Jewish Studies

Gail Labovitz

Massekhet Mo'ed Qatan

Volume II/10

[Mo'ed Quatan. Text, Übersetzung und Kommentar.]

2021. XIII, 532 pages.
174,00 €
including VAT
cloth
ISBN 978-3-16-158282-0
available
Published in English.
Tractate Mo'ed Qatan, in addition to discussing the mid-festivals of Passover and Sukkot, is the primary source on rabbinic mourning laws and rituals. Gail Labovitz' commentary explores the workings of gender and women's obligation to and participation in these practices.
Tractate Mo'ed Qatan, in addition to discussing the mid-festivals of Passover and Sukkot, is the primary source on rabbinic mourning laws and rituals. In her commentary Gail Labovitz thus considers such questions as: when considering whether particular forms of labour should or should not take place during the mid-festival or when one is in mourning, which gender's labour is considered significant, which is overlooked or taken for granted? How are practices that are meant to engender certain emotional states – joy in the festival, grief over a death – impacted by gender? How does gender guide who is mourned, and in what ways? She also explores women's unusually conspicuous and public role in funerals and mourning procedures as lamenters. Although Mo'ed Qatan is a short tractate, women, female characters both biblical and rabbinic, and issues of gender feature prominently throughout.
Authors/Editors

Gail Labovitz Born 1966; 2002 PhD in Talmud and Rabbinics from the Jewish Theological Seminary of America; 1992 Rabbinic Ordination; currently Professor of Rabbinic Literature, American Jewish University.

Reviews

The following reviews are known:

In: Theologische Literaturzeitung — 148 (2023), pp. 19–20 (Catherine Hezser)
In: Association Jewish Libraries Newsletter — III, 3 (12/2022 – 01/2023), p. 31 (Jonina Duker)