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Torah Portion

A Closer Look
At Biblical Females

HunterDouglas

Shabbat Pinchas:
Numbers 25 : 10-30:1,
Jeremiah 1:1-2:3.

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not find the coffin and asked Serach to
lead them to the correct location. As a
reward, Serach gains the privilege (along
with Pharaoh's daughter and Elijah the
prophet) to enter paradise alive.
It is only through the lens of midrash
that we have gained an understanding of
another positive female biblical figure.
Yet, it is not enough to rely on the classi-
cal midrashim of the rabbis.
As a liberal Jew I_ feel that there is a -
legitimate claim to create midrash in our
own day that restores our mothers'
names to their rightful place on the
genealo-gical lists. In the
book Taking the Fruit:

f you ask me what part of the
Torah I find most inspiring, I
would probably not say "the
begats," the long genealogical lists
such as in this week's Torah portion.
God orders that a national census be
taken, so that the land can be parceled
out after the impending con-
quest of Canaan. This census
Modern Women's Tales of the
lists the 12 sons of Jacob, their
Bible, editor Jane Sprague
sons and those among
- b their -
Zones argues in favor of writ-
male descendants who have
ing modern midrash.
established their own clans.
She writes, "One way for
It is glaringly obvious that
women
to relieve the tension
in this list of almost 100
created
in
a relationship
names, only six women are
between
the
static written
mentioned: the five daughters
Torah
and
the
modern chang-
of Zelophchad and Serach, the
ing
world
is
for
each genera-
daughter of Asher (one of the
RABBI DEBRA
tion
to
read
the
text with
sons of Jacob and Zilpah). The
CO HEN
fresh
and
open
eyes.
Women's
small number of women men-
Specia 1 to the
roles
in
the
Torah
were
cir-
tioned is distressing. It reveals
Jewisl 9 News
cumscribed and limited while `\
that there is a large number of
women's roles in the modern
female biblical figures about
world
are
expanding.
Therefore, it is
whom we know absolutely nothing.
incumbent
upon
contemporary
women
One remedy is the classical midrash.
[and
men]
to
study
the
text
and
to write
Regarding Serach, one of the six women
modern
stories
that
maintain
a
relation-
mentioned in the census, we are only
ship with the text, incorporating their
told, "Now the name of Asher's daugh-
own experiences and consciousness into
26:46).
ter was Serach" (Deuteronomy
Judaism.
This midrashic process allows
We hear of Serach only one other time
Judaism
to
grow and develop a healthy
in the Torah, in a long list of Jacob's
relationship
with all its people."
children and grandchildren in Genesis.
According
to the mystical tradition,
In both instances, Serach. is the only
the
Torah
was
created from black fire
female granddaughter mentioned.
written
on
white
fire. While the revealed
Only by examining the midrash do.
Torah
is
found
in
the black letters, the
we receive a much fuller account of
hidden
Torah
is
found
in the white
Serach's life. Serach was a very talented
spaces
between
the
letters.
It is my hope
musician as a child. Because of her tal-
a
Torah
which
this
Torah
—
that
ents, her uncles gave her the awesome
includes both our mothers and fathers
responsibility of telling Jacob that Joseph
—
will be revealed in our lifetimes.
was not really dead. In order to cushion
the shock, she first played music on her
lyre to relax Jacob's mind.
Serach miraculously lived for over
400 years and was the only person of
her generation still alive at the time of
1. Why do you think that we
the Exodus. She continued to serve her
know so much more about the
men than the women in the Bible?
people during this difficult time. \X/hen
the children of Israel were ready to leave
2. Why is it that some of the
Egypt, Pharaoh's magicians had hidden
women in the Bible don't even
have names (i.e., Yiftach's daughter
Joseph's bones in a metal coffin in the
Nile, knowing full well that they could
and Lot's wife)? What do you
think their names should be?
not leave without them. Moses could
3. Think of a biblical character
Rabbi Debra Cohen, a graduate of
that we know very little about.
the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College,
Create your own midrash about
serves as the chaplain at JARC and as the
the person.

io

conversations

rabbinic resource person at Congregation
Trhiyah.

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