Drinking Imagery as Sexual Metaphor in the Talmud, featuring Rabbi Dr. Gail Labovitz [The Jewish Drinking Show, episode #185]

Introduction
Having previously discussed Talmudic Parables of Wine with Looks with Dr. Elana Stein Hain on episode 133 of The Jewish Drinking Show, there are certainly Talmudic parables involving wine. However, there are also Talmudic parables that use wine and drinking for sexual references, too! Joining the 185th episode of The Jewish Drinking Show to explore these parables is Rabbi Dr. Gail Labovitz.

Biography of Guest
Rabbi Dr. Gail Labovitz is Professor of Rabbinic Literature and former Chair of the Department of Rabbinics for the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies. She is the author of two books of rabbinic scholarship and of numerous articles in the areas of rabbinic literature, Jewish law, and feminist studies, including “Is Rav’s Wife ‘a Dish’? Food and Eating Metaphors in Rabbinic Discourse of Sexuality and Gender Relations”, which serves as the catalyst for this episode.

Dr. Labovitz has also taught at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America (JTS) and the Academy for Jewish Religion in New York. Prior to joining the faculty at AJU, Dr. Labovitz worked as the Senior Research Analyst in Judaism for the Feminist Sexual Ethics Project at Brandeis University, and as the Coordinator for the Jewish Women’s Research Group, a project of the Women’s Studies Program at JTS. Rabbi Labovitz served for ten years on the Committee on Jewish Law and Standards of the Rabbinical Assembly, and authored two responsa, as well as participating in a number of other rabbinic and academic committees and activities. Most recently, she has become a member of the first cohort of the new Masters of Fine Arts in Creative Writing program at the Jewish Theological Seminary.

Episode
In addition to being available below in video format, the episode is also available in podcast format on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever else you prefer listening to podcasts:

Beer Recommendation
For the third episode, we welcome Noah Schmutter from New Jersey on for a beer recommendation, having previously appeared on episode 133 and episode 136.

Time Stamps
0:00 Welcome
0:29 Introduction to Rabbi Dr. Gail Labovitz
1:30 Introduction to the topic
2:40 Introduction to drinking sexual metaphors in the Talmud
6:39 Mishnaic Texts: Mishnah Ketubot 3:4-5
13:56 Toseftan Texts: Tosefta Sotah 1:2 & Tosefta Sotah 5:9
30:23 Texts Involving Rabbi Yehudah HaNasi: Nedarim 20b & yShabbat 10:5
34:45 Beer recommendation
36:52 Further Early-Mid 3rd Century Rabbis: Shabbat 62b-63a & Sanhedrin 75a
38:38 Texts Involving Rava: Megillah 12b & Ketubot 75b
44:30 Conclusion
46:16 Anything to Promote?
47:29 L’chaim!