because she was taken from “Ish”, from him. He sees her and brands her as a part of him, as his possession, as part of his body. He cannot see her separate from himself. Later in the story – after the tree of knowledge and the serpent and the sin and the loss of that paradise – Adam names the woman again. He calls her Hava, Eve, the mother of all human beings. She is again relegated to be a caregiver, the helping mate for all humankind that will come from her...
...I read Genesis I as told from the point of view of God, how Hashem created the universe and humanity. In Genesis II, however, God describes the same event but from the anthropological point of view – dibera Torah kileshon bene adam - the Torah presents a human point of view in which the original creation narrative is transformed from one in which men and women are equal to one in which men have dominion over women. In Genesis II, God describes the way that men experienced and interpreted Genesis I, it is all about human creation, about our social construction of gender, society and human culture.
It is here, maybe, that the Biblical text can help us.
While it does not explain the reason for the prevalence of patriarchy – as old as the first humans, as both the Bible and anthropology remind us – it does posit an idea which was radical for most of human history: that the oppressive dominion of men over women must be seen as nothing less than a pronouncement in a string of curses. I read the woman’s punishment not as a Divine mandate or prescription, but rather a description of how history will unfold, as a curse that will plague us and that we must seek to break in the same way that we have tackled Adam’s curse, of struggling to grow bread from the ground...
...The Beginning of our work is clear, though. Bereshit, in the Beginning, we must have the moral clarity to yearn for Genesis I, to commit to seeing “and he shall rule over you” as a curse, fighting it with all our might.
Only then will we begin to see the world through God’s eyes – holding each human being as absolutely equal and divine.
According to traditional Judaism, women are endowed with a greater degree of "binah" (intuition, understanding, intelligence) than men. The rabbis inferred this from the idea that woman was "built" (Genesis 2,22) rather than "formed" (Genesis 2,7), and the Hebrew root of "build" has the same consonants as the word "binah".
It has been said that the matriarchs (Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, and Leah) were superior to the patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob) in prophecy. It has also been said that women did not participate in the idolatry regarding the golden calf. Some traditional sources suggest that women are closer to God's ideal than men.
Women have held positions of respect in Judaism since biblical times. Miriam is considered one of the liberators of the people of Israel, along with her brothers Moses and Aaron. One of the Judges (Deborah) was a woman. Seven of the 55 prophets of the Bible were women.
The Ten Commandments require respect for both mother and father. Note that the father comes first in Exodus 20,11, but the mother comes first in Leviticus 19,3.
There were many learned women of note. The Talmud and later rabbinical writings speak of the wisdom of Berurya, the wife of Rabbi Meir. In several instances, her opinions on halakhah (Jewish Law) were accepted over those of her male contemporaries. In the ketubah (marriage contract) of Rabbi Akiba's son, the wife is obligated to teach the husband Torah! Many rabbis over the centuries have been known to consult their wives on matters of Jewish law relating to the woman's role, such as laws of kashrut and women's periods. The wife of a rabbi is referred to as a rebbetzin, practically a title of her own, which should give some idea of her significance in Jewish life.
There can be no doubt, however, that the Talmud also has many negative things to say about women. Various rabbis at various times describe women as lazy, jealous, vain and gluttonous, prone to gossip and particularly prone to the occult and witchcraft. Men are repeatedly advised against associating with women, although that is as much because of man's lust as it is because of any shortcoming in women. Women are discouraged from pursuing higher education or religious pursuits, but this seems to be primarily because women who engage in such pursuits might neglect their primary duties as wives and mothers. The rabbis are not concerned that women are not spiritual enough, but rather are concerned that women might become too spiritually devoted.
It is taught in a baraita that Rabbi Meir would say: A person must make the following three blessings every day - 'That You made me a Yisrael' [i.e. a Jew], 'That You did not make me a woman [since women are exempt from positive time bound commandments], 'That You did not make me a Bor [unlearned, undisciplined person].'
(ד) כולם אומרים. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה' אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם,
גברים אומרים: שֶׁלֹּא עָשַׂנִי אשָּׁה
נשים אומרים: שֶׁעָשַׂנִי כִּרְצוֹנוֹ.
Men- Blessed are you, Hashem, our God and Ruler of the world, who did not make me a woman.
Women- Blessed are you, Hashem, our God and Ruler of the world, who made me according to his will.
The Torah assigns missions to respective groups of people. Within Israel, for example, the Davidic family, Kohanim, and Levites are set apart by virtue of their particular callings, in addition to their shared mission as Jews. All such missions carry extra responsibilities and call for the performance of the mitzvos associated with them. We thank G-d, therefore, for the challenge of improving His universe in accordance with His will. Male, free Jews have responsibilities and duties not shared by others. For this, they express gratitude that, unlike women, they were not freed from the obligation to perform the time-related commandments. This follows the Talmudic dictum that an obligatory performance of a commandment is superior to a voluntary one, because it is human nature to resist obligations. Women, on the other hand, both historically and because of their nature, are the guardians of tradition, the molders of character, children, and family. Furthermore, women have often been the protectors of Judaism when the impetuosity and aggressiveness of the male nature led the men astray. The classic precedent was in the Wilderness when the men - not the women - worshipped the Golden Calf. Thus, though women were not given the privilege of the challenge assigned to men, they are created closer to G-d's ideal of satisfaction. They express their gratitude in the blessing שֶׁעָשַׂנִי כִּרְצוֹנוֹ, Who made me according to His will (R' Munk).
- by Amanda Borschel-Dan. Times of Israel. March 8, 2019
https://www.timesofisrael.com/the-jewish-egalitarian-revolution-that-almost-was-in-renaissance-italy/
...Written in 1480, this work is one of three “feminist” prayer books penned by scribe Rabbi Abraham ben Mordechai Farissol, who changed one of the most contentious blessings in all of Hebrew liturgy and adapted it for women. There are two siddurim composed in Hebrew, in 1478 and 1480, and one in 1485 in Judaeo-Provençal.
According to Hebrew Union College in Jerusalem Prof. Dalia Marx, these prayer books represent the first tangible evidence of a “feminine experience” of prayer.
“Liturgy reflects the way we understand the world, the way we understand reality, how we explain the existence in the world,” said Marx, who is also a rabbi, in explaining why the changes made by Farissol are notable.
Through today, most Orthodox men recite a blessing during the morning prayer that praises God for not having made them women. In its place, most religiously observant women recite a blessing thanking God for having made them “according to his will.”
The three extant Farissol prayer books for women instead state, “Blessed are you God, our Lord, King of the World, for You have made me a woman, and not a man.” In other blessings, the gendered Hebrew terms are shifted to feminine versions.
What is most remarkable, said Marx, the Rabbi Aaron D. Panken Professor of Liturgy and Midrash, is that in his choice of language, scribe Farissol uniquely addressed the high-status Hebrew-literate female owners of these prayer books and applied and adapted the liturgy to their needs.
Through these prayer books and other texts of the era, we encounter other surprisingly egalitarian roles filled by women: female scribes, a poetess who translated liturgy from Hebrew to Italian, and the owners of Farissol’s works, who praised God for being made women, and not men.
Mekor Barukh (1928), selections published in English as My Uncle, The Netziv (1988):
How bitter was my aunt, as she would say from time to time, that every empty-headed ignorant man, every ignoramus who hardly knew the meaning of the words and who would not dare cross the threshold without first obsequiously and humbly obtaining her permission, would not hesitate to boldly and arrogantly recite to her face the blessing shelo asani ishah. Moreover, upon his recitation of the blessing, she was obliged to answer amen. “And who can muster enough strength,” she concluded with great anguish, “to hear this eternal symbol of shame and embarrassment to women?”
It seems we are forbidden to say shelo assani goy publicly because it will engender hatred among the gentiles. And as to saying shelo asani isha – how can we publicly insult someone! It is enough to say those berakhot mentioned in Haro'eh [i.e. Chapter 9 of Berachot, the 1st tractate of the Talmud], but who compels us to recite these three blessing found in a different tractate? This can also be proven from the Shulkhan Aruch, which organized the berakhot that are to be said publicly in the synagogue in one place and put these three berakhot in a separate paragraph. While many siddurim place them among the blessings, these three need not be said publicly. Thus the Shulhan Arukh arranged the paragraphs as mentioned above.
(א) וַתִּקְרַ֜בְנָה בְּנ֣וֹת צְלָפְחָ֗ד בֶּן־חֵ֤פֶר בֶּן־גִּלְעָד֙ בֶּן־מָכִ֣יר בֶּן־מְנַשֶּׁ֔ה לְמִשְׁפְּחֹ֖ת מְנַשֶּׁ֣ה בֶן־יוֹסֵ֑ף וְאֵ֙לֶּה֙ שְׁמ֣וֹת בְּנֹתָ֔יו מַחְלָ֣ה נֹעָ֔ה וְחָגְלָ֥ה וּמִלְכָּ֖ה וְתִרְצָֽה׃ (ב) וַֽתַּעֲמֹ֜דְנָה לִפְנֵ֣י מֹשֶׁ֗ה וְלִפְנֵי֙ אֶלְעָזָ֣ר הַכֹּהֵ֔ן וְלִפְנֵ֥י הַנְּשִׂיאִ֖ם וְכָל־הָעֵדָ֑ה פֶּ֥תַח אֹֽהֶל־מוֹעֵ֖ד לֵאמֹֽר׃ (ג) אָבִינוּ֮ מֵ֣ת בַּמִּדְבָּר֒ וְה֨וּא לֹא־הָיָ֜ה בְּת֣וֹךְ הָעֵדָ֗ה הַנּוֹעָדִ֛ים עַל־יי בַּעֲדַת־קֹ֑רַח כִּֽי־בְחֶטְא֣וֹ מֵ֔ת וּבָנִ֖ים לֹא־הָ֥יוּ לֽוֹ׃ (ד) לָ֣מָּה יִגָּרַ֤ע שֵׁם־אָבִ֙ינוּ֙ מִתּ֣וֹךְ מִשְׁפַּחְתּ֔וֹ כִּ֛י אֵ֥ין ל֖וֹ בֵּ֑ן תְּנָה־לָּ֣נוּ אֲחֻזָּ֔ה בְּת֖וֹךְ אֲחֵ֥י אָבִֽינוּ׃ (ה) וַיַּקְרֵ֥ב מֹשֶׁ֛ה אֶת־מִשְׁפָּטָ֖ן לִפְנֵ֥י יי (ו) וַיֹּ֥אמֶר יי אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה לֵּאמֹֽר׃ (ז) כֵּ֗ן בְּנ֣וֹת צְלָפְחָד֮ דֹּבְרֹת֒ נָתֹ֨ן תִּתֵּ֤ן לָהֶם֙ אֲחֻזַּ֣ת נַחֲלָ֔ה בְּת֖וֹךְ אֲחֵ֣י אֲבִיהֶ֑ם וְהַֽעֲבַרְתָּ֛ אֶת־נַחֲלַ֥ת אֲבִיהֶ֖ן לָהֶֽן׃ (ח) וְאֶל־בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל תְּדַבֵּ֣ר לֵאמֹ֑ר אִ֣ישׁ כִּֽי־יָמ֗וּת וּבֵן֙ אֵ֣ין ל֔וֹ וְהַֽעֲבַרְתֶּ֥ם אֶת־נַחֲלָת֖וֹ לְבִתּֽוֹ׃ (ט) וְאִם־אֵ֥ין ל֖וֹ בַּ֑ת וּנְתַתֶּ֥ם אֶת־נַחֲלָת֖וֹ לְאֶחָיו׃ (י) וְאִם־אֵ֥ין ל֖וֹ אַחִ֑ים וּנְתַתֶּ֥ם אֶת־נַחֲלָת֖וֹ לַאֲחֵ֥י אָבִֽיו׃ (יא) וְאִם־אֵ֣ין אַחִים֮ לְאָבִיו֒ וּנְתַתֶּ֣ם אֶת־נַחֲלָת֗וֹ לִשְׁאֵר֞וֹ הַקָּרֹ֥ב אֵלָ֛יו מִמִּשְׁפַּחְתּ֖וֹ וְיָרַ֣שׁ אֹתָ֑הּ וְֽהָ֨יְתָ֜ה לִבְנֵ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ לְחֻקַּ֣ת מִשְׁפָּ֔ט כַּאֲשֶׁ֛ר צִוָּ֥ה יי אֶת־מֹשֶֽׁה׃
(1) Then the daughters of Zelophehad, the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, of the families of Manasseh the son of Joseph came forward. These are the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, and Hoglah, and Milcah, and Tirzah. (2) And they stood before Moses, and before Eleazar the priest, and before the chieftains and all the congregation, at the entrance of the tent of meeting, saying: (3) "Our father died in the wilderness. He was not among the faction that gathered together against the LORD in the company of Korah, but he died in his own sin; and he had no sons. (4) Why should the name of our father be lost from among his family, just because he had no son? Give us a possession amongst our father’s kinsmen!" (5) And Moses brought their case before the LORD. (6) And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying: (7) ’The daughters of Zelophehad speak justly: you should surely give them possession of an inheritance among their father’s kinsmen; and you shall transfer the inheritance of their father to them. (8) And you shall speak to the children of Israel, saying: If a man dies without having son, then you shall assign his inheritance to his daughter. (9) And if he has no daughter, then you shall give his inheritance unto his brothers. (10) And if he have no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance unto his father’s brothers. (11) And if his father have no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance unto his closest relative and he shall inherit it. This shall be for the children of Israel a law of judgement, as the LORD commanded Moses.’
(Bamidbar 27:1) "And there drew near the daughters of Tzelofchad": When the daughters of Tzelofchad heard that the land was to be apportioned to the tribes and not to females, they gathered together to take counsel, saying: Not as the mercies of flesh and blood are the mercies of the L-rd. The mercies of flesh and blood are greater for males than for females. Not so the mercies of He who spoke and brought the world into being. His mercies are for males and females (equally). His mercies are for all! As it is written (Psalms 145:9) "The L-rd is good to all, and His mercies are upon all of His creations." "the son of Chefer, the son of Gilad, the son of Machir, the son of Menashe": Scripture apprises us that just as Tzelofchad was a first-born, so, were all of the others first-born, and to apprise us that they (the daughters) were worthy daughters of a worthy man. For all whose deeds and the deeds of whose fathers are veiled and who Scripture traces (to their forbears) for praise are righteous ones the seed of righteous ones; and all whose deeds and the deeds of whose fathers are veiled and who Scripture traces (to their forbears) for denigration are evildoers the seed of evildoers. R. Nathan says: It is written above (26:65) "For the L-rd had said of them: They will surely die in the desert. And there was left not a man of them, etc.", followed by "And there drew near the daughters of Tzelofchad, etc." What is the connection? Scripture comes to teach us that the strength of the women in that generation was greater than that of the men, the men saying (Bamidbar 14:4) "Let us make a leader and return to Egypt, and the women saying (Ibid. 27:4) "Give us a holding, etc."
(ה) ויקרב משה את משפטן. נִתְעַלְּמָה הֲלָכָה מִמֶּנּוּ...; דָּ"אַ — רְאוּיָה הָיְתָה פָרָשָׁה זוּ לְהִכָּתֵב עַל יְדֵי מֹשֶׁה, אֶלָּא שֶׁזָּכוּ בְנוֹת צְלָפְחָד וְנִכְתְּבָה עַל יָדָן (בבא בתרא קי"ט; סנהדרין ח'):
(5) ויקרב משה את משפטן AND MOSES BROUGHT THEIR CAUSE [BEFORE THE LORD] — The law on this subject escaped him (Sanhedrin 8a)...Another explanation: This chapter ought to have been written by Moses, but for the fact that the daughters of Zelophehad had so much merit, it was therefore written at their hand (Bava Batra 119a; Sanhedrin 8a).
אלו הן עטרות כלות זו עיר של זהב. ר' עקיבה עשה לאשתו עיר של זהב וקניאת בה איתתיה דרבן גמליאל. אמר לה מה הוית עבדת היך מה דהוות עבדה דהוות מזבנה קליעתא דשערה ויהבה ליה והוא לעי באורייתא. שאלו רבי יהושע מהו שילמד אדם את בנו יונית. אמר להן ילמדנו בשעה שאינה לא יום ולא לילה דכתיב (יהושע א׳:ח׳) והגית בו יומם ולילה.
These are the Jerusalem of Gold crowns. Rabbi Akiva made a "City of Gold" crown for his wife. Rabban Gamliel's wife saw her and was jealous. She came and told her husband about it. Rabban Gamliel replied, "Have you done for me what she did for him!? Rabbi Akiva's wife sold the braids of her hair and used the proceeds so that he could go study Torah.
ר' עקיבא איתקדשת ליה ברתיה (דבר) דכלבא שבוע שמע (בר) כלבא שבוע אדרה הנאה מכל נכסיה אזלא ואיתנסיבה ליה בסיתוא הוה גנו בי תיבנא הוה קא מנקיט ליה תיבנא מן מזייה אמר לה אי הואי לי רמינא ליך ירושלים דדהבא אתא אליהו אידמי להון כאנשא וקא קרי אבבא אמר להו הבו לי פורתא דתיבנא דילדת אתתי ולית לי מידעם לאגונה אמר לה ר' עקיבא לאנתתיה חזי גברא דאפילו תיבנא לא אית ליה אמרה ליה זיל הוי בי רב
§ In connection to the above incident concerning the poverty of scholars and their potential to become wealthy through remarkable circumstances, the Gemara relates an incident: Rabbi Akiva became betrothed to the daughter of bar Kalba Savua. When bar Kalba Savua heard about their betrothal, he took a vow prohibiting her from eating all of his property. Despite this, she went ahead and married Rabbi Akiva. In the winter they would sleep in a storehouse of straw, and Rabbi Akiva would gather strands of straw from her hair. He said to her: If I had the means I would place on your head a Jerusalem of Gold, a type of crown. Elijah the prophet came and appeared to them as a regular person and started calling and knocking on the door. He said to them: Give me a bit of straw, as my wife gave birth and I do not have anything on which to lay her. Rabbi Akiva said to his wife: See this man, who does not even have straw. We should be happy with our lot, as we at least have straw to sleep on. She said to him: Go and be a student of Torah.
ר"ע רעיא דבן כלבא שבוע הוה חזיתיה ברתיה דהוה צניע ומעלי אמרה ליה אי מקדשנא לך אזלת לבי רב אמר לה אין איקדשא ליה בצינעה ושדרתיה שמע אבוה אפקה מביתיה אדרה הנאה מנכסיה אזיל יתיב תרי סרי שנין בבי רב כי אתא אייתי בהדיה תרי סרי אלפי תלמידי שמעיה לההוא סבא דקאמר לה עד כמה קא מדברת אלמנות חיים אמרה ליה אי לדידי ציית יתיב תרי סרי שני אחריני אמר ברשות קא עבידנא הדר אזיל ויתיב תרי סרי שני אחריני בבי רב כי אתא אייתי בהדיה עשרין וארבעה אלפי תלמידי שמעה דביתהו הות קא נפקא לאפיה אמרו לה שיבבתא שאילי מאני לבוש ואיכסאי אמרה להו (משלי יב, י) יודע צדיק נפש בהמתו כי מטיא לגביה נפלה על אפה קא מנשקא ליה לכרעיה הוו קא מדחפי לה שמעיה אמר להו שבקוה שלי ושלכם שלה הוא שמע אבוה דאתא גברא רבה למתא אמר איזיל לגביה אפשר דמפר נדראי אתא לגביה א"ל אדעתא דגברא רבה מי נדרת א"ל אפילו פרק אחד ואפי' הלכה אחת אמר ליה אנא הוא נפל על אפיה ונשקיה על כרעיה ויהיב ליה פלגא ממוניה
The Gemara further relates: Rabbi Akiva was the shepherd of ben Kalba Savua, one of the wealthy residents of Jerusalem. The daughter of Ben Kalba Savua saw that he was humble and refined. She said to him: If I betroth myself to you, will you go to the study hall to learn Torah? He said to her: Yes.
She became betrothed to him privately and sent him off to study. Her father heard this and became angry. He removed her from his house and took a vow prohibiting her from benefiting from his property.
Rabbi Akiva went and sat for twelve years in the study hall. When he came back to his house he brought twelve thousand students with him, and as he approached he heard an old man saying to his wife: For how long will you lead the life of a widow of a living man, living alone while your husband is in another place? She said to him: If he would listen to me, he would sit and study for another twelve years. When Rabbi Akiva heard this he said: I have permission to do this. He went back and sat for another twelve years in the study hall. When he came back he brought twenty-four thousand students with him.
His wife heard and went out toward him to greet him. Her neighbors said: Borrow some clothes and wear them, as your current apparel is not appropriate to meet an important person. She said to them: “A righteous man understands the life of his beast” (Proverbs 12:10).
When she came to him she fell on her face and kissed his feet. His attendants pushed her away as they did not know who she was, and he said to them: Leave her alone, as my Torah knowledge and yours is actually hers.
In the meantime her father heard that a great man came to the town. He said: I will go to him. Maybe he will nullify my vow and I will be able to support my daughter. He came to him to ask about nullifying his vow, and Rabbi Akiva said to him: Did you vow thinking that this Akiva would become a great man? He said to him: If I had believed he would know even one chapter or even one halakha I would not have been so harsh. He said to him: I am he. Ben Kalba Savua fell on his face and kissed his feet and gave him half of his money.
אבות דרבי נתן 6:14
עתיד רבי עקיבא לחייב את כל העניים בדין, שאם אומרים להם מפני מה לא למדתם [תורה] והם אומרים מפני שעניים היינו, אומרים להם והלא רבי עקיבא עני ביותר ומדולדל היה. ואם אמר מפני שטפינו מרובין, אומרי' להם והלא עקיבא בנים ובנות היו לו אלא שפירנסם רחל אשתו.
Avot D'rebbe Natan
In the future, Rabbi Akiva will obligate all poor people in judgement. For if you say to them, "Why haven't you studied Torah" and they say "because we were poor," you should say to them, "and was Rabbi Akiva not poor and more destitute than yourself?" And if you say it was because "we had children, did not Akiva have sons and daughters, who were supported by Rachel his wife
בן מ׳ שנה הלך ללמוד תורה סוף שלש עשרה שנה לימד תורה ברבים אמרו לא נפטר מן העולם עד שהיו לו שולחנות של כסף ושל זהב ועד שעלה למטתו בסולמות של זהב. היתה אשתו יוצאה בקרדמין ובעיר של זהב אמרו לו תלמידיו רבי ביישתנו ממה שעשית לה אמר להם הרבה צער נצטערה עמי בתורה:
Avot D'rebbe Natan
He was 40 years old when he went to go and learn. At the end of thirteen years he began teaching Torah to the masses. They used to say, that he would not perish from this world until he had tables of silver and gold and until he when up to his bed on a ladder of gold. His wife used to go out in a crown of Gold (Jerusalem of Gold). His students would say to him, Rabbi, are you not embarrassed by what you have done for her? He said to them: She went through great pains with me in my Torah learning.
Our Rabbis taught: “Forty-eight prophets and seven prophetesses prophesied to Israel, and they neither took away from nor added anything to what is written in the Torah save only the reading of the Megillah.”
- Tikva Frymer-Kensky
https://jwa.org/encyclopedia/article/deborah-bible
Women are obligated to light Hannukah candles, for they too were included in the miracle. This means that the enemies came to destroy everyone, men, women, and children, and there are those who say that the great miracle occurred through a woman. Her name was Judith, as the story goes, and she was the daughter of Yochanan, the high priest. She was extremely beautiful, and the Greek king wanted her to lay with him. She fed him a dish of cheese to make him thirsty, so that he would drink a great deal and became drunk, and recline and fall asleep. And it happened just that way, and once he was asleep, she took his sword and cut off his head. She brought his head to Jerusalem, and when the armies saw that their leader had been killed, they fled. For this reason, we have the custom of eating a cheese dish on Hannukah.
יהודית פרק יג
(א) ויהי באישון לילה, ויפנו עבדיו איש איש לאוהלו ולחדר משכבו. (ב) כי עייפים היו מרוב המשתה, ובגוא סגר את הדלת מאחריו ויצא. (ג) ותישאר יהודית לבדה באוהל עם הלופרנש, והוא שכור מיין, וייפול על מיטתו ויירדם. (ד) ותאמר אל אמתה, שבי לך פה מחוץ לאוהל עד בואי אליך לצאת ולהתפלל כאשר הסכנתי לעשות. (ה) וגם לבגוא אמרה, כי תצא גם הלילה. (ו) ויהי כי יצאו כולם, ולא נשאר איש באוהל למקטון ועד גדול, ותיגש אל המיטה אשר הוא שכב עליה, ותתפלל בלבה ותאמר:
(ז) אל אלוקים, אשר בידך הכוח והגבורה, הבט נא וראה את מעשה ידי שפחתך להרים קרן ירושלים. (ח) הנה קרבה עת פדות עם נחלתך, כי תושיעני ימינך לתת נקמה בגוים אשר קמו עלינו.
(ט) ותיגש אל העמוד אשר בראש המיטה, ותיקח את חרב הלופרנש מעליו (י) ותשלח את ידה ותיקחהו בציצית ראשו, ותאמר: ה׳ אלוקים, חזקני נא ואמצני אך הפעם. (יא) ותך בחוזקה פעמים על צווארו, ותכרות את ראשו, ותָגָל נבלתו מעל המיטה. ותיקח היריעה מעל העמוד ותצא. (יב) ותיתן את ראש הלופרנש לאמתה, ותצווה לתתו אל השק. (יג) ותצאן שתיהן מן המחנה כדרכן לצאת להתפלל. ותעבורנה את הערבה, ותעלינה ההרה, ותבאנה לפני שערי בתול. (יד) ותקרא יהודית מרחוק אל שומרי השער לאמור:
פתחו לי את השער כי ה׳ אלוקינו אתנו להראות לישראל את ידו, ולצריו את זרועו, כאשר החל לעשת ביום הזה.
(כא) ותיקח את ראש הלופרנש מן השק ותראהו את העם ותאמר.
(כב) הנה זה ראש הלופרנש, שר צבא אשור, וזאת היריעה אשר שכב אחריה, והוא שכור, וביד אישה הרגו אלוהים. (כג) חי ה׳ אשר הצליח דרכי, כי רק במראי הטיתי את לבבו, וידו לא נגעה בי לרעה.
(כו) ועוזיה אמר אל יהודית:
ברוכה את בתי לה׳ אל עליון, וברוך טעמך מכל בנות הארץ. (כז) ברוך ה׳ אלוקים עושה שמים וארץ, אשר ידו הייתה אתך לכרות ראש שונאנו. (כח) לא ישכח חסדך לנצח מלבב כל המהללים חסדי ה׳. (כט) וה׳ יזכור אותך לטובה, כי בנפשך פדית את עמו מיד מבקשי נפשם, ולבבך תמים עם ה׳.
(ל) ויאמר כל העם אמן ואמן.
Judith 13
1 Now when the evening was come, his servants made haste to depart, and Bagoas shut his tent without, and dismissed the waiters from the presence of his lord; and they went to their beds: for they were all weary, because the feast had been long.
2 And Judith was left along in the tent, and Holofernes lying along upon his bed: for he was filled with wine.
3 Now Judith had commanded her maid to stand without her bedchamber, and to wait for her. coming forth, as she did daily: for she said she would go forth to her prayers, and she spake to Bagoas according to the same purpose.
4 So all went forth and none was left in the bedchamber, neither little nor great. Then Judith, standing by his bed, said in her heart, O Lord God of all power, look at this present upon the works of mine hands for the exaltation of Jerusalem.
5 For now is the time to help thine inheritance, and to execute thine enterprizes to the destruction of the enemies which are risen against us.
6 Then she came to the pillar of the bed, which was at Holofernes' head, and took down his fauchion from thence,
7 And approached to his bed, and took hold of the hair of his head, and said, Strengthen me, O Lord God of Israel, this day.
8 And she smote twice upon his neck with all her might, and she took away his head from him.
9 And tumbled his body down from the bed, and pulled down the canopy from the pillars; and anon after she went forth, and gave Holofernes his head to her maid;
10 And she put it in her bag of meat: so they twain went together according to their custom unto prayer: and when they passed the camp, they compassed the valley, and went up the mountain of Bethulia, and came to the gates thereof.
11 Then said Judith afar off, to the watchmen at the gate, Open, open now the gate: God, even our God, is with us, to shew his power yet in Jerusalem, and his forces against the enemy, as he hath even done this day.
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15 So she took the head out of the bag, and shewed it, and said unto them, behold the head of Holofernes, the chief captain of the army of Assur, and behold the canopy, wherein he did lie in his drunkenness; and the Lord hath smitten him by the hand of a woman.
16 As the Lord liveth, who hath kept me in my way that I went, my countenance hath deceived him to his destruction, and yet hath he not committed sin with me, to defile and shame me.
17 Then all the people were wonderfully astonished, and bowed themselves and worshipped God, and said with one accord, Blessed be thou, O our God, which hast this day brought to nought the enemies of thy people.
18 Then said Ozias unto her, O daughter, blessed art thou of the most high God above all the women upon the earth; and blessed be the Lord God, which hath created the heavens and the earth, which hath directed thee to the cutting off of the head of the chief of our enemies.
19 For this thy confidence shall not depart from the heart of men, which remember the power of God for ever.
20 And God turn these things to thee for a perpetual praise, to visit thee in good things because thou hast not spared thy life for the affliction of our nation, but hast revenged our ruin, walking a straight way before our God. And all the people said; So be it, so be it.
Sisera, meanwhile, had fled on foot to the tent of Yael, wife of Hever the Kenite; for there was friendship between King Yavin of Hazor and the family of Heber the Kenite. Yael came out to greet Sisera and said to him, “Come in, my lord, come in here, do not be afraid.” So he entered her tent, and she covered him with a blanket. He said to her, “Please let me have some water; I am thirsty.” She opened a skin of milk and gave him some to drink; and she covered him again. He said to her, “Stand at the entrance of the tent. If anybody comes and asks you if there is anybody here, say ‘No.’” Then Yael wife of Hever took a tent pin and grasped the mallet. When he was fast asleep from exhaustion, she approached him stealthily and drove the pin through his temple till it went down to the ground. Thus he died. Now Barak appeared in pursuit of Sisera. Yael went out to greet him and said, “Come, I will show you the man you are looking for.” He went inside with her, and there Sisera was lying dead, with the pin in his temple. On that day God subdued King Yavin of Canaan before the Israelites.