Desirable but dangerous. Rabbis' daughters in the Babylonian Talmud
This article considers what space or place rabbis' daughters occupy in the Babylonian Talmud. It explores the ways that rabbis' daughters are portrayed in the Bavli, both in their relationships with their fathers and in their relationships with others. It considers the ways in which storie...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Print Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
College
2004
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| In: |
Hebrew Union College annual / Jewish Institute of Religion
Year: 2004, Volume: 75, Pages: 121-161 |
| IxTheo Classification: | BH Judaism |
| Further subjects: | B
Rabbinic Judaism
B Woman B Talmud B Jewish ethics |
| Parallel Edition: | Electronic
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| Summary: | This article considers what space or place rabbis' daughters occupy in the Babylonian Talmud. It explores the ways that rabbis' daughters are portrayed in the Bavli, both in their relationships with their fathers and in their relationships with others. It considers the ways in which stories about rabbis' daughters, or texts that include a mention of a rabbi's daughter, correlate with other talmudic material about daughters. I argue that stories about rabbis' daughters emphasize the connection between father and daughter. Daughters do not ordinarily study Torah; furthermore, through marriage, they leave their family of origin. At the same time, the Bavli indicates that a rabbi's daughter may carry on her father's teachings through her behavior and his lineage through her children. However, a father's undesirable behavior or poor supervision may result in a problematic daughter. Rabbis' daughters are portrayed as desirable wives for Torah scholars, but they are also portrayed as women who may, when outside the domestic sphere, behave inappropriately and manipulate Torah for their own ends. Rabbinic literature treats women as the Other and the Bavli's stories about rabbis' daughters show that rabbinic concern about women extended even to the women over whom the rabbis had the most control and influence. |
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| ISSN: | 0360-9049 |
| Contains: | In: Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, Hebrew Union College annual / Jewish Institute of Religion
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