Women in the Torah
The role of female characters in the Torah mirrors the plight of God’s people themselves. In an attempt to find identity, the Hebrew community offers an account of their history, which often reveals the evolving perspectives towards the feminine mystique. A sense of uniqueness of community can be discovered through the examination of women in the narratives by way of, the separation of Hebrew society by damnation of other cultures, the glorification of their own laws, and via the survival of main protagonists through the powers of women.
Beginning with Genesis, Eve is a character that exemplifies the Torah’s attempt to differentiate itself from other cultures and forge a path towards self-identification for by mocking previous cultic conventions. It has been argued that through rigorous examination of the Hebrew language that the name Eve (3:20) “could be a derivative of a title for the Canaanite mother goddess or at least an allusion to her” (Anchor, 677). However, the tale of Eve is not glorified with fertility and a happy ending, as the Canaanite mother goddess exemplified. “Rather than productivity and fertility, the outcome in the story in Genesis is death, sterility, and hardship. Even the ‘mother of all living’ is to suffer in childbirth. The interaction between Eve and the serpent, also a symbol of fertility, ultimately leads to death” (Anchor, 677). In this sense, it would appear that Genesis is disputing the issues and values that the Canaanite cult held sacred. This is further confirmed in the Torah through the emphasis on separateness throughout Leviticus as being a matter of spiritual purity. “Whosoever he be of the children of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn in Israel, that giveth any of his seed unto Molech, he shall surely be put to death: the people of the land shall stone him with stones” (Lev. 20:2-3). This law seems to epitomize the issue of historical identity through separateness, being that Molech is a Canaanite god. Therefore, Eve as a character representing the mother of all living, preserves the folklore that is part of the Hebrew culture. However, it ironically places a twist on the image of a ‘mother goddess’ by creating an abstraction, making the essence of her giving life end in hardship and fatality.
Issues of culture and identity continue to be addressed by examination of the female characters in Genesis, who challenge traditional doctrines. In the beginning, God invests in an idyllic world governed by a patriarchal hierarchy that placed an ironic twist on old cultic conventions. However, there are more principles that remained that needed challenging in order to evolve into the current sense of nationality. Though it is clear that Esau is the favored child over his brother, Jacob, Rebekah makes sure that the younger son (Jacob) inherits the divine blessing from Isaac. Rebekah’s actions are subversive because they result in the violation of the law of primogeniture that was the standard practice of inheritance in the dominant culture. She feels that she must do this by a prophecy from the Lord, “Two nations are in they wombâÂ?¦and the elder shall sever the younger” (Gen. 26:23). Rebekah takes an assertive action with regard to her family’s development, and in fact, her nation’s development, which clearly crosses over the rigid boundaries of the prescribed female’s role as property. She also threatens to shake the patriarchal foundations that are so essential to the divine value system in Genesis. Furthermore, she does not act exclusively as a wife or mother, but as an agent of change, an actor in the course of history. In this sense, she is a crucial player in the tale of her people’s culture.
The treatment of women through history proves to display a formation of cultural identity for the people of the Torah. The story of Rachel and Leah prove to show a long-standing tradition of favoritism and sibling rivalry. While Rachel’s primary objective was to bear a male child and enter her role as a maternal figure, she “dies on the journey after giving birth to her second son, whom she names Benoni (‘son of my sorrow’)” (Anchor, 607). The favoritism held by Jacob to Rachel is likewise unevenly distributed to the children, which causes discourse between them in future endeavors. This justifies the hatred for other communities in the Hebrew culture, which is an element of their idea of self. An important element regarding cultural issues lies in the story of Jacob, Rachel and Leah. The relationship seems to be off to a bad start from the beginning do to the deception among men. Laban, the father of the sisters, fooled Jacob into thinking he would receive Rachel, who he loved, after seven years of servitude. However, he was given Leah instead-the justification being, “it must not be so done in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn” (Gen 29:26). This is another commentary in the Torah pertaining to the uselessness of old rules when too strictly abided by. In this case, a patriarchal figure, Laban, is clearly in the wrong; which in a sense justifies Rachel stealing his household gods later in the narrative. Jacob only received his true love after another seven years of serfdom, however, cacophony occurred throughout his family for the rest of their days.
The celebration of traditional values remains through the story of Tamar in Genesis 38. In Israelite communities, there was a great “honor and authority given to women in their role as mother. Fulfillment of that socially demanded, and rewarded, role also meant self-fulfillment for most women, for whom barrenness was a bitter deprivation” (Anchor, 952). Tamar’s first husband died before she could conceive, thus depriving her of her societal role as mother. As per the culture dictated, a second husband, the brother of the first, was offered to her so she might conceive. “Onan, however, attempted to avoid the issue with her by practicing coitus interruptus, and for this he too was killed by God” (Anchor, 315). At this point, Tamar takes matters into her own hands, when the last brother is too young for her to marry. Deceiving the father of her husbands, she conceives by him while dresses as a prostitute. When ultimately confronted with this act, “Judah acknowledged them, and said, She hath been more righteous than I; because that I gave her not to Shelah my son”(Gen. 38:26). This scenario proves to demonstrate how the statues of motherhood that are revered in the Israelite culture were to be honored and preserved, as part of history, and thus, identity.
Finally to be noted in reference to law as part of a formation of culture, is the character of Miriam. She is most readily remembered as the person who led the celebration at the Sea, “Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after he with timbrels and with dances”(Exodus 15:20). Later, however, she is cursed with leprosy for challenging the virtue of Moses. “Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married” (Num, 12:1). Her challenge seems to be valid-the Torah specifically states the importance of remaining pure and for the culture to remain clean and unmixed with that of other nations. However, it is Miriam that will be transformed into the one who is unclean, “Miriam became leprous, white as snow” (Num, 12:10). Moses previously stated that those who are leprous must cry out “unclean unclean” and remain cloistered outside of society (Lev. 13:45). Moses takes entirely over her position as prophetess and her powers pertaining to the sea. The message conveyed by Miriam’s punishment by God is clear-her position and actions are no longer acceptable; that are dead for the Hebrews.
There were several women who were absolutely necessary, critically and unalterably essential, to Moses’ successful survival in Exodus. The fulfillment of the covenant between god and mankind cannot be fulfilled without the survival of Moses; therefore, the women that assist him on his way are extremely prevalent. Firstly to be noted are the “Hebrew midwives of which the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah” (1:15). Upon the Pharaoh’s disapproval of the existence of the Hebrews amid his own people, he issued a command of death to all the male children to be born. However, the midwives “feared God” (1:17) and did not as the Pharaoh commanded. When summoned before him to give an explanation of their actions, they coolly replied, “Hebrew woman are not as the Egyptian women; for they are lively, and are delivered ere the midwives come in unto them” (1:19). The midwives preyed upon the Pharaoh’s arrogance and prejudice to subvert his program of murder. A role reversal occurs, and it is the Pharaoh who stands dumb and powerless before the two midwives, lending the narrative no response from his character. Shiphrah and Puah feared God and prevailed in the aid of the fulfillment of the covenant; their names forever recorded in Exodus. The Pharaoh, however, shall only be remembered as the foil for two courageous women, one who was duped-and the narrative and history does not even permit the reader to figure out which Pharaoh he is.
Moses’ mother, Yokheved, proves to be another character displaying heroism that aids in the survival of Moses, and thus the covenant. The act of bearing a son is typically the most joyous occasion in the Hebrew society, ironically, however, with the Pharaoh’s commandment, his birth brought forth much woe. Yokheved’s character had an immense challenge to deal with to ensure her son’s survival. Interestingly enough, Moses’ father conveniently disappears at this time in the narrative, leaving the female protagonist to shine. She cleverly disobeys the new rule for “every son that is born ye shall cast into the river” (1:22) by finding a technical loophole in the law, and building “an ark of bulrushes” (2:3) to float downstream. The maternal figure in this instance proves to be a heroine in her aid to ensure the covenant of God. Additionally, she is in many ways Godlike herself; her ability to create the life of Moses that she sees as “goodly”(2:2) mirrors the creation of the universe in Genesis. Furthermore, she built her own version of an arch, as God did in the case of Noah, to preserve that life. The reflection to past lore and the clever bending to shape new attitudes toward law, prove to be an effective form of creating an identity for the Hebrews through narrative.
Moses’ life continues to be salvaged by female characters. When the Pharaoh’s daughter discovers him, “the babe wept. And she had compassion on him” (2:6). Here compassion is certainly an attribute in contrast to the murderous patriarchy. Furthermore, Moses is still under the watch and protection of yet another female character. “His sister stood afar off, to wit that would be done to him” (2:4) it is this same sister, that boldly approaches the Pharaoh’s daughter and asks, “Shall I go and call to thee a nurse of the Hebrew women?” (2:7) In this manner, Moses may be very well raised by his own mother-and she will be paid for it. The Hebrews have once again fooled their enemies into doing their own bidding-a fabulous source for discovering national pride.
The ‘hero’ Moses will be saved for the third time in his life before Exodus is complete-yet again, by a woman. The reader is informed that, “it came to pass by the way in the inn, that the Lord met with [Moses], and sought to kill him” (4:24). Zipporah, Moses’ wife, not only discovered the transgression, but was the only one with the initiative to act while the other characters are paralyzed with inactivity. She “took a sharp stone, and cut off the foreskin of her son, and cast it at his feet, and said, Surely a bloody husband art thou to me. So he let him go: then she said, A bloody husband thou art, because of the circumcision” (4:25-6). Zipporah cleverly remembers her history and culture, and thus spares Moses from death. This has obvious connotations for reiterating the Hebrew’s sense of self through the narrative in the Torah.
To conclude, female characters in the Torah aid in the establishment of national identity for the Hebrew people. Old cultic conventions were remembered but challenged in the tale of Genesis, via Eve, and Rebekah. New interpretations of laws, which were to be re-evaluated and slightly challenged, are embodied in the characters of Rachel and Tamar. Ultimately, the survival of the race and the fulfillment of the covenant with God can only be achieved through the aid of women. Therefore, Hebrew culture not only incorporates feminine characters, but also realizes them as a basis from which their culture was born.
Works Cited
The Anchor Bible Dictionary. Doubleday Publishing, New York, New York, 1992.
King James Version of the Holy Bible. Zondervan Corporation, Grand Rapids,
Michigan
