The Quintessential Modern Woman: Jewish Women of the Talmudic Era (Copy)

It happened once [on Pesach] that Rabbi Eliezer, Rabbi Yehoshua, Rabbi Elazar ben Azariah, Rabbi Akiva and Rabbi Tarfon were reclining in Bnei Brak and were telling the story of the exodus from Egypt that whole night, until their students came and said to them, "The time of [reciting] the morning Shema has arrived."

R. Jose the Galilean was once on a journey when he met Beruriah. ‘By what road’, he asked her, ‘do we go to Lod?’ — ‘Foolish Galilean’, she replied: ‘did not the Sages say this: Engage not in much talk with women? You should have asked: By which to Lod?’

R. Simlai came before R. Johanan [and] requested him, Let the Master teach me the Book of Genealogies. Said he to him, Whence are you? — He replied, From Lod. And where is your dwelling? In Nehardea. Said he to him, We do not discuss it either with the Lodians or with the Nehardeans, and how much more so with you, who are from Lod and live in Nehardea! But he urged him, and he consented, Let us learn it in three months, he proposed. [Thereupon] he took a clod and threw it at him, saying, If Beruriah, wife of R. Meir [and] daughter of R. Hanina b. Teradion, who studied three hundred laws from three hundred teachers in [one] day, could nevertheless not do her duty in three years, yet you propose [to do it] in three months!

(3) 3 Regarding a "klaustra" (i.e., door-hinge): Rabbi Tarfon declares it impure, but the Sages declare it pure. Beruriah says, "[One may] let it fall from this doorway and hang it on the neighboring doorway on Shabbat." When these words were spoken before Rabbi Joshua, he said, "Beruriah has spoken well (i.e., correctly)."

Beruria, the wife of R. Meir, was a daughter of R. Hanina b. Teradion. Said she [to her husband], 'I am ashamed to have my sister placed in a brothel.' So he took a tarkab (satchel)-full of denarii and set out. If, he thought, she has not been subjected to anything wrong, a miracle will be done for her, but if she has done anything wrong, no miracle will happen to her. Disguised as a knight, he came to her and said, 'Prepare yourself for me.' She replied, 'The manner of women is upon me.' 'I am prepared to wait,' he said. 'But,' said she, 'there are here many, many prettier than I am.' He said to himself, that proves that she has not committed any wrong; she no doubt says this to every man who comes by. He then went to her overseer and said, 'Hand her over to me.' He replied, 'I am afraid of the government.' 'Take the tarkab of dinars.' said he, 'one half distribute [as a bribe], the other half shall be for yourself.' 'And what should I do when none of these are left?' he asked. 'Then,' he replied, 'say, "O God of Meir, answer me!" and you will be saved.' 'But,' said he, 'how can i know for sure that this will occur?' He replied, 'You will see now.' There were there some dogs who bit anyone [who incited them]. He took a stone and threw it at them, and when they were about to bite him he exclaimed, 'O God of Meir answer me!' and they left him alone. The overseer then handed her over to him. At the end the matter became known to the government, and [the overseer] was brought [for judgment] and was taken up to the gallows, when he exclaimed, 'O God of Meir answer me.' They took him down and asked him what that meant, and he told them the what had happened. They then engraved R. Meir's likeness on the gates of Rome and proclaimed that anyone seeing a person resembling it should bring him there. One day [some Romans] saw him and ran after him, so he ran away from them and entered a harlot's house. Others say he happened just then to see food cooked by heathens and he dipped in one finger and then sucked the other. Others again say that Elijah the Prophet appeared to them as a harlot who embraced him. God forbid, said they (the Romans), were this R. Meir, he would not have acted this way! [and they left him]. He then arose and ran away and came to Babylon. Some say it was because of that incident that he ran to Babylon; others say because of the incident about Beruria.

A woman of valor who can find her? A story happened to Rabbi Meir who was sitting in the beit midrash one shabbat in peace. Beruriah was the learned and compassionate wife of Rabbi Meir. While Rabbi Meir was teaching on a Shabbat afternoon, both of his sons died from the plague that was affecting their city. When Rabbi Meir returned home, he asked his wife, “Where are our sons?” She handed him the cup for havdalah and he said the blessing. Again he asked, “Where are our sons?” She brought food for him, and he ate. When he had finished eating, Beruriah said to her husband, “My teacher, I have a question. A while ago, a man came and deposited something precious in my keeping. Now he has come back to claim what he left. Shall I return it to him or not?” Meir responded, “Is not one who holds a deposit required to return it to its owner?” So she took his hand and led him to where their two children lay. He began to weep, crying “My sons, my sons.” She comforted him, “The Lord gave, the Lord took. Y’hei sh’mei rabah mevorach, May the Name of the Lord be blessed…”

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There were some lawless men living in the neighbourhood of R. Meir, and they used to vex him sorely. Once R. Meir prayed that they should die. His wife, Beruriah, exclaimed, "What thinkest thou? Is it because it is written, 'Let sinners cease out of the earth'? But has the text hoteim? It is written hata'im. Glance also at the end of the verse, 'And let the wicked be no more' — i.e. when 'sins will cease,' then 'the wicked will be no more.' Rather shouldest thou pray that they repent and they be no more wicked." R. Meir offered prayer on their behalf and they repented. A Min said to Beruriah : It is written, "Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear" (Is. liv. 1 ). Is the woman to sing because she did not bear? She answered him, "Fool, glance at the end of the verse ; for it is written, 'For more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith the Lord.' But what means, 'barren woman, thou that didst not bear '? Sing, O community of Israel, who art like a barren woman that hath not borne children for Gehinnom — like you."

And Some Say Because of the Story of Beruriah- One time Beruriah made light of the fact that the Chachamim (in Talmud Kedushin) say that Women are light minded. He replied to her that a time would come when she would admit that they were right. Rabi Meir then sent one of his students to seduce Beruriah and although she held off for many days, eventually she gave in to her urges. When she realized what she had done she hung herself and Rabi Meir fled from the shame of this incident.

Our Gemara continues with the story of the final days of Rebbe –Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi.

The Gemara tells that Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi’s colleagues prayed and declared a fast, announcing that it was forbidden for anyone to say that Rebbe had died. The Rivan explains that they wanted to continue their prayers on his behalf and they recognized that a prayer for resurrection of the dead was inappropriate. Therefore they did not permit the announcement of his passing.

There was a woman who worked in Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi’s house who was known for her piety. She went to the roof and prayed as follows: “The upper regions want Rebbe and the lower regions want Rebbe. It should be Your will that the lower regions should prevail over the upper regions.” Upon seeing the pain and suffering that Rebbe was experiencing from his illness, the servant changed her prayer to advocate on behalf of the upper regions. When she realized that the Sages would not stop their prayers, she took a jug, an earthen vessel, and threw it down from the roof. The crashing sound that it made distracted the Sages for a brief moment and Rebbe passed away.

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The Rabanan didn't know what Serugin meant, until they heard a woman refer to a crowd of people moving in small groups by that term.The Rabanan didn't know what Chalaglugos meant, until they heard this woman refer to purslane-plant by that term.

The Rabanan didn't know what Salsela meant, until they heard her refer to someone curling his hair with this term.

The Rabanan didn't know what Ta'atasei meant, until they heard her instruct someone to sweep with a broom with this term.The Rabanan didn't know what "Cast Yehavcha on Hash-m and He will sustain you" meant, until they heard a merchant refer to his burden with that term.

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'Ulla visited the house of Rab Nahman; he wrapped the bread and said Grace and gave the cup of benediction to Rab Nahman. Rab Nahman said to him, "Let the master send the cup of benediction to Jalta." He replied, "Thus spake R. Johanan: The fruit of a woman's body is only blessed through the fruit of a man's body; as it is said, 'He will also bless the fruit of thy body' (Deut. vii. 13) — it is not said 'the fruit of her body' but 'the fruit of thy body'." There is a teaching to the same effect : R. Nathan says : Whence is it that the fruit of a woman's body is only blessed through the fruit of a man's body? As it is said, "He will also bless the fruit of thy body" — it is not said "the fruit of her body" but "the fruit of thy body." Meanwhile Jalta heard [that the cup of benediction had not been sent to her]. She arose in anger, went to the wine-cellar and broke four hundred flasks of wine. Rab Nahman said to him, "Let the master send her another cup." 'Ulla sent it to her [with the message], "All this measure of wine belongs to the benediction." She sent back the reply, "From pedlars comes gossip, from rags come vermin."

But it is not so, for R. Nahman permitted [his wife] Jaltha to be carried in a sedan-chair by means of alanki? — It is different with Jaltha for she was nervous.23 Amemar and Mar Zutra were carried on the shoulders24 on the Sabbath [preceding] the Festival25 on account of nervousness, and some say, on account of troubling the public.26...

when R. Akiba saw the wife of the wicked Tyranus Rufus, He spat, then laughed, and then wept. 'Spat,' — because of her originating only from a putrefying drop;'laughed,' — because he foresaw that she would become a proselyte and that he would take her to wife; 'wept', that such beauty should [ultimately] decay in the dust.

(g)R. Akiva became wealthy from six sources.

1.From Kalba Savu'a.

2.From a wooden image of a ram (filled with coins) that is placed on ships.

i.Once, the crew forgot it on the shore, and R. Akiva found it.

3.From the treasure chest of a ship.

i.R. Akiva once gave four Zuz to sailors and asked them to buy something for him. All they found was a chest on the shore; they brought it to him. They said 'wait until we get more for you.'

ii.R. Akiva found that it was full of money. Once, a ship sank, and all the money aboard was in the chest.

4.From a wealthy woman.

i.(R. Akiva once borrowed money from her. She said that Hash-m and the sea should be guarantors. He was unable to repay on time. She asked Hash-m to pay; He caused her to receive even more money via the sea. She gave the excess to R. Akiva.)

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5.Turnusrufus' wife (she later converted and married R. Akiva, and gave him great wealth).

6.Ketia bar Shalom (he gave half his wealth to R Akiva).