Class 3 - Tribute to a Female Warrior: Eishet Chayil and the Qualities of a Rare Jewish Woman

(10) What a rare find is a capable wife! Her worth is far beyond that of rubies. (11) Her husband puts his confidence in her, And lacks no good thing. (12) She is good to him, never bad, All the days of her life. (13) She looks for wool and flax, And sets her hand to them with a will. (14) She is like a merchant fleet, Bringing her food from afar. (15) She rises while it is still night, And supplies provisions for her household, The daily fare of her maids. (16) She sets her mind on an estate and acquires it; She plants a vineyard by her own labors. (17) She girds herself with strength, And performs her tasks with vigor. (18) She sees that her business thrives; Her lamp never goes out at night. (19) She sets her hand to the distaff; Her fingers work the spindle. (20) She gives generously to the poor; Her hands are stretched out to the needy. (21) She is not worried for her household because of snow, For her whole household is dressed in crimson. (22) She makes covers for herself; Her clothing is linen and purple. (23) Her husband is prominent in the gates, As he sits among the elders of the land. (24) She makes cloth and sells it, And offers a girdle to the merchant. (25) She is clothed with strength and splendor; She looks to the future cheerfully. (26) Her mouth is full of wisdom, Her tongue with kindly teaching. (27) She oversees the activities of her household And never eats the bread of idleness. (28) Her children declare her happy; Her husband praises her, (29) “Many women have done well, But you surpass them all.” (30) Grace is deceptive, Beauty is illusory; It is for her fear of the LORD That a woman is to be praised. (31) Extol her for the fruit of her hand, And let her works praise her in the gates.

(1) The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel: (2) For learning wisdom and discipline; For understanding words of discernment; (3) For acquiring the discipline for success, Righteousness, justice, and equity; (4) For endowing the simple with shrewdness, The young with knowledge and foresight. (5) —The wise man, hearing them, will gain more wisdom; The discerning man will learn to be adroit; (6) For understanding proverb and epigram, The words of the wise and their riddles. (7) The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and discipline.

(1) The words of Lemuel, king of Massa, with which his mother admonished him: (2) No, my son! No, O son of my womb! No, O son of my vows! (3) Do not give your strength to women, Your vigor, to those who destroy kings. (4) Wine is not for kings, O Lemuel; Not for kings to drink, Nor any strong drink for princes, (5) Lest they drink and forget what has been ordained, And infringe on the rights of the poor. (6) Give strong drink to the hapless And wine to the embittered. (7) Let them drink and forget their poverty, And put their troubles out of mind.

(8) Speak up for the dumb, For the rights of all the unfortunate. (9) Speak up, judge righteously, Champion the poor and the needy.

(10) What a rare find is a capable wife! Her worth is far beyond that of rubies. (11) Her husband puts his confidence in her, And lacks no good thing. (12) She is good to him, never bad, All the days of her life. (13) She looks for wool and flax, And sets her hand to them with a will. (14) She is like a merchant fleet, Bringing her food from afar. (15) She rises while it is still night, And supplies provisions for her household, The daily fare of her maids. (16) She sets her mind on an estate and acquires it; She plants a vineyard by her own labors. (17) She girds herself with strength, And performs her tasks with vigor. (18) She sees that her business thrives; Her lamp never goes out at night. (19) She sets her hand to the distaff; Her fingers work the spindle. (20) She gives generously to the poor; Her hands are stretched out to the needy. (21) She is not worried for her household because of snow, For her whole household is dressed in crimson. (22) She makes covers for herself; Her clothing is linen and purple. (23) Her husband is prominent in the gates, As he sits among the elders of the land. (24) She makes cloth and sells it, And offers a girdle to the merchant. (25) She is clothed with strength and splendor; She looks to the future cheerfully. (26) Her mouth is full of wisdom, Her tongue with kindly teaching. (27) She oversees the activities of her household And never eats the bread of idleness. (28) Her children declare her happy; Her husband praises her, (29) “Many women have done well, But you surpass them all.” (30) Grace is deceptive, Beauty is illusory; It is for her fear of the LORD That a woman is to be praised. (31) Extol her for the fruit of her hand, And let her works praise her in the gates.

Solomon had six names: Shlomo, Yedidya, Kohelet, Ben Yakeh, Agur, and Lemuel.

The words of Lemuel the king: The words of King Solomon...

(11) And now, daughter, have no fear. I will do in your behalf whatever you ask, for all the elders of my town know what a fine woman you are.

"אשת חיל (a virtuous woman):" I will explain this in Proverbs.

(4) A capable wife is a crown for her husband, but an incompetent one is like rot in his bones.

...A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband (Prov. 12:4). This verse alludes to Abraham, who mourned for Sarah...And Sarah died (Gen. 23:2). Abraham began to weep for her, saying: A woman of valor who can find? For her price is far above rubies. The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her (Prov. 31:10). When did he demonstrate his trust in her? When he said to her: Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister (Gen. 12:13)...

(5) He who lays in stores during the summer is a capable son, But he who sleeps during the harvest is an incompetent.

(35) The king favors a capable servant; He rages at an incompetent one.

(2) A capable servant will dominate an incompetent son And share the inheritance with the brothers.

(26) A son who causes shame and disgrace Plunders his father, puts his mother to flight.

(15) Rod and reproof produce wisdom, But a lad out of control is a disgrace to his mother.

"אשת חיל מי ימצא (Who can find a woman of worth):" "חיל" (worth) means wealth, as in a woman who acquires wealth and possessions through her wisdom. Who can find such a woman?

(11) Her husband puts his confidence in her, And lacks no good thing.

(12) She is good to him, never bad, All the days of her life.

(17) She girds herself with strength, And performs her tasks with vigor.

(26) Her mouth is full of wisdom, Her tongue with kindly teaching.

(30) Grace is deceptive, Beauty is illusory; It is for her fear of the LORD That a woman is to be praised.

(14) She is like a merchant fleet, Bringing her food from afar.

(22) She makes covers for herself; Her clothing is linen and purple.

(24) She makes cloth and sells it, And offers a girdle to the merchant.

(27) She oversees the activities of her household And never eats the bread of idleness.

(13) She looks for wool and flax, And sets her hand to them with a will.

(16) She sets her mind on an estate and acquires it; She plants a vineyard by her own labors (lit. hands).

(19) She sets her hand to the distaff; Her fingers work the spindle.

(20) She gives generously (lit. her hand is extended) to the poor; Her hands are stretched out to the needy.

(31) Extol her for the fruit of her hand, And let her works praise her in the gates.

(15) She rises while it is still night, And supplies provisions for her household, The daily fare of her maids.

(18) She sees that her business thrives; Her lamp never goes out at night.

(28) Her children (rise and) declare her happy; Her husband praises her,

(21) She is not worried for her household because of snow, For her whole household is dressed in crimson.

(25) She is clothed with strength and splendor; She looks to the future cheerfully.

(10) What a rare find is a capable wife! Her worth is far beyond that of rubies.

(23) Her husband is prominent in the gates, As he sits among the elders of the land.

(28) Her children declare her happy; Her husband praises her,

(29) “Many women have done well, But you surpass them all.”

(2) "A valiant woman, who can find" (Proverbs 31:10): That is the Torah...Another explanation: "A valiant woman, who can find" - They said, "There was a story about Rabbi Meir who was sitting and expounding in the study hall on Shabbat afternoon, when two of his sons died. What did his mother do? She placed both of them on the bed and spread a sheet over them. At the end of Shabbat, Rabbi Meir came home from the study hall. He said to her, 'Where are my two sons?' She said [back], 'They went to the study hall.' He said to her, 'I scanned the study hall and I did not see them.' They gave him the cup of Havdalah and he separated [the days of the week with the closure of Shabbat]. He repeated and said, 'Where are my two sons?' She said, 'They went elsewhere and they are coming now.' She placed food in front of him and he ate and blessed. After he blessed, she said to him, 'I have a question to ask you...before today, a man came and deposited something with me, and now he is coming to take it. Should we return it to him or not?' He said, 'My daughter, one who has a deposit with him must return it to its owner.' She said to him, 'Were it not for your consent, I would not have given it to him.' What did she do? She grabbed his hand, brought him up to that room, had him approach the bed and took off the sheet from upon them. When he saw both of them dead and laying upon the bed, he began to cry and say, 'My sons, my sons, my teachers, my teachers - my sons in the way of the world, my teachers in that they would enlighten my eyes with their Torah.' At that time, she said to Rabbi Meir, 'Rabbi, is this not what I told you - do I not need to return the deposit to its Owner?' He said, '"The Lord has given and the Lord has taken; may the name of the Lord be blessed"' (Job 1:21)." Rabbi Chanina said, "With this thing, she consoled him and his mind became composed - that is why it states, 'A valiant woman, who can find.'"...