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In this week’s Torah portion, parshat Emor, God gives Moses the laws specific to Aaron and all the priests. As it pertains to the daughter of a priest, the Torah states, “When the daughter of a priest defiles herself through harlotry, it is her father whom she defiles; she shall be put to the fire.”

The issue of human trafficking and prostitution is very much a part of international attention and conversation right now. “Our traditional Jewish sources condemn trafficking and prostitution, although some place the blame on the poor character of the “fallen woman” and the moral fabric of society, or point to adverse economic conditions as its root cause. In addition, some texts seem to apply different standards to Jewish and non-Jewish women and are tolerant of Jewish men patronizing non-Jewish prostitutes.” [from My Jewish Learning].

The big question is why is the woman in this commandment punished for an act initiated and fulfilled by the male consumer? How many women today actively pursue a life of prostitution versus those who have been sold to traffickers who thrust them into a life of sexual service?

Modern-day scholars have re-examined how women are depicted and treated in the Torah through a feminist lens. Reading Torah as a feminist helps provide vital dimensionality to the Jewish narrative that in its original form depicts an ancient patriarchal society that mentions women in many cases as no more than a sidebar.

I invite you to join me and continue this exploration at my Clergy Learning Series event on Tuesday, May 11 at 7:00 pm, Our Tradition Through a Feminist Lens: Not Just for Women, where we will unpack and begin to break the paradigms formed over millennia. Click here for more information. This will be an introduction to the topic which will have subsequent sessions throughout the year.

My best for Shabbat Shalom,

Beth