The most notable English Jewish woman you’ve likely never heard of was Licoricia of Winchester. Licoricia lived in the 13th century. Twice-married, she was a financial powerhouse in her own right. During her marriages and as a widow she worked independently as a moneylender and landholder and she advocated directly with King Henry II on behalf of her community.
Licoricia came to a sad end. In 1277, her daughter discovered the bodies of Licorcia and her Christian maid Alice, both stabbed to death. The murders were never solved, but Licoricia’s story remains a testament to the economic and political power of at least some Jewish women in this little-known period of Jewish history.
Licoricia was neither the first nor the last Jewish woman to work in business. Women have always been involved in economic activities, both with other members of their family, and on their own. We see exactly such a woman on today’s daf.
When the wife of Rabbah bar bar Hana was dying she said: These rings belong to Marta and the sons of her daughter.
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In Talmudic times, a moneylender would take a deposit against their loan. That means that they would be in possession of objects that were not actually theirs. When the nameless wife of Rabbah bar bar Hana is dying, she tries to ensure that those deposits in her possession are returned to their rightful owners.
So we know that Rabbah bar bar Hana’s wife was an entrepreneur. But was she competent to testify about financial matters, according to the rabbinic system? After the death of his wife, Rabbah bar bar Hana asked an expert what to do about her final instructions.
Rabbah bar bar Hana came before Rav. Rav said to him: If she is credible in your eyes, act as she explained, and if not, form an explanation of her explanation.
Rav tells the new widower that if his late wife was trustworthy, he should follow her instructions and return the rings to their owners. If he did not consider his wife trustworthy, he should find another plausible explanation for her attempt to settle her estate and keep the items himself.
There are those who say that this is what said to him: If you assess it, act as she explained, and if not, form an explanation of her explanation.
Then again, perhaps the new widower actually has to go and investigate on his own, and only give back the deposits if he discovers evidence that they belong to Marta and her grandsons.
But regardless of what exactly Rav said, it’s particularly striking to hear this snippet from the life of the wife of Rabba bar bar Hana, who was famous for traveling between the land of Israel and Babylonia, and (stay tuned for Bava Batra 73a-74a) having all kinds of adventures along the way. She likely stayed home in Babylonia, living her own full life, which included lending out money and taking deposits in order to guarantee those loans. She took her business so seriously that even on her deathbed, she worked to ensure that the objects in her possession would find their way back to their rightful owners.
Jewish history is filled with women who worked, both inside and outside of the home. And though some of those women are long dead, their legacy lives on in our sacred texts and collective memory.
Read all of Bava Batra 52 on Sefaria.
This piece originally appeared in a My Jewish Learning Daf Yomi email newsletter sent on August 16, 2024. If you are interested in receiving the newsletter, sign up here.
