Introduction to Seder Mitzvot Nashim

Edward Fram, Ben-Gurion University, Israel

The advent of print in the mid-fifteenth century brought with it a major cultural change from the period of manuscripts. The printing press could make multiple copies of any given work available in a relatively short period of time and at a cheaper price than a scribe could ever have done. Jews quickly learned the importance of this new technology and by the late fifteenth-century, many classic works of Jewish scholarship, including the Hebrew Bible and portions of the Babylonian Talmud with commentaries, had been published. However, it was only when printing was combined with the vernacular that full possibilities of the press were realized. The Seder mizvot nashim, or The Order of Women’s Commandments, was an early attempt to use printing and the vernacular to educate Jewish women about their religious obligations, particularly the three commandments that from at least mishnaic times had been specifically connected to women: (1) the taking of a piece of dough before baking bread and some types of cakes (hallah; see (2) the lighting of lights on the eve of the Sabbath and festivals, and (3) observing the various rules of ritual purity during and after periods of uterine bleeding. Written in Yiddish by Rabbi Benjamin Slonik and first published in Cracow in 1577, the book tried not only to teach the law to women but to convince them of the importance of proper observance. As such it was both a law book and a homiletical work of sorts. A comparison with legal works published during the period, such as Rabbi Jacob ben Asher’s Four Columns (Araba`ah Turim) and Rabbi Joseph Caro’s Shulhan`aruk, highlights some of the differences in approach between legal codes written for rabbis and students of Jewish law and a text that expected no specialized knowledge of its readers.

The Order of Women's Commandments

Seder Mitzvot Nashim

Benjamin Slonik, 1577

Translated by Edward Fram, Ben-Gurion University, Israel

[2a] [1] We shall praise God for he is worthy of praise. He rules above and below. He nourishes all creatures. It is for this reason that we wanted to write a lovely booklet for women, for the betterment of the body and the adornment of the soul - unlike songs and tales. Rather, containing only God fearing things so that everyone should know what to observe and what to avoid; what she must do and what she may not do.

Also, one cannot publish enough didactic books since no one knows when his time has come. So this booklet will teach the right way. Therefore dear pious wives, do not tarry and do not spare a few groschen because you will find the foundation and reward of the commandments in it; in particular with respect to hallah, niddah, and kindling lights, and how one should go about doing one’s charity.

And no one single person has invented [the contents of] this booklet or has made it up in his head, rather it has been gathered and taken from many books. And he has received permission from rabbis so that we do not err and should not, God forbid, instruct anyone incorrectly.

When at times one finds a young bride who does not know the measure of hallah, and similarly with respect to her menstrual period, when her life depends on it, she can sin and thus bring harm to her children for the commandment of niddah is divided into many varied topics. One can spoil an entire dress because of a small beet [stain]. This means that one can ruin the body with one small thing for which the soul must suffer great discomfort.

A man may also take delight [in this booklet] for there are some wives who cannot read. Such a wife must often err. Therefore, her husband may instruct her so that she will take care of her matters well and not sin away both worlds (i.e., this world and the world to come) and not follow the evil inclination altogether. For this world passes in an instant, and there [in the next world] is eternal life. And there one must give a proper reckoning.

Now not everyone knows what is a proper deed and what is a sin; therefore buy this booklet quickly, for no one need earn better interest than the great reward that God will provide. Further, you will find in this booklet, that which concerns the precept of kindling lights and other precepts as well.

Now, dear wives, do not make it hard on yourselves and start to read this booklet so that you will have a great reward from it. [2b]And this is the main thing: as long as a woman is alive and well, she should read this booklet every month. Thus she will rejoice in this world and in the next world she will enjoy Paradise. And it will also be easier for her, for she will know her precepts well and will not need to ask a rabbi. For at times when one does not properly understand something and has no rabbi or she is embarrassed in his presence, she makes something that is not straightforward, kosher and if one should consult a rabbi about it, it might be clearly forbidden. Or she might declare something prohibited and very serious for herself that she need not have done for it is not God’s will. Therefore, when she becomes an expert in this booklet, everything will become clear as day to her and she will not have depend on her own reasoning. She will overcome all her misfortune and will often benefit from it in this world and have the proper reward from the principal in the next world. Therefore accept some advice and give this booklet your favor, and do not hesitate to give few groschen for it right away. Thus you will have good fortune and eternal life. Amen and so may it be His will.

If there is something that she needs to look into very urgently and she wants to find immediately, she should examine the list of sections in the back [of the booklet] so she will find it in the booklet. For each precept is numbered; you will be able to proceed according to it. However, it would be better if you read it continually and become familiar with it so that you will not have to search.

3. Every woman is obligated to kindle lights on the eve of each Sabbath and festivals and this is a great mitzvah. And she makes the blessing, “Blessed are You God, our Lord, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with his commandments and commanded us to kindle the Sabbath light.” In Yiddish translation this is, “Blessed are You God, our master, who has sanctified [4b] us and has commanded us to kindle Sabbath light.” Afterwards she should say this: “May it be [Your] will that my children be illuminating in Torah and the work of Heaven.” In Yiddish translation this is, “May it be Your will that my children be illuminating in the Torah and in the work of Heaven.” And whoever is meticulous in [saying] this, God will bestow on him children who will light up the world with their Torah.

And the commandment of kindling lights is commanded to women, and they are obligated to keep it because they have extinguished the light of the world and have darkened the world with their gluttony. For they wanted to eat from the apple and on account of the sin that she ate the apple, therefore we must die. And because she has extinguished the light of our lives, so she must rekindle the lights.

And there must always be two lights to represent the limbs of a husband and a wife. In a man there are two hundred and forty-eight limbs, the number RaMaH, and in women there are two hundred and fifty-two limbs, like the number RaNaB. The limbs of both man and wife total five hundred. And the two lights are called “ner, ner,” also totaling five hundred to show that the soul of a husband and wife is as one soul. How does it come about that we compare the soul to the lights? The biblical verse says, “The light of God is the soul of man.”[2] This means that the light of God the Lord is the soul of man. And do not think that man’s soul gives God, blessed be He, light, God forbid. Because “the light dwells with im”[3] so God, blessed be His name, has no benefit from the human soul, for God has no need of his creations for he created all His creation by the will of His great mercy. And the soul is soothed by the radiance of the Shekhinah, and that is the joy and pleasure of the soul. And therefore the woman must kindle lights because she extinguished our light and she must also suffer the pain of menstruation because she spilled our blood. Therefore she has the pain of menstruation and must go for ritual immersion. And the ritual immersion is like a repentant who was a murderer and repents. And so it is also with hallah, for she has corrupted us who are called, “Israel, Holy unto God, the first of His produce.”[4] That is in Yiddish, “Israel is holy unto God, the first of His grain.” Therefore, she must also [5a] take hallah. So it [hallah] is called “the first of your dough, you should separate hallah,”[5] that is in Yiddish translation, from the first of your dough you should separate hallah. Therefore a woman must observe the three commandments. Therefore, dear daughter, wake up and open your eyes and your deaf heart[6] and pay attention to a Divine utterance and do not take it at all lightly and see and mark well that the commandments can never be fully fathomed. For they guard the body from the tribulations of the grave[7] and the soul from the torment of Hell. And for that reason woman was created in [God’s] tenth utterance, late on Friday afternoon, close to the holy Sabbath, to show that with woman creation was fully completed. Therefore, you certainly see that the whole world depends upon a woman’s thoughts. I may well tell you, for when a woman does not have proper intent she corrupts her children and the world’s foundations for no righteous person (tzaddik), who is called the foundation of the world, can be born at that same hour. And, because of this, God, blessed be His name, notes this well and is saddened by all his creation. And therefore, we must unfortunately suffer in the Diaspora and our bodies and possessions are consumed. And who is responsible for this? - the woman when she does not want to bethink herself properly, and when she, God forbid, is not mindful of God’s commandments. And poor man can have no good fortune or well-being if he does not have a pious wife. That is why, God, blessed be His name, loves a woman who is pious. She is her husband’s crown. If she does as I have written here, she fulfills the biblical verse, “May the glory of the Lord endure forever; the Lord will rejoice in his works.”[8] This means, “May the honor of God, blessed be His name, be everlasting; God, blessed be His name, will rejoice in his creation.” These are the pious, properly conceived children.

Jacob ben Asher, Tur, Orah hayyim 263

And one should be careful to make a fine quality light as Rabbi Huna said, “one who regularly careful to try and make a fine quality light will have sons who will be talmudic scholars.” And some are careful to make two wicks, one representing the command to remember the Sabbath and the other representing the command to observe the Sabbath. And if one does not have the means to purchase both lights for the Sabbath and for Hanukkah, the Sabbath lights have precedent. And so too, if one does not have the means to purchase both lights for the Sabbath and wine for Kiddush, the Sabbath lights have precedent because of happiness, because there can be no happiness without light. And one should not be quick to kindle the lights well before nightfall because then it is not clear that one is kindling them to honour the Sabbath. And one should also not wait too long to kindle them either. And when one kindles the lights one should say, “Blessed are You, Lord our God, king of the universe who has commanded us to kindle the Sabbath lights.” Men and women are equally commanded to kindle the lights, however, women are especially charged with this command as it is explained in the Midrash that Eve extinguished the light of the world, that is to say, she brought it about that Adam would die. And Maimonides gave a different explaination saying that women were charged with this command because they are generally around the house and deal with domestic matters…

Joseph Caro, Shulhan `aruk, Orah hayyim 263

Section 2

Men and women are equally commanded to have a light burning in their homes on the Sabbath. Even if one does not have what to eat, one must go begging to get oil with which to kindle the lights for having light is a pleasure of the Sabbath.

Section 3

Women are charged with fulfilling this command more than men because women are generally found around the house and they deal with domestic matters. If one does not have sufficient funds to purchase both the Sabbath lights and wine for Kiddush, the Sabbath lights take precedent. And so too, if one does not have sufficient funds to buy both Sabbath lights and Hanukkah lights, the Sabbath lights take precedent because of the happiness that they cause for there can be no happiness without light.

Endnotes

[1]A mostly Latin character transcription of much of the introduction based on the 1602 (Basel) edition appears in Max Grunbaum, Judischdeutsche Chrestomathie, reprint, 1882 (Hildesheim: Georg Olms, 1969), 266-9.

[2]Prov. 20.27.

[3]Dan. 2.22.

[4]Jer. 2.3.

[5]Num. 15.20. The Hebrew citation is not precise.

[6]See Prov. 6.18.

[7]See J.D. Eisenstein, ed., Ozar midrashim, 2 vols., reprint, 1928 (N.p.: N.p., 1969), 84, chapt. 2.

[8]Ps. 104.31.