Asenath Barzani
Encyclopedia
Tanna’it Asenath Barzani (1590–1670) was a renowned Kurdish Jewish
woman who lived in Mosul
, Iraq
. She was the daughter of the illustrious Rabbi Samuel Barzani. She studied Kabbalah
.
made pilgrimages to her grave in Amadiyah in Northern Iraq. Tanna’it Asenath was the daughter of Rabbi Samuel Barzani, who headed many yeshiva
s during his lifetime, and whose authority in Kurdistan was absolute. He was a master of Kabbalah, and he was said to have taught the secrets of Kabbalah to his daughter, who adored her father, whom she regarded as a King of Israel. He was her primary teacher, and after his death she took over many of his duties. Not only did Asenath serve as a rabbi, but she became the head of the yeshiva
h of Mosul
, and eventually became known as the chief teacher of Torah
in Kurdistan. In another source, it is said that, "Asenath Barzani in sixteenth-century Kurdistan supplicates the Torah sages of Amadiya so she can support the yeshiva
her husband established in Mosul until her young son could take over"(see https://www.hadassah.org/news/content/per_hadassah/archive/2000/AugSept/resvoi.html).
legends about the miracles she performed, such as the one described in “A Flock of Angels”. After Rabbi Samuel died, he often came to his daughter in dreams. He would reveal dangers to her and tell her how to ward them off, saving many lives. On one occasion, inspired by her father, she encouraged the Jews of Amadiyah to celebrate Rosh Hodesh outdoors, despite dangers from their enemies. As they proceeded with the celebration, there were shouts and they saw flames shoot up into the sky. The synagogue
had been set on fire, but since the congregation had been outdoors, no one had been inside it. At that very moment, Tanna’it Asenath whispered a secret name, one that she had learned from her father. The people saw a flock of angels descending to the roof of the synagogue. The angels beat the flames with their wings, until every last spark had been put out. Then they rose up into the heavens like a flock of white doves and were gone. And when the smoke cleared, they saw that another miracle had taken place: the synagogue had not burned. Nor was a single letter of any of the Torahs touched by the flames. And they were so grateful to Tanna’it Asenath that they renamed the synagogue after her, and it is still standing to this day.
a rabbinical school, is not equivalent to being a "rabbi
," and hence she is regarded as a rare example of a female Rabbinical Teacher (but not a real rabbi which equals to a Judge) in pre-20th century traditional Judaism.
Kurdish Jews
Kurdish Jews or Kurdistani Jews are the ancient Eastern Jewish communities, inhabiting the region known as Kurdistan in northern Mesopotamia, roughly covering parts of Iran, northern Iraq, Syria and eastern Turkey. Their clothing and culture is similar to neighbouring Kurdish Muslims and Christian...
woman who lived in Mosul
Mosul
Mosul , is a city in northern Iraq and the capital of the Ninawa Governorate, some northwest of Baghdad. The original city stands on the west bank of the Tigris River, opposite the ancient Assyrian city of Nineveh on the east bank, but the metropolitan area has now grown to encompass substantial...
, Iraq
Iraqi Kurdistan
Iraqi Kurdistan or Kurdistan Region is an autonomous region of Iraq. It borders Iran to the east, Turkey to the north, Syria to the west and the rest of Iraq to the south. The regional capital is Arbil, known in Kurdish as Hewlêr...
. She was the daughter of the illustrious Rabbi Samuel Barzani. She studied Kabbalah
Kabbalah
Kabbalah/Kabala is a discipline and school of thought concerned with the esoteric aspect of Rabbinic Judaism. It was systematized in 11th-13th century Hachmei Provence and Spain, and again after the Expulsion from Spain, in 16th century Ottoman Palestine...
.
The life of Tanna’it Asenath
Barzani was given the title Tanna’it. Until the modern era, very few women were given a Jewish title. After Tanna’it Barzani died, many JewsJews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
made pilgrimages to her grave in Amadiyah in Northern Iraq. Tanna’it Asenath was the daughter of Rabbi Samuel Barzani, who headed many yeshiva
Yeshiva
Yeshiva is a Jewish educational institution that focuses on the study of traditional religious texts, primarily the Talmud and Torah study. Study is usually done through daily shiurim and in study pairs called chavrutas...
s during his lifetime, and whose authority in Kurdistan was absolute. He was a master of Kabbalah, and he was said to have taught the secrets of Kabbalah to his daughter, who adored her father, whom she regarded as a King of Israel. He was her primary teacher, and after his death she took over many of his duties. Not only did Asenath serve as a rabbi, but she became the head of the yeshiva
Yeshiva
Yeshiva is a Jewish educational institution that focuses on the study of traditional religious texts, primarily the Talmud and Torah study. Study is usually done through daily shiurim and in study pairs called chavrutas...
h of Mosul
Mosul
Mosul , is a city in northern Iraq and the capital of the Ninawa Governorate, some northwest of Baghdad. The original city stands on the west bank of the Tigris River, opposite the ancient Assyrian city of Nineveh on the east bank, but the metropolitan area has now grown to encompass substantial...
, and eventually became known as the chief teacher of Torah
Torah
Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five books of the bible—Genesis , Exodus , Leviticus , Numbers and Deuteronomy Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five...
in Kurdistan. In another source, it is said that, "Asenath Barzani in sixteenth-century Kurdistan supplicates the Torah sages of Amadiya so she can support the yeshiva
Yeshiva
Yeshiva is a Jewish educational institution that focuses on the study of traditional religious texts, primarily the Talmud and Torah study. Study is usually done through daily shiurim and in study pairs called chavrutas...
her husband established in Mosul until her young son could take over"(see https://www.hadassah.org/news/content/per_hadassah/archive/2000/AugSept/resvoi.html).
A Flock of Angels
She was a poet and an expert on Jewish literature, and there are many KurdishKurdish language
Kurdish is a dialect continuum spoken by the Kurds in western Asia. It is part of the Iranian branch of the Indo-Iranian group of Indo-European languages....
legends about the miracles she performed, such as the one described in “A Flock of Angels”. After Rabbi Samuel died, he often came to his daughter in dreams. He would reveal dangers to her and tell her how to ward them off, saving many lives. On one occasion, inspired by her father, she encouraged the Jews of Amadiyah to celebrate Rosh Hodesh outdoors, despite dangers from their enemies. As they proceeded with the celebration, there were shouts and they saw flames shoot up into the sky. The synagogue
Synagogue
A synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer. This use of the Greek term synagogue originates in the Septuagint where it sometimes translates the Hebrew word for assembly, kahal...
had been set on fire, but since the congregation had been outdoors, no one had been inside it. At that very moment, Tanna’it Asenath whispered a secret name, one that she had learned from her father. The people saw a flock of angels descending to the roof of the synagogue. The angels beat the flames with their wings, until every last spark had been put out. Then they rose up into the heavens like a flock of white doves and were gone. And when the smoke cleared, they saw that another miracle had taken place: the synagogue had not burned. Nor was a single letter of any of the Torahs touched by the flames. And they were so grateful to Tanna’it Asenath that they renamed the synagogue after her, and it is still standing to this day.
Rabbi or Teacher?
The title of Tanna'it, and her role as head of a yeshivaYeshiva
Yeshiva is a Jewish educational institution that focuses on the study of traditional religious texts, primarily the Talmud and Torah study. Study is usually done through daily shiurim and in study pairs called chavrutas...
a rabbinical school, is not equivalent to being a "rabbi
Rabbi
In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
," and hence she is regarded as a rare example of a female Rabbinical Teacher (but not a real rabbi which equals to a Judge) in pre-20th century traditional Judaism.