Conference taveng::bagels

378.0. "WOMANNOTES is looking for a Talmudic scholar" by MAY20::MINOW (Je suis Marxist, tendance Groucho) Tue Sep 29 1987 15:37

The WOMANNOTES notesfile discusses issues of interest to women, ranging
from abuse and date rape to work-environment issues.  A few weeks ago,
someone posted a few extracts from the Torah that he found "dehumanized
women," suggesting that "A woman who behaves as a sexually and economically
free person IS [a] threat to the entire social and economic fabric of
a rigidly male dominated society.  Such behaviour cannot be contenanced
lest the entire social and economic system fall apart.  Hence the 'necessity'
of the strongest social and religious condemnation and the most extreme
punishment."

In several responses, I tried -- unsuccessfully -- to direct the discussion to
BAGELS and stated my belief that you cannot merely read "the law"
and extract its meaning: it is necessary to study the law and commentaries,
and take direction from scholars.

The discussion has rattled along for 52 notes and a fortnight.  Eventually,
the moderator asked whether a Talmudic scholar could comment.

It's note 478 in COLORS::WOMANNOTES, in case anyone's interested. (Press KP7
to add it to your notebook.)

Martin.