Beruriah Canvas

Description

By Miriam Anzovin 

In learning the Talmud, it is rare to come across a woman who is named in the text. It is even more rare to have a woman with a name who was ALSO a sage. A female sage who outpaced her male peers, once learning 300 halachot in a single overcast day. Beruriah.

There are stories not only of her scholarship but also of her deep personal tragedies, her bravery, her heart, her brilliant dry wit, scalpel-sharp. 

I look to Beruriah and I see the foremother of all women who learn Talmud to this day. So I decided to depict her in a moment many of us would recognize: Learning at a table, reviewing her notes, deep in thought. It is a moment of solitude but not loneliness for her, of shutting out the turmoil of the world, completely content to be immersed in her mind, in the words of Torah. This is what she wants to do, was born to do. 

Where would we be, those of us who study Talmud and are not men, without Beruriah? I don’t know. And I’m so glad we don’t have to find out. Because Beruriah lives on in each of us, every time we sit down to learn.

About The Artist

Miriam Anzovin is a visual artist, writer, content creator, and massive Jewish nerd, exploring the juxtaposition of pop culture, nerd culture, and Jewish culture. 

In the #DafReactions series on social media, she shares her practice of daily study of the Babylonian Talmud in the Daf Yomi cycle from the viewpoint of a formerly Orthodox, now secular, Millennial feminist. The videos are her authentic reactions, with commentary both heartfelt and comedic, putting ancient discourse in direct communication with modern internet culture, pop culture, and current events.
Find Miriam’s art portfolio at www.miriamanzovin.com, and follow her (@MiriamAnzovin) on TikTok, Instagram, Youtube, Threads, and BlueSky.