“Rabbi Zera merely describes a stringent practice which Babylonian Jewish women had taken upon themselves”
This term, first used by medieval commentators (see Zimmerman, p. 27, note 6), is, itself, an inaccuracy: Rabbi Zera merely describes a stringent practice which Babylonian Jewish women had taken upon themselves. Thus, the correct term should be ḥumra divnot Yisrael, “the stringency of the daughters of Israel,” or, as the Talmud itself describes it, […] continued…
“In addition to the biblical distinction between normal and abnormal discharges, the rabbis developed two more categories…”
Leviticus 15 is concerned with normal and abnormal, male and female genital discharges. As scholars have noted, the chapter is structured chiastically: (A) Verses 2-15 describe males with abnormal (gonorrhea) discharges (zav), (B) verses 16-18 describe men with normal (“nocturnal”) discharges (qeri), (B’) verses 19-24 describe women with normal (menstrual) discharges (niddah), and (A’) verses […] continued…
“The practice of waiting seven blood-free days following the end of a regular menstrual period is variously described in the Talmud as heḥemiru al atzman, minhaga, and halakhah pesukah, indicating that a variety of attitudes existed as to the severity of the requirement”
Zimmerman is correct in saying that a seven-day wait after any bleeding has become standard practice, almost never dispensed with. However, she gives the incorrect impression that the seven-day wait after a menstrual period of three or more days was a formal enactment of Rabbi Yehudah Hanasi, and that the so-called “ḥumra of Rabbi Zeira” […] continued…
“…the term halakhah pesukah need not be considered the opposite of minhaga. It may simply mean a rule that cannot be questioned or supported on the basis of conventional talmudic dialectics”
Perhaps it can be argued that the ḥumra of the daughters of Israel is termed a halakhah pesukah not because it is “a ruling that all agree to,” as explained by Zimmerman (this is an anachronistic explanation based on the later use of the verb pasak to refer to halakhic rulings), but because it is […] continued…
“The notion that the seven blood-free days are an undue stringency imposed by the Rabbis is a commonplace of contemporary halakhic discussion among liberal Orthodox and non-Orthodox feminist Jews who discuss the laws of nidah…”
The notion that the seven blood-free days are an undue stringency imposed by the Rabbis is a commonplace of contemporary halakhic discussion among liberal Orthodox and non-Orthodox feminist Jews who discuss the laws of nidah, and both Zimmerman and Knohl are undoubtedly concerned that, if the truth came out that this is not even an […] continued…
“The family purity handbook shares the qualities of the other halakhic handbooks…, but it has a history of its own”
The family purity handbook shares the qualities of the other halakhic handbooks…, but it has a history of its own. … In addition to explaining complicated rules in plain language, these books were designed from their very inception to enable women to make certain halakhic decisions on their own, obviating the need for a face-to-face […] continued…
“…it is, I think, the biggest, the one most central to the debates within Orthodoxy today, and the most personal”
It is impossible to credit the claim that it doesn’t matter at all to the content of the halakhic system that those admitted into the tent of Torah, those with a seat at the table, those with a voice in the conversation, have been exclusively male. What does it mean that endless deliberations about women’s […] continued…
“Should the menstrual prohibition be kept literally by Christians?”
Should the menstrual prohibition be kept literally by Christians? Medieval Christian authors often argued that only Old Testament prohibitions related to morality are binding for Christians, for example, the prohibitions of killing or stealing, but not those which do not have an apparent moral value, for example, the biblical dietary laws. After the coming of […] continued…
“Talking about the non-halakhic aspects of Taharat HaMishpacha should be another part of the healthy marriage toolkit”
No new bride should ever have to feel isolated and scared because of the laws of Taharat HaMishpacha. Our community needs to collectively strategize on ways to offer support to couples. … Our community needs to consciously and consistently support these conversations. While I am fortunate to live in a vibrant, Jewish neighborhood, women all […] continued…
Powered by WordPress | Fluxipress Theme