Tumtum

Tumtum (טומטום, "hidden") is a term that appears in Jewish Rabbinic literature. It usually refers to a person whose sex is unknown because their genitalia are covered or "hidden" or otherwise unrecognizable. Although they are often grouped together, the tumtum has some halachic ramifications distinct from those of the androgynos (אנדרוגינוס), who has both male and female genitalia.

Etymology

The eleventh century dictionary, the Aruch, says the word tumtum came from atum (אטום) "sealed."

Physical characteristics

The classical description of the physical characteristic of tumtum as skin hiding normal female or male genitals does not exactly match any intersex condition known today. Modern scholars see it as corresponding with some known intersex conditions with ambiguous genitalia. It would seem that according to medieval commentator Rashi, a tumtum may have exposed testicles and an unexposed penis.

Social role

Scholars today differ in whether they see tumtum as a separate gender. According to Rabbi Elliot Kukla, tumtum is one of six genders in classical Judaism, along with male, female, androgynos, ay'lonit (a person who was assigned female at birth, but is barren and perhaps masculinized), and saris (a eunuch by birth or through human intervention). This as an example of how the Western gender binary, which is of Roman origin, is not universal to all cultures. The gender binary only appears widespread from the perspective of the modern world due to Western colonialism. Other scholars say that tumtum is not defined as a separate gender, but rather a state of doubt: a tumtum must be either male or female, but we do not know which one.

Although the definition of tumtum is based on physical characteristics, this is used as a basis for social roles, duties, and prohibitions. This can be considered effectively a gender role. The strictest gender-dependent obligations or prohibitions apply to tumtum, because if the tumtum might really be a man or woman, laws for neither men nor women should be broken. Positive commandments from which women are exempted are considered binding on a tumtum. The Mishnah (Zavim, 2, 1) says that tumtum and androgynos have both men's and women's khumrot, meaning that where the law is stricter towards men than women, they are treated as men, but where the law is stricter towards women, they are treated as women. There are 181 references to tumtum in Mishna and Talmud, and 335 in classical midrash and Jewish law codes.

Demographics

In the 2019 Worldwide Gender Census, 5 of the respondents called themselves tumtum.

Notable people

Abraham and Sarah visited by Three Angels, painted by an unknown artist between 1581 and 1642 CE.

In the Talmud, Yevamot 64a, Rabbi Ammi says that the Biblical figures Abraham and Sarah were said to have been born tumtum and infertile, and then miraculously turned into a fertile husband and wife in their old age. Ammi points to Isaiah 51:1-2, saying that the references to "the rock from where you were hewn, and to the hole of the pit from where you were dug" symbolize their genitals being uncovered and remade.

See also

• Gender variance in spirituality

External links

• daat.ac.il