Role of Women in Tanakh

Found 11 Search results

  1. The Drama of Rachav

    Rabbi Mosheh Lichtenstein

    תאריך פרסום: תשע"ב | |

    Who is Rahav? Why does she help the Israelite spies? And why is it is necessary to mention her occupation? Our assumption is that the information is necessary for the story, and that more than merely explaining military techniques, we can learn something deeper about the human interaction between Rahav and the spies. Haza”l’s comments on Rahav’s background and our close reading of chapter 2 in the book of Yehoshua help us to discover how she may have come to be who she was at the critical moment where we meet her in the Biblical text. Our analysis of Rahav’s personality and her interaction with the spies leads us to explore topics such as societal alienation, corruption and contrasting values, and other biblical female models of self-sacrifice.

  2. The Nameless Women of Tanach

    Rabbi Yitzchak Twersky

    תאריך פרסום: תשע"ג | |

    Three heroines of the Tanach are conspicuously anonymous. Why? In the course of unraveling this mystery, we will also investigate a man who is similarly “slighted”. We will see that they are all actually pieces of a far larger puzzle that spans the breadth of Tanach and speaks to its central issue; relating to the core of human existence and religious struggle. 

  3. Ruth and Boaz in the Goren: Realizing One's Destiny

    Part 5

    Dr. Yael Ziegler |

    Key words and motifs in the story of Ruth and Boaz are compared with two earlier Biblical stories: the story of Lot and his daughters (Ruth’s ancestors) and the story of Yehuda and Tamar (ancestors of Boaz). The story of Ruth and Boaz Ruth and Boaz is a tikkun for these earlier stories, as they subvert Naomi's plan.

  4. By the Virtue of Righteous Women

    Rabbi Yaakov Medan

    As learned in the laws of Pesach, women participated in the miracle of Pesach in an active manner, and not merely as “people who were redeemed”. How were women connected to the deliverance of Israel? As we can see by examining the text, although Moshe was the key figure in the exodus from Egypt, Moshe’s actions were undoubtedly influenced by those righteous women who surrounded him from the moment of his birth – righteous women by whose virtue the people of Israel were delivered.

  5. The Unique Role of Miriam in the Exodus

    Rabbi Yitzchak Etshalom

    תאריך פרסום: תשעד | | Hour and 4 minutes

    Miriam is unique – she is the most central female character in the Torah after Bereisheet. In this shiur, we look at Miriam’s role in the story of the Exodus. We look at her various titles (such as “sister of Aharon” and “sister of Moshe”, respectively), as well as other references to her in Tanakh. We examine her anonymity in her first appearances and consider what makes her Miriam “the prophetess.” While doing so, we use important methodological tools for studying Tanakh.  Ultimately, Miriam shines as an agent of God’s will who acts as a unifying force, not least working to bring her family together.

  6. The Daughters of Tzelofhad

    Rabbanit Dr. Michal Tikochinsky

  7. Rivka & Esther: Mirror Images

    Vivien Hidary

    תאריך פרסום: 5777 | | Hour and 7 minutes

    The genre for Megillat Esther seems to be cryptology -  the message is encrypted, because otherwise it would have been censored by the ruling powers in the Persian Empire. To decipher the message, we need the codebook, and for us - the codebook is the Torah.

    Our focus in this shiur is on Esther and Rivka, two women who had to take action for the sake of the nation. But our study of Esther will bring us to far-reaching comparisons with other women (and men) in Tanakh, as we pay careful attention to the wording, leitmotif (milah manha), and other tools that offer hints at a hidden message about an enduring struggle. 

  8. Mishlei - Part 8: The Cisterns and The Strange Woman

    Rabbi Shlomo Dov Rosen | 40 minutes

    In the eighth part of our series, we will focus on the end of the fourth chapter of Mishlei. Three poems are interconnected to form one long poem that builds on the ideas developed from the last parts of our series. Our poem uses the familiar motifs of the cisterns and  the “strange woman”- what is she an allegory for? It deals with the question of how to express one’s creativity in the world in a healthy and successful manner, and the difference between simplicity in religious life and more complex approaches when one is faced with more complex problems.

  9. Mishlei - Part 10: Wisdom as a Sister

    Rabbi Shlomo Dov Rosen | 37 minutes

    This tenth part of our series looks at the seventh and half of the eighth chapter of Mishlei. The metaphor of the negative woman comes up again, but in this chapter it is used in new ways. What new ideas are developed in this metaphor, and how do they compare to ideas of wisdom developed in the eighth chapter (the last instance of this metaphor in the entire book of Mishlei)? How do we relate to wisdom being called a “sister”? We will focus our energy more on dealing with the psychology of evil than the psychology of wisdom. People involved in evil doings (who are not really evil at heart) often become psychologically hidden to themselves. They close off their hearts and are unwilling to look honestly at the problematic issues in their lives. 

  10. “Due to the Virtue of Righteous Women”: Their Heroic Stand Against Egyptian Tyranny

    Rabbi Yair Kahn

    תאריך פרסום: 2023 | | Hour and 3 minutes

    According to our sages, during the enslavement in Egypt, women played a crucial role in leading the nation to freedom. We will examine the scriptural roots from which this conclusion seemingly sprouted and attempt to understand why the singular feminine contribution was critical at this specific historical juncture.

  11. To Life! A Model of Female Biblical Heroism

    Dr. Yosefa (Fogel) Wruble

    תאריך פרסום: 2023 | | 56 minutes

    This lecture looks at different ways women are represented in Tanakh, By comparing the narratives of Esther, Rut, and Tamar, we'll gain a deeper understanding of the different ways women wielded power in the biblical world and what meaning that can provide us with today.