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Tamar Kadari

Tamar Kadari is a senior lecturer in Midrash and Aggadah and former Dean of the Schechter Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem. She teaches at the Schechter Institute and Bar Ilan University. Her synoptic edition of Midrash Song of Songs Rabbah, based on extensive manuscript research, was launched in 2014 on the Schechter website. She is the author of Minkhah L'Yehudah: Julius Theodor and the Redaction of the Aggadic Midrashim of the Land of Israel (Jerusalem: Schechter/Leo Baeck, 2017), a study of a major figure in the modern study of rabbinic literature and his influence on the modern study of midrash. She is the academic advisor for and author of the introduction to Dirshuni: Contemporary Women’s Midrash, Brandeis University Press (2022). Her articles have appeared in leading scholarly journals. Tamar is also a sculptor whose work has been exhibited in galleries in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.

Articles by this author

Wife of Job: Midrash and Aggadah

Job’s wife is the subject of a moral critique by the midrash for advising her husband to commit blasphemy. Different midrashim account for the possible outcomes and motives of her actions.

Wife of Korah: Midrash and Aggadah

The wife of Korah, in the midrash, is responsible for causing her husband to rebel against Moses and Aaron. She is characterized as a scheming woman, driven by her desire for honor and status and wielding great influence over her husband.

Wife of Manoach; Samson's Mother: Midrash and Aggadah

Manoah’s wife, the mother of Samson, is identified by the Babylonian Rabbis as “Zlelponi” or “Zlelponith.” She was a barren woman until an angel of the Lord appeared to her and told her she would conceive a child. She is included among the twenty-three truly upright and righteous women who came forth from Israel.

Wife of On Ben Pelet: Midrash and Aggadah

The wife of On Son of Pelet is not mentioned in the Bible. However, the midrash credits her for saving her husband’s life. Her strong character allowed her to perform an “unbecoming” act to achieve a higher goal: rescuing her home and family.

Widow of Zarephath: Midrash and Aggadah

The widow of Zarephath plays a small but important role in Elijah’s story. She feeds Elijah in her home. Her son soon dies, and Elijah pleads to God for the power to resurrect him.

Two Prostitutes as Mothers: Midrash and Aggadah

The two prostitutes appear in the narrative about Solomon’s judgement concerning the parentage of a baby boy. The Rabbis debate the identity of the women; some argue that they truly were prostitutes and were therefore not present at the time of the judgment, while others assert that they were yevamot (widows whose husbands had died childless).

Timna, concubine of Eliphaz: Midrash and Aggadah

After being denied conversion by the men of Abraham’s household, Timna becomes the concubine of Eliphaz. The Rabbis portray this action as proof of her genuine desire to convert, and Israel is punished for the Patriarch’s actions. Another midrash uses Timna to clarify an issue of lineage, ultimately showing that Esau’s descendants were born of adultery.

Shunammite: Midrash and Aggadah

The Shunammite woman is celebrated by the Rabbis for her generosity and righteousness. The story of her hospitality towards Elisha portrays these traits, but the midrash also celebrates her for cautiousness, as shown by the narrative of her son.

Shua's daughter: Midrash and Aggadah

The Rabbis do not give significant attention to Shua’s daughter, who is the wife of Judah; the midrash generally views their marriage as a step down for Judah. However, the narratives of their children are analyzed in the midrashim, and the Rabbis give special meaning to the names and birthplaces of the children.

Shelomith 1: Midrash and Aggadah

The narrative of Shelomith is used by the Rabbis as the exception that proves the rule of Israelite marital fidelity. One tradition relates that her son was born out of wedlock with an Egyptian man who deceived her, while another says that her son was born to an Egyptian man after the former murdered her Israelite husband.

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How to cite this page

Jewish Women's Archive. "Tamar Kadari." (Viewed on March 28, 2024) <http://jwa.org/encyclopedia/author/kadari-tamar>.