Customer Reviews
The first true feminist reading of the Talmud - By: , 29 Aug 1999 
There seems to be a great deal of antagonism between feminists & talmudists. It's refreshing to read a book by someone who is both. The talmud isn't the Misogynistic text some make it out to be, & feminism isn't sacreligious. the two can reside together, & both gain from the proximity. Talmudic study is enlightened by feminist methodolgy & crtique. Feminist studies can learn from the talmud how to deal with a real-politik that is far from perfect. The book is a must for anyone who cares about Judasimin the real-world.
Great book! Informative, thoughtful, balanced. - By: , 03 Jan 1999 Talmudic scholar Judith Hauptman looksin detail at Talmudic passages concerning the roles & rights of Jewish women. She reads each passagein the context of its development through the years of Rabbinic activity, drawing on the Mishnah, Tosefta, & both Talmuds. Even the newcomer to Talmud will begin to gain an understanding of Talmudic legal reasoning from her careful analyses.
Hauptman's thesis is that the Rabbis of the Talmud sought to improve the legal status of Jewish women beyond what Biblical law originally accorded women. In support of her thesis, Hauptman shows the evolution of legal theory & practice pertaining to women through the Talmudic period.
The book is gracefully written & carefully argued. It is riveting reading for anyone interestedin Jewish Women's Studies.
