The Remarkable Women of the Talmud

Abstract

The Talmud uses many techniques to teach valuable lessons about life; storytelling is one of them. This paper focuses on several of the important women mentioned in the Talmud. Beruriah, wife of Rabbi Meir, may be one the most famous of these women, known for her scholarship. There were others such as Yalta and Rebbi’s maidservant, who are also unforgettable. Yalta was brilliant and arguably one of the great feminists of the Talmud. Ima Shalom was a wise person who kept the peace between her husband, a Hillelite and brother, a Shammaite. Rachel, wife of Rabbi Akiva, made huge sacrifices for her husband as did the wives of Resh Lakish and Chanina ben Dosa. Several of the women of the Talmud were also miracle workers; these include the wife of Mar Ukva and the wife of Abba Chikiyah. Many were known for being charitable. The death of Rabbi Rechumi for neglecting his wife is a reminder of the importance of providing the proper respect for wives. What is clear from examining these stories is that they are as relevant today as they were almost 2,000 years ago.

Keywords: Talmud, Talmudic stories, Beruriah, Rachel, Rabbi Akiva, Queen Helene, Mar Ukva, Abba Chilkiyah, Chanina ben Dosa, Resh Lakish, Rebbi’s maidservant, wife of Rabbi Rechumi

JEL Classification: B11, M14