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The Jewish Goddess in an Orthodox Haggad

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A forgotten feminist interpretation in Rabbi Zevi Hirsch Kalischer's 19th-century commentary "Yetsiat Mitsrayim" reveals how the feminine pronoun "vehi" (and she) in the Passover Haggadah song "Vehi She-'amedah" refers to the Shekinah - the feminine aspect of God in Kabbalistic tradition. Through philological analysis of the Hebrew text's grammatical structure and semantic possibilities, this research challenges conventional translations that render "vehi" as the neuter "and that" in reference to God's promise. Kalischer's interpretation, preserved in the Orthodox anthology "Migdal Eder," presents the Shekinah as a divine intercessor accompanying the Jewish people in exile. Drawing upon Zoharic sources, his commentary constructs a theological framework where masculine and feminine divine aspects collaborate in Jewish salvation. The presence of this interpretation in traditional Jewish exegetical literature provides historical precedent for referring to God with feminine pronouns and imagery, demonstrating how efforts to address gender inclusivity in contemporary Jewish practice can authentically draw upon classical sources while remaining within orthodox interpretive frameworks.

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    Published 1986

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    Mayer Gruber