Massekhet Mo’ed Qatan

Volume II/10

by Gail Labovitz

Book cover: Massekhet Mo’ed Qatan

Extent: 545 pages

Publisher: Mohr Siebeck

Subjects: Gender & Sexuality, Jewish Studies

Language: English

Hardback (Published)

(July 2021)

ISBN: 9783161582820

9.09 x 6.06 inches

Price: $218.00

In stock

Tractate Mo’ed Qatan, in addition to discussing the mid-festivals of Passover and Sukkot, is the primary source on rabbinic mourning laws and rituals. In her commentary Gail Labovitz thus considers such questions as: when considering whether particular forms of labour should or should not take place during the mid-festival or when one is in mourning, which gender’s labour is considered significant, which is overlooked or taken for granted? How are practices that are meant to engender certain emotional states – joy in the festival, grief over a death – impacted by gender? How does gender guide who is mourned, and in what ways? She also explores women’s unusually conspicuous and public role in funerals and mourning procedures as lamenters. Although Mo’ed Qatan is a short tractate, women, female characters both biblical and rabbinic, and issues of gender feature prominently throughout.

  • By (author) Gail Labovitz