Affirming Women's Agency

Listen to this, you who devour the needy, annihilating the poor of the land, saying, "If only the new moon were over, so that we could sell grain; the sabbath, so that we could offer wheat for sale, using an ephah that is too small, and a shekel that is too big, tilting a dishonest scale, and selling grain refuse as grain! We will buy the poor for silver, the needy for a pair of sandals." [JPS translation]

Rav Yehudah said in the name of Rav: It happened once that a man cast his eye upon a woman and was overcome with great desire, so much so that he became gravely ill. They came and asked the doctors, who advised, “He cannot be healed unless he has sex with her.” The sages said, “Let him die and not have sex with her.” [The doctors suggested] “Let her stand before him naked.” The sages said, “Let him die and let her not stand before him naked.” [The doctors suggested] “Let her speak with him from behind a fence.” The sages said, “Let him die and not speak with her from behind a fence.” [AJWS translation]

Thus, if a man is righteous and does what is just and right: If he has not eaten on the mountains or raised his eyes to the fetishes of the House of Israel; if he has not defiled another man's wife or approached a menstruous woman; if he has not wronged anyone; if he has returned the debtor's pledge to him and has taken nothing by robbery; if he has given bread to the hungry and clothed the naked; if he has not lent at advance interest or exacted accrued interest; if he has abstained from wrongdoing and executed true justice between man and man; if he has followed My laws and kept My rules and acted honestly -- he is righteous. Such a man shall live -- declares Adonai. Suppose, now, that he has begotten a son who is a ruffian, a shedder of blood, who does any of these things, whereas he himself did none of these things. That is, the son has eaten on the mountains, has defiled another man's wife, has wronged the poor and the needy, has taken by robbery, has not returned a pledge, has raised his eyes to the fetishes, has committed abomination, has lent at advance interest, or exacted accrued interest -- shall he live? He shall not live! If he has committed any of these abominations, he shall die; he has forfeited his life. Now suppose that he, in turn, has begotten a son who has seen all the sins that his father committed, but has taken heed and has not imitated them: He has not eaten on the mountains or raised his eyes to the fetishes of the House of Israel; he has not defiled another man's wife; he has not wronged anyone; he has not seized a pledge or taken anything by robbery; he has given his bread to the hungry and clothed the naked; he has refrained from oppressing the poor; he has not exacted advance or accrued interest; he has obeyed My rules and followed My laws -- he shall not die for the iniquity of his father, but shall live. To be sure, his father, because he practiced fraud, robbed his brother, and acted wickedly among his kin, did die for his iniquity; and now you ask, "Why has not the son shared the burden of his father's guilt?" But the son has done what is right and just, and has carefully kept all My laws: he shall live! The person who sins shall die alone. A child shall not share the burden of a parent's guilt, nor shall a parent share the burden of a child's guilt; the righteousness of the righteous shall be accounted to them alone, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be accounted to them alone. Moreover, if the wicked one repents of all the sins that they committed and keeps all My laws and does what is just and right, they shall live; they shall not die. None of the transgressions they committed shall be remembered against them; because of the righteousness they have practiced, they shall live. Is it my desire that a wicked person shall die? -- says Adonai, God. It is rather that they shall turn back from his ways and live. So, too, if a righteous person turns away from righteousness and does wrong, practicing the very abominations that the wicked person practiced, shall that person live? None of the righteous deeds that they did shall be remembered; because of the treachery that person practiced and the sins they committed -- because of these, that person shall die. [JPS translation. Edited for gender neutrality]

Rabban Shimon ben Gamaliel said, "If a man vows that his wife may not do any work, he must divorce her and pay her ketubah settlement because lack of productivity brings about boredom [and insanity (according to Rashi)].

Every seventh year you shall practice remission of debts. This shall be the nature of the remission: every creditor shall remit the due that he/she claims from his/her fellow; s/he shall not dun his/her fellow or kinsman, for the remission proclaimed is of Adonai. You may dun the foreigner; but you must remit whatever is due you from your kinsmen. There shall be no needy among you -- since Adonai will bless you in the land that Adonai your God is giving you as a hereditary portion -- if only you heed Adonai your God and take care to keep all this Instruction that I enjoin upon you this day. For your God will bless you as God has promised you: you will extend loans to many nations, but require none yourself; you will dominate many nations, but they will not dominate you. If, however, there is a needy person among you, one of your kinsmen in any of your settlements in the land that Adonai your God is giving you, do not harden your heart and shut your hand against your needy kinsman. Rather, you must open your hand and lend him sufficient for whatever he needs. Beware lest you harbor the base thought, “The seventh year, the year of remission, is approaching,” so that you are mean to your needy kinsman and give him/her nothing. S/He will cry out to God against you, and you will incur guilt. Give to him/her readily and have no regrets when you do so, for in return your God will bless you in all your efforts and in all your undertakings. [JPS translation edited for gender-neutrality]

Thus said God: For three transgressions of Israel, [even] for four, I will not revoke [my wrath]. Because they have sold for silver those whose cause was just, and the needy for a pair of sandals. Ah, you who trample the heads of the poor into the dust of the ground, and make the humble walk a twisted course! Father and son go to the same girl, and thereby profane My holy name. They recline by every altar on garments taken in pledge, and drink in the House of their God wine bought with fines they imposed. [JPS translation]