God help us….
CHANA : I, Zehava Toledano, accept upon myself this sacred oath—
ZEHAVA : I, Zehava Toledano, accept upon myself this sacred oath—
CHANA :—to listen to Chana honestly and to judge her righteously.
ZEHAVA : With all my heart, to listen to my friend Chana with honesty and to judge her righteously.
Music. MOTIF OF THE OATH. CHANA begins to pray. The change from reality to ritual.
INTERMISSION .
Act II
Prologue
The women stand behind the table. Before each is a basin and a two-handed ritual cup. In unison, they grasp the cup in their left hand, and pour water twice over their right fist, repeating with the other hand. A beam of light touches each one. They fade. A halo of light surrounds the table, widens and encircles the stage. The realistic room disappears. The women move outside the circle. CHANA stands alone in the center, her eyes closed, she prays. The MAN’S VOICE who has read the laws in the opening scene, returns to do battle with the power of the women’s minyan , delegitimizing it to weaken and demean them. CHANA ’ s prayer does battle with it, overcoming and silencing it, fending off the male intrusion into the women’s mystical circle, the sacred oath that now binds them.
MALE VOICE : A group of ten men of Israel, over the age of thirteen, are a “congregation”, a society, a minyan for the purposes of public prayer or other holy activities. Even if one hundred women pray together, they have no authority to perform a sacred act. They may not publicly declare God’s Oneness. They may not lead the congregation in prayer. They may not perform the Priestly blessing, or a public reading of the Torah or of the Prophets. They may not convene a public event or a council. They may not publicly comfort the mourner or bless the bridegroom or say grace after meals because, as it is written: “I will be blessed amongst the Children of Israel,” and throughout the entire Torah, the “Children of Israel” refers to free, male adults. A woman is a golem , a lump of clay, without stature, who cannot make a covenant with God, and therefore, cannot join a minyan.
CHANA : [ fighting back, with prayer. ] To You, O Lord, do I lift up my soul. In You, O God, have I put my trust; do not let me be deceived. Do not let my enemies triumph. Let me find my way in Your truth. Teach me, for You are the God of my salvation, and it is for You I wait all day.
MALE VOICE : “Even at a time of affliction for Israel, when individuals abandon the congregation, and doom themselves to hell, even at such a time women may not join a minyan to make up ten; even one woman with nine men. A woman does not join a minyan even for the purpose of witnessing a public display of martyrdom to sanctify the Holy Name. A woman may not judge, or be a witness. Gentiles, slaves, women, fools, and children are ineligible to give testimony. Women are not called a congregation.”
CHANA : [ escalating the battle. ] Behold my enemies, how many they are and how they hate me. Watch over my soul and save me from them, let me not be ashamed that I have trusted in You. Innocence and righteousness will preserve me, for I have put my trust in You.
MALE VOICE : [ beginning to capitulate. ] But ten women can gather together unto themselves for public service, or to read the Scroll of Esther on Purim. Ten women are considered a congregation for lighting candles, for drinking four cups of wine on Passover, and eating bitter herbs. Ten women are a congregation for the purpose of reconciling a man to his enemy.
CHANA : [ her prayers partially answered .] He guides the humble through judgment, and teaches the humble His way. Thus all the paths of the Lord are full of truth and loving-kindness to those who keep His Covenant. For the sake of Your name, Lord, pardon my iniquity. Troubles have already enlarged my heart—Oh lead me out of my affliction…For Your mercy is before my eyes and I
CHANA : I, Zehava Toledano, accept upon myself this sacred oath—
ZEHAVA : I, Zehava Toledano, accept upon myself this sacred oath—
CHANA :—to listen to Chana honestly and to judge her righteously.
ZEHAVA : With all my heart, to listen to my friend Chana with honesty and to judge her righteously.
Music. MOTIF OF THE OATH. CHANA begins to pray. The change from reality to ritual.
INTERMISSION .
Act II
Prologue
The women stand behind the table. Before each is a basin and a two-handed ritual cup. In unison, they grasp the cup in their left hand, and pour water twice over their right fist, repeating with the other hand. A beam of light touches each one. They fade. A halo of light surrounds the table, widens and encircles the stage. The realistic room disappears. The women move outside the circle. CHANA stands alone in the center, her eyes closed, she prays. The MAN’S VOICE who has read the laws in the opening scene, returns to do battle with the power of the women’s minyan , delegitimizing it to weaken and demean them. CHANA ’ s prayer does battle with it, overcoming and silencing it, fending off the male intrusion into the women’s mystical circle, the sacred oath that now binds them.
MALE VOICE : A group of ten men of Israel, over the age of thirteen, are a “congregation”, a society, a minyan for the purposes of public prayer or other holy activities. Even if one hundred women pray together, they have no authority to perform a sacred act. They may not publicly declare God’s Oneness. They may not lead the congregation in prayer. They may not perform the Priestly blessing, or a public reading of the Torah or of the Prophets. They may not convene a public event or a council. They may not publicly comfort the mourner or bless the bridegroom or say grace after meals because, as it is written: “I will be blessed amongst the Children of Israel,” and throughout the entire Torah, the “Children of Israel” refers to free, male adults. A woman is a golem , a lump of clay, without stature, who cannot make a covenant with God, and therefore, cannot join a minyan.
CHANA : [ fighting back, with prayer. ] To You, O Lord, do I lift up my soul. In You, O God, have I put my trust; do not let me be deceived. Do not let my enemies triumph. Let me find my way in Your truth. Teach me, for You are the God of my salvation, and it is for You I wait all day.
MALE VOICE : “Even at a time of affliction for Israel, when individuals abandon the congregation, and doom themselves to hell, even at such a time women may not join a minyan to make up ten; even one woman with nine men. A woman does not join a minyan even for the purpose of witnessing a public display of martyrdom to sanctify the Holy Name. A woman may not judge, or be a witness. Gentiles, slaves, women, fools, and children are ineligible to give testimony. Women are not called a congregation.”
CHANA : [ escalating the battle. ] Behold my enemies, how many they are and how they hate me. Watch over my soul and save me from them, let me not be ashamed that I have trusted in You. Innocence and righteousness will preserve me, for I have put my trust in You.
MALE VOICE : [ beginning to capitulate. ] But ten women can gather together unto themselves for public service, or to read the Scroll of Esther on Purim. Ten women are considered a congregation for lighting candles, for drinking four cups of wine on Passover, and eating bitter herbs. Ten women are a congregation for the purpose of reconciling a man to his enemy.
CHANA : [ her prayers partially answered .] He guides the humble through judgment, and teaches the humble His way. Thus all the paths of the Lord are full of truth and loving-kindness to those who keep His Covenant. For the sake of Your name, Lord, pardon my iniquity. Troubles have already enlarged my heart—Oh lead me out of my affliction…For Your mercy is before my eyes and I
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