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The Ancient Roots of Women’s Equality in Judaism

The Ancient Roots of Women’s Equality in Judaism

Last updated on: September 6, 2026 at 2:51 pm by Rebecca Wallace Keene

The Ancient Roots of Women’s Equality in Judaism 2026-09-06T14:51:35-04:00 Rebecca Wallace Keene

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Women’s Equality in Judaism

Women's Equality in Judaism by Rebecca Keene made with ChatGPt

Women’s Equality in Judaism

August 26th is National Women’s Equality Day, celebrating women’s right to vote. This year, as the US celebrates its 250th anniversary, we are asked to explore how far women have come and what our chosen faiths say about women’s equality. In my chosen faith of Judaism, women have always been honored despite a patriarchal society. Over the last 250 years, that honor has evolved into true equality.

Women’s Equality in the Ancient World

Even in the ancient world, the Hebrew Bible records Jewish women exercising extraordinary religious and political power. Deborah was a judge and a prophetess. Israelites, both men and women, came to her to solve their legal issues. She judged and ruled over all the men of Israel. She later ordered the army to go to war. During the war against Jabin, Deborah summoned the military commander Barak and delivered G-d’s command that he mobilize ten thousand men for battle. Barak refused to go unless Deborah went with him.

Women’s Equality in Her Marriage

Whereas women in other religions are often told to obey their husbands, Judaism gives laws for the husband to obey concerning his wife. In Genesis, G-d tells Abraham to listen to Sarah and do all that she says. In Christian churches, this is often never mentioned or spoken of as a one-time exception. However, the Jewish sages did not see it that way. They wrote that Sarah was more prophetic and had a better understanding of G-d’s plan than Abraham. Niddah 45b says:

“Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi? As it is written, with regard to the creation of woman: “And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from the man, He made [vayyiven] a woman, and brought her to the man” (Genesis 2:22). This teaches that the Holy One, Blessed be He, granted a woman a greater understanding [bina] than that of a men.”

In this way, Jewish women have always had equality or even elevated status when it comes to understanding G-d’s word. Jewish tradition therefore takes a wife’s insight seriously and commands a man to honor her. Bava Metzia 59a states that a man honors his wife so that he will become wealthy. Gentlemen, if your wallet is empty, have you considered treating your wife better?

Divorce

Further, most women in ancient civilizations had no right to initiate divorce, but Jewish women have always had the right to seek a divorce under certain circumstances. Those included a husband who is cruel, abandons her, refused to provide financially, or did not perform marital intimacy on a regular basis. Yes! You read that correctly.

Intimacy

In Christianity and other religions, we are often taught that a woman must perform her wifely duties to please her husband. In Judaism, a husband must perform his husbandly duties to satisfy his wife. Ketubot 61b gives surprisingly strict rules around this with specific timeframes for when he must do this according to his profession. This is not just for procreation, as has been theorized, because the law applies even if the woman is infertile. This is about the woman’s marital rights and happiness. So, women’s equality inside their own marriage in Judaism was and remains greater than in most other religions.

Her Body

Further evidence of women’s equality in Judaism lies in the fact that while the world, and most major religions, debate a woman’s right to abortion, Jewish women have always been granted this right under certain circumstances. A Jewish woman has a right to abortion if the pregnancy threatens her physical or mental health. Yes. Her mental health also matters. Genesis teaches us that the soul enters the body with breath. In fact, there is only one place in the Bible where abortion is mentioned directly, and that is Numbers 5 in which G-d orders the abortion. Therefore, in Mishnah Ohalot 7:6, the Rabbis clarified the mother’s life takes priority over a fetus’ life because the fetus has not yet taken a breath or become a living soul.

Women’s Equality in the Home

Most importantly, a Jewish woman had equality in her family and home. Bava Metzia 59a:6 explains that a man should consult his wife in all household matters. Maybe more impressively, a Jewish woman is also seen as an equal business partner in the home. Proverbs 31:10–31 tells us that the wife manages her household, provides food for it, purchases land, plants a vineyard with her earnings, manufactures goods, sells garments, and supplies merchants. Her husband trusts her financial judgment, and her own work earns public praise. This stands in contrast to religions that tell their women they may not work and should be silent and submissive. A woman was to be honored by her husband, because according to Yevamot 62b, a man without a wife is considered without Torah.

Women’s Equality in Modern Judaism

More recently, many Reform and Conservative communities have ordained female Rabbis and Cantors. Women are now welcome to wear tefillin and pray at the Western Wall. In many communities, women have achieved full women’s equality.

This year, let us give thanks for the women’s equality granted to women of the Jewish faith. Let us carry this forward and raise up the new generation of Deborahs. Judaism is stronger with strong women. We could never have survived without our women.

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About Rebecca Keene

Rebecca Keene holds a B.S. in Psychology and Religion and is currently pursuing an M.A. in Women, Gender, Spirituality, and Social Justice. An ordained minister, Kabbalah student, and fierce advocate for the marginalized, she is the author of Faith Under the Rainbow: Reclaiming the Truth About Homosexuality and the Bible. Rebecca founded the social media community Reclaiming the Truth and lives in Kentucky, where she practices Non-Denominational Judaism. Read Rebecca's articles at Reclaiming the Truth. You can read more about the author here.

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