Uncovered by Rabbanit Nechama Goldman Barash is a relatively compact volume that nonetheless manages to delve deeply into many issues relating to women’s role in Jewish practice in the twentyfirst century. Goldman Barash, a yoetzet halakhah and teacher of halakhah and Talmud at various educational institutions in Israel, is a masterful educator whose facility with texts from the Torah to twenty first century responsa and everything in between truly shines.
The book is divided into three sections: broadly interrogating the role of gender in Jewish law; exploring the halakhic, historical, and sociological dimensions of women in Torah study and religious leadership; and analyzing various halakhic categories that pertain to women and the relationship between men and women. The meticulous manner in which Goldman Barash examines these topics clearly shows that this is the culmination of her many years of researching and teaching these topics.
The book’s description of halakhic process and history greatly enriches the reader’s understanding of modernday religious practice. Goldman Barash cogently frames and explains sources and elegantly puts them into conversation with one another, clearly presenting biblical and rabbinic material and her methodically structured arguments about them. Her treatment of the halakhic dimensions of modesty in dress and behavior are especially valuable, as she maintains the integrity of the original source materials while realistically applying them to a contemporary context. In addition to her rigorous presentation of the sources, her own voice and those of her female colleagues provide a refreshing and important addition to a halakhic corpus of generations of male rabbinic opinions.
She does not shy away from a frank analysis of sugyot that feel problematic to the modern reader. She systematically explains how the cultural context of the Talmud and later halakhic works influenced the way the rabbis codified the text into law, and suggests various ways our modern circumstances could impact our continued observance. For example, in her discussion of the statement in Masekhet Berakhot that an exposed tefaḥ (a hands-breadth, generally about eight centimeters) of a woman’s body is ervah (literally referring to exposed genitalia, but broadly referring to anything sexually inappropriate), she cites sources that limit ervah to those body parts that are normally covered in a particular society, and notes that these texts allow for a range of halakhic dress code norms. Yet she reminds us that in contemporary society, where suggestive clothing is widely accepted, “it is ludicrous to suggest that no objective boundaries exist.”
Goldman Barash is not afraid to ask difficult questions and seek out answers that are useful and relevant for the twenty-first century, whether from Jewish texts or the mimetic tradition. She does not shy away from taboo topics like premarital intimacy, or hot-button issues like women wearing tefillin. Particularly around issues of sexuality and niddah, she delicately tries to find a balance between endorsing non-halakhic behavior and helping religious people find ways to live halakhically while struggling with various issues of observance. She also discusses and acknowledges value in both maḥmir (stringent) and meikil (lenient) views, demonstrating that the corpus of halakhah is vast and has space for everyone, whether they find great meaning in a mitzvah or find its observance difficult.
Goldman Barash has lived in Israel for several decades, so I found some of her sociological conclusions more reflective of Judaism in Israel than what I am familiar with from living in the United States. For example, the topic of women as mashgiḥot (professional kashrut supervisors) is mentioned in the context of whether women may hold roles of religious authority, and Goldman Barash comments that “in practice, there are few women in the field.” As a woman who has worked on and off for over a decade as a mashgiḥah, I can attest that we very much do exist, particularly in “out of town” communities in America! Having said that, I learned a lot from her analysis of halakhic issues and their interplay with public life in Israel. I particularly enjoyed reading about the halakhic and legal process that led to the Israeli Supreme Court’s ruling that women must be allowed to immerse without an attendant in state-run mikvaot.
Because it is written in such a straightforward and organized way, Uncovered is accessible to those who are less familiar with traditional texts, but also contains wisdom and new perspectives that will benefit the most veteran learner. This book is an excellent addition to the Jewish bookshelf, and will add meaning and depth to the religious observance of both the men and women who read it.