It is apt that a volume devoted primarily to gender-related themes in Biblical and Talmudic passages is dedicated to the memory of a young woman scholar/educator (1975-2007) who was active in Jewish women's spiritual quest. Wimptheimer (Jewish studies, Northwestern U.) compiles 11 contributions in English and Hebrew by Samuels, other academics, and lay scholars. Themes addressed include male dominance since Genesis, the theory of the complementarility of man and woman, and gendered readings of the Feminine heroic (Bat Sheva means "under oath to God") in Exodus and passages relating to marriage and birth control. The function of prayer and the eye for an eye concept of justice are also discussed. Not indexed. Annotation ©2009 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
WISDOM OF BAT SHEVA
IN MEMORY OF Beth Samuels Z"LKTAV Publishing House, Inc.
Copyright © 2009 Barry Wimpfheimer and Ari Tuchman
All right reserved.ISBN: 978-1-60280-127-1Contents
Editor's Preface Barry S. Wimpfheimer...................................................................................................1Introduction Ari Tuchman................................................................................................................5A Literary Study of Numbers in Genesis Beth Samuels z"l.................................................................................13Quantum Mechanical Divine Providence and Rational Prayer Ari Tuchman....................................................................43What's the Matter with Women? Gender in the Thought of Maharal of Prague Aryeh Bernstein................................................77Equality or Equivalence: A Very Brief Survey of Lex Talionis as a Concept of Justice in the Bible Alan Tzvika Nissel.....................111Midwives and Moral Reasoning, Love and Law: A Gendered Reading of the Book of Exodus Andrew Rosenblatt..................................147Trigger Words and Simultexts: The Experience of Reading The Bavli Zvi Septimus..........................................................163Women of the Exodus - An Excerpt Shera Aranoff Tuchman and Sandra E. Rapoport..........................................................187Tefilah: Feeling the Presence of God Avi Weiss..........................................................................................207From Fast to Feast in the Book of Zechariah Andrea Wershof Schwartz.....................................................................237Interrupting Birth Control: Re-reading a Famous Beraita Barry S. Wimpfheimer............................................................247
Chapter One
A Literary Study of Numbers in Genesis Beth Samuels z"l
Numbers represent the intellectual building blocks of our world, laying the foundation for both practical and philosophical pursuits. Scientific equations require numerical validation and quantified measurements to provide meaning in understanding the universe. Even the consonance and harmony in musical chords have been discovered to be related to numerical harmonics. Historically, from the time of the Pythagoreans (500 B.C.), numbers have also had significance as abstract concepts in addition to being simply quantifiers. The Pythagoreans developed a detailed number symbolism that attributes a distinct characteristic to each digit. In their theory, "one," the generator of all other numbers, represents reason; "two," the first even or female number, signifies opinion; "three," the first odd or male number denotes harmony by joining one and two; "four" represents justice, from the squaring of accounts, etc. This perspective upholds the centrality of numbers not only in the physical world but in the spiritual world as well. It is no surprise that the Pythagorean motto was "All is number."
Given this significance of numbers to the human condition, it is natural to assume that numerical approaches can also play an important role in illuminating fundamental ideas contained within the Torah. While numbers given in the text may occasionally appear superfluous at first glance, with further exegesis their importance can be uncovered. There are various ways to study the numbers found in Genesis, each reflecting the awareness that numbers are more then just arbitrary dates, years, quantities, or measurements. The modern Biblical scholar U. Cassuto (d. 1951) analyzes the years mentioned in the genealogical passages of Genesis (chs. 5,11) in his Perush al Sefer Bereishit. He notices the pattern of sixty and seven in the years listed and compares these numbers with those found in Canaanite mythology from the same period. He suggests that the seemingly arbitrary numbers subscribe to a trend common in other cultures of that time. Gematriya is another method of numerical interpretation that considers numbers as representing words with the corresponding numerical value. For example, the midrashic collection Gen. Rabbah (43:2) explains that when Abraham is described as gathering 318 men with him to battle (Gen. 14:14), he is actually only taking his servant Eliezer, whose name has the numerical equivalent of 318.
In this work, I apply a literary-thematic approach to examining numbers that are interspersed throughout the narratives in Genesis. By viewing the Torah as a divine masterpiece in which every single word is deliberate, each number must also be recognized as being significant. Numbers serve as key words, signifying underlying themes that link together stories. The creation story at the beginning of Genesis in which numbers first appear introduces unique characteristics associated with each number. Subsequent stories are in turn analyzed by focusing on the numbers and their associated qualities to provide deeper insight into the narrative themes. This article concentrates on analyzing the numbers "one" "two," and "three" and applies their thematic representations to the stories of Adam and Eve, the tower of Babel, the Patriarchs, and Joseph and his brothers.
Introduction
The creation story with which the Bible begins provides the critical text for defining numerical themes:
And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness. And God called the light "day," and the darkness He called "night;" and there was evening and there was morning; one day. (Gen. 1:3-5)
The first specific creation on Day One is that of light. Considering that the sun, moon, and stars are not created until the fourth day, many commentaries interpret this light as a spiritual illumination. Rashi (R. Shlomo Yitshaki d. 1105) quotes from Gen. Rabbah 3:9 that the text deliberately describes the day as ehad, one, and not rishon, first, which would have been grammatically consistent with the language used for other days. The usage of the word ehad emphasizes God's "one-ness." God was one and alone on this day; neither the angels nor any other thing existed. The midrash in Pesikta Zutrati explains that the word ehad is used as a reflection of how Israel in the future will describe God in the "Shema" prayer: "the Lord is our God; the Lord is one" (Deut. 6:4). While God's one-ness is the obvious basis for monotheism, it also reinforces that the entire world emerged from a unified and holy place. Based on these perspectives, the number "one" is introduced as representing spiritual illumination, godliness, and unity.
And God said, "Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide water from water." And God made the firmament and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament; and it was so. And God called the firmament "heaven," and there was evening and there was morning, a second day. (Gen. 1:6-8)
On Day Two, God separates the upper and lower waters. Day Two is the only day on which God does not comment, "ki tov" it was good. Several opinions in explanation are offered in Gen. Rabbah 4:8. According to Rabbi Yohanan, hell is created on this day, and according to Rabbi Hanina disagreement is created. In contrast to Day One, Day Two brings something separate from godliness into this world. Day Two divides the upper sphere and the lower sphere, allowing for evil to emerge. Day Two presents the first description of our world as we know it: a world filled with tensions between opposing forces, upper and lower, spiritual and physical, and good and evil. According to this reading, the number "two" represents division, tension, and ungodliness.
And God said, "Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together to one place, and let the dry land appear," and it was so. And God called dry land "earth," and the gathering together of the waters, He called "seas;" and God saw that it was good. And God said, "Let the earth bring forth grass, herb yielding seed, and fruit tree yielding fruit after its kind, whose seed was in itself after its kind;" and God saw that it was good. And there was evening and there was morning, a third day. (Gen. 1:9-13)
On Day Three, God gathers the waters from Day Two and directs them to "one place," a place of one-ness, thereby creating dry land and vegetation. God controls the tension of Day Two by reconciling it with the holiness of Day One. The results are a permanent, solid foundation with the first sprouts of life. This is the only day where twice God comments "ki tov," it was good (Gen. 1:10,12). Day Three is the balance of the proper combination of singularity and plurality, godliness and worldliness. According to this reading, the number "three" represents balance and the process and preparation leading to reconciliation. Day Three also marks the end of the initial stage in the creation process as Days One, Two, and Three lay the preparatory foundation for Days Four, Five, and Six.
I will now analyze select narratives in the book of Genesis, focusing on passages where the numbers "one" "two" and "three" appear. I apply the characteristics associated with these first numbers to demonstrate that these numbers provide an exegetical tool to interpret larger themes within the narrative.
Adam And Eve
And the Lord God took the man and put him into the Garden of Eden to till it and to keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man saying, "Of every tree of the garden, you may freely eat, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you may not eat of it; for on the day that, you eat of it, you will surely die." And the Lord God said, "It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper opposite him." (Gen. 2:15-18)
God does not want Adam to be alone as one in the world. The mid-rash in Pirkei deRabbi Eliezer (ch. 12), explains that God rationalized, "I am yehid, one and only, in my world, and Adam is yehid, one and only, in his world. I don't reproduce, and Adam does not reproduce. Over time other creations may think that Adam is the Creator; therefore, it is not good for Adam to be alone. I will make him a helping mate opposite him." Ultimately, only God is one. Adam was initially created as one and alone, and in this way Adam, unlike the animals, was created in the likeness and image of God. However, Adam is not God and is not intended to be God, and therefore cannot remain as one. Adam has a different purpose in life, to pursue godliness, which can only be fulfilled with a partner.
And out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called every living creature that was its name. And the man gave names to all cattle and to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field, but for the man there was not found a helper opposite him. (Gen. 2:19-20)
While Adam is still alone, he acts like God; he names creatures the way God does in the original six days. By naming the animals, Adam distinguishes himself from them and dominates over them. Yet when Adam watches the animals he relates to their attachment to a mate. Adam, who, like them, is also from the ground, wants a partner. Rashi, quoting from Gen. Rabbah 17:5, comments on the verse in Gen. 2:20 that Adam petitions God, "All these animals have a counterpart, but I don't have a counterpart!" In response, God immediately remedies the situation in the next verse. Perhaps, God also brought forth the animals to demonstrate to Adam that while he is above them, he also has much in common with them. While he initially was created as one, and therefore possesses some divine characteristics of one-ness, his physical being yearns to be two.
And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man and he slept, and He took one of his sides, and closed up the flesh in its place. And of the side, which the Lord God had taken from the man, he made a woman and brought her forth to the man. And the man said, "This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman because she was taken out of Man." That is why man leaves his father and his mother and cleaves to his wife, and they become one flesh. (Gen. 2:21-24)
God takes "one of his [Adam's] sides" or ribs to create the woman. Interpreting the word "one" not as a modifier but rather as the central element in the verse, we can understand that God takes away one-ness from Adam. From this point on, humanity consists of two forms, male and female. Adam is no longer one, like God. However, man and woman have the challenge and the opportunity to become "one flesh" again. One-ness becomes a goal, not an assumed state of being. Through deveikut, cleaving, representing both a physical and spiritual union, man and woman can become one and become close to God. The concept of deveikut is also used to describe our relationship with God, "And you who cleave to the Lord, your God, are all alive today" (Deut. 4:4). When Adam sees his partner, he gives her the name "Ishah," a version of his own name. Before the sin, even though Adam and his wife are separate beings, they still have the same name. They are fundamentally the same unit with great potential to exist in a state of one-ness, both with each other and with God.
And the two of them were naked, the man and his wife, and they felt no shame. Now the serpent was craftier than all the beasts of the field, which the Lord God had made; and he said to the woman, "Has God said that you should not eat from any tree of the garden?" And the woman said to the serpent, "We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden. But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, 'You may not eat of it, nor may you touch it, lest you die.'" And the serpent said to the woman, "You will not surely die. For God knows that on the day you eat of it, your eyes will be opened and you will be as gods, knowing good and evil." And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and did eat, and gave also to her husband with her. (Gen. 2:25-3:6)
By referring to Adam and his wife using the word "two" the text foreshadows an ungodly tension. Adam and his wife are beginning to view themselves as divided, and are no longer perceiving themselves as the single spiritual unit towards which they should be striving. Nevertheless, before the sin, no clothing is needed to separate or cover them. They still consider each other's bodies as their own. Radak (R. David Kimhi d. 1235) comments on Gen. 2:25 that before eating from the tree, their sexual impulse was just as strong (or weak) as any of their other desires, such that they were not embarrassed by these organs. He adds that they had not had intercourse yet because their sexual passion wasn't powerful enough. We see that before the sin, even sexuality did not distinguish between man and woman. It would have been natural to consider each other as part of the same one-ness.
However, their separation continues after the snake convinces the woman to disobey God. The text refers to the snake's craftiness as "arum" using the same word that describes the nakedness of Adam and his wife. On this observation, Gen. Rabbah 18:10 explains that the snake sees Adam and his wife having relations in public and desires her. This opinion reinforces the tension and separation between Adam and his wife; the snake is able to consider Adam's wife as sufficiently separate from Adam as even to be capable of having intercourse with another. He engages her separately in conversation, thereby further removing her from her husband and also attempts to contradict Adam's words to her. God had previously told Adam, before the woman was created, that he was prohibited from eating from a certain tree. We may infer that Adam told his wife about this commandment, perhaps with the additional restriction of even touching the tree. However, the snake suggests that this prohibition extends to all of the trees. The snake also entices the woman by telling her that she can be like God. He distorts the idea of becoming one with God into undermining God's uniqueness. This opposition to God can only come from a place that is unholy and ungodly, which occurs while the woman and man are separate as two. Nevertheless, even when acting individually, the woman and man are partially united. It would be impossible for one to sin without the other. Since both of their fates and missions are unified, the woman gives the fruit to her husband immediately after she eats from the tree. In some respects they are always one, even as they act like two.
And the eyes of the two of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths. And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the wind of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden. And the Lord God called to the man and said to him, "Where are you?" And he said, "I heard your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked, and I hid myself." And He said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree, of which I commanded you not to eat?" And the man said, "The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree and I did eat." (Gen. 3:7-12)
Immediately after the sin, Adam and his wife are again referred to with the number "two." By eating the forbidden fruit, they have left the one God and have transformed their reality. They can no longer be one with God as they could before. They now see their separateness and are embarrassed by that which distinguishes them from one another. They want clothing to protect and divide them. Trying to hide from God further demonstrates their desire to be out of God's dominion. After God confronts Adam, Adam immediately blames his wife. He thereby indicates his perception that she is separate from him and in conflict with him. He also subtly blames God by reminding God that this is "the woman whom you gave me" (Gen. 3:12).
(Continues...)
Excerpted from WISDOM OF BAT SHEVA Copyright © 2009 by Barry Wimpfheimer and Ari Tuchman. Excerpted by permission.
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