women: Recent Episodes
Rabbi Haim Ovadia
Letters from the Genizah and Early responsa provide a unique window into the lives of women in Mediterranean communities.
The Geonim legislated in favor of women, allowing to file for divorce without being penalized. Despite centuries of adherence to that practice, Maimonides abolishes it, making an initiation of a divorce by woman practically impossible.
We explore women’s status in mysticism through the writings on the Zohar, medieval sages, and later Kabbalists.
R Yosef Haim fights the child-bride phenomenon and the negative feelings at the birth of a baby girl.
A commentary on Esthet Hayil by R Avraham Dayan is used to criticize contemporary women. The Laws of Women by R Yosef Haim of Baghdad highlights the situation in his town.
Conclusion of R Ibn Yahya’s work in praise of women. Some negative ideas in the writings of R Haim Ben Attar and ze Avraham Enteby.
In 16th C Italy, R Archevolti encourages women to study Torah in depth like men, and even better.
This series explores the status of women in Sephardic literature by themes. First: scholars and scholarship. In the 12th Middle East Maimonides rules that women should not study Torah, while the daughter of R. Shemuel b Eli teaches Torah to his students.
A brief review of some of the great sages of 19thC Iraq, including R Abdallah Somekh, R Yosef Haim, and R Yehuda Fetaya.