EVERYTHING IN MODERATION...INCLUDING JUDAISM

בס"ד
21 Tamuz


Maggie Anton is a researcher & the author of books & articles about Jews in Medaeval France, particularly the free, almost "feminist" lives of women under the leadership of Rashi. Please do have a look at her fab piece, Rashi & his Daughters which appeared in the Spring 2005 issue of Judaism, a quarterly mag.

It mentions Rashi's great-granddaughter, Dulcie (or Dolce) who I suspect may have been a soferet. Also some of the practical, respectful decisions he made allowing women to take on the same commandments as men, such as tallit & tefillin.

Over 900 years ago & we're still fighting about it. Why, people?

My fave quote from this article?

"In two comments we hear the sublety of Rashi's reasoning: In his commentary to Talmud Betzah 2b, 'The authority of those who prohibit arbitrarily means little, for anyone can hand down a prohibition even in matters that are permissible.' And in his commentary to Talmud Ketubot 7a, 'Anyone can be stringent merely out of doubt, whereas leniency requires a conclusion based on knowledge or tradition.'"

Ameyn ve-amyen selah!
Ad kan, even.




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