Shai Held. The Torah’s laws are frequently stated from a thoroughly patriarchal perspective: They reflect a society in which men hold the bulk of power in family and society. In important ways, however, the laws found in Deuteronomy seem somewhat different from the laws in Exodus. Within the biblical context, Deuteronomy works to raise the legal and social status of women and to alleviate their suffering. In modest but powerful ways, Deuteronomy sets a process into motion that still continues to this day.