Women in Judaism

(7) All obligations of the son upon the father, men are obligated, but women are exempt. But all obligations of the father upon the son, both men and women are obligated. All positive, time-bound commandments, men are obligated and women are exempt. But all positive non-time-bound commandments both men and women are obligated. And all negative commandments, whether time-bound or not time-bound, both men and women are obligated, except for, the prohibition against rounding [the corners of the head], and the prohibition against marring [the corner of the beard], and the prohibition [for a priest] to become impure through contact with the dead.

(5) She remains in the domain of her father until she enters the domain of her husband [by going into the bridal chamber] at marriage. If her father delivered her to the agents of the husband she passes into the domain of her husband. If her father went with the husband’s agents or if the father’s agents went with the husband’s agents she remains in the domain of her father. If her father’s agents delivered her to the husband’s agents she passes into the domain of her husband.

(5) The following are the kinds of work which a woman must perform for her husband:Grinding, Baking,If she brought one slave-woman into the marriage she need not grind or bake or wash. Washing,Rabbi Eliezer says: even if she brought him a hundred slave-women he may compel her to work in wool; for idleness leads to unchastity. Cooking, Nursing her child, Preparing his bed, And working in wool. [If she brought] two slave-women, she need not cook or nurse her child. If three, she need not prepare his bed or work in wool. If four, she may lounge in an easy chair. Rabbi Shimon ben Gamaliel says: if a man forbade his wife under a vow to do any work he must divorce her and give her kethubah to her for idleness leads to insanity.

(12) A man may not be alone with two women, but one woman may be alone with two men. Rabbi Shimon says: even one man may be alone with two women, if his wife is with him, and he may sleep with them in an inn, because his wife watches him. A man may be alone with his mother and his daughter, and he may sleep with them in immediate bodily contact; but when they grow up, she must sleep in her garment and he in his.

(1) The wife can be divorced only with a written document that comes into her possession; such a document is called get (letter of divorce). There are ten basic things prescribed by the Torah in the divorce proceedings, namely: 1) The get must come from the husband voluntarily. 2) He must prepare it in writing only. 3) The subject of the letter must unfold that he has divorced and removed her from his possession. 4) It must express the idea of separation between him and her. 5) It must be especially written for her. 6) It must not require any other act except delivery. 7) He must hand it to her. 8) He must hand it to her in the presence of witnesses. 9) He must give it to her as a letter of divorce. 10) Only the husband, or his agent, must be the one handing it to her. The rest of the features of a get, such as the date and the signature of the witnesses, and the like, are all rabbinic in origin.

(9) One who coveted a certain woman and became dangerously sick so that his life was despaired of, and the doctors declared that for him there was no remedy save that she be with him, he shall die even though she be not wedded and even though the remedy be for him to talk to her from behind a screen, no permission shall be given to him; let him die⁹Sanhedrin, 74b. C. but no permission be given him to talk to her from behind a screen, so that the daughters in Israel shall not be without protection, and thereby become accustomed to consider unchastity lightly.