• The Night Rabbi Aqiba Slept With Two Women

    Author(s):
    Jordan Rosenblum (see profile)
    Date:
    2015
    Group(s):
    Ancient Jew Review, Jewish Studies, Rabbinic Literature and Culture
    Subject(s):
    Rabbis, Judaism--Study and teaching
    Item Type:
    Article
    Tag(s):
    Rabbinic studies, Talmud, Midrash, and Rabbinics
    Permanent URL:
    http://dx.doi.org/10.17613/M6366D
    Abstract:
    In the rabbinic worldview, man goes through life surrounded by temptation. The world is a place where temptation lurks on every street corner, at every table, and at every moment. For the rabbis, Torah – both Written and Oral – is the solution to controlling the yeẓer (יצר), the inclination to act on one’s desires. The ability to control one’s yeẓer is essential for proper rabbinic comportment. Unfortunately for women, according to the rabbis, only men are capable of controlling their yeẓer. Given that only men could control their yeẓer, women often appear in rabbinic literature in the role of the temptress, seeking to seduce men into transgressing social, ethical, legal, and theological practices. All of this helps to explain how Rabbi Aqiba found himself in bed with two women.
    Metadata:
    xml
    Published as:
    Book chapter     Show details
    Publisher:
    Brown Judaic Studies
    Pub. Date:
    2015
    Book Title:
    A Most Reliable Witness: Essays in Honor of Ross Shepard Kraemer
    Author/Editor:
    Susan Ashbrook Harvey, Nathaniel DesRosiers, Shira L. Lander, Jacqueline Z. Pastis, and Daniel Ullucci
    Page Range:
    67 - 75
    ISBN:
    978-1930675940
    Status:
    Published
    Last Updated:
    6 years ago
    License:
    All Rights Reserved
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