What’s at Stake?
Rebbe Eliezer ben Yaakov said, “From where do we know that a woman should not go out to war with weapons?” The Torah says, “A man’s utensils should not be on a woman” (Devarim 22:5). The simple understanding of the verse is that a woman may not wear a man’s clothing. However, Rebbe Eliezer understands the verse to be referring to weapons (Nazir 59a).
This has relevance to the story in Tanach of the heroine Yael. Yael welcomed the fleeing enemy general Sisera into her tent with feigned hospitality. After drinking a refreshing beverage, Sisera lay down and soon sank into the sleep of the weary. While he lay asleep, Yael crept stealthily up to him, holding a tent peg and a mallet. She drove it through his temples with such force that it entered into the ground below.
The Mefaresh on Nazir explains why Yael killed Sisera with a tent peg rather than a sword. She didn’t want to wield a weapon that is generally used by men and thereby violate the aforementioned prohibition.