The dog and the adulteress: The meaning and context of a tale of adultery in a Jewish ethical work

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Abstract

This article discusses a well-known Hebrew folktale about an adulterous couple in which the man is turned into a wild dog in punishment for his sin and attacks his married mistress. This story is found in the popular ethical work Kav Ha-yashar (The Just Measure) which was first printed in 1705. Using this story, I will demonstrate how folktales are used as a means of instilling fear of horrific punishment for breaking the social convention of monogamous marriage, and as a way of expressing misogyny. At the same time, the story provides a platform for expressing deviant sexuality, which is, of course, a taboo in everyday life. The transformation into a dog is based upon well-known canine images in Jewish culture.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)181-195
Number of pages15
JournalReinardus
Volume32
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - 31 Dec 2020

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Literature and Literary Theory

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