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Pilegesh
(, , possibly related to ) is a term from the Hebrew Bible for a concubine, a female, unmarried sexual slave of social and legal status inferior to that of a wife. Among the Israelites, some men acknowledged their ''pilgashím'', who thus had the same rights in the home as legal wives. Despite Maimonides' notable dissension, Jewish textual scholars, including Nahmanides, Jacob Emden and the head of the beth din of ''Akdamot'' in Jerusalem, have concluded that taking a woman as a concubine is allowed in contemporary Jewish culture. Etymology In Judaism, concubines are referred to by the Hebrew term (). The term appears to be an Indo-European loanword related to , meaning 'concubine'.Marc Lee Raphael, ''Agendas for the study of Midrash in the twenty-first century'', p. 136, Dept. of Religion, College of William and Mary, 1999Nicholas Clapp, ''Sheba: Through the Desert in Search of the Legendary Queen'', p. 297, Houghton Mifflin, 2002 In the Hebrew of the contemporary Stat ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Concubinage
Concubinage is an interpersonal relationship, interpersonal and Intimate relationship, sexual relationship between two people in which the couple does not want to, or cannot, enter into a full marriage. Concubinage and marriage are often regarded as similar, but mutually exclusive. During the early stages of European colonialism, administrators often encouraged European men to practice concubinage to discourage them from paying prostitutes for sex (which could spread venereal disease) and from homosexuality. Colonial administrators also believed that having an intimate relationship with a native woman would enhance white men's understanding of native culture and would provide them with essential domestic labor. The latter was critical, as it meant white men did not require wives from the metropole, hence did not require a family wage. Colonial administrators eventually discouraged the practice when these liaisons resulted in offspring who threatened colonial rule by producing a m ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jacob Emden
Jacob Emden, also known as the Yaʿavetz (June 4, 1697 – April 19, 1776), was a leading German rabbi and talmudist who championed traditional Judaism in the face of the growing influence of the Sabbatean movement. He was widely acclaimed for his extensive knowledge. Emden was the son of the hakham Tzvi Ashkenazi and a descendant of Elijah Ba'al Shem of Chełm. He spent most of his life in Altona (now part of Hamburg, Germany). His son, Meshullam Solomon, served as rabbi of the Hambro Synagogue in London and claimed authority as Chief Rabbi of the United Kingdom from 1765 to 1780. The acronym Yaʿavetz (, also rendered ''Yaavetz'') is formed from his Hebrew name, Yaʿkov ben Tzvi (). Seven of his 31 works were published posthumously. Biography Early life and education Jacob Emden (born Ashkenazi) was the fifth of his father's 15 children. Until the age of seventeen, he studied Talmud under his father, Tzvi Ashkenazi, a foremost rabbinic authority, first in Alt ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bilhah
Bilhah ( "unworried", Standard Hebrew: ''Bilha'', Tiberian Hebrew: ''Bīlhā'') is a woman mentioned in the Book of Genesis. describes her as Laban's handmaiden (), who was given to Rachel to be her handmaid on Rachel's marriage to Jacob. When Rachel failed to have children, Rachel gave Bilhah to Jacob like a wife to bear him children. Bilhah gave birth to two sons, whom Rachel claimed as her own and named Dan and Naphtali. expressly calls Bilhah Jacob's concubine, a '' pilegesh''. When Leah saw that she had stopped having children, she took her servant Zilpah and gave her to Jacob like a wife to bear him children as well. The apocryphal Testament of Naftali says that Bilhah and Zilpah's father was named Rotheus. He was taken into captivity but redeemed by Laban, Rachel and Leah's father. Laban gave Rotheus a wife named Euna, who was the girls' mother. On the other hand, the early rabbinical commentary '' Pirkei De-Rabbi Eliezer'' and other rabbinic sources ( Midrash Rabba ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hebrew Bible
The Hebrew Bible or Tanakh (;"Tanach" . '' Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary''. ; ; or ), also known in Hebrew as (; ), is the canonical collection of scriptures, comprising the Torah (the five Books of Moses), the Nevi'im (the Books of the Prophets), and the [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rashi
Shlomo Yitzchaki (; ; ; 13 July 1105) was a French rabbi who authored comprehensive commentaries on the Talmud and Hebrew Bible. He is commonly known by the List of rabbis known by acronyms, Rabbinic acronym Rashi (). Born in Troyes, Rashi studied Torah studies in Worms, Germany, Worms under German rabbi Yaakov ben Yakar and French rabbi Isaac ben Eliezer Halevi, both of whom were pupils of the famed scholar Gershom ben Judah. After returning to Troyes, Rashi joined the , began answering Halakha, halakhic questions and later served as the 's head after the death of Zerach ben Abraham. Rashi is generally considered a leading biblical exegete in the Middle Ages. Acclaimed for his ability to present the basic meaning of the text in a concise and lucid fashion, Rashi's commentaries appeal to both learned scholars and beginning students, and his works remain a centerpiece of contemporary Torah study. A large fraction of rabbinic literature published since the Middle Ages discusses Ra ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Erusin
''Erusin'' (, also Babylonian ''ʾirrusin'') is the Hebrew term for betrothal. In Modern Hebrew, ''erusin'' means engagement, but this is not the historical meaning of the term, which is the first part of marriage, the second part being the '' nissuin'' "nuptials". Since the Middle Ages it is customary for the marriage to occur immediately after the betrothal, and to perform the betrothal during the marriage ceremony itself. Previously, this was not the case, and there were often several months between the two events, according to Ketubot 57b: "a virgin is given twelve months to prepare for her wedding? ... a widow given her thirty days". In Hebrew and rabbinic literature, betrothal is frequently referred to as "sanctification" (), on account of the bride becoming "sanctified" (dedicated) to the groom. In the Hebrew Bible The Book of Deuteronomy introduces the concept of erusin. This holds the couple accountable to the law against adultery, which is punishable by death, wh ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nissuin
A Jewish wedding is a wedding ceremony that follows Jewish laws and traditions. While wedding ceremonies vary, common features of a Jewish wedding include a ''ketubah'' (marriage contract) that is signed by two witnesses, a ''chuppah'' or ''huppah'' (wedding canopy), a ring owned by the groom that is given to the bride under the canopy, and the breaking of a glass. Technically, the Jewish wedding process has two distinct stages. The first, '' kiddushin'' (Hebrew for "betrothal"; sanctification or dedication, also called ''erusin'') and ''nissuin'' (marriage), is when the couple start their life together. It is at the first stage (kiddushin) when the woman becomes prohibited to all other men, requiring a '' get'' (religious divorce) to dissolve it, while the second stage permits the couple to each other. The ceremony that accomplishes ''nissuin'' is also known as ''chuppah''.Made in Heaven, A Jewish Wedding Guide by Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan, Moznaim Publishing Company, New York / Jer ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ketubah
A ketubah (; ) is a Jewish marriage contract. It is considered an integral part of a Jewish views on marriage, traditional Jewish marriage, and outlines the rights and responsibilities of the groom, in relation to the bride. In modern practice, the ''ketubah'' has no agreed monetary value, and is seldom enforced by civil courts, except in Israel. History According to the Talmud, Babylonian Talmud, the ''ketubah'' was enacted by Simeon ben Shetach so that it might not be a light thing for a man to divorce his wife. The enactment provides for a man's wife to receive a fixed sum of money, usually accruing from his property, in the event of his divorcing her or of his predeceasing her. ''Sefer ha-Chinuch'' suggests a different reason: "...the Torah has commanded us to perform an act before taking a wife, a matter that is intended to show that they are a couple united in wedlock before he lies down with her carnally, and that he not come upon her as one would do to a prostitution, ha ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Babylonian Talmud
The Talmud (; ) is the central text of Rabbinic Judaism and the primary source of Jewish religious law (''halakha'') and Jewish theology. Until the advent of modernity, in nearly all Jewish communities, the Talmud was the centerpiece of Jewish cultural life and was foundational to "all Jewish thought and aspirations", serving also as "the guide for the daily life" of Jews. The Talmud includes the teachings and opinions of thousands of rabbis on a variety of subjects, including halakha, Jewish ethics, philosophy, customs, history, and folklore, and many other topics. The Talmud is a commentary on the Mishnah. This text is made up of 63 tractates, each covering one subject area. The language of the Talmud is Jewish Babylonian Aramaic. Talmudic tradition emerged and was compiled between the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE and the Arab conquest in the early seventh century. Traditionally, it is thought that the Talmud itself was compiled by Rav Ashi and Ravina II a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Orach Chayim
''Orach Chayim'' ("manner/way of life") is a section of Rabbi Jacob ben Asher's compilation of Halakha (Jewish law), '' Arba'ah Turim''. This section addresses aspects of Jewish law pertinent to the Hebrew calendar (be it the daily, weekly, monthly, or annual calendar). Rabbi Yosef Karo modeled the framework of the '' Shulkhan Arukh'' (שולחן ערוך), his own compilation of practical Jewish law, after the ''Arba'ah Turim.'' Many later commentators used this framework, as well. Thus, ''Orach Chayim'' in common usage may refer to another area of halakha, separate from Rabbi Jacob ben Asher's compilation. ''Orach Chayim'' deals with but is not limited to: *Washing the hands in the morning * Tefillin * Tzitzit (ritual fringes) *Prayer * Sabbath * Festivals * Torah reading in synagogue. Commentaries on the ''Shulchan Aruch'' – ''Orach Chayim'' * ''Taz (Turei Zohov)'' – by Rabbi David HaLevi Segal * ''Magen Avraham'' – by Rabbi Avraham Gombiner * ''Biur HaGra'' – ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rachel
Rachel () was a Bible, Biblical figure, the favorite of Jacob's two wives, and the mother of Joseph (Genesis), Joseph and Benjamin, two of the twelve progenitors of the tribes of Israel. Rachel's father was Laban (Bible), Laban. Her older sister was Leah, Jacob's first wife. Her aunt Rebecca was Jacob's mother. After Leah conceived again, Rachel finally had a son, Joseph (son of Jacob), Joseph, who would become Jacob's favorite child. Children Rachel's son Joseph (Genesis), Joseph was destined to be the leader of Israel's tribes between exile and nationhood. This role is exemplified in the Biblical story of Joseph, who prepared the way in Egypt for his family's exile there. After Joseph's birth, Jacob decided to return to the land of Canaan with his family. Fearing that Laban would deter him, he fled with his two wives, Leah and Rachel, and twelve children without informing his father-in-law. Laban pursued him and accused him of stealing his teraphim. Indeed, Rachel had taken ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Zilpah
In the Book of Genesis, Zilpah ( ''Zīlpā'', meaning uncertain) was Leah's handmaidIn Context whom Leah gave to Jacob like a wife to bear him children (). Zilpah gave birth to two sons, whom Leah claimed as her own and named Gad and Asher (). Zilpah was given to Leah as a handmaid by Leah's father, Laban, upon Leah's marriage to Jacob (see , ). According to the early rabbinical commentary Pirke De-Rabbi Eliezer, Zilpah and Bilhah, the handmaids of Leah and Rachel, respectively, were actually daughters of Laban and one or more of his concubines. But modern scholars believe that Zilpah and Bilhah were most likely foreign, like Tamar and Asenath. Zilpah also figured in the competition between Jacob's wives to bear him sons. Leah stopped conceiving after the birth of her fourth son, at which point Rachel, who had not yet borne any children, offered her handmaid, Bilhah, to Jacob like a wife in order to have children through her. After Bilhah bore two sons, Leah took up the sa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
