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Sotah 8:7 says that for obligatory wars all go out to fight, "even a bridegroom from his chamber and a bride from her canopy". Historically, was this in fact our practice? Did women participate in the conquest of the land (which Rabbi Yehudah says was an obligatory war) or in defending it before we were conquered and the temples destroyed? Did women fight alongside the men, or did they participate in ways that didn't involve fighting directly? It sounds like at least some of the women of Reuven and Gad stayed home during the conquest of the land.

If they fought, (how) were they trained?

I do know that Devorah not only fought but led troops, but as a prophetess she might have had special circumstances.

Alex
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Monica Cellio
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  • Another such proof that only men went to war is from the passuk Devarim 20:8 "מי האיש הירא..." the passuk refers only to men. – sam Apr 29 '19 at 02:26
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    As a support for your question, Kiddushin 2b states that “it’s the way of men to go to war, but not the way of women to go to war.” Similarly, Midrash Mishlei 31:5 says that Yael used a tent peg to kill Sisera because she didn’t carry any weapons, as per the prohibition against women wearing men’s garments. – DonielF Apr 29 '19 at 02:52
  • @DonielF IMSMC Yael was not an Israelite... – Loewian Apr 29 '19 at 04:28
  • https://www.sefaria.org/Judges.4.8?lang=bi&with=Commentary&lang2=en – Loewian Apr 29 '19 at 04:37
  • https://www.sefaria.org/Minchat_Chinukh.604.1.1?vhe=Minchat_Chinuch,_Piotrkew,_1902&lang=bi&with=all&lang2=en – Loewian Apr 29 '19 at 04:49
  • @Loewian Certainly that Midrash held that she was Jewish. Horayos 10b also seems to take it for granted that she was Jewish. – DonielF Apr 29 '19 at 13:57
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    Consider Numbers 32:26 – Double AA Apr 29 '19 at 16:17
  • @DoubleAA good point! I didn't read far enough there; I thought of that, checked their request which mentioned cattle and little ones, and missed wives later. – Monica Cellio Apr 29 '19 at 16:40
  • @DonielF I don't really see that either reference assumes she had an Israelite status – Loewian Apr 29 '19 at 20:11
  • @Loewian How can the Midrash say that Yael didn’t carry weapons in order to uphold Lo Yilbash if she wasn’t Jewish and therefore not obligated in Lo Yilbash? How can the Gemara prove how great an Aveirah Lishmah is from a non-Jew, where it might be acceptable for a non-Jew but not for a Jew? – DonielF Apr 29 '19 at 20:14
  • @DonielF Midrash can say anything to make a point. That's the point of Midrash – Double AA Apr 29 '19 at 22:10
  • Consider too the story of Bat-Sheva and Uriya, though that was seemingly a Reshut war – Double AA Apr 29 '19 at 22:10
  • @DoubleAA Perhaps. But does that hold for Gemara Midrashim as well? – DonielF Apr 29 '19 at 23:04
  • @Doniel what's a "Gemara Midrash"? – Double AA Apr 29 '19 at 23:17
  • @DoubleAA A Midrash found in a Gemara (in this case, Horayos 10b), as opposed to a Midrash found elsewhere. – DonielF Apr 29 '19 at 23:18
  • @Doniel I didn't know that was a distinct status. – Double AA Apr 29 '19 at 23:21
  • @DoubleAA Cf. Chasam Sofer cited here that there may be differences in how to take those Midrashim. – DonielF Apr 29 '19 at 23:23

2 Answers2

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In his commentary to Rambam's codification of this law (Hilchot Melachim 7:5), R. David Ibn Zimra asks: “Is it the way of women to wage war?” And he cites the verse (Psalms 45:14) "All glorious is the king's daughter within the palace" in support of this. He then suggests that the women were (not actively fighting, but) supplying food and water to their husbands, and he notes that this is the current practice of the Arab(?) women:

אלא דקשה וכי דרך הנשים לעשות מלחמה דקתני וכלה מחופתה והא כתיב כל כבודה בת מלך פנימה וי"ל דה"ק כיון דחתן יוצא מחדרו כלה יוצאה מחופתה שאינה נוהגת ימי חופה ואפשר דבמלחמת מצוה הנשים היו מספקות מים ומזון לבעליהן וכן המנהג היום בערביות

Note that R. David Ibn Zimra did not invent the idea that it is not the way of women to wage war. The Talmud in Kiddushin (2b) explicitly states this:

התם דבמלחמה קאי דדרכו של איש לעשות מלחמה ואין דרכה של אשה לעשות מלחמה כתב לה בלשון זכר

There, however, the reference is to war, and it is the practice of man to wage war, not of woman — therefore the masculine is employed. (Soncino translation)

Community
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Alex
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11

Yachin there:

אשה לאו בת מלחמה. רק לספק מזון ולתקן הדרכים אף היא יוצאת. ‏

A woman is not able to combat, she did only provide food and repair roads.

alicht
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kouty
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