Engendering Judaism: An Inclusive Theology and Ethics

300 Pages·1998·1.06 MB·English

by  Rachel Adler

Engendering
m
o
c
w.
o
sr
er Judaism
h
s
bli
u
p
w.
w
w
o
o t
g
y
alit
n
o
cti
n
u
d f
e
c
n
a
h
n
e
h
wit
k
o
o
b
e
h
of t
y
p
o
c
n
w
o
ur
o
y
e
s
a
h
c
ur
p
o
T
y.
nl
o
er
ut
p
m
o
c
al
n
o
uti
stit
n
n i
a
n
o
e
s
u
e
h
or t
s f
n i
o
si
er
v
F
D
P
y
ar
br
Li
s
hi
T
m
o
c
w.
o
sr
er
h
s
bli
u
p
w.
w
w
o
o t
g
y
alit
n
o
cti
n
u
d f
e
c
n
a
h
n
e
h
wit
k
o
o
b
e
h
of t
y
p
o
c
n
w
o
ur
o
y
e
s
a
h
c
ur
p
o
T
y.
nl
o
er
ut
p
m
o
c
al
n
o
uti
stit
n
n i
a
n
o
e
s
u
e
h
or t
s f
n i
o
si
er
v
F
D
P
y
ar
br
Li
s
hi
T
Engendering
m
o
c
w.
o
sr
er Judaism:
h
s
bli
u
p
w.
w
w An Inclusive
o
o t
g
y
alit Theology and Ethics
n
o
cti
n
u
d f
e
c
n
ha Rachel Adler
n
e
h
wit
k
o
o
b
e
h
of t
y
p
o
c
n
w
o
ur
o
y
e
s
a
h
c
ur
p
o
T
y.
nl
o
er
ut
p
m
o
c
al
n
o
uti
stit
n
n i
a
n
o
e
s
u
e
h
or t
s f
n i
o
si
er
v
F
D
P
y
ar
br V B
Li A R D A O O K S
s
Thi skokie, illinois, usa 5761/2001
Copyright ' 2001 by V arda Books
m
o
c
w.
o
sr
er
sh Original copyright ' 1998 by Rachel Adler
bli
pu This ebook has been published with permission of
w.
w The Jewish Publication Society (Philadelphia). The printed book, which served
w
o to as a basis for this book is catalogued by the Library of Congress thus:
g
y
alit
on Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
cti
n Adler, Rachel.
u
ed f Engendering Judaism: an inclusive theology and ethics / Rachel
c
n
ha Adler.
n
e
h p. cm.
wit
k Includes bibliographical references and index.
o
o
e b ISBN 0(cid:150)8276(cid:150)0584(cid:150)6
h
of t 1. Feminism(cid:151)Religious aspects(cid:151)Judaism. 2. Judaism(cid:151)
y
op Doctrines. 3. Women in Judaism. 4. Jewish Women(cid:151)Religious
c
wn Life. 5. Women(cid:151)Legal status, laws, etc. (Jewish law) I. T itle.
o
ur BM729.W6A29 1997
o
y
se 296.3’082(cid:151)dc21 97(cid:150)18944
a
h
c CIP
ur
p
o r97
T
nly. New ISBN 1-59045-429-4 Library PDF
o
er
ut
p
m
o
c
al
n
o
uti No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in
stit any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including
n
an i photocopy, recording, or any information storage retrieval
n
o
e system, except for brief passages in connection with a critical
s
u
e review, without permission in writing from the publisher:
h
or t Varda Books, 9001 Keating Avenue, Skokie, Illinois, USA
s f
n i
o
si
er
v
F
D
P
y
ar
br
Li Prepared as an ebook by Varda Graphics, Inc.
s
hi
T
iv
To David, haveri v’ish briti.
m
o
c
w.
o
sr
er
h
s
bli
u
p
w.
w
w
o
o t
g
y
alit
n
o
cti
n
u
d f
e
c
n
a
h
n
e
h
wit
k
o
o
b
e
h
of t
y
p
o
c
n
w
o
ur
o
y
e
s
a
h
c
ur
p
o
T
y.
nl
o
er
ut
p
m
o
c
al
n
o
uti
stit
n
n i
a
n
o
e
s
u
e
h
or t
s f
n i
o
si
er
v
F
D
P
y
ar
br
Li
s
hi
T
m
o
c
w.
o
sr
er
h
s
bli
u
p
w.
w
w
o
o t
g
y
alit
n
o
cti
n
u
d f
e
c
n
a
h
n
e
h
wit
k
o
o
b
e
h
of t
y
p
o
c
n
w
o
ur
o
y
e
s
a
h
c
ur
p
o
T
y.
nl
o
er
ut
p
m
o
c
al
n
o
uti
stit
n
n i
a
n
o
e
s
u
e
h
or t
s f
n i
o
si
er
v
F
D
P
y
ar
br
Li
s
hi
T
< < C h a p t e r >> Home | T O C | I n d e x
Contents
m
o
c
w.
o
sr
er
h
s
bli
u Preface by David Ellenson viii
p
w.
w
w Acknowledgments xii
o
o t
y g Introduction xiv
alit
n
o Chapter 1. Prelude: The Female Rapist and
cti
n
u Other Inversions 1
d f
e
c
an Chapter 2. Here Comes Skotsl: Renewing Halakhah 21
h
n
e
h Chapter 3. And Not Be Silent: Toward Inclusive Worship 61
wit
k
oo Chapter 4. Justice and Peace Shall Kiss: An Ethics of
b
he Sexuality and Relationship 105
of t
y
p Chapter 5. B’rit Ahuvim: A Marriage Between Subjects 169
o
c
n
w
o Epilogue: On Seeds and Ruins 209
ur
o
e y Appendix 213
s
a
h
urc Notes 219
p
o
T
y. Index of Bible Citations 261
nl
o
er General Index 263
ut
p
m
o
c
al
n
o
uti
stit
n
n i
a
n
o
e
s
u
e
h
or t
s f
n i
o
si
er
v
F
D
P
y
ar
br
Li
s
hi
T
vii
< < C h a p t e r >> Home | T O C | I n d e x
Preface
m
o
c
w.
o
ersr by David Ellenson
h
s
bli
pu Jewish tradition holds language to be both powerful and holy. Judaism
w.
w identifies speech(cid:151)the word(cid:151)as the agent of creation. The Psalmist, in
w
o to words included in the daily liturgy of the Jewish prayer book, proclaims,
g
y (cid:147)Blessed is the one who spoke, and the world came to be.(cid:148) Words are also
alit
on the means of revelation. God speaks to Israel at Sinai, and The Ten Com-
cti
n mandments are referred to in rabbinic tradition as Asseret ha-Dibberot—
u
ed f The Ten Words. Indeed, words are so precious that Genesis asserts that
c
n
ha the uniqueness and elevation of the human species reside in the gift of
n
e
h language with which God distinguished humanity from all other forms of
wit
k life. The vocabulary of the medieval Jewish philosophical tradition rec-
o
o
e b ognizes these sacred roles assigned to language and speech in Judaism
h
of t by identifying the human being as ha-Medabber—he who speaks. Through
y
op speech, all of us offer that which is ours alone to the Other. Speech af-
c
wn firms the existence of the self. At the same time, speech seeks a response
o
ur from the Other. Words provide the basis for community, for they permit
o
y
se and allow for dialogue among people.
a
h
urc When a community accords an individual or group the privilege of pub-
p
o lic speech, it is a mark that the community has conferred equal status
T
nly. upon such persons. Conversely, when a community silences or excludes
o
er an individual or a group, when it views them as beings who are neither
ut
mp qualified nor capable of addressing the Other, then that community di-
o
c
al minishes their humanity. Words, in the end, possess the power of confer-
n
o
uti ring personhood. The ability to speak(cid:151)to address Others and to be ad-
stit dressed(cid:151)is that which signifies that we are fully human. Language and
n
an i speech are primordially ethical.
n
o
e
s
u
e Engendering Judaism is based upon these observations concerning
h
or t the power of silence and speech. In these pages, Rachel Adler argues that
s f
n i Judaism must be conceptualized as an extended conversation, one in
o
si
er which the lips of participants long since dead move and inform the
v
DF present. Many of these voices are recorded in classical texts like the Bi-
P
ary ble and Talmud, and they form a core element in the ground of Jewish
br
Li religious tradition. As a Jewish theologian, Adler does not exclude these
s
Thi voices from the Jewish conversation. To do so, in her opinion, would be
viii
< < C h a p t e r >> Home | T O C | I n d e x
PREFACE
to display bad faith with a past that has shaped the identity of men and
m
o
c women as Jews for generations.
w.
sro At the same time, Engendering Judaism passionately contends that
er
sh the conversation must not be confined to these voices alone, for the Jew-
bli
pu ish conversation, as presented in these classical sources, has been an
w.
w exclusionary one. In these pages, Rachel Adler rejects a Judaism that lim-
w
o to its the speech of women. The voices and concerns of women have been
g
y silenced in the classical texts and religious conversations of our people
alit
on for too long. Engendering Judaism seeks to redress this wrong.
cti
n Adler here grants full public expression to her own voice as a religious
u
ed f Jewish woman. She cites the ethical teachings contained in Jewish tra-
c
n
ha dition itself as providing sufficient warrants for protesting the subordi-
n
e
h nation of women in the Jewish public arena. Decrying the manner in
wit
k which all too many Jewish terms and texts have obliterated or denied
o
o
e b public expression to the voices and experiences of women, Adler adopts
h
of t a perspective that begins with a commitment to the full inclusion of
y
op women in the Jewish conversation. She condemns as morally unaccept-
c
wn able any Judaism that would deny women their rightful public voice, and
o
ur she demands that Judaism acknowledge the complete humanity of women
o
y
se by accepting women as dialogical partners in the public conversations of
a
h
c the Jewish people.
ur
p
o Adler anchors her conversation in the ketubbah, the Jewish wedding
T
nly. contract. She argues that the traditional Jewish legal concept of kinyan
o
er (acquisition) in the area of Jewish marriage law identifies the act of mar-
ut
mp riage as nothing more than a commercial transaction. In other words, the
o
c
al marriage contract conveys the woman as an object from the domain of one
n
o
uti male(cid:151)generally the father(cid:151)to a new one(cid:151)the husband. Indeed, viewed
stit this way, traditional Jewish marriage law reduces the woman to a position
n
an i of sexual chattel. For these reasons, she advocates that the institution of
n
o
e the ketubbah and the concepts of property and acquisition that undergird
s
u
e and inform it be discarded in the area of marriage. She proposes that the
h
or t metaphor of b’rit (covenant) be substituted for kinyan (acquisition). This
s f
n i metaphor possesses layers of meaning that more appropriately represent
o
si
er the mutuality of intimate relationship involved in a marriage.
v
DF Engendering Judaism is a work of jurisgenesis. Instead of abandon-
P
ary ing Jewish law, it reconstructs the law. It aims at a transformation of
br
Li Jewish law and life in keeping with a vision of reality that women inhabit
s
Thi interdependently with men. As a work of feminist Jewish theology,
ix