Cultic Studies Journal, Vol. 3, No. 2, 1986 Page 19
painful, and meant to demonstrate that future punishment was possible. Also, it constituted
a violation of the prohibition against physical contact between a married woman and a man
other than her spouse. But it was the kind of infraction that Satyr could have survived if it
turned out that he had misjudged his power over Eve and she reported the slap to her
husband.
Eve‘s reaction to her first meeting with Satyr was mixed. She responded positively to the
idea of the benefits promised in his offer of help. She commented that she
felt a lot happier. I remember feeling a lot better about myself as a person
and feeling that things were going to move well for me.
Part of her positive response was attributable to the significance of attention, of any kind,
from the rabbi and by
the fact that he gave me such special consideration, whereas before, he
wouldn‘t go near me ...He, in fact, had told my husband that just like he
would not contact himself with mud, he would not go near a person who is
constantly complaining. So that‘s the position I had before ...All of a sudden
now that he‘s ...making time in his life to work with me ...[It] made me
feel very happy.
The slap was a significant part of the meeting for Eve. Its meaning as a normative act was
far more important than the blow itself. She explained her response:
In Jewish orthodoxy, this physical contact is not to occur in any form, shape,
or manner as this, from a man touching a woman that is not his wife ...I
knew I had to do whatever he said because of this feeling of obligation, and
that I could do nothing else but listen to him I also liked the picture he
painted of me, that I could reach new capable levels of development
The slap also led Eve to take seriously the idea that in order to continue working with Satyr
she would have to accept the requirement of total obedience and secrecy. It also made her
fully realize that if she attempted to report that Satyr had acted improperly, it would do no
good.
I had surmised before I went, and once I went I knew, that my husband did
not know what was going on and was not supposed to know. Furthermore, if I
would even tell him he would not believe me, and probably go back to Satyr,
in which case there would be tremendous repercussions for me.
In expressing why she felt that she would not be believed, Eve revealed the awe in which
she and her husband held the rabbi.
I was not in a position to be believed as [was] Satyr ...He held all the keys
so to speak. He was worldly in all ...secular aspects of life. Besides ...I
was led to believe he was brilliant, more than brilliant in areas of Jewish study
...my husband trusted him explicitly [sic]. He just did. There was no
question. If there would ever be, at any time, something that I thought or
believed, my husband would tell me that Satyr says just the opposite. Well
then, no matter what I thought or believed or felt Satyr was right.
Eve‘s sessions with Satyr were weekly, on Saturday afternoons. After she demonstrated her
obedience by tolerating the slap and, through her silence, her willingness to keep Satyr‘s
transgressions secret, the rabbi moved forward with his induction program. He next worked
to expand the scope of his personal influence and authority, seeking to establish the
dominance of his views on any subject, no matter what contradictory information Eve might
have possessed. Satyr capitalized on his clerical status and authority to redefine the moral
painful, and meant to demonstrate that future punishment was possible. Also, it constituted
a violation of the prohibition against physical contact between a married woman and a man
other than her spouse. But it was the kind of infraction that Satyr could have survived if it
turned out that he had misjudged his power over Eve and she reported the slap to her
husband.
Eve‘s reaction to her first meeting with Satyr was mixed. She responded positively to the
idea of the benefits promised in his offer of help. She commented that she
felt a lot happier. I remember feeling a lot better about myself as a person
and feeling that things were going to move well for me.
Part of her positive response was attributable to the significance of attention, of any kind,
from the rabbi and by
the fact that he gave me such special consideration, whereas before, he
wouldn‘t go near me ...He, in fact, had told my husband that just like he
would not contact himself with mud, he would not go near a person who is
constantly complaining. So that‘s the position I had before ...All of a sudden
now that he‘s ...making time in his life to work with me ...[It] made me
feel very happy.
The slap was a significant part of the meeting for Eve. Its meaning as a normative act was
far more important than the blow itself. She explained her response:
In Jewish orthodoxy, this physical contact is not to occur in any form, shape,
or manner as this, from a man touching a woman that is not his wife ...I
knew I had to do whatever he said because of this feeling of obligation, and
that I could do nothing else but listen to him I also liked the picture he
painted of me, that I could reach new capable levels of development
The slap also led Eve to take seriously the idea that in order to continue working with Satyr
she would have to accept the requirement of total obedience and secrecy. It also made her
fully realize that if she attempted to report that Satyr had acted improperly, it would do no
good.
I had surmised before I went, and once I went I knew, that my husband did
not know what was going on and was not supposed to know. Furthermore, if I
would even tell him he would not believe me, and probably go back to Satyr,
in which case there would be tremendous repercussions for me.
In expressing why she felt that she would not be believed, Eve revealed the awe in which
she and her husband held the rabbi.
I was not in a position to be believed as [was] Satyr ...He held all the keys
so to speak. He was worldly in all ...secular aspects of life. Besides ...I
was led to believe he was brilliant, more than brilliant in areas of Jewish study
...my husband trusted him explicitly [sic]. He just did. There was no
question. If there would ever be, at any time, something that I thought or
believed, my husband would tell me that Satyr says just the opposite. Well
then, no matter what I thought or believed or felt Satyr was right.
Eve‘s sessions with Satyr were weekly, on Saturday afternoons. After she demonstrated her
obedience by tolerating the slap and, through her silence, her willingness to keep Satyr‘s
transgressions secret, the rabbi moved forward with his induction program. He next worked
to expand the scope of his personal influence and authority, seeking to establish the
dominance of his views on any subject, no matter what contradictory information Eve might
have possessed. Satyr capitalized on his clerical status and authority to redefine the moral
