Wise Women
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Wise Women There were many smart women that involved themselves in
Torah throughout our history.[1]
Some are even mentioned by our Gedolim.[2]
In שו"ת מהרי"ל[3] (1365-1427), he brings a Halacha concerning the law of ניקור[4] from
his two sisters- Rebbitzen Buglin and Rebbitzen Simcha. The Shach[5]
writes that he saw by his mother and other righteous women not to separate
Challa more than once from one batch (even if it’s very big).[6] The Haflaa[7]
brings a Chidush in the name of his female cousin. The Tashbatz[8] (1361-1444) brings a Torah Chidush in the name of a Rebbitzen concerning לעולם ישנה אדם
בדרך קצרה; one should
always teach his student in a concise manner.[9]
The author of שו"ת חות יאיר[10] writes that one reason he chose to call his Sefer by this
name is so that it should be in memory for his pious grandmother, Rebbitzen
Chava, who was unique in her type in her generation in Torah. The Maharshal[11]
reports about his grandmother, Rebbitzen Miriam, that for years she had a
Yeshiva where she would sit in front of a curtain and teach top boys. In the introduction to the Derisha and Perisha,[12]
the son writes about his mother, Rebbitzen Beila, that she would learn the
weekly Parsha with Rashi and other commentaries and would be Mechadesh
from time to time unbelievable sweet Chidushim. And specifically with laws
concerning women and Hilchos Nida, she was an expert almost like a Halachic
authority (בעלי הוראה). In שו"ת רבי עקיבא איגר,[13]
the uncle of R’ Akiva Eiger, R’ Wolf Eiger,[14]
writes about his sister, the mother of R’ Akiva Eiger, “And my unique righteous
sister, who is learned like a man, Rebbitzen Gittel…” R’ Yosef Steinhart,[15]
author of שו"ת זכרון יוסף brings in this
Sefer some Divrei Torah from his wife, Rebbitzen Kriendel (she died in 1775).
For example, in one place[16]
he writes “When I said this before my smart and learned wife…” R’ Yeshaya Pik Berlin[17]
(1725-1799) brings a Chidush from his sister, Rebbitzen Kriendel, the wife of
R’ Yosef Steinhart, about that which Rachel answered her father לא אוכל לקום מפניה
כי דרך נשים לי; …I can’t rise
before you, for the way of women is upon me.[18]
Of course she didn’t say that which wasn’t truthful rather she was referring to
the תרפים (idols) which had sorcery. The Gemara[19]
says it is mostly women who are involved in sorcery. So Rachel was saying דרך נשים- that women are involved in sorcery, לי- is placed under me. R’ Yeshaya commented on this ואמרתי לאחותי חכמה
את; I said to my sister you are wise.[20] Elsewhere, R’ Yeshaya Pik tells us[21]
from his sister, Rebbitzen Kriendel, to explain Rashi’s words[22]
that Yaakov said to Esav, “I didn’t become a dignitary or a notable but a גר; sojourner. It doesn’t befit you to hate me over the Bracha of
your father הוה גביר לאחיך[23] for it hasn’t been fulfilled in me (שהרי לא נתקיימה בי).” If we take the
letters ב,י from גביר,
then we are left with גר. This was Rashi’s
intention when he said ‘I didn’t become a dignitary or a notable but a גר; sojourner.’ That which my father blessed me הוה גביר...,
the letters ב,י wasn’t fulfilled, and what remains is גר. In a letter the Ben Ish Chai (1835-1909) wrote to a learned
Rebbitzen from his city Baghdad when she was staying in London,[24]
he mentions that she went to the Shabbos Hagadol Drasha of the chief rabbi of
London, R’ Naftali Tzvi Hakohen Adler (1839-1911), with a Gemara in order to
understand the Drasha.[25]
R’ Yukil HaLevi Horowitz, Av Beis Din of Gluga, had a
daughter named Sarah Rivka Rachel Leah. Her husband was R’ Shabsi, the Av Beis
Din of Krasny. She learned a lot and was an expert in Shas as is brought in the
Seferשיחת חולין של
תלמידי חכמים.[26]
However, she didn’t have any children and her father said about her that she
was unable to give birth because she had a male soul.[27] In the Sefer זכרונות ר' דוב מבוליחוב,
it relates that when he (R’ Dov, who lived from 1722-1805) learned by R’
Mordechai HaLevi Horowitz, the son of R’ Yukil, he once showed him some Halacha
in the Gemara to read. The Rav, R’ Mordechai, ended up going for an afternoon
nap because he was very weak. R’ Dov was therefore left there with the Rav’s sister
at a distance- Rebbitzen Sarah Rivka Rachel Leah. She saw how he didn’t
understand the Gemara with Rashi’s commentary so she said, “Tell me the Gemara
that you have a problem with.” He began to say the Gemara over, and then she
started to say the Gemara and Rashi by heart, explaining it clearly.[28]
[1] The Gemara (Baba Basra 119b) tells us that the
daughters of Tzelafchad were חכמניות, דרשניות, צדקניות;
wise expounders of the Torah, and righteous. Elsewhere, the Gemara tells us
(Megila 14a) that there were seven נביאות;
prophetesses that prophesized for the Jewish people. They were Sarah, Miriam,
Devorah, Chana, Avigail, Chuldah, and Esther. [2] אוצר פלאות התורה, Bamidbar 27:3-5 [3] 57 [4] This is the process of
making an animal kosher by removing forbidden fats (חֵלֶב) and the sciatic nerve (גיד הנשה). [5] Yoreh Deah 326:4 [6] We find in different Tosafos in Shas that a proof is
brought from women concerning Halacha. See for example Tosafos in Shabbos 111b,
end of s.v. האי where it says ושמע ר"י מפי
הנשים...;
and the Ri heard from women… (Also see Brachos 45b, sv. שאני). [7] Panim Yafos, Vayikra 9:7 [8] שו"ת תשב"ץ, 3:78. Besides being a Rabbinical authority, he was also a student of
philosophy, astronomy, mathematics, and especially of medicine, which he
practiced for a number of years. After the persecution of 1391- in the Balearic
Isles and Majorca- he fled
Spain with his father and sister for Algiers. In 1394, he and the Rivash
drafted statutes for the Jewish community of Algiers. In 1407, the Tashbatz
became Rav of Algiers. Because the Tashbatz lost all his property during
the massacre at Palma, he was forced against his will to accept a salary from
the community, not having other means of survival. [9] Pesachim 3b [10] Hakdama to the Sefer [11] שו"ת מהרש"ל, מעבר לשער, דפוס פיורדא תקכ"ח [12] s.v. והנה אף [13] ח"א פסקים, 29 [14] R’ Wolf Eiger- who was an Av Beis Din- lived from
1756-1795. R’ Akiva Eiger attended the Yeshiva of R’ Wolf Eiger in Breslau. [15] 1720-1776. He was
a rabbi and chief rabbi in different places. Questions were addressed to him
from Hungary, Italy, Amsterdam and Switzerland. [16] Siman 13, s.v. וכאשר אמרתי [17] In his Sefer הפלאה שבערכין, ערך תרף. The name Pik was after his father-in-law, Wolf Pik of Breslau,
who supported him for many years. In 1755, R’ Yeshaya Pik moved to Breslau
where he engaged in business. In 1793, when he was already older, he was
elected to a rabbinical post as rabbi of Breslau. He was greatly admired, even
by people who differed with him in religious views. Many Maskilim (The Haskala
was an 18th-19th-century movement among central and
Eastern European Jews, intended to modernize Jews and Judaism by
encouraging adoption of secular European culture.) of Breslau
often visited him to seek advice on scientific questions. [18] Breishis 31:35. Rachel stole the תרפים
(idols) that belonged to her father, put it into the camel’s packsaddle and sat
on them (Breishis 31:34). [19] Sanhedrin
67a [20] This was based on the Pasuk אמור לחכמה
אחותי את
(Mishlei 7:4). R’ Yeshaya Pik describes his sister in these words: “The reader
will find נחת רוח and say to my sister you are wise. Her hands are in all Kedusha
and she knows Sefarim of knowledge and exposition like the daughters of
Tzalefchad Ben Cheifer. Rebbitzen Kriendel, she is a woman that proves with her
clear intellect with sharpness (במופת החותך).”
He also writes about his sister (Hakdama to his Sefer יש סדר למשנה on Mishnayos), אחותי המפורסמת בכל קצוי ארץ מרת קרינדל זלה"ה; my famous sister known all over, Rebbitzen Kriendel. [21] In his Sefer מיני תרגומא,
Vayishlach [22] Breishis 32:5 [23] 27:29. This translates as, ‘Be a lord to your
brothers.’ [24] Printed in the Sefer Nachalas Avos, אוצר ענינים
ממשפחת הבן איש חי, pg 369 [25] In this letter he was inquiring about how learned the
people of London were. [26] chapter 14, Os 7 [27] Sefer Ohel Naftali, 241 [28] Concerning women learning Torah, let us cite the
words of the Rambam (Hilchos Talmud Torah 1:13): A woman who studies Torah will
receive reward but the reward won’t be as great as a man’s because she wasn’t
commanded. The reward for that which is commanded isn’t as great for that which
is commanded. Even though she receives reward the Sages commanded that a person
shouldn’t teach his daughter Torah… Commentaries say that the Rambam implies
that if a father sees that his daughter is capable of such study, he should
afford her the opportunity. The Kinas Eliyahu notes the contrast between, “A woman
who studies” and the command the Sages gave “a father.” He differentiates
between study that a woman undertakes voluntarily, which is considered
desirable, and a father’s training his daughter in matters which aren’t
necessarily relevant to her. [29] אוצר פלאות התורה, Bamidbar pg 947
