Berakhot 078

You will recall that in Berakhot 069 I wrote: Very many modern Conservative congregations … give the First Mothers their rightful place next to the First Fathers in this first berakhah of the Amidah – not only ideologically but textually as well. You will also recall that this prompted the following comment from Jacob Lewis: It seems to me to be a rather problematic practice… At the root of the Avot is the personal relationship of each "father" with G-d. These relationships are well documented in the Torah. Is there anywhere we see the "mothers'" relationships with G-d? Additionally, how do we resolve the need to restore the feminine to our prayer with the fact that, halakhically, the first three berakhot of Amidah are a fixed text?

In Berakhot 077 I responded to the second point that Jacob raises. Today I shall address his fist point: is there anywhere we see "the mothers'" relationships with God?

My first thought was quite simply to refer participants to Biblical references to the First Mothers that indicate their special status. For instance, I could have referenced a phrase such as Genesis 21:12 in which God tells Abraham "Everything that Sarah tells you to do – just obey her". But then I realized that this was too facile and was missing the point of Jacob's question which was at a much deeper level. The "First Fathers" were prophets; by that I mean that they were in direct communion with the Deity. Were the "First Mothers" prophets? The "First Fathers" were religious innovators, the progenitors not only of the Jewish People biologically but of the Jewish religion spiritually. While it is obvious that the "First Fathers" could not have been the biological progenitors of the Jewish people without the absolutely essential contribution of the "First Mothers", were the "First Mothers" also spiritually involved in the propagation of the new faith? These, I think, are the true questions that lie beneath the surface of Jacob's more general question.

I believe that the answer of traditional Judaism must be in the affirmative. Here are just a few references.

The Gemara [Megillah 14a] points out that Sarah was a prophet. In Genesis 11:29 her name is given as Yiskah and "Rabbi Yitzĥak asks why was her name 'Yiskah'? – because she had the gift of prophesying [same Hebrew root] through the Holy Spirit; this is why Abraham was told by God to obey her every word [Genesis 21:12]."

Genesis 27:42 describes how Rivkah 'was told' of the threats her son Esau was making against the life of his twin brother. The Midrash [Bereshit Rabba 67] asks "Who told this to Rivkah? Rabbi Ĥaggai says in the name of Rabbi Yitzĥak that the all Matriarchs were prophets and Rivkah was one of the Matriarchs!"

In Genesis 30:24 Rachel, having finally given birth (to Joseph) says that God will give her another son. The Midrash [Bereshit Rabba 92] quotes Rabbi Ĥanina ben-Pazzi as saying that "all the Matriarchs were prophets and Rachel was one of the Matriarchs"; the midrash adds that the fact that she says that God will give her another son – and not 'sons' – shows that she knew this through her prophetic gift.

I could bring many more examples, but now let us address the question as to whether the "First Mothers" were full partners in the innovatory process of creating Judaism. I think many people are aware of the following Midrash, but few recognize it in its original terms.

Genesis 12:5 describes the departure of Abraham and his family for the Promised Land together with "the souls they had made in Ĥaran". The Midrash [Bereshit Rabba 84] interprets the making of souls as converting people to the new faith. The Midrash then adds: "How could one possibly say that Abraham did the converting and that Sarah didn't? The Torah says "the souls which they made in Ĥaran" – not that he made: Abraham converted the men and Sarah converted the women."

Genesis 25:21 describes the anguish of Yitzĥak and Rivkah at the childlessness of their marriage, and how Yitzĥak prayed "opposite his wife" to remove her barrenness (another midrash, by the way, in defiance of the Biblical text, ascribes the barrenness of their union to Yitzĥak). The Midrash [Bereshit Rabba 63] asks why the peculiar description of Yitz&#293'ak praying "opposite" Rivkah. "This teaches that Yitzĥak was praying in one corner of the room and admonishing God that he would be prepared to have children only through 'this righteous woman'. At the same time Rivkah was praying in another corner of the room and admonishing God that she was prepared to have children only through 'this righteous man'". Is there greater equality of devotion and partnership than this?

This shiur has continued long enough. I think I have indicated that there is ample justification for the inclusion of the "First Mothers" alongside the "First Fathers" as their spiritual partners in every sense – for those who wish to do so.

To be continued.