View of women in Judaism: The Nidda example

The subject of this study is "The View of Women in Judaism: The Nidda Example". The subject is evaluated in the context of the fact that women are considered ritually unclean during their menstrual period in Judaism, thus contaminating people and objects, and their relationship with the sacred space is hindered. The relationship between family purity and menstruation, which is emphasized with sensitivity in Judaism, is emphasized. The subject is limited to the negative perception of women in the Jewish tradition. Although there are other reasons for ritual impurity, the focus is on the pollution of the nidda period, which is considered a special state of women in terms of the subject covered. In order to better understand the prohibitions of the nidda period, which is a manifestation of the negative perception of women in the Jewish tradition, the position of women in Judaism is discussed in the first part of the study on the axis of negative narratives. Then, the creation narrative, which is the source of women's position, and the reflections of women in family and worship life are discussed. The strict rules that Jewish women must follow during their menstrual period, the sanctions they will face if they do not follow them, and the mikveh, which is a part of the ritual of cleansing from impurity, are discussed in the second part of the study. Thus, this study has attempted to understand the foundations of the removal of women from family life and sacred spaces through the nidda laws and strict contact rules that are shaped around the negative perception of women created by the Jewish tradition. In this context, it has been revealed that the main factor that has caused the problem of Jewish women being marginalized for centuries due to their natural characteristics is not religion itself, but a reflection of the mind of the male authority. Thus, it is aimed to contribute to the literature of women's studies in Judaism.