Essay על דברים 25:11

In a law literally protecting maleness, a wife loses her hand over an act understood by a patriarchal society to be completely intolerable. Not even the close ties of a woman to the males of her family may overrule this (Frymer-Kensky 1992a). But also at issue may be the idea that the convenant is passed on biologically, and hence damaging the genitals damages the covenant (Greenstein, personal communication).