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Asenath Barzani, also Asenath Barazani〔Her first name has various spellings besides Asenath, such as “Asnat” or “Osnat”.〕 (1590–1670) (in Kurdish: Asênat Barzanî), the daughter of the eminent Rabbi Samuel HaLevi Barzani, was a renowned Kurdish Jewish woman who lived in Mosul, Iraq. Her writings demonstrate her mastery of Hebrew, Torah, Talmud, Midrash, and Kabbalah, and her letters are both lyrical and erudite. She is considered the first female rabbi of Jewish history by some scholars. ==Life and work== Asenath Barzani was the daughter of Rabbi Samuel HaLevi Barzani, a rabbinic scholar in Kurdistan, whose authority was absolute though he held no official position. He had founded several yeshivot and was head of the yeshivah in Mosul. He lived in great poverty and was regarded as a saint. He had no sons, and he was his daughter's primary teacher. A master of Kabbalah, he was said to have taught his daughter the secrets of Kabbalah.〔 Barzani adored her father, and regarded him as a King of Israel. In a letter, she described her upbringing: Barzani was married to one of her father's best students, Rabbi Jacob Mizrahi, who promised her father that she would do no domestic work and could spend her time as a Torah scholar. After her father's death, her husband became head of the yeshivah in Mosul. He was so involved in his studies that she essentially taught the yeshivah students and provided them with rabbinic training. Following her husband's death, the leadership of the yeshivah passed to her naturally, and eventually she became known as the chief teacher of Torah in Kurdistan. As neither her father nor her husband had been successful fundraisers, the yeshivah was always in financial difficulties, and Barzani wrote a number of letters requesting funds in which she described her and her children's difficult situation. Her home and belongings had been confiscated, including her books, but she felt that as a woman it was inappropriate for her to travel in search of financial support.〔 Barzani wrote: In spite of the financial problems, she successfully ran the yeshivah which continued to produce serious scholars, including her son, whom she sent to Baghdad, where he continued the dynasty of rabbinic scholars.〔 In letters addressed to her, one can see the respect and admiration of fellow scholars from far and near. Her few extant writings demonstrate a complete mastery of Hebrew, Torah, Talmud, Midrash, as well as Kabbalah, and her letters are not only erudite, but also lyrical. After her death, many Jews made pilgrimages to her grave in Amadiyah in Northern Iraq, where her father is also buried.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Asenath Barzani」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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