Sotah 039

2:
In general, cereal-offerings were considered to be priestly perks. That is to say that after a token amount of the cereal (a 'fistful') had been sprinkled on the altar what remained became the perquisite of the priesthood and could be eaten by them – unless it had become ritually impure as discussed in the previous mishnah. Our mishnah points out that there is a difference between two women: if the Sotah in question was an Israelitess (daughter of an 'ordinary' Israelite) who was married to a 'kohen' the priests were not permitted to eat what remains of her cereal-offering of coarse barley; but the opposite is true if the Sotah was the daughter of a 'kohen' ['kohenet'] who was married to an Israelite. (See the previous shiur, Sotah 038, for a definition of these terms.)

3:
The reason for this difference derives from the interpretation of relevant biblical verses [Leviticus 6:7-16] which deal with cereal-offerings in general:

To be continued.

I find it a little weird that ben-Azzai's main reason for teaching a woman Torah seams to be so 'that should she need to drink she will know that the virtue will postpone it for her.' Shouldn't she be taught so she won't be in this situation in the first place? If as you pointed out 'the sages valued sexual asceticism' why is it that the Mishna states that 'an ascetic woman (who follows this behavior) … – destroy[s] the world.' Isn't this a contradiction? As for current times, it amazes me that in this day and age there are many in the orthodox sector who still do not teach their girls and women the Talmud because of Rabbi Eli'ezer statement that 'anyone who teaches his daughter Torah is teaching her licentiousness'. I personally got this quote when I was in high school, in response to a small group of girls' request to study Talmud. This was about 15 years ago in a school recognized with the Kipa Sruga [modern orthodox – SR] stream. I believe a small change is on the way, but this approach is still very strong. This is even more paradoxical as these same schools are teaching these same girls high levels of Math, Physics etc. and derive great pride of many young girls studying in universities and receiving 1st, 2nd and even 3rd degrees in prestigious faculties. Are we good enough to study secular subjects but not our own tradition – the Talmud?

I respond:

Ben-Azzai was speaking in an age in which women were not generally educated in any civilization – Greek, Roman or Jewish. He is proposing that females should be educated in Torah because it could be to their legal benefit. Hundreds of years were to pass before it was recognized that females should be taught Torah just as males are taught. It was not until the 19th century that Sara Schenierer created the first 'Bes Yakov' school for ultra-orthodox girls – which was then considered a dangerous innovation!

The reference of Rabbi Eli'ezer to the ascetic woman is generally held to refer to a woman who behaves as if she were ascetic while in fact the only purpose of her professed asceticism is to lure hapless men into her net with her wiles. (Other explanations have been offered.)

Nehama's experiences in a modern orthodox high school serve to highlight the Conservative attitude to such education. Nowadays young men and young women are given equal learning opportunities in all aspects and all stages of religious learning. This was perhaps first epitomized when Rabbi Mordechai Kaplan arranged the first Bat-Mitzvah for his daughter, and latterly is most obviously enshrined in the number of women who have studied and qualified for the rabbinate in Conservative institutions of higher learning.

Chanukah Same'ach to everybody!