Talmud Bavli
Talmud Bavli

Commentary for Kiddushin 139:17

נשדר ליה מר שלמא לילתא א"ל הכי אמר שמואל קול באשה ערוה אפשר ע"י שליח א"ל הכי אמר שמואל

'Is not safsal, as used by t Rabbis, or iztaba, as commonly used,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Others reverse it.');"><sup>27</sup></span> good enough? ' he asked.' Will you partake of ethronga [citron],' he proceeded, 'Thus did Samuel say,' was his reply: 'he who says 'ethronga', is a third [puffed up] with arrogance: either ethrog, as it is called by the Rabbis, or ethroga, as it is popularly called.' 'Will you drink anbaga [cup of wine]? ' he asked him.' Are you then dissatisfied with isharagus, as it is called by the Rabbis, or anpak, as it is popularly pronounced? ' he reproved him.' Let [my daughter] Donag come and serve drink,' he proposed.' Thus said Samuel,' he replied: 'One must not make use of a woman.' '[But] she is only a child!' - 'Samuel distinctly said: One must make no use at all of a woman, whether adult or child.' 'Will you send a greeting to [my wife] Yaltha,' he suggested.' Thus said Samuel,' he replied, [To listen to] a woman's voice is indecent.' 'It is possible through a messenger? ' 'Thus said Samuel,' he retorted

Daf Shevui to Kiddushin

R. Nahman wants his daughter Donag to come and serve R. Yehudah some drink. No go, even though she is a child.
R. Nahman then suggests R. Yehudah send greetings to his wife, Yalta. R. Yehudah, remarkably, believes it is improper to even hear a woman’s voice.
Finally, R. Yehudah believes it is improper to even ask after a woman’s welfare.
This source goes way beyond other sources regarding interaction between men and women. There are other sources that consider it improper to hear a woman sing. But this source considers it improper to even hear a woman speak. We should remember that R. Nahman does not seem to have even heard of these prohibitions.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Previous VerseFull ChapterNext Verse