[Avodah] besulos

[T613K at aol.com]

From: "kennethgmiller at juno.com"  <kennethgmiller at juno.com>
>>I have often wondered: in this  context, and/or perhaps in other 
contexts, is it possible that we translate  the word "besula" too 
literally? Could it be that in some cases it can refer  to ANY 
unmarried girl, regardless of whether she has had sexual  relations?<<

Akiva Miller
 

>>>>>
Are you suggesting that Esther maybe was unmarried, but not a  besulah??
 
In the case of the Megilla, some say that Achashverosh took married women  as 
well as unmarried women.  No one says he took unmarried non-virgins as  well 
as unmarried virgins.  Why bother saying that?  The number of  unmarried 
non-virgins in his empire -- and in any country you could name, before  the advent 
of the Pill -- would have been vanishingly small.  The  overlapping sets of 
"all virgins" and "all never-married women" would have been  virtually 
identical.  So you are making a distinction without a  difference.




--Toby  Katz
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