Why is the erech (Vayikra 27:1–8) of a woman less than that of a man? And why does erech depend on age? Sources, please.
Answer
Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch's approach, if I recall correctly, is that the number 3 represents the family (father+mother+child), and an additional 2 represents the community. Men are obligated to be involved in both, whereas women are only obligated in the former.
Hence:
- mature female = 10 [= completion] x (3 [=family]) = 30 shekels
mature male = 10 [= completion] x ( 3 [=family] + 2 [=community]) = 50 shekels
toddler girl, proportional fraction of adult duties = 3 shekels
toddler boy, proportional fraction of adult duties = 3 + 2 = 5 shekels
young female, working towards completion (10) in the family realm = 10 shekels
- young male, working towards completion (10) in both family and public realms (x2) = 20 shekels
(Note that the Torah's stage of "working towards completion" is ages 5 to 20, or 15 years. If we split that in half, we get two stages: 5--12.5, and 12.5--20. That fits well with the concept of bar/bat mitzvah -- half that time is maturing without the technical obligation, and half the time with.)
- retired female, back to her prior state of responsibilities = 10 shekels
- retired male, given a reduced role of communal responsibilities = 10 (family) + 1/2 * 10 (community) = 15 shekels
The Gemara does observe that retirement age proportionately devaluates a man more than a woman, hence the Talmudic saying:
An older lady in the house is a treasure; an older man in the house is a waste of space.
Which sounds similar to the way one lady described having her retired husband home (I believe this is attributed to the Cosby show):
It's like having a grand piano sitting in your kitchen. It looks good, but it's always getting in the way!
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