What does the Talmud say about women being a plague of Israel?
According to the Talmud, Jewish writings, a list of plagues upon Israel includes the talkative widow and the virgin who wastes her time in prayers as one of those plagues. This reflects an ancient attitude toward women that was prevalent when Paul wrote to the Corinthians.
Les explains that the Talmud was a book of Jewish writings, really a commentary, and it lists several plagues that could be laid upon the Jewish people. One of those plagues, quoted from the Talmud, is “the talkative widow and the virgin who wastes her time in prayers are one of the plagues of Israel.” He stresses he is not promoting this but showing the prevalent Hebrew and pagan attitude toward women when Paul wrote. Paul elsewhere commends women in Romans 16 for helping him in the ministry and recognizes a role for women in the Church. In Corinthians, when Paul sounds hard on women, remember Corinth was a pagan city closer to the Orient, and Sophocles had said silence confers grace upon a woman.