The session of Tur that deals with laws of marriage and divorce is called Even HaEzer (the stone of help). Does anyone know why did he called this session like this? What does it mean?
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2 Answers
Even Ha'Ezer contains halachot about "דיני אישות", so it would seem that the name is a play on words from "אעשה לו עזר כנגדו" which describes Hashem's creation of Chava (and women in general).
The phrase itself is mentioned twice in Shmuel 1 (4, 1 and 7, 12). It is indeed a "stone of help" - that's how Shmuel called it to signify "עד הנה עזרנו ה'", "until this spot Hashem helped us".
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I didnt get it the play on words… how is אעשה לו עזר כנגדו any similar with אבן העזר?– JonhzCommented Feb 4, 2016 at 17:37
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The play on words is on "עזר". The Tur took the name of a place from Shmuel, "אבן העזר", for his halachot on things that relate to (mostly) women, who are described as "עזר כנגדו" in Bereshit.– CauthonCommented Feb 4, 2016 at 17:42
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@aron women are called "even" - anyone know where? Maybe a play on "bina" or "banyan"– LN6595Commented Feb 4, 2016 at 19:15
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1@Aron The Tur simply named his books with phrases out of the bible that relate to the subjects therein ("חושן משפט" because mishpat is related to mamonot, "אורח חיים" because it talks about a person's day and year, etc.). He picked "Even Ha'Ezer" because it relates to women who are named "עזר כנגדו".– CauthonCommented Feb 4, 2016 at 19:25
In the introduction to טור חושן משפט (Tur Choshen Mishpat), it says:
והטור השלישי אבן העזר שם עשיתי לאדם עזר כנגדו גם כשלחה גרש איך יגרשנה מנגדו וקראתיו אבן העזר יען כי הוא להועיל גם לעזר:
In my translation:
And the third column 'Even ha-'Ezer, there I made for man a help opposite him (based on Bereshit 2:18), and as he might send her, how he may divorce her from before him, and I called it 'Even ha-'Ezer ("the stone of help", based on Shemuel I 7:12), as it is to be of use and of help.
