Lesson 7 WORKSHEET - Women in Judaism

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org/role_of_women

 Women are separate but equal. Women's obligations and responsibilities are
different from men's, but no less important.
 G-d. In Judaism, unlike traditional Christianity, G-d has never been viewed as
exclusively male or masculine. Judaism has always maintained that G-d has both
masculine and feminine qualities
 Both man and woman were created in the image of G-d. According to most Jewish
scholars, "man" was created in Gen. 1:27 with dual gender and was later separated
into male and female.
 According to traditional Judaism, women are endowed with a greater degree of
"binah" (intuition, understanding, intelligence) than men.
 Women are often seen as more righteous and sinless than men because of some
examples in the Torah e.g. The narrative of the Golden Calf in Ex. 32:2 has Aaron
appealing to the people: “Take off the gold rings that are on the ears of your wives.”
As the Rabbis tell it, the men were eager to sin and build the Calf, and therefore
turned to their wives with a request for their jewellery. However, the women were
unwilling to cooperate in this sinful activity and in consequence only the men
contributed their jewellery.
 Women have held positions of respect in Judaism since biblical times. Seven of the 55
prophets of the Bible were women (they are included in the list of biblical prophets).
 The Shekhinah is the presence of God in the world. The aspect of God we can
experience through feeling.
 In the centuries following the destruction of the Temple, sages begin to depict the
Shekhinah as a woman. They see her as a loving mother who suffers the same exile
as her people:
When the Shekhinah went forth from the Temple, she hugged and kissed its walls and
pillars and wept, and said: “Shalom, goodbye, my Temple, goodbye, my royal
dwelling, goodbye, my beloved house!…
https://www.jewfaq.org/role_of_women

 The Ten Commandments require respect for both mother and father.
 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 etc. It is worth noting that the Talmud also has
negative things to say about men, frequently describing men as particularly prone to
lust and forbidden sexual desires.
 Women have the right to be consulted with regard to their marriage. Marital sex is
regarded as the woman's right, and not the man's. Men do not have the right to beat
or mistreat their wives. Traditional Judaism recognizes that forced sexual relations
within the context of marriage are rape and are not permitted.
 There is no question that in traditional Judaism, the primary role of a woman is as
wife and mother, keeper of the household. However, Judaism has great respect for
the importance of that role and the spiritual influence that the woman has over her
family. The child of a Jewish woman and a Gentile man is Jewish because of the
mother's spiritual influence; the child of a Jewish man and a gentile woman is not.
 -On Shabbat eve, at the dinner table and before the meal, it is traditional to sing
'Eshet Chayil' a poem from the Book of Proverbs extolling women and their
indispensable contribution to making a Jewish home: A woman of valour, who can
find? For her price is far above rubies. The heart of her husband safely trusts in her,
and he shall have no lack of gain... [Prov. 31:10- 31]

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