וַיְהִי אַחַר הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה. זֶה שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב: וּמוֹצֵא אֲנִי מַר מִמָּוֶת אֶת הָאִשָּׁה אֲשֶׁר הִיא מְצוֹדִים וַחֲרָמִים וְגוֹ' (קהלת ז, כו). אָמַר רַבִּי יְהוּדָה בַּר שָׁלוֹם, אֵין לְךָ קָשָׁה מִן הָאִשָּׁה. תֵּדַע לְךָ, שֶׁכְּשֶׁעָשׂוּ אֶת הָעֵגֶל, כְּתִיב: וַיִּפֹּל מִן הָעָם בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא כִּשְׁלֹשֶׁת אַלְפֵי אִישׁ (שמות לב, כח). וְעַל יְדֵי אִשָּׁה בַּשִּׁטִּים נָפְלוּ אַרְבָּעָה וְעֶשְׂרִים אָלֶף. הֱוֵי אוֹמֵר, וּמוֹצֵא אֲנִי מַר מִמָּוֶת אֶת הָאִשָּׁה. מַהוּ אֲסוּרִים יָדֶיהָ. אִלּוּלֵי שֶׁכָּתוּב בָּהּ אֲסוּרִים יָדֶיהָ, הָיְתָה תוֹפֶסֶת לָאָדָם בַּשּׁוּק. And it came to pass after these things (Gen. 40:1). Scripture states elsewhere in reference to this verse: And I find more bitter than death the woman, whose heart is snares and nets, and her hands as bands; whoso pleaseth God shall escape from her; but the sinner shall be taken by her (Eccles. 7:26). R. Judah the son of Shalum said: Nothing is more troublesome to a man than a woman. A proof of this is the incident of the golden calf. It is written concerning that event: When the golden calf was erected, there fell of the people that day about three thousand men (Exod. 32:28), while because of a single woman twenty-four thousand perished at Shittim.8Twenty-four thousand of the tribe of Simeon died at Shittim because Zimri had sexual relations with Cozbi, the daughter of the Moabite king, Balak. See Num. 25:1–9, 14–15) Therefore Scripture says: I find more bitter than death the woman (Eccles. 7:26). What is meant by her hands as bands? If it had not been written about woman that her hands as bands, she would grasp men in the marketplace.
בֹּא וּרְאֵה כְּשֶׁבִּקֵּשׁ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לִבְרֹא אֶת חַוָּה, הָיָה מְחַשֵּׁב מֵאֵיזֶה מָקוֹם לִבְרֹאתָהּ. אָמַר, אִם אֶבְרָא אוֹתָהּ מִן הָרֹאשׁ, תִּהְיֶה רוּחָהּ גַּסָּה. מִן הָעַיִן, תִּהְיֶה סַקְרָנִית. מִן הַפֶּה, תִּהְיֶה פַּטְפְּטָנִית. מִן הָאֹזֶן, תִּהְיֶה צַיְּתָנִית. מִן הַיָּדַיִם, תִּהְיֶה גּוֹנֶבֶת. מִן הָרַגְלַיִם, תִּהְיֶה פַּרְדָּנִית. מֶה עָשָׂה הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא. בְּרָאָהּ מִן הַצֵּלָע מִמָּקוֹם צָנוּעַ, כְּדֵי שֶׁתִּהְיֶה צְנוּעָה יוֹשֶׁבֶת בַּבַּיִת, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וַיִּקַּח אַחַת מִצַּלְעֹתָיו (בראשית ב, כב). וְאַף עַל פִּי כֵן לֹא יָצְאוּ יְדֵיהֶן מֵאֵלּוּ הַמּוּמִין. לֹא בְרָאָהּ מִן הָרֹאשׁ שֶׁלֹּא תְהֵא רוּחָהּ גַּסָּה, עָמְדוּ בְּנוֹת צִיּוֹן וְהָיְתָה רוּחָן גַּסָּה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וַיֹּאמֶר ה' יַעַן כִּי גָבְהוּ בְּנוֹת צִיּוֹן וְגוֹ' (ישעיה ג, טז). לֹא בְרָאָהּ מִן הָעַיִן שֶׁלֹּא תְהֵא סַקְרָנִית, עָמְדָה חַוָּה וְהָיְתָה סַקְרָנִית, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וַתֵּרֶא הָאִשָּׁה כִּי טוֹב הָעֵץ וְגוֹ' (בראשית ג, ו). לֹא בְרָאָהּ מִן הַפֶּה שֶׁלֹּא תְהֵא פַטְפְּטָנִית, עָמְדָה לֵאָה וְהָיְתָה פַטְפְּטָנִית, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וַתֹּאמֶר לָהּ הַמְעַט קַחְתֵּךְ אֶת אִישִׁי (בראשית ל, טו). וְכֵן, וַתְּדַבֵּר מִרְיָם וְאַהֲרֹן בְּמֹשֶׁה (במדבר יב, א). לֹא בְרָאָהּ מִן הָאֹזֶן שֶׁלֹּא תְהֵא צַיְּתָנִית, עָמְדָה שָׂרָה וְהָיְתָה צַיְּתָנִית, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וְשָׂרָה שֹׁמַעַת פֶּתַח הָאֹהֶל (בראשית יח, י). לֹא בְרָאָהּ מִן הַיָּד שֶׁלֹּא תְהֵא גוֹנֶבֶת, וְרָחֵל הָיְתָה גוֹנֶבֶת, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וַתִּגְנֹב רָחֵל אֶת הַתְּרָפִים (בראשית לא, יט). לֹא בְרָאָהּ מִן הָרֶגֶל שֶׁלֹּא תְהֵא פַרְדָּנִית, עָמְדָה לֵאָה וְהָיְתָה פַרְדָּנִית, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וַתֵּצֵא לֵאָה (בראשית ל, טז). וְכֵן וַתֵּצֵא דִינָה (בראשית לד, א). Observe that when the Holy One, blessed be He, was about to fashion Eve, He gave considerable thought to the parts of Adam’s body out of which He would create her. He said: If I create her out of a portion of his head, she will be haughty; if I fashion her from his eyes, she will be inquisitive; if I mold her out of his mouth, she will babble; from the ear, she will be an eavesdropper; from the hands, she will steal; and from the feet, she will be a gadabout. What did He do? He fashioned her out of one of Adam’s ribs, a chaste portion of the body, so that she would stay modestly at home, as it is said: And the rib which the Lord had taken (Gen. 2:22). Nevertheless, women do not lack any of these failings. He did not create her from the head of Adam lest she be haughty, nevertheless the daughters of Zion arose and were haughty, as is said: Moreover, the Lord said: Because the daughters of Zion are haughty (Isa. 3:16). He did not fashion her from his eyes lest she be inquisitive, yet Eve was inquisitive, as it is said: And the woman saw that the tree was good (Gen. 3:6). He did not mold her from his mouth lest she babble, but Leah came and babbled, as it is written: And she said unto her: “Is it a small matter that thou hast taken away my husband?” (Gen. 30:15), and it states elsewhere: And Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses (Num. 12:1). He did not create her from the ear, lest she eavesdrop, yet Sarah did eavesdrop, as is said: And Sarah heard in the tent door (Gen. 18:10); He did not fashion her out of his hand, lest she steal, nevertheless Rachel stole the teraphim, as it is said: And Rachel stole (ibid. 31:19); He did not create her from the foot, lest she be a gadabout, but Leah came and was a gadabout, as is said: And Leah went out (ibid. 30:16), and similarly Dinah went out (ibid. 34:1).
אָמַר רַבִּי יְהוּדָה בַּר שָׁלוֹם, וְזוֹ שֶׁאָמַרְנוּ, בִּכְשֵׁרוֹת שֶׁבְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, וְאֵין צָרִיךְ לוֹמַר בִּשְׁאָר הַנָּשִׁים. אֲבָל בִּצְנוּעוֹת שֶׁבְּאֻמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם מַה כְּתִיב: וַתִּתְפְּשֵׂהוּ בְּבִגְדוֹ לֵאמֹר שִׁכְבָה עִמִּי. טוֹב לִפְנֵי הָאֱלֹהִים יִמָּלֵט מִמֶּנָּה, זֶה יוֹסֵף, וְחוֹטֵא יִלָּכֶד בָּהּ, זֶה זִמְרִי שֶׁנִּלְכַּד בָּהּ בַּשִּׁטִּים. R. Judah the son of Shalum declared: If we are able to say this about righteous women in Israel, surely there is no need to comment upon other women. Observe what is written with reference to immodest women of the nations that served idols: And she caught him by his garments, saying: “Lie with me” (ibid. 39:12). Whoso pleaseth God shall escape from her (Eccles. 7:26) alludes to Joseph, and the sinners shall be taken by her refers to Zimri, who was taken by her at Shittim.
וַתִּשָּׂא אֵשֶׁת אֲדֹנָיו, זֶה שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב: תֶּחְשַׁכְנָה עֵינֵיהֶם מֵרְאוֹת וְגוֹ' (תהלים סט, כד). אַתָּה מוֹצֵא שֶׁהַצַּדִּיקִים מִתְרוֹמְמִין בְּעֵינֵיהֶם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וַיִּשָּׂא אַבְרָהָם אֶת עֵינָיו וַיַּרְא אֶת הַמָּקוֹם (בראשית כב, ד). וְכֵן וַיִּשָּׂא אַבְרָהָם אֶת עֵינָיו וַיַּרְא וְהִנֵּה אַיִל (בראשית כב, יג). וְכֵן וַיִּשָּׂא עֵינָיו וַיַּרְא וְהִנֵּה שְׁלֹשָׁה אֲנָשִׁים (בראשית יח, ב). בְּיִצְחָק, וַיֵּצֵא יִצְחָק לָשׂוּחַ בַּשָּׂדֶה לִפְנוֹת עָרֶב וַיִּשָּׂא עֵינָיו וַיַּרְא וְגוֹ' (בראשית כד, סג). בְּיַעֲקֹב, וַיִּשָּׂא יַעֲקֹב עֵינָיו וַיַּרְא וְהִנֵּה עֵשָׂו בָּא וַיַּחַץ אֶת הַיְלָדִים (בראשית לג, א). אֲבָל הָרְשָׁעִים, נוֹפְלִים בְּעֵינֵיהֶם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וַיִּשָּׂא לוֹט אֶת עֵינָיו וַיַּרְא אֶת כָּל כִּכַּר הַיַּרְדֵּן (בראשית יג, י), זֶה סְדוֹם, שֶׁהִנִּיחַ לְאַבְרָהָם וְהָלַךְ לִסְדוֹם לַעֲשׂוֹת מַעֲשֵׂיהֶן. לְכָךְ קָרָא שְׁמוֹ לוֹט, שְׁמוֹ גָרַם לוֹ. וַיַּרְא בָּלָק בֶּן צִפּוֹר (במדבר כב, ב). וְכֵן אַתָּה פוֹתֵר אֶת כֻּלָּם. His master’s wife cast her eyes upon Joseph (Gen. 38:7). Scripture states elsewhere in allusion to this verse: Let their eyes be darkened, that they see not; and make their loins continually to totter (Ps. 69:24). You find that the righteous are exalted through their eyes, as it is said: And Abraham lifted his eyes and saw the place (Gen. 22:4); Abraham lifted his eyes and he saw, and behold, it was a ram (ibid., v. 13): and also: Abraham lifted his eyes, and looked, and lo, three men stood over against him (ibid. 18:2); Isaac lifted up his eyes, as is said: And Isaac went out to meditate in the field at eventide; and he lifted up his eyes (ibid. 24:63); and with regard to Jacob it likewise says: Jacob lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, Esau came (ibid. 33:1). Wicked men, however, are degraded through their eyes, as it is said: And Lot lifted up his eyes and beheld all the plain of the Jordan (ibid. 13:10). This refers to Sodom, which had been previously selected by Abraham, but to which Lot went, and where he behaved as they did. That is why his name was Lot. For Lot means accursed (lut), and that is what happened to him. And Balak the son of Zippor saw (Num. 22:2), and he was also degraded through his eyes. You may explain every instance in which a wicked man saw in the same way.