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Childbirth is discussed throughout the Jewish textual tradition in a variety of contexts. The charge to procreate is the first commandment in the Torah, and painful childbirth features as a punishment for Eve's role in eating from the tree of knowledge. Rabbinic sources discuss permitting otherwise prohibited actions for the sake of aiding childbirth, and sources of Jewish thought analyze the symbolic significance of the birthing process.
Notable Sources
All Sources
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A New Mother's Blessing
LITURGY
Jewish tradition contains both individual and communal rituals that mark the birth of a child. Many prayer books includes a prayer, recited publicly in synagogue shortly after a child is born, that blesses mother and child and articulates a vision for the child's future.
The Emotional Journey of Childbirth
COMMENTARY
The Torah establishes a ritual for women who give birth, understood by some to be a reflection of the complexity of the experience of childbirth. Rabbanit Dr. Michal Tikochinsky, in her contemporary collection of essays on the Torah, explores the range of emotions that those giving birth can experience, connecting them to the ritual established in the Torah.
The Birth of Pain
TANAKH
According to the biblical narrative, the pain of childbirth is one of the earliest experiences in human history. The biblical book of Genesis recounts that once Eve eats from the forbidden fruit, God punishes her by making childbirth painful for her and her descendants for eternity.
The Soul's Journey into the World
MIDRASH
Jewish tradition recognizes that one neither chooses to be born nor to die. The medieval Midrash Tanchuma presents a narrative of the soul's journey from conception until after death, focusing on its interaction with the angel who declares that its time has come to enter the world of the living.
Laughter in the Face of a Miracle
TANAKH
Most of the Israelite matriarchs struggled with infertility, and when they eventually conceived children, it was the result of divine intervention. The book of Genesis recounts the matriarch Sarah's reaction when she miraculously conceived and gave birth to a son.
Mourning the Unmourned
JEWISH THOUGHT
While the Jewish tradition includes a robust set of mourning rituals for relatives who have passed away, it does not provide ritual ways to mark the passing of a stillborn child. A midrash in Dirshuni, a collection of contemporary women-authored midrash, explores the emotional turmoil of such losses.
Birth of the Messianic Era
JEWISH THOUGHT
The Jewish tradition refers to the period immediately preceding the messianic era as a time of chevlei mashiach, or "birth pangs of the Messiah." Maharal of Prague, in his work Netzach Yisrael, explains how the metaphor of childbirth reflects the loss and transformation that will characterize the messianic era.
Birth in the Divine Realm
KABBALAH
The Jewish mystical tradition imagines God as made up of several aspects that interact with one another and even produce offspring. Moshe Chaim Luzzatto, an 18th-century kabbalist, explores this concept in his systematic introduction to Kabbalah.
Women and the Commandment to Procreate
COMMENTARY
While according to Jewish law, men are obligated to procreate, women are exempt from this obligation. Professor Judith Hauptman, a contemporary Talmud scholar, explores the reasons behind this exemption and its implications for women’s roles and rights in Jewish law.
Violating Shabbat to Bring Forth Life
MISHNAH
According to Jewish law, ensuring safe childbirth is one of the lifesaving activities that justifies violating Shabbat. Tractate Shabbat of the Mishnah, the first codification of Jewish law from the third-century land of Israel, discusses the various actions that are permitted on Shabbat to aid in childbirth.
Prayer for Safe Childbirth
CHASIDUT
Because of the danger and uncertainty that accompanies childbirth, the time before the birth of a child is often a time of intensified prayer. Likkutei Tefillot, a 19th-century collection of prayers composed by Rebbe Natan Sternhartz, a student of Rebbe Nachman of Breslov, includes a specific prayer for a woman experiencing difficulty in childbirth.
The Mystery of the Eighth Month
TALMUD
The rabbinic sages believed that a healthy baby may be born after seven or nine months of pregnancy but not after eight months. The Jerusalem Talmud in tractate Yevamot explains the logic behind this belief.
Thanking God for Recovery
HALAKHAH
Due to the danger of childbirth, it is traditional for new mothers to recite a blessing upon their recovery, thanking God for their safety. Rabbi Eliezer Melamed, in his contemporary presentation of Jewish law, Peninei Halakha, explains the reasoning behind and details of this practice.
Multiplying in Egypt
COMMENTARY
The biblical book of Exodus recounts that, despite the Egyptian Pharaoh's best efforts, the population of Israelites in Egypt continued to grow. Rashi, in his renowned 11th-century biblical commentary, suggests that the Torah refers to a sudden population boom due to the extraordinary fertility of the Israelite women.
Amulet for newborn children (Iran, 18th century). Judah L. Magnes Museum purchase, Siegfried S. Strauss collection
Amulet for newborn children (Iran, 18th century). Judah L. Magnes Museum purchase, Siegfried S. Strauss collection
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