by Temima Goldberg Shulman
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here are that of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of the Union for Traditional Judaism, unless otherwise indicated.
In her Jewish Week article, Temima Goldberg Shulman analyzes the relationship between Adam and Eve:
“This one, at last, is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh. This one shall be called Woman, for from Man was she taken. Hence a Man … clings to his wife, so that they become one flesh” [Gen. 2: 23-24]. These verses, packed with alliteration and symbolism, also introduce an additional literary concept: Myth.
It is the first, and seemingly lasting, myth that humans have held onto about marriage: Each one of us was once one with someone, and, therefore, when we find the right one, we will be complete again. But is God really asking us to complete something broken, or to create something unique?
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Temima Goldberg Shulman is a Jerusalem-born, award winning writer and teacher based in New Jersey. She has taught Bible and Jewish law at New Jersey Jewish high schools and in Israel. She has worked as a daily reporter, a book review columnist, and as an Israel correspondent, interviewing the likes of Yaakov Agam and Yizhak Rabin. As a community activist, 13 years ago she turned her attention to women's issues and healthy sexuality.
Today she writes and speaks about these issues, their origins in the Bible and Talmud, and their application and relevance to modern Jewish life. She is founder and director of the Midrasha in Manhattan, a house of study and culture for Israelis, opening 2017.