Once a woman becomes a widow she loses much more than her
husband:
As the hierarchy within the family shifts, her position
often weakens. Moreover, the new circumstances could affect the widow's public
status, especially if she is left with limited means. The widow’s fall from
grace is particularly harsh since it happens through no fault of her own.
In the Bible widows and orphans are regarded as the most
vulnerable members of society and it is the duty of the community to take care
of them.
Deuteronomy 27:19
“‘Cursed be anyone who perverts the justice due to the sojourner, the
fatherless, and the widow.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen".
In literature, widowhood is usually synonymous with
helplessness and desperation, and it serves as a quick, yet effective,
characterization device. A typical widow is a dreary middle-aged woman, who is
short of money. Yet with no clout, the widow doesn't have much to lose, and in
many novels she is the one to say things nobody wants to hear. A good example
is Mrs. Norris in Mansfield Park, and
there are many similar "difficult" aunts in Victorian novels.
But there are also some young and attractive widows in
literature, and when such a woman appears readers should pay close attention:
as she could defy the stereotype. Still young widows are regarded as an easy prey by the men and are
often viewed with suspicion by other women. And, as we could see from the case
of Dorothea from Middlemarch and Amelia Sedley from Vanity Fair, widows tend to
find themselves outside the mainstream of society.
The subject of widowhood is one of the themes of Shavouot,
the Jewish holiday which commemorates the anniversary of the day God gave the
Torah to the entire nation which was assembled at Mount Sinai. Traditionally on
the eve of that holiday many Jewish people engage in Tikkun Shavouot, which in
this case means an all-night Torah study. This custom has evolved into communal
discussions of philosophical and theological issues related to the Bible in
general and to the book of Ruth, which is read on Shavouot, in particular.
The book of Ruth tells the story of a Jewish woman Naomi and
her two Moavi daughters-in-law who, after losing their husbands in the diaspora
of Moav, have to make a life change.. One of the daughters-in-law, Orpa,
decides to accept Naomi's offer and stay behind in Moav. Although Orpa's
decision is told in one short line, I
was struck by the clever characterization of the different widows in the text.
Orpa makes a brave choice; she is left on her own and has to build a new life
for her self. We hear no more of Orpa, and
Naomi and Ruth, return together to the land of Israel.
In contrast to the literary stereotype of the helpless
widow, Naomi cannot afford to be weak, she has to take care of another widow--
the young Ruth. Thus, in order to secure their
future, Naomi devises a plan of reclaiming the family estate.. This is to
be done by marrying Ruth off to an eligible man, Boaz, from her own clan. Many
widows throughout history in literature and in real life have done just that.
But, in contrast to literature where such an action is often seen as cold
opportunism, at the time of a Bible marrying a young widow was regarded as an
obligation of the single man from the same clan.
It is clear that not
only Ruth accepts Naomi's authority but
even Boaz, soon to be her son in law, recognizes the strength of the older
woman and respects her as the head of the family.
Reading the book of Ruth is much like reading a play; Naomi
is also an actress, but most of her work is done behind the scenses as she is
the creator and the director of that play. As we pay close attention to the the
young widow Ruth, who is also the lead actress, we realize that she trusts her
director to bring about a happy ending (the marriage which would also result,
thre generations later, in a more
general happy ending --the birth of king David), and plays her part perfectly.
The book of Ruth is an empowering story of friendship among
women, and of great team work. But for me it is mostly a celebration of the
wisdom and strength of the middle aged widow.
PS. A link to the book of Ruth: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?&search=Ruth+1
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