פּירוש אויף שמות 35:20

“The whole community of the Israelites left” [35:20]. Bahya writes. The verse teaches us that the Israelites were very zealous and quick to bring silver and gold to the Tabernacle. However, the women were much quicker to give their silver and gold earrings to the Tabernacle. Therefore it is written, “Men and women brought” [35:22]. That is to say, the men came and they found their wives already at the Tabernacle. This was very meritorious for the women. They did not want to give their gold and silver earrings for the Golden Calf.¹⁷Bahya, Exodus, 35:20–21.

Pirke de Rabbi Eliezer writes. This is why the women were worthy that the Holy One gave Rosh Hodesh as the holiday of the women. The women are all obligated to observe Rosh Hodesh with fine clothes and not to do heavy work, more than the men. In the next world also, the Holy One will pay a good reward to the women to make them rejoice for this.¹⁸Pirke de Rabbi Eliezer, chap. 44.

Concerning this, King Solomon said, “I found only one human being in a thousand and those I found among so many never was a woman” [Ecclesiastes, 7:28]. That is to say, no woman was at the Golden Calf, who said, “this is your god” [32:8], that no woman wanted to give their gold earrings to the Golden Calf. However, the verse also has many other explanations. That is to say, among a thousand men there is one pious man, but among a thousand women not even one is pious. Therefore, the Talmud writes in [tractate] Gittin, chapter four. The daughters of Rabbi Nachman were stirring a boiling pot with their bare hands and did not need a cooking spoon. Rabbi Ilish came and said: the verse says, “I found only one human being in a thousand and those I found among so many never was a woman” [Ecclesiastes, 7:28]. That is to say, among a thousand women there is no good woman who is pious. How is it that with the daughters of Rabbi Nachman the fire can do nothing and they stir a boiling pot with their bare hands, without a cooking spoon? It happened that the daughters of Rabbi Nachman were taken captive. At the same time, Rabbi Ilish was also taken captive along with the daughters of Rabbi Nachman. Once, a Jew was sitting in prison with them who could understand the language of the birds. A raven flew by and was shouting. Rabbi Ilish asked him: what is the raven shouting? The Jew answered that Rabbi Ilish should run away from the prison. He would be able to run away successfully. Rabbi Ilish said: the raven is a liar and should not be believed. Then a dove came flying by and shouted that Rabbi Ilish should run away from the prison; he will escape successfully. Rabbi Ilish said: Israel is compared to a dove. Therefore, what it says is certainly true. The Holy One will perform a miracle to protect me from the prison. Rabbi Ilish said: I will first see if the daughters of Rabbi Nachman are still as pious as they used to me. He went very quietly to Rabbi Nachman’s daughters, so that they would not know about it and he heard what they were doing. One of them said to the other. What do we care if we stay here? We have men here like we have at home. That is to say, they were not upset that the gentiles were sleeping with them. They said, one to another, let us say to the gentiles who captured us that they should take us further away, so that our Jewish husbands should not know where we are, so that they should not redeem us. Rabbi Ilish went and wanted to run away from the prison. The same Jew who could understand the language of the birds went with him. There was a large body of water on the way and the Holy One made a miracle for Rabbi Ilish. He crossed the water and the other one could not cross. The gentiles pursued him and killed him. Rabbi Ilish escaped and came home in peace. The daughters of Rabbi Nachman came home again. They stirred the hot pots on the fire with their bare hands, using magic. Rabbi Ilish said: King Solomon, of blessed memory, told the truth that among one thousand women there is not one pious one. Therefore, every woman should be warned whenever they go among gentiles.¹⁹B. Gittin, 45a.