Editing Women in Judaism (section)

==Talmudic times==
Women were required by ''[[halacha]]'' to carry out all negative ''[[mitzvot]]'' (i. e., commandments that prohibit activities such as "[[Thou shalt not commit adultery]]"), but were excused from doing most time-bound, positive ''mitzvot'' (i. e., commandments that prescribe ritual action that must be done at certain times such as hearing a [[shofar]] on [[Rosh Hashanah]]). A woman was not, however, prohibited from doing a ''mitzvah'' from which she was excused.<ref>Steinsaltz, 178</ref> ''Halacha'' also provided women with some material and emotional protections related to marriage, and divorce that most non-Jewish women did not enjoy during the first millennium of the [[Common Era]].<ref>{{cite web|authorlink=Rachel Adler|last=Adler |first=Rachel |url=http://jwa.org/sites/jwa.org/files/mediaobjects/the_jew_who_wasnt_there_adler.jpg |title=The Jew Who Wasn't There: Halacha and the Jewish Woman |website=Jewish Women's Archive |date=26 October 2016}}</ref> Penal and civil law treated men and women equally.<ref>Steinsaltz, 179</ref>

Evidence suggests that, at least among the elite, women were educated in the Bible and in ''halacha''. The daughter of a scholar was considered a good prospect for marriage in part because of her education. Stories in the Talmud present women whose husbands died or were exiled and yet were able to educate their children because of their own education.<ref>Steinsaltz, 179-180</ref>

The Talmud states:
* Greater is the reward to be given by the All-Mighty to the (righteous) women than to (righteous) men.<ref>''[[Berakhot (Talmud)|Berakhot]]'' 17a</ref>
* Ten measures of speech descended to the world; women took nine.<ref>''[[Kiddushin (Talmud)|Kiddushin]]'' 49b</ref>
* Women are ''light on raw knowledge'' – i. e., they possess more intuition.<ref>''[[Shabbat (Talmud)|Shabbat]]'' 33b</ref>
* A man without a wife lives without joy, blessing, and good; a man should love his wife as himself and respect her more than himself.<ref>''[[Yebamot]]'' 62b</ref>
*When [[Rav Yosef b. Hiyya]] heard his mother's footsteps he would say: ''Let me arise before the approach of the [[Shekhinah|divine presence]].''<ref>''[[Kiddushin (Talmud)|Kiddushin]]'' 31b</ref>
* Israel was redeemed from Egypt by virtue of its (Israel's) righteous women.<ref>''[[Sotah]]'' 11b</ref>
* A man must be careful never to speak slightingly to his wife, because women are prone to tears and sensitive to wrong.<ref>''[[Baba Metzia]]'' 59a</ref>
* Women have greater faith than men.<ref>''[[Sifre]]'', 133</ref>
* Women have greater powers of discernment.<ref>''[[Niddah (Talmud)|Niddah]]'' 45b</ref>
* Women are especially tenderhearted.<ref>''[[Megillah (Talmud)|Megillah]]'' 14b</ref>

While few women are mentioned by name, and none are known to have authored a rabbinic work, those who are mentioned are portrayed as having a strong influence on their husbands. Occasionally they have a public persona. Examples are [[Bruriah]], the wife of the [[Tannaim|Tanna]] [[Rabbi Meir]]; [[Rachel, wife of Rabbi Akiva]]; Yalta, the wife of [[Rav Nachman|Rabbi Nachman]]; and [[Ima Shalom]], the wife of  [[Eliezer ben Hurcanus]]. When [[Eleazar ben Azariah]] was asked to assume the role of ''[[Nasi (Hebrew title)|Nasi]]'' ("Prince" or President of the [[Sanhedrin]]), he replied that he must first take counsel with his wife, which he did.<ref>Babylonian Talmud, Brachoth 27b</ref>