Torah Portion/Synagogues
Women In The Torah Show Strength, Courage
Shabbat Toldot:
Genesis 25:19-28:9,
I Samuel 20:18-42
I
n this week's Torah portion, we
are presented with the story of
Jacob's receiving a blessing
(meant for his brother) through
deception (Genesis 27). This decep-
tion was instigated and insisted upon
by his mother, Rebecca.
Without getting involved in try-
ing to explain her motivation or jus-
tifying her behavior, what strikes me
is the atypical assertiveness and
strength that one would not expect
from the "traditional Jewish female."
Rebecca is certainly not the passive,
reticent and dependent female that
the stereotypical vision of the typical
"traditional female" conjures up in
our minds.
Similarly, in Torah portions Lech
Lecha (Genesis 16) and Vdayra
Israel. (In much the same vein, Lot's
(Genesis 21), Sarah, Abraham's wife,
daughters act (Genesis 19:30-38), to
controls Abraham's relationship with
produce other ancestors of these
first, Hagar and, later, his own son,
same kings.)
Yishmael. She demonstrates power
In the beginning of
and resolve.
Exodus (1: 15-27), it is the
In fact, the Torah is
strength of will and
replete with examples of
courage of the midwives to
atypical" women, to the
defy the order of Pharaoh,
point that proves that our
the "all powerful" king of
preconceived notion of the
Egypt, that enables Moses,
typical traditional Jewish
the savior of the Jewish
woman" is, in fact, a fallacy.
people and the greatest of
Later in Genesis (Chapter
the Prophets, to be born. It
38), we have the poignant
is also the mercy and kind-
story of Tamar, Judah's
ness of Pharaoh's own
daughter-in-law. Having
RABBI
daughter
and her courage
been widowed twice, she is
ELIEZER
in resisting her father's
essentially left abandoned
COHEN
demand that all Jewish
by Judah. She may not
Special to the
male children be killed,
marry another, and Judah
Jewish News
that enabled Moses to sur-
refuses to allow his third
vive.
son to marry her. Yet,
Later in Torah (Numbers 27:1-
Tamar has the strength of character
12), the five daughters of
to take matters into her own hands
Tzelophchod assert their rights of
to produce children whose descen-
dants ultimately become the kings of inheritance in spite of the male-
((
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dominated society in which they
live. Moses and God, Himself, agree
that their claim is just and thus
Jewish Law protects a daughter's
rights.
What these episodes in the Torah
clearly portray are women of charac-
ter and courage; women of strength
and resolve; women who, in spite of
their position, do what must be done
to protect and preserve us all. These
are the real "typical traditional
women of the Torah."
Conversations
Why aren't these role models
better known? Where do our
stereotypes of Jewish women
come from? Is "feminism" at
odds with traditional Judaism? Is
there one "proper" role for
women within Judaism?
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SYNAGOGUES
on page 70
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