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This week’s Torah portion is Vayeishev, Genesis 37:1-40:23. The portion covers an excessive amount of data to deal with it adequately in a single publish. Due to this fact, on this publish, I’ll study, from a feminist perspective, Joseph, the ladies in his life, and desires. Whereas the ladies in Vayeishev depart a lot to be desired, its desires level to an vital connection between humanity, divinity, and nature.
Vayeishev begins with the uncooked jealousy that a few of Jacob’s sons have for Joseph. This jealousy is so nice that it sends Joseph all the best way to Egypt. As a feminist, I’ve at all times discovered it each comforting and utterly life like the best way the Torah delves into emotion. Since even the lofty patriarchs are jealous, no superhuman conduct is predicted of us. Regardless of this consolation, I’m not blissful that it’s as soon as once more males and boys who take centerstage. We all know that these males and boys additionally had ladies and women of their lives.
Girls are talked about thrice on this portion. The primary point out is of Jacob’s daughters. They (and their brothers) present consolation for Jacob when he learns of the alleged demise of Joseph (37:35). Second, Jacob acknowledges the moon in Joseph’s dream because the personification of Joseph’s mom (37:10). Lastly, there’s the spouse of Potiphar.
Whereas barely talked about, these ladies’s actions should not as passive as they would appear. First, Judaism extremely values comforting the mourner, and Jacob’s daughters just do that. Second, Jacob’s mom is taken into account vital as she seems alongside her husband and her sons in Joseph’s dream. Whereas it’s true that motherhood is an especially stereotypical womanly pursuit within the Torah, in Joseph’s dream, his mom is related to the moon. The moon has a protracted historical past of significance throughout the Jewish custom. For instance, we use a lunar calendar. There’s additionally the fashionable celebration of Rosh Chodesh and its connection to ladies. As well as, a few of our lecturers have in contrast the Jewish individuals to the moon because it waxes and wanes; others have discovered the moon is straight related to the divine imminent and female presence of the divine, the Shechinah (Dennis, 291).
This leaves us with probably the most lively girl in Vayeishev: Potiphar’s spouse. Whereas she is unnamed, her will is robust and she or he is persistent. Nevertheless, her persistent will can also be misplaced as she tries to seduce Joseph, who just isn’t her husband, after which lies about what occurs. From a feminist perspective, that is fairly a disgrace because it associates the feminine will as soon as once more with evil and lies. Carol P. Christ was adamant that one of many issues we want in a feminist spirituality is the acknowledgement that the feminine will could be good and have sturdy admirable aspirations.* Sadly, that isn’t the case right here.
Shifting onto Joseph, I discover his desires and his potential to interpret desires to be probably the most fascinating a part of Vayeishev. In Judaism, desires are a robust method during which the divine is believed to speak with individuals. Numbers 12:6 describes how the divine communicates with prophets by visions and desires, and it’s the divine, in keeping with Joseph in Vayeishev, who additionally interprets desires (40:8). Apparently, when Joseph truly interprets the desires, the divine just isn’t talked about. Has the divine impressed Joseph with the that means? We have no idea.
Anyway, what I discover significantly fascinating in regards to the desires is the prevalence of nature inside them, and this speaks to my ecofeminist facet. Joseph’s desires have corn and heavenly our bodies, the cupbearer’s desires has vines, blossoms, and grapes, and the baker’s dream has birds and baskets. We already know that the divine communicates by desires and that these desires are stuffed with pure components. Whereas one might say that the divine manipulates nature to ship a message, that’s in truth not the case. Within the desires, the entire components of nature from star and moon to vine, chicken, and corn transfer of their very own accord. Thus, it will be extra appropriate to conclude that nature is teeming with holiness. In different phrases, that the excellence between divinity and nature is little to none. That is vital from an ecofeminist perspective since in capitalist patriarchy we ignore the connection between humanity, nature, and the divine, and use nature as we see match.
I’m blissful to see in one other instance within the Torah drawing nature, humanity and divinity into partnership. From an ecofeminist perspective, Vayeishev succeeds on this method. Nevertheless, from a feminist perspective, it’s missing really developed feminine roles and an analysis of the feminine will as one thing, that no less than more often than not, could be understood to be good.
Ivy Helman, Ph.D.: A feminist scholar and college member at Charles College in Prague, Czech Republic the place she teaches a wide range of Jewish Research, Feminist and Ecofeminist programs.
References:
Carol P. Christ’s “Why Girls Want the Goddess,”
Geoffrey Dennis’s “The Encyclopaedia of Jewish Delusion, Magic, and Mysticism, 2nd version.“
Classes: Goals and Dreaming, Basic, Jewish Feminism, Judaism, Motherhood, Nature, Torah
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