(א) דִּ֭בְרֵי לְמוּאֵ֣ל מֶ֑לֶךְ מַ֝שָּׂ֗א אֲֽשֶׁר־יִסְּרַ֥תּוּ אִמּֽוֹ׃ (ב) מַה־בְּ֭רִי וּמַֽה־בַּר־בִּטְנִ֑י וּ֝מֶה בַּר־נְדָרָֽי׃ (ג) אַל־תִּתֵּ֣ן לַנָּשִׁ֣ים חֵילֶ֑ךָ וּ֝דְרָכֶ֗יךָ לַֽמְח֥וֹת מְלָכִֽין׃ (ד) אַ֤ל לַֽמְלָכִ֨ים ׀ לְֽמוֹאֵ֗ל אַ֣ל לַֽמְלָכִ֣ים שְׁתוֹ־יָ֑יִן וּ֝לְרוֹזְנִ֗ים או [אֵ֣י] שֵׁכָֽר׃ (ה) פֶּן־יִ֭שְׁתֶּה וְיִשְׁכַּ֣ח מְחֻקָּ֑ק וִֽ֝ישַׁנֶּה דִּ֣ין כָּל־בְּנֵי־עֹֽנִי׃ (ו) תְּנוּ־שֵׁכָ֣ר לְאוֹבֵ֑ד וְ֝יַיִן לְמָ֣רֵי נָֽפֶשׁ׃ (ז) יִ֭שְׁתֶּה וְיִשְׁכַּ֣ח רִישׁ֑וֹ וַ֝עֲמָל֗וֹ לֹ֣א יִזְכָּר־עֽוֹד׃ (ח) פְּתַח־פִּ֥יךָ לְאִלֵּ֑ם אֶל־דִּ֝֗ין כָּל־בְּנֵ֥י חֲלֽוֹף׃ (ט) פְּתַח־פִּ֥יךָ שְׁפָט־צֶ֑דֶק וְ֝דִ֗ין עָנִ֥י וְאֶבְיֽוֹן׃ (פ) (י) אֵֽשֶׁת־חַ֭יִל מִ֣י יִמְצָ֑א וְרָחֹ֖ק מִפְּנִינִ֣ים מִכְרָֽהּ׃ (יא) בָּ֣טַח בָּ֭הּ לֵ֣ב בַּעְלָ֑הּ וְ֝שָׁלָ֗ל לֹ֣א יֶחְסָֽר׃ (יב) גְּמָלַ֣תְהוּ ט֣וֹב וְלֹא־רָ֑ע כֹּ֝֗ל יְמֵ֣י חַיֶּֽיה׃ (יג) דָּ֭רְשָׁה צֶ֣מֶר וּפִשְׁתִּ֑ים וַ֝תַּ֗עַשׂ בְּחֵ֣פֶץ כַּפֶּֽיהָ׃ (יד) הָ֭יְתָה כָּאֳנִיּ֣וֹת סוֹחֵ֑ר מִ֝מֶּרְחָ֗ק תָּבִ֥יא לַחְמָֽהּ׃ (טו) וַתָּ֤קָם ׀ בְּע֬וֹד לַ֗יְלָה וַתִּתֵּ֣ן טֶ֣רֶף לְבֵיתָ֑הּ וְ֝חֹ֗ק לְנַעֲרֹתֶֽיהָ׃ (טז) זָמְמָ֣ה שָׂ֭דֶה וַתִּקָּחֵ֑הוּ מִפְּרִ֥י כַ֝פֶּ֗יהָ נטע [נָ֣טְעָה] כָּֽרֶם׃ (יז) חָֽגְרָ֣ה בְע֣וֹז מָתְנֶ֑יהָ וַ֝תְּאַמֵּ֗ץ זְרֹעוֹתֶֽיהָ׃ (יח) טָ֭עֲמָה כִּי־ט֣וֹב סַחְרָ֑הּ לֹֽא־יִכְבֶּ֖ה בליל [בַלַּ֣יְלָה] נֵרָֽהּ׃ (יט) יָ֭דֶיהָ שִׁלְּחָ֣ה בַכִּישׁ֑וֹר וְ֝כַפֶּ֗יהָ תָּ֣מְכוּ פָֽלֶךְ׃ (כ) כַּ֭פָּהּ פָּרְשָׂ֣ה לֶעָנִ֑י וְ֝יָדֶ֗יהָ שִׁלְּחָ֥ה לָֽאֶבְיֽוֹן׃ (כא) לֹא־תִירָ֣א לְבֵיתָ֣הּ מִשָּׁ֑לֶג כִּ֥י כָל־בֵּ֝יתָ֗הּ לָבֻ֥שׁ שָׁנִֽים׃ (כב) מַרְבַדִּ֥ים עָֽשְׂתָה־לָּ֑הּ שֵׁ֖שׁ וְאַרְגָּמָ֣ן לְבוּשָֽׁהּ׃ (כג) נוֹדָ֣ע בַּשְּׁעָרִ֣ים בַּעְלָ֑הּ בְּ֝שִׁבְתּ֗וֹ עִם־זִקְנֵי־אָֽרֶץ׃ (כד) סָדִ֣ין עָ֭שְׂתָה וַתִּמְכֹּ֑ר וַ֝חֲג֗וֹר נָתְנָ֥ה לַֽכְּנַעֲנִֽי׃ (כה) עֹז־וְהָדָ֥ר לְבוּשָׁ֑הּ וַ֝תִּשְׂחַ֗ק לְי֣וֹם אַחֲרֽוֹן׃ (כו) פִּ֭יהָ פָּתְחָ֣ה בְחָכְמָ֑ה וְתֽוֹרַת־חֶ֝֗סֶד עַל־לְשׁוֹנָֽהּ׃ (כז) צ֭וֹפִיָּה הֲלִיכ֣וֹת בֵּיתָ֑הּ וְלֶ֥חֶם עַ֝צְל֗וּת לֹ֣א תֹאכֵֽל׃ (כח) קָ֣מוּ בָ֭נֶיהָ וַֽיְאַשְּׁר֑וּהָ בַּ֝עְלָ֗הּ וַֽיְהַֽלְלָהּ׃ (כט) רַבּ֣וֹת בָּ֭נוֹת עָ֣שׂוּ חָ֑יִל וְ֝אַ֗תְּ עָלִ֥ית עַל־כֻּלָּֽנָה׃ (ל) שֶׁ֣קֶר הַ֭חֵן וְהֶ֣בֶל הַיֹּ֑פִי אִשָּׁ֥ה יִרְאַת־ה' הִ֣יא תִתְהַלָּֽל׃ (לא) תְּנוּ־לָ֭הּ מִפְּרִ֣י יָדֶ֑יהָ וִֽיהַלְל֖וּהָ בַשְּׁעָרִ֣ים מַעֲשֶֽׂיהָ׃
(1) The words of Lemuel, king of Massa, with which his mother admonished him: (2) No, my son! No, O son of my womb! No, O son of my vows! (3) Do not give your strength to women, Your vigor, to those who destroy kings. (4) Wine is not for kings, O Lemuel; Not for kings to drink, Nor any strong drink for princes, (5) Lest they drink and forget what has been ordained, And infringe on the rights of the poor. (6) Give strong drink to the hapless And wine to the embittered. (7) Let them drink and forget their poverty, And put their troubles out of mind. (8) Speak up for the dumb, For the rights of all the unfortunate. (9) Speak up, judge righteously, Champion the poor and the needy. (10) What a rare find is a capable wife! Her worth is far beyond that of rubies. (11) Her husband puts his confidence in her, And lacks no good thing. (12) She is good to him, never bad, All the days of her life. (13) She looks for wool and flax, And sets her hand to them with a will. (14) She is like a merchant fleet, Bringing her food from afar. (15) She rises while it is still night, And supplies provisions for her household, The daily fare of her maids. (16) She sets her mind on an estate and acquires it; She plants a vineyard by her own labors. (17) She girds herself with strength, And performs her tasks with vigor. (18) She sees that her business thrives; Her lamp never goes out at night. (19) She sets her hand to the distaff; Her fingers work the spindle. (20) She gives generously to the poor; Her hands are stretched out to the needy. (21) She is not worried for her household because of snow, For her whole household is dressed in crimson. (22) She makes covers for herself; Her clothing is linen and purple. (23) Her husband is prominent in the gates, As he sits among the elders of the land. (24) She makes cloth and sells it, And offers a girdle to the merchant. (25) She is clothed with strength and splendour; She looks to the future cheerfully. (26) Her mouth is full of wisdom, Her tongue with kindly teaching. (27) She oversees the activities of her household And never eats the bread of idleness. (28) Her children declare her happy; Her husband praises her, (29) “Many women have done well, But you surpass them all.” (30) Grace is deceptive, Beauty is illusory; It is for her fear of the LORD That a woman is to be praised. (31) Extol her for the fruit of her hand, And let her works praise her in the gates.
Strong's Hebrew Dictionary
אִשָּׁה
(n-f)
-
- woman, wife, female
- woman (opposite of man)
- wife (woman married to a man)
- female (of animals)
- each, every (pronoun)
- woman, wife, female
חַיִל
(n-m)
-
- strength, might, efficiency, wealth, army
- strength
- ability, efficiency
- wealth
- force, army
- strength, might, efficiency, wealth, army
What affects how we choose to translate 'eishet chayil'?
Why have these 22 attributes been chosen?
יום טוב דרבנן, דף פ"ז, עמוד ב'. ירושלים, תר"ג
'עוז והדר לבושה' - שהייתה לובשת תפילין וטלית שנקרא 'עוז והדר'. ומעיד עליה הכתוב לאמור 'ותשחק ליום אחרון' - ששכרה איתה ליום אחרון - בעולם הבא. שאף על פי שאינה מצווה - ועושה, מכל מקום - יש לה שכר. ש'גדול המצווה' אמרו, מכלל שמי שאינו מצווה ועושה גם נוטל שכר. אבל, אף חכמתה עמדה לה, שלא באת לשאול לחכמים אם תהיה מנחת או לא. אלא, היא מעצמה 'פיה פתחה בחכמה ותורת חסד על לשונה' - שהייתה עושה 'מצוות עשה שהזמן גרמן', שלא נצטוותה בהן - מעצמה. ומפיה היתה חיה.
Yom Tov Rabbanan, p47, Jerusalem (1823)
'She is clothed with strength and splendour' - she wears tefillin and tallit, which are called 'strength and splendour'. And the text says, 'she looks to the future cheerfully' [literally 'she laughs on the last day'] - which is her reward on the last day, i.e. the World to Come. Even though she is not obligated to - and does it anyway - she is rewarded. It is said that whoever isn't obligated in a commandment and does it anyway is rewarded.
She was so wise that she did not need to ask the Sages for rulings. Rather, she is powerful: 'her mouth is full of wisdom, her tongue with kindly teaching' - she does positive time-bound mitzvot that she is not obligated in. She lives by her own words.
Why is Eishet Chayil in our sacred texts? Who is speaking, and who are they speaking to? Who is the eishet chayil?
(א) אשת חיל. היא התורה:
Woman of valour: She is the Torah.
Siddur Avi Chai: Tefillot U’Berachot LaBayit U’LeMishpacha
by Avigdor Shinan
This biblical passage has been included in the Siddur since the 17th century when Kabbalists established other portions of the Friday night liturgy, such as poem Lecha Dodi. Its recitation on Friday evening is interpreted alternately as referring to Shabbat, the Torah, or the Divine Presence.
Rabbi Ruti Regan, Twitter, June 2018
I choose to read Proverbs 31 with the assumption that King Lemuel's mother (whose name no one bothered to record) knew that men often unjustly devalue women's work and disregard women's virtues. If you look at the plain meaning of Prov. 31:10, she doesn't actually say that it's rare for women to be valorous, she says that it's rare for men to find valorous women. Women are, in fact, valuable whether or not men seen our value.[...]
If you assume that Lemuel's mother is a misogynist, v12-13 say that women's value lays in serving their husbands flawlessly. If you assume she values women, then she's telling off men for not valuing all the things their wives do for them. The word חיל in almost every other place it occurs refers to male-coded forms of power[...]
Perhaps when King Lemuel's mother admonished him "do not give your valour to women", she meant "because they have their own, and trying to replace it with yours will not end well."