Volume II of Hilkhot Nashim, edited by Rahel Berkovits, ̣ is a gift to any person looking to engage seriously with questions of women’s obligation in, and performance of, mitzvot. The volume focuses on four areas. The first three—Kiddush, Hamotsi, and Havdalah—are specifically about the laws of Shabbat and holidays; the fourth and final section details halakhot and customs surrounding women touching a Sefer Torah while in a state of menstrual impurity. Taken together, these four topics address significant religious practices that women encounter on a weekly basis, both in their homes and in synagogue life.
The book is a joy to read. Each section begins with a clear set of questions. These questions are then addressed by a meticulous and rigorous analysis of classical rabbinic texts, beginning with the Mishnah and Talmud and continuing through to modern times. Every section ends with a summary of conclusions that answer the initial questions.
Reading volume II of Hilkhot Nashim is like studying with an extraordinarily clear, erudite, and organized teacher. Indeed, in the introduction, readers are encouraged “to invite a friend to study the sources in a havruta ̣ partnership or to organize a study group in your community” (p. xii). Arguments are presented in a straightforward manner, so that even those unfamiliar with halakhic texts can follow and understand. However, the breadth of sources brought and the detailed analysis of language and concepts make it a book that scholars can study and use as a basis for further research.
I especially appreciated the authors’ forthright didacticism. This is not a book meant as abstract analysis. Instead, the authors express the hope, time and again, that reading these essays will enable women and men to make thoughtful and knowledgeable choices about their practices. Berkovits points out the ways in which communal norms around women refraining from reciting havdalah diverge from the halakhic tradition. She argues that because the preponderant halakhic position is that women and men are equally obligated in havdalah, “women may recite and repeat havdalah for others, both men and women” (p. 283).
Devorah Zlochower, author of the section on Sefer Torah, notes the persistent practice of praising women who stay away from synagogue while in a state of menstrual impurity, even though there is no halakhic basis for this. She argues that even though “Ashkenazic Rishonim saw these practices as commendable, they regarded them as custom and not law” (p. 348). Zlochower concludes that today, given that women attend synagogue, recite blessings, and learn Torah while menstruating, “one should not distinguish touching a Torah scroll from these other practices” (p. 348). The authors believe that with access to a full complement of halakhic texts, women will feel empowered to approach mitzvot confidently and assuredly and will choose to engage more decisively in halakhic practice.
Berkovits and Zlochower are master teachers and their pedagogy is apparent in both the structure of the book and in its tone. They challenge us to know more, to ground our practices in an understanding of halakhic sources, and, most importantly, to be moved by our study to live a life that is more deliberate. They also enable a high level of learning that everyone can do at their own pace in their own space. I look forward to seeing which topics the series will turn to next!