Eshet Chayil - אֵשֶׁת חַיִל

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Proverbs 31:10-31

א Who can find a woman of valor? Her value is far beyond that of rubies.

ב The heart of her husband trusts in her and he lacks nothing good.

ג She does him good and not evil all the days of her life.

ד She looks for wool and flax and sets her hand to them willingly.

ה She is like a merchant’s ships, bringing food from afar.

ו She arises while it is still night, and provides food to her household and a portion to her maidens.

ז She envisions a field and acquires it; with her own hands does she plant a vineyard.

ח She girds her loins with strength and exerts her arms.

ט She sees that her enterprise is good; her lamp is never snuffed out at night.

י She stretches out her hands to the distaff and her palms support the spindle.

כ She gives generously to the poor and stretches out her hands to the needy.

ל She is not afraid of snow for her household, for her entire household is clothed in crimson wool.

מ She makes bedspreads for herself; her clothing are linen and purple wool.

נ Her husband is well-known in the gates where he sits among the elders of the land.

ס She makes a cloak and sells it and delivers a belt to the merchant.

ע Strength and dignity are her clothing and she awaits the future cheerfully.

פ She opens her mouth with wisdom and the law of kindness is on her tongue.

צ She looks well to the ways of her household and never eats the bread of idleness.

ק Her children rise up and call her blessed and her husband praises her:

ר “Many daughters have done valiantly, but you excel them all.”

ש Grace is deceptive and beauty is vain, but a woman who reveres Adonai: she shall be praised.

ת Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her works praise her in the gates.

This passage—an alphabetical acrostic—is taken from Chapter 31 of the Book of Proverbs. Proverbs, Psalms, the Song of Songs, the Scroll of Esther, and nine other books, form the third major section of TaNaKh, namely, Ketuvim, the Holy Writings.

Many feminists are not happy with the male-chauvinist sentiments that suffuse this poem in praise of women. Others, however, recognize it as a product of the time it was written. The highest praise that could be offered of a woman in those days was that she was a perfect בעלת בית baalat-bayit, homemaker. Today’s אשת חייל eshet chayil , woman of valor is a very different kind of woman, as accomplished in the world as she is at home… but certain qualities remain praiseworthy:

She gives generously to the poor and stretches out her hands to the needy; strength and dignity are her clothing and she awaits the future cheerfully; she opens her mouth with wisdom and the law of kindness is on her tongue; a woman who reveres Adonai: she shall be praised; give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her works praise her in the gates.

These words of praise are a husband’s way of wooing his wife. It should be noted that the Biblical שיר השירים Shir Hashirim Song of Songs, a book of erotic poetry attributed to King Solomon, is also recited on Friday evening. Shabbat—when no workaday activities are permitted—has often been viewed as the ideal time for expressions of marital love.

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