The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-04-22

TO tho woman OF eound judgment, who
knows how to think and how to act" Tho
| profound appreciation OF the more sold ana
dignincd elements In tho female character
which pcrvadcs tho Hebrew Bible seems To
have been transmitted to the Talmud. That
| ssorchousc OF canonical and historical lore
nbounds with maxims attcsting tho respect
able status which jewish society assigned
to woman. Thus we nro told that every
thing in life may be replaced except the wife
OF our YOUTH" that "whcn man divorces
his wife tho very altar wccps over him" and
that eli your wife is short drop your mouth
TO her car, for nothing should hc dono with
out her counsel" So, too, the medieval csti-
mate in Christian Europe OF the relation be-
| tween woman's intrinsic worth and her be-
longings is hardly sanctioned by the Tai
mudic proverb, I" He who marries for money
risks the contempt OF his children" and we
may add a unique compliment addressed
apparently to the Hebrew mothcr-in-law:
"The house trcmbleth before an old man,
but an aged woman is pearl in the house."
II may be we'll to note, also, the order in
which the Mosaic law names tho objects of
fllial picty: aye shall fear every man his
mother and his father" and the fact that
ably from Difference 10 the prejudicos of IA
different race.
Throughout the history Of the Jews the
national ideal OF feminine excellence Ia ac-
credited by a succession of bright opponents.
Unlike the wife and daughter Of the cultured
Athcnian, who were condemned to Ignorance
and isolation, the Hebrew matron is by no
means an infrcquent or Insignificant figure
Al. 4.
ing on the familiar portraits OF the Bbl cal
and apochryphal books from MIRIAM. De
BoRAH. JUDITH, ANNA, to ESTHER and the
mother OF the Maccabecs, we would only
point out that the highest functions OF
primitive society and even the browning
gift Of prophecy are not denied to women
There seems to be no doubt that they took
part In the rites Of worship, at all events In
the singing Of hymns and psalms until upon
the eclipse Of Jewish greatness the full choir
was replaced by q single chanter. 1t Is plain
enough that the spirit Of the Crock and not
the Hebrew civilization prompted PAULs in
junction, Let your women keep silence in
the churches" And here another pertinent
fact may be cited, namely, that monastic
celibacy has not been practiscd among tho
Jews. except by the small sect OF the Es-
sencs
Through the hcroincs depicted In the Tai
mud and other national records, the robust,
steadiast type Of the Hebrew woman Is
brought down through medieval TO mod
ern times. We may mention one or two
instances Of feminine high-mndcdness and
love Of learning reported in these ch.oni-
cles. We are told. for instance, that the
Rabbi MosEs-BEN- CHENOCH. with his young
wife, were captured by Moorish pirates of
tho coast Of Italy. As tho corsair made no
pretence OF conccaling his admiration for the
handsome Jcwcss, the latter had recourse to
her husband and asked him whether COP
could save those who fell into the sea The
Rabbi replied with text from the Psalms
Il will bring again from Bashan, | will
bring again my people from the depths Of
the sea - whereupon the Jewcss cast herself
into the waves While such prototypes Of
SCoTr's RrBTccA are not uncommon, we
hear Of other Hebrew women in the middle
ages cxpounding the Pentatcuch aud teach
ing the liturgy to their co-worshippers
LITE OF Ratisbone wrote n history OF DAVID
In German verse. The wife Of JOSEPH BEN
JoCHANAN (of Paris was rcputed to be as
learned while the sister and granddaughter
OF RAcHI. n famous Biblical commentator,
pronounced with decisive authority upon
qucetions Of ritual.
No doubt there is a dark point in the pic
ture, and that is a point Of contact between
the Hebrews and other races ~ the Last
both Semitic and Aryan. The Mosaic law
authorized polygamy, yet even from Biblical
times the Jews evncc n pronounced tendency
} toward monogamy, which in the end pre-
vailed. a decree put forth in the eleventh
: century, although AT that epoch the prost -
Of Moslem prcccdcnis was Mt its height
made monogamic marriage obligatory. and
all Jews in modern times conform to it
, Even under the regime of polycamy young
r woman was seldom mnrricd against her
will. and it IS certain that the Hebrew form
, OF the institution was compatible with a
! vcritable affection and consideration for the
{ wife. There is significance in the prescrip-
tion of Deuteronomy which IL would be hard
| to parallel In the civil codes of other ma
2 tons When man hath newly taken a
I wife, he shall not 60 out TO war, neither
, shall he be charged with any business, but h,
shall be free at homo one wear. and shall
: cheer up his wife which he hath taken" W,
a can see, moreover. that the scclusion and con
| strant Of the harcm would have been i'm
y practicable in patriarchal times, and ",
know that under the Jewish monarchy
women were freely admitted to public gath
erings and the popular festivals 1t woulc
I seem, indeed, that in one direction the priv
. ilcges Of the Jewess have been narrowed il
modern times, since at present she Is only
/ received in an orthodox synagogue upon
!. condition If keeping herself hidden in
l. dimy lighted gallery; but this restriction
r according 10 CONSTANCE DE RorHscmLD, il