Article published In:
Reinardus: Yearbook of the International Reynard SocietyEdited by Richard Trachsler and Baudouin Van den Abeele
[Reinardus 32] 2020
► pp. 181–195
Edited by Richard Trachsler and Baudouin Van den Abeele
[Reinardus 32] 2020
► pp. 181–195
The dog and the adulteress
The meaning and context of a tale of adultery in a Jewish ethical work
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.
Article outline
- The dog as cultural metaphor
- The idea of sin and punishment
- The hagiographic aspect
- Notes
Cited by (1)
Cited by one other publication
Hershkowitz, Isaac
2023. Angels and Demons in Early Modern Musar Literature: A Big Data Analysis. Journal of Jewish Ethics 9:1 ► pp. 28 ff. 
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