Maven University

Beruria and the Maiden of Ludomir Why did the Chana Rachel of Ludomir, who was ostracized and villified as an agent of Satan, survive to a ripe old age, While Beruria, who had been so honored and accepted as a scholar, take her own life? Both bucked the trend. Both were brilliant Torah scholars in worlds where it was unbecoming of their gender. Some differences: Chana Rachel's father nurtured her learning during her formative years. The baby Beruria saw her father being burned alive cloaked in a Torah scroll. Her learning must have come much later, perhaps in adulthood. Perhaps from her husband. Chana Rachel learned to fend for herself at an early age. When her father forbade her further study, she continued on her own. She avoided marriage, and when it was foisted on her, refused to consummate. Beruria was betrayed by a jealous husband whom she loved and trusted. Chana Rachel channeled spiritual strength from the solitude of study and meditation. Beruria drew hers from a fickle community of luminaries. She didn't stand a chance.