Pious and Rebellious : Jewish Women in Medieval Europe

Preface xi Introduction 1(1) The Historical Background 1(2) Sources 3(3) The Chronological and Geographical Framework 6(2) The Image of the Woman: Partner or the ``Other''? 8(25) The Creation and the Superiority of Man 10(3) The Temptation in the Garden of Eden and the Superiority of Man 13(2) Characteristics of Woman and the Superiority of Man 15(5) Women and Sorcery 20(3) The ``Medical Inferiority'' of Women and the Superiority of Men 23(2) The Obligation to Perform Mitzvot and the Superiority of Man 25(2) Expressions in Praise of Women and their Perception as ``Partner'' 27(4) Between Image and Reality 31(2) Age at Marriage 33(16) The Talmudic Heritage 34(2) The Situation in Babylonia in the Eighth and Ninth Centuries 36(1) The Situation in Non-Jewish Society 36(1) The Situation in Jewish Society during the Tenth through Thirteenth Centuries 37(7) Factors Causing the Large Number of Childhood Marriages 44(2) Results of Early Marriage 46(3) Engagement, Betrothal, and the Choice of a Marriage Partner 49(19) The Ceremonies and their Development 49(2) The Ban in Ashkenaz against Cancelling Engagements 51(4) Choice of Marriage Partner 55(5) Consensual Marriage in Christian Europe 60(4) The Institution of Matchmaking and Its Place in Jewish Society 64(4) Monogamy and Polygamy 68(34) The Biblical and Talmudic Heritage 68(2) The Situation in Ashkenaz 70(8) Polygamy in Spain 78(10) The Atmosphere in the Polygamous Family 88(2) Levirate Marriage and Bigamy 90(12) Feminine Modesty and Women's Role in Supporting the Family 102(21) The Talmudic Tradition 102(1) Modesty in Muslim Society 103(2) Modesty in Jewish Society in Muslim Countries 105(4) The ``Miqveh Rebellion'' in Egypt 109(2) The Situation in Jewish Society in Spain 111(3) Feminine Modesty and Women's Work in Christian Europe 114(3) The Situation in Ashkenazic Jewish Society 117(4) Changes in the Legal Status of Women 121(2) Woman as Wife and Mother and Her Economic Status 123(31) The Woman within Her Home 123(10) Prostitution and Concubinage 133(14) The Woman's Economic Status 147(7) Women's Culture and Education 154(20) The Talmudic Heritage 154(3) The Situation in Muslim Society 157(1) The Situation in Christian Society 158(2) The Stance of the Jewish Sages in the Middle Ages 160(2) Learned Women 162(3) Education of Women in Jewish Society 165(2) Girls' Education and Erudition in Ashkenaz 167(3) The Situation in Spain 170(2) Education of Jewish Women in Italy and Sicily 172(2) The Role of Women in Religious Life and in Family Ceremonies 174(24) The Biblical and Talmudic Heritage 174(1) The Role of Women in Religious Life in Christian Europe 175(3) The Performance of Time-Linked Positive Commandments 178(2) Women in the Synagogue 180(8) Women in the Celebration of Passover 188(2) Women Circumcisers 190(1) Women as Ritual Slaughterers 190(2) Fast Days and Acts of Charity by Women 192(1) Refraining from Eating Meat During the Season of Mourning 193(1) Women as Bearers of Halakhic Traditions 194(1) The Role of Women in Family Ceremonies 195(3) Women's Role in Jewish Martyrdom in Europe in the Eleventh to Thirteenth Centuries 198(14) The Descriptions of Women in Chronicles about the Pogroms 198(1) The Historical Reliability of the Descriptions in the Chronicles 199(3) The Role of Women in Jewish Martyrdom According to Christian Sources 202(1) The ``Beauty'' and ``Purity'' of the Women 203(1) Kiddush Hashem and the Cultural and Social Status of the Women 204(1) The Description in the Chronicles and the Public Image 205(4) Between the Chronicles of 1096 and Sefer Zekhirah 209(3) Violence Toward Women 212(19) The Talmudic Tradition 212(1) The Situation in Christian and Muslim Society 213(2) The Position of the Babylonian Geonim 215(3) The Position of the Spanish Sages 218(1) Maimonides' Position 219(4) The Situation in France and Italy 223(2) The Situation in Germany 225(3) Wife Beating for ``Education'' 228(2) Summary: Between Theory and Reality 230(1) The Divorcee and the ``Rebellious Wife'' 231(22) The Divorcee 231(1) The Biblical and Talmudic Heritage 231(1) The Attitude of Medieval Jewish Sages to Divorce 232(3) Grounds for Divorce 235(5) The ``Rebellious Wife'' 240(1) The Change at the Beginning of the Geonic Period 241(1) The Retreat from the Taqqanah of Moredet during the Twelfth Century 242(2) The Proliferation of Divorce in Ashkenaz in the Thirteenth Century and Thereafter 244(4) ``Rebellion'' of Women in Christian Society 248(1) Divorce in Spain 249(2) The Attitude to the Divorcee 251(2) The Widow and the ``Murderous Wife'' 253(20) The Large Number of Widows 253(1) The Biblical and Talmudic Heritage 254(1) The Situation in Non-Jewish Society 255(1) Life Expectancy in Europe 256(1) The Situation in Jewish Society: The Attitude to the Widow's Remarriage 257(2) The Commonness of Widowhood and its Social Significance 259(1) The Widow's Economic Rights 259(3) The ``Murderous Wife'' (Qatlanit) 262(11) Summary: Woman's Status in Historical Perspective 273(10) The Positive Changes 273(4) Negative Changes 277(1) The Silencing of Creativity 278(2) Between ``Pious'' and ``Rebellious'' Women 280(3) Notes 283(24) Glossary 307(2) Bibliography 309(8) Index 317