88, 105, 113, 125, 219n.77, 223n.36,
225n.77. See alsoimpurity and mikve
Messiah, 175
Metz, 182
miz.vot H.annah, 40, 113, 233n.31
Midrash, 21, 87
Midrash Aseret haDibrot, 156
Midrash Lekah.Tov, 31
Midrash Shoh.er Tov, 68
Midrash Tanh.uma, 40, 41
Midrash Yez.irat haValad, 41
midwives and midwifery, 16, 20, 31, 39, 41,
43–54, 58, 97, 107, 175, 185–86, 210n.51;
and witchcraft, 47–48
mikve, 43, 47, 53, 63, 67, 105, 115, 210n.62.
See also menstruation and impurity
Minna (the midwife), 204n.125
minority culture, 9–10, 13, 174, 189
Mintz, Sidney, 59, 80, 82
minyan, 91
Miriam (the midwife), 204n.125
Miriam (sister of Moses), 133–34, 203n.96
Miriam (wife of Jacob b. Meir), 233n.31
miscarriage, 21, 46, 48
Modena, 225n.76
modesty, 87
monastic life, 25, 27, 48, 88, 172, 178–79
money-lending, 8
Montpellier (Council of), 226n.89
Mordekhai, 131
Mordekhai b. Hillel, 144
Moses, 39, 133–134, 164, 173, 233n.21
Moses b. Jacob of Couçy (Sefer Miz.vot
Gadol), 141–42, 159, 227n.100
Moses haDoeg b. Nathan, 150
Moses Mintz, 93, 96, 100
mother and seven sons, 165, 180–81
mothers and motherhood, 1, 2–4, 14, 22–24,
34, 108, 111–12, 120, 154, 186; as nurtur-
ers, 161; and circumcision, 64, 115; honor-
ing of, 155–58; and maternal cruelty, 178,
182; obligations of toward children, 122;
and maternal love, 158–65, 171, 180, 182;
single mothers, 173–74, 175, 236n.107
mourning, 65, 67, 166–68, 181, 235n.76. See
also death
naming, 93–94, 97
Naomi, 233n.21
Narbonne, 226n.89
Nathan b. Yeh.iel (Sefer haArukh), 68
New Moons (Rosh H.odesh), 176
New Testament, 93, 108
Newman, Barbara, 178–79
Nicholas of Verdun, 73
Niddah. See menstruation and menstrual purity
Ninth of Av, 61
Nissim Gaon, 69
northern France, 5–6, 17, 27, 65, 70, 98, 138,
142–43, 152, 229n.125
Nürnberg, 44, 204n.125
nursing. Seebreast-feeding
nutrix, 158, 224n.49, 225n.72. See also wet
nurse
oblation, 237n.122, 238n.124
Ogia (the midwife), 204n.125
omen, 158
Orme, Nicholas, 2, 91, 134
orphans, 162
oublies, 99, 217n.40
Paige, Karen, and Mark Paige, 85–86
Palestine, 223n.27
Palestinian Talmud, 123, 170
parents and parenthood, 154, 155–58; and
parental love, 120–21, 161–65, 169
Paris, 27, 139, 141, 142, 226n.89
Parturient, 38–40, 48–50, 52, 54, 75, 77–78,
203n.96. See also Sabbath of the Parturient
and birth
Paschal sacrifice, 63
paternity, recognition of, 63–64
Patriarchs, 63. See also Abraham, Isaac, and
Jacob
patriarchy, 16, 22, 38, 85, 112–13, 186
penance, 163, 167–68, 176–78, 186,
237n.113
Pentateuch, 93, 215n.7
Perchta, 97
Perles, Joseph, 97
phantoms, 167
Pharaoh’s daughter, 133–34, 173
Phillippe de Nouvarre, 155, 221n.3
Physica, 46. See also Hildegard of Bingen
pilgrimage, 174
Pinthus, Alexander, 19
Pirkei deRabbi Eliezer, 69
piyut, 17, 23, 158
Poland, 5, 105, 193n.29
polygamy, 33, 37, 202n.65
poverty, 131–32, 177
prayers, 78–79, 102, 117–18; and women, 44
pregnancy, 18, 28, 39, 41–43, 53, 125, 145–
46, 173–76, 180, 233n.21, 236n.87