And Sarah died in Kiriath Arba (Hebron) in the land of Canaan. Interesting that the portion known as Sarah's life starts with her death. And after her death, she is only briefly mentioned again.
When I think of a story about someone's life, I expect to find references to her birth, youth, adulthood, old age and finally death. I expect to learn who her parents were. Where did she live as a child? Did she move? Did she marry? Whom? When? Did she have any children? Did she have a happy marriage? What was it like to be a mother in those times? What were the surrounding peoples like? Did she have a career outside of the house? Did she stay at home? What work did she do? I can find out some of the answers to these questions from previous stories in Genesis, but not in this portion.
In this portion, we know that Abraham wept for Sarah and then bought a burial place from Efron the Hittite. Abraham then sent his trusted servant out on a mission to find a wife for his son Isaac. A wife from the land of his birth. Not a woman from the land where Abraham now resides. And the woman is to come back to Canaan. Isaac is not to go there. And the servant brings Rebekah back. And Abraham marries again and has more children and then Abraham dies.
This is Sarah's life? We know almost nothing about her from this portion. We know her age at death from the first verse of this portion. (See previous post). But that's about it.
So, why is this called "Sarah's life"?
Perhaps it would be better called Sarah's legacy. Or Sarah's obituary. The life of a person cannot be fully written until she has shuffled off her mortal coil and gone to that undiscovered country from whose bourn no traveler returns.* While we still draw breath, we affect those around us for good or ill. Shakespeare wrote that the evil men do lives after them, the good is oft interred in their bones. (Julius Caesar). I think both live on.
Sarah is remembered for banishing Hagar and Ishmael. And she's remembered for laughing when God said that she would bear a child when she was well past the age of having her period. Is that all?
What do we learn from this portion? Abraham was promised the land of Canaan. For sixty two years, Abraham never had a piece of land to call his own. He told the Hittites that he was a stranger among them. Upon his beloved wife's death, he finally purchases a piece of land. Sarah, through her death, helped Abraham realize the fulfillment of God's promise to possess the land.
Abraham was told that he would be the father of many nations. That kings would come from him. That all nations of the earth would bless themselves through him. God established a covenant with Abraham and Abraham was to teach his children after him the way of the Lord by doing what is just and right. God also established the covenant of circumcision with Abraham for all future generations. But the only generation after Abraham that would inherit the covenant was Isaac. Hagar and Ishmael had been banished already, at Sarah's insistence. But Isaac was unmarried. Isaac had no children. How would the covenant continue? Isaac must needs be wed and father children. Sarah's great need to become a mother was finally realized when she gave birth to Isaac. The line, however, cannot end with Isaac. And so Abraham sends his servant to get a wife for Isaac. Marriage and parenthood is also part of Sarah's legacy.
And also notice that in this portion there are no conversations between God and Abraham. While Sarah was alive, Abraham could talk to and hear God. And God Himself told Abraham to hearken unto Sarah's voice. After Sarah's voice fell silent, so too did God's. Abraham had to figure things out on his own. I figure the same was true for Sarah in her life. We don't know if there were any conversations between the Lord and Sarah. I wonder if she was ever jealous of her husband's communing with the Almighty. Did she ever pray to God? Not hearing any answers from God, did she decide to take matters into her own hands? Is that why she told her husband to lie with Hagar? How hard it is to know what the right thing to do is when we don't hear God. And now Abraham knows this too and must do what he thinks is best for Isaac. And this too is part of Sarah's legacy. For as a mother, she wanted what was best for her son. And when she saw Ishmael laughing (playing, sporting) with Isaac, she decided that Ishmael could not share in the inheritance with Isaac.
What did Ishmael do? Many commentators have spouted many opinions on this question. Some say that based on the Hebrew, it refers to sexual abuse, others say idolatray, others say Ishmael was physically violent towards Isaac. Whatever it was, Sarah didn't like it. She did not have a vision from the Lord telling her what to do. She acted with her maternal instincts. Any danger to her son (perceived or real) would have to be removed.
Abraham's concern was with the covenant. And there was a real danger to the covenant dying with Isaac. And that danger had to be removed. And so Abraham sent off his servant to find a wife for Isaac. And after Rebekah is brought back, Isaac takes her as his wife.
And where did Isaac take Rebekah? To the tent of his mother Sarah. And Isaac found comfort after his mother's death.
*Shakespeare, Hamlet.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Of all the women
Of all the women in the Bible, only one has her age recorded at her death. And only one woman has the honor of having a Torah portion named after her.
It's not Eve, mother of all the living. It's not Miriam, sister of Aaron and Moses, and a prophetess. It's not Hannah, mother of Samuel. It's not Mary, mother of Jesus. It's not Elizabeth, wife of Zechariah, mother of John the Baptist, who was called upright in the sight of God, observing all of the Lord's commandments and regulations blamelessly.
No, this honor belongs to that first matriarch of the Jewish people. The woman who left her land and birthplace and father's house to go with her husband on a journey that only God knew where. The woman who gave her handmaiden to her husband in order to have a child. The woman who laughed when told she would bear a child in her old age, after she had long since stopped having the periods of women. The woman who finally became a mother at the age of 90 and then several years later, refused to allow the son of the handmaiden to share in the inheritance with her son. This princess among women, whose name was changed by adding a letter from the Tetragrammaton (YHVH) as her husband did, to indicate a new relationship with the Lord. Yea, the first woman named when parents bless their daughters on Sabbath Eve. Do you know yet? If not, open your Bibles to Genesis, chapter 23, and start at verse 1.
"And the life of Sarah was one hundred years and seven years and twenty years; these were the years of Sarah's life." Gen 23:1 Yes, it's Sarah. Mazel tov to all who knew the answer. :)
Now I want you to pay close attention to the wording in this verse. "One hundred years and seven years and twenty years." Why does the text count the years of Sarah's life this way? Why not say, as many English translations do, that Sarah's life was one hundred and twenty seven years?
One interpretation is that Sarah retained the innocence of a 7 year old at 20 and the beauty of a 20 year old at 100. Another is that by the end of her life, Sarah retained the youthful energy and joy of a seven year old, the beauty of a twenty year old and the wisdom of a 100 year old. Even so, why in this order of 100, then 7, then 20? Why not 100 years, and 20 years and 7 years? This order gives us wisdom, youth, and beauty. Which is most important? Wisdom. Age before beauty. Next comes youth and all the good things associated with it-innocence, exuberance, inquisitiveness, trust, playfulness, joy. And last, but certainly not least, beauty. I'm not talking merely about inward beauty. I mean that Sarah was physically beautiful on the outside as well. When Abraham went down to Egypt because of the famine in the land, he had already left Haran and he was 75 at that time. So he was at least that old. And Sarah was at least 65. And yet Abraham would say to his wife, "I know what a beautiful woman you are and that when the Egyptians see you they will kill me because of you. Please say that you are my sister." Was this merely a husband offering compliments to his wife? Not so, for when they came into Egypt, the Egyptians saw that she was a very beautiful woman and praised her to Pharaoh. And she was taken into Pharaoh's house. Sarah retained her beauty even into old age. So we have wisdom, youth and beauty. And when daughters are blessed on Sabbath Eve with the words, may you be like Sarah, Rebekah, Leah and Rachel, these qualities of Sarah are hoped for for the daughter.
To be continued....
It's not Eve, mother of all the living. It's not Miriam, sister of Aaron and Moses, and a prophetess. It's not Hannah, mother of Samuel. It's not Mary, mother of Jesus. It's not Elizabeth, wife of Zechariah, mother of John the Baptist, who was called upright in the sight of God, observing all of the Lord's commandments and regulations blamelessly.
No, this honor belongs to that first matriarch of the Jewish people. The woman who left her land and birthplace and father's house to go with her husband on a journey that only God knew where. The woman who gave her handmaiden to her husband in order to have a child. The woman who laughed when told she would bear a child in her old age, after she had long since stopped having the periods of women. The woman who finally became a mother at the age of 90 and then several years later, refused to allow the son of the handmaiden to share in the inheritance with her son. This princess among women, whose name was changed by adding a letter from the Tetragrammaton (YHVH) as her husband did, to indicate a new relationship with the Lord. Yea, the first woman named when parents bless their daughters on Sabbath Eve. Do you know yet? If not, open your Bibles to Genesis, chapter 23, and start at verse 1.
"And the life of Sarah was one hundred years and seven years and twenty years; these were the years of Sarah's life." Gen 23:1 Yes, it's Sarah. Mazel tov to all who knew the answer. :)
Now I want you to pay close attention to the wording in this verse. "One hundred years and seven years and twenty years." Why does the text count the years of Sarah's life this way? Why not say, as many English translations do, that Sarah's life was one hundred and twenty seven years?
One interpretation is that Sarah retained the innocence of a 7 year old at 20 and the beauty of a 20 year old at 100. Another is that by the end of her life, Sarah retained the youthful energy and joy of a seven year old, the beauty of a twenty year old and the wisdom of a 100 year old. Even so, why in this order of 100, then 7, then 20? Why not 100 years, and 20 years and 7 years? This order gives us wisdom, youth, and beauty. Which is most important? Wisdom. Age before beauty. Next comes youth and all the good things associated with it-innocence, exuberance, inquisitiveness, trust, playfulness, joy. And last, but certainly not least, beauty. I'm not talking merely about inward beauty. I mean that Sarah was physically beautiful on the outside as well. When Abraham went down to Egypt because of the famine in the land, he had already left Haran and he was 75 at that time. So he was at least that old. And Sarah was at least 65. And yet Abraham would say to his wife, "I know what a beautiful woman you are and that when the Egyptians see you they will kill me because of you. Please say that you are my sister." Was this merely a husband offering compliments to his wife? Not so, for when they came into Egypt, the Egyptians saw that she was a very beautiful woman and praised her to Pharaoh. And she was taken into Pharaoh's house. Sarah retained her beauty even into old age. So we have wisdom, youth and beauty. And when daughters are blessed on Sabbath Eve with the words, may you be like Sarah, Rebekah, Leah and Rachel, these qualities of Sarah are hoped for for the daughter.
To be continued....
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
And Abram Left
4 So Abram left, as the LORD had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Haran. 5 He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan, and they arrived there. Gen 12:4-5
God told Abram to go and Abram went. We have obedience produced by faith. And Abram took his nephew Lot and his wife Sarai and all their possessions and people (literally, souls) they had acquired in Haran.
And Abram was seventy five years old when he left Haran. Seventy five! By the time I'm that old, God willing, I'm not going to want to pick myself up and leave my land and birthplace and father's house and go off to God knows where. I think I'll want to stay where I am, thank you very much. Seventy five. God willing, I'll have been retired for at least a few years by then. Seventy five. God willing, I'll have children and grandchildren. God willing, I'll have my health. I wonder what Abram's health was like. How long did it take him to get from Haran to Canaan? This is back when travel was much harder to do than it is today. A journey of a couple hundred miles (or however far it is from Haran to Canaan) would take weeks, maybe months, not hours. I wonder what Sarah thought of Abram's leaving Haran. Did they have any discussions? Did Sarah want to stay in Haran? I wonder why Lot went with them. These are questions the Bible leaves unanswered.
And yet despite all these real concerns that Abram may or may not have had, he left, just as God told him to do.
"And they set out for the land of Canaan." How did Abram know to go to Canaan? God had said, "go to the land that I will show you." God didn't specify Canaan. I wonder how Abram knew he should set out for Canaan.
"And they arrived there." God is faithful to keep His Word. It would be one thing to start out on a journey but never make it to your destination. Abram did his part by going forth. God fulfilled His promise by showing Abram the land.
PTL, Who in His holiness, gave us His Word. Amen.
God told Abram to go and Abram went. We have obedience produced by faith. And Abram took his nephew Lot and his wife Sarai and all their possessions and people (literally, souls) they had acquired in Haran.
And Abram was seventy five years old when he left Haran. Seventy five! By the time I'm that old, God willing, I'm not going to want to pick myself up and leave my land and birthplace and father's house and go off to God knows where. I think I'll want to stay where I am, thank you very much. Seventy five. God willing, I'll have been retired for at least a few years by then. Seventy five. God willing, I'll have children and grandchildren. God willing, I'll have my health. I wonder what Abram's health was like. How long did it take him to get from Haran to Canaan? This is back when travel was much harder to do than it is today. A journey of a couple hundred miles (or however far it is from Haran to Canaan) would take weeks, maybe months, not hours. I wonder what Sarah thought of Abram's leaving Haran. Did they have any discussions? Did Sarah want to stay in Haran? I wonder why Lot went with them. These are questions the Bible leaves unanswered.
And yet despite all these real concerns that Abram may or may not have had, he left, just as God told him to do.
"And they set out for the land of Canaan." How did Abram know to go to Canaan? God had said, "go to the land that I will show you." God didn't specify Canaan. I wonder how Abram knew he should set out for Canaan.
"And they arrived there." God is faithful to keep His Word. It would be one thing to start out on a journey but never make it to your destination. Abram did his part by going forth. God fulfilled His promise by showing Abram the land.
PTL, Who in His holiness, gave us His Word. Amen.
Monday, November 17, 2008
Bless and Curse
"I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you." Gen 12:3
How do we bless or curse others? Usually it's by words. "God bless you." or "A pox on your firstborn! You ugly wart on a salamander's tongue!" * Be careful with your words. Guard your tongue from evil and your lips from deceit. See Psalm 34:13. When we speak, do we use our power of speech for good or for ill?
And we also bless or curse through our actions. To do a mitzvah (a commandment, a good deed) for another, is to bless that person. What mitzvot? To visit the sick, to console the bereaved, to rejoice with bride and groom, to practice kindness, to honor our parents, to show respect for the aged, to welcome the stranger, to help another raise his animal if it's fallen under its burden-even if that person is your enemy, to return lost property, to share your bread with the hungry, to give tzedakah, to make peace when there is strife. These are all examples of being a blessing. To do the opposite would be tantamount to cursing. Some say actions speak louder than words.
Do our actions comport with our words? Do we speak kind words but treat one another with contempt? Let it not be so, for the way we treat or talk to one another is they way God will deal with us. Measure for measure... whoever blesses you will be blessed. Whoever curses you will be cursed. And we will see throughout the Bible that the manner in which people abuse one another is the same manner in which they themselves are recompensed.
God bless all of you on your journeys, whever they may lead you.
* Courtesy of Opus the penguin from "Bloom County"
How do we bless or curse others? Usually it's by words. "God bless you." or "A pox on your firstborn! You ugly wart on a salamander's tongue!" * Be careful with your words. Guard your tongue from evil and your lips from deceit. See Psalm 34:13. When we speak, do we use our power of speech for good or for ill?
And we also bless or curse through our actions. To do a mitzvah (a commandment, a good deed) for another, is to bless that person. What mitzvot? To visit the sick, to console the bereaved, to rejoice with bride and groom, to practice kindness, to honor our parents, to show respect for the aged, to welcome the stranger, to help another raise his animal if it's fallen under its burden-even if that person is your enemy, to return lost property, to share your bread with the hungry, to give tzedakah, to make peace when there is strife. These are all examples of being a blessing. To do the opposite would be tantamount to cursing. Some say actions speak louder than words.
Do our actions comport with our words? Do we speak kind words but treat one another with contempt? Let it not be so, for the way we treat or talk to one another is they way God will deal with us. Measure for measure... whoever blesses you will be blessed. Whoever curses you will be cursed. And we will see throughout the Bible that the manner in which people abuse one another is the same manner in which they themselves are recompensed.
God bless all of you on your journeys, whever they may lead you.
* Courtesy of Opus the penguin from "Bloom County"
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Be a blessing
2 "I will make you into a great nation
and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
and you will be a blessing." (Emphasis added)
Having told Abram to get up and go, God promises three things for Abram-to make him a great nation, to bless him and make his name great.
How did God do on these promises? Abram became Abraham, the father of many nations. His descendants cover the face of the earth. Abram was blessed by God in every way. Gen 24:1, 35. And God made Abram's name very great. He is the friend of God. He is the first of the patriarchs. All converts to Judaism are called binei Avraham (children of Abraham) and Christians are heirs of Abraham. Yea, he has a great name indeed.
What is Abram to do? Vihiyeh bracha "Be a blessing." The Hebrew of the Torah is written without punctuation. The phrase, "and you will be a blessing" can be read as a promise or as a command. The rabbi at shul reads it as a command. And it is the first positive command given to Jews (since Abraham is considered the first Jew).
This first covenant between God and Abraham puts obligations on both sides. God will give Abram children, bless him and make his name great. Abram has to do his part by being a blessing.
What does it mean to be a blessing? Have you ever met anyone or heard of anyone and thought, that person is a blessing? Would you like people to think of you as a blessing? What do you think that takes?
and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
and you will be a blessing." (Emphasis added)
Having told Abram to get up and go, God promises three things for Abram-to make him a great nation, to bless him and make his name great.
How did God do on these promises? Abram became Abraham, the father of many nations. His descendants cover the face of the earth. Abram was blessed by God in every way. Gen 24:1, 35. And God made Abram's name very great. He is the friend of God. He is the first of the patriarchs. All converts to Judaism are called binei Avraham (children of Abraham) and Christians are heirs of Abraham. Yea, he has a great name indeed.
What is Abram to do? Vihiyeh bracha "Be a blessing." The Hebrew of the Torah is written without punctuation. The phrase, "and you will be a blessing" can be read as a promise or as a command. The rabbi at shul reads it as a command. And it is the first positive command given to Jews (since Abraham is considered the first Jew).
This first covenant between God and Abraham puts obligations on both sides. God will give Abram children, bless him and make his name great. Abram has to do his part by being a blessing.
What does it mean to be a blessing? Have you ever met anyone or heard of anyone and thought, that person is a blessing? Would you like people to think of you as a blessing? What do you think that takes?
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Ok, now go
Gen 12:1 "... and go to the land that I will show you."
Abram had to pull up his tent pegs and leave his native land behind. Fine. So, he's ready to go. Now what? Where does he go? al-ha'aretz asher ah-ri'echa To the land that God will let him see. The Hebrew root re'eh (see) is used.
This takes an incredible amount of trust in God. It's not like God said, "Go from Haran to Canaan." Abram would see the land when it was time. But he had no idea where he was going, only that God told him to go. And he was leaving all that was familiar behind. His land, his people and his father's house. Did Abram know that he was going to be a partner with the Almighty in a covenant to make 'a just, caring and compassionate society'? Nothing in the text suggests that this is the case. There are many midrashim that attest to Abram's faithfulness to God before this call. And in answer to why was Abrahm chosen, the rabbis postulate that just as a potter does not test weak jars but only strong ones, so too did the Almighty test Abram because He knew Abram was strong. Still, that's midrash. It's extra-Biblical. What we know of Abram up to this point from the Bible is very little. He's the son of Terah, brother of Nahor and Haran, uncle of Lot, and husband of Sarai. That's it. To pick up and leave and head out for, literally, God knows where, is an act of tremendous faith.
All Abram knew was that God would let him see the land. He didn't know what land or when he would get to see it. Did Abram ask God these questions? The Bible is silent on that. What we do know is that Abram went. The first step in this partnership was for Abram to trust God.
Faith and trust are closely linked. Faith in God is not merely believing that He exists. The Bible assumes God's existence. Faith in God is trusting that He will do what He says. If God says to go to a land that He will let you see, then you trust that He will let you see that land. You go on the belief that He will fulfill His word.
Abram had to pull up his tent pegs and leave his native land behind. Fine. So, he's ready to go. Now what? Where does he go? al-ha'aretz asher ah-ri'echa To the land that God will let him see. The Hebrew root re'eh (see) is used.
This takes an incredible amount of trust in God. It's not like God said, "Go from Haran to Canaan." Abram would see the land when it was time. But he had no idea where he was going, only that God told him to go. And he was leaving all that was familiar behind. His land, his people and his father's house. Did Abram know that he was going to be a partner with the Almighty in a covenant to make 'a just, caring and compassionate society'? Nothing in the text suggests that this is the case. There are many midrashim that attest to Abram's faithfulness to God before this call. And in answer to why was Abrahm chosen, the rabbis postulate that just as a potter does not test weak jars but only strong ones, so too did the Almighty test Abram because He knew Abram was strong. Still, that's midrash. It's extra-Biblical. What we know of Abram up to this point from the Bible is very little. He's the son of Terah, brother of Nahor and Haran, uncle of Lot, and husband of Sarai. That's it. To pick up and leave and head out for, literally, God knows where, is an act of tremendous faith.
All Abram knew was that God would let him see the land. He didn't know what land or when he would get to see it. Did Abram ask God these questions? The Bible is silent on that. What we do know is that Abram went. The first step in this partnership was for Abram to trust God.
Faith and trust are closely linked. Faith in God is not merely believing that He exists. The Bible assumes God's existence. Faith in God is trusting that He will do what He says. If God says to go to a land that He will let you see, then you trust that He will let you see that land. You go on the belief that He will fulfill His word.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Get going, continued
Lech Lecha, "Go for you," or "go for yourself," or even, "go to yourself." Abram had to leave all that was familiar behind him and strike out on his own. If we are children of Abraham, we too, are called to go off on our own. Eventually, we will leave our home town, our family and our parents' house. And it is essential that we do so. In order to grow, to learn, to become who God calls us to be, we must do things for ourselves. Yes, we learn from environment, but eventually, we must leave the nest. Can we return? Of course. But to be truly independent, we must establish our own identity. We say, hineni (here I am). Here I stand. This is who I am. Forget that which is behind, reach for what is ahead, press on towards the goal. Phil. 3:13-14.
Monday, November 10, 2008
Get going
The LORD had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you.
Leave- Hebrew: lech lecha (literally, "go for yourself", or "go for you"). Most English translations leave out "for you."
Abram is going to be the start of a new attempt by God to have humanity make a just, caring and compassionate society.* (See previous blog post). No longer will God wipe out humanity and destroy all flesh as He did with the flood. God will start with one man. One family. And through that man's family, have the entire world learn what it means to do the way of the Lord-tzedakah u'mishpat (justice and righteousness).
But Abram could not do that in Haran. Or among the people of Haran. Or in his father's house. There is a midrashic legend that Abram's father, Terah, was an idol maker. The people of Haran were probably idol worshippers, as were most people of that area at that time. And where in Haran could Abram develop his relationship with God?
Notice the word order in this verse. Your country, your people, your father's house.
To be continued...
*Term borrowed from my rabbi at shul.
Leave- Hebrew: lech lecha (literally, "go for yourself", or "go for you"). Most English translations leave out "for you."
Abram is going to be the start of a new attempt by God to have humanity make a just, caring and compassionate society.* (See previous blog post). No longer will God wipe out humanity and destroy all flesh as He did with the flood. God will start with one man. One family. And through that man's family, have the entire world learn what it means to do the way of the Lord-tzedakah u'mishpat (justice and righteousness).
But Abram could not do that in Haran. Or among the people of Haran. Or in his father's house. There is a midrashic legend that Abram's father, Terah, was an idol maker. The people of Haran were probably idol worshippers, as were most people of that area at that time. And where in Haran could Abram develop his relationship with God?
Notice the word order in this verse. Your country, your people, your father's house.
To be continued...
*Term borrowed from my rabbi at shul.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Why wait till chapter 12?
If the Torah tells the story of the Jewish people and Abraham is regarded as the first Jew, why does the Torah not get to Abraham until the 12th chapter of a 50 chapter book?
Suppose you were making a movie that was 50 minutes long and you didn't show the main character until 12 minutes into the movie. 20 percent of the movie has already gone by and you haven't even shown the main character?
What do the first 11 chapters of Genesis teach us? My rabbi at shul has expounded that the first 11 chapters deal with 3 attempts by the Almighty to have humanity set up a just, caring and compassionate society. Abraham is the fourth attempt.
The first attempt: The garden of Eden. Ground rules: No birth. No death. Work the garden, have dominion over the animals. Don't eat from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.
The serpent tempted Eve and she ate (WHERE WAS ADAM?) of the forbidden fruit and she gave to Adam and he ate and God kicked them out. They disobeyed God. One Rule. I can imagine God saying, "You had ONE prohibition and you couldn't follow that."
Second attempt: Post Eden, pre flood. New rules. Birth, death, work for bread, pain in childbirth, husbands shall rule over their wives. And this generation did not do as God desired. The earth became filled with hamas (violence).* All flesh corrupted its way before God. And God destroyed the world in a great flood and all living things perished save for what Noah brought onto the ark.
Third attempt: Post flood. New rules. People are allowed to eat meat, but not allowed to eat blood nor to eat flesh taken from an animal while it is still alive. Murder is explicitly forbidden. God makes a covenant with Noah never again to destroy the earth. All generations since Noah are expected to refrain from idolatry, blasphemy, murder, sexual immorality, eating blood and theft. And they are to set up courts of law to enforce these laws. And this generation did not do as God desired but built up the Tower of Babel to reach the heavens. And confused their language so no one understood the other and scattered people over the face of the earth.
Now, God has a dilemma. God still cares. God still wants people to do the right thing. People refuse to obey. But God promised never to destroy the world again.
So, God starts over with one man (Abraham) and forms a partnership with him. And the idea as expressed in Gen 18:19 is what God wants from each of us: to follow the way of the Lord by doing what is just and right (tzedakah u'mishpat).
*Is it mere coincidence that the terrorist organization that wants to wipe Israel off the map is called Hamas? I think not!
Suppose you were making a movie that was 50 minutes long and you didn't show the main character until 12 minutes into the movie. 20 percent of the movie has already gone by and you haven't even shown the main character?
What do the first 11 chapters of Genesis teach us? My rabbi at shul has expounded that the first 11 chapters deal with 3 attempts by the Almighty to have humanity set up a just, caring and compassionate society. Abraham is the fourth attempt.
The first attempt: The garden of Eden. Ground rules: No birth. No death. Work the garden, have dominion over the animals. Don't eat from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.
The serpent tempted Eve and she ate (WHERE WAS ADAM?) of the forbidden fruit and she gave to Adam and he ate and God kicked them out. They disobeyed God. One Rule. I can imagine God saying, "You had ONE prohibition and you couldn't follow that."
Second attempt: Post Eden, pre flood. New rules. Birth, death, work for bread, pain in childbirth, husbands shall rule over their wives. And this generation did not do as God desired. The earth became filled with hamas (violence).* All flesh corrupted its way before God. And God destroyed the world in a great flood and all living things perished save for what Noah brought onto the ark.
Third attempt: Post flood. New rules. People are allowed to eat meat, but not allowed to eat blood nor to eat flesh taken from an animal while it is still alive. Murder is explicitly forbidden. God makes a covenant with Noah never again to destroy the earth. All generations since Noah are expected to refrain from idolatry, blasphemy, murder, sexual immorality, eating blood and theft. And they are to set up courts of law to enforce these laws. And this generation did not do as God desired but built up the Tower of Babel to reach the heavens. And confused their language so no one understood the other and scattered people over the face of the earth.
Now, God has a dilemma. God still cares. God still wants people to do the right thing. People refuse to obey. But God promised never to destroy the world again.
So, God starts over with one man (Abraham) and forms a partnership with him. And the idea as expressed in Gen 18:19 is what God wants from each of us: to follow the way of the Lord by doing what is just and right (tzedakah u'mishpat).
*Is it mere coincidence that the terrorist organization that wants to wipe Israel off the map is called Hamas? I think not!
Monday, November 3, 2008
When our best isn't good enough
What do we do when our best isn't good enough? The natural human reaction is to feel rejected. There may also be feelings of anger, jealousy, resentment and bitterness. Certainly this is what Cain felt when the Lord looked with favor on Abel's offering but had no regard for Cain's. See Genesis 4:6.
The question has been posed many times why did God accept Abel's offering and reject Cain's. And overwhelmingly the answer has been that Abel brought a better offering. After all, he brought the firstborn of his flock and the fat portions thereof. Cain must have brought the refuse of the field. Some dried out stalks. Certainly not the firstfruits or the best that he had. This is an answer that makes sense and appeals to our idea of a just and caring God. And this interpretation has persisted throughout the centuries. The author of Hebrews was influenced by this interpretation when he said that "by faith, Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was commended as a righteous man, when God spoke well of his offerings." Hebrews 11:4 (Emphasis added)
Notice the word "better." I would offer a different interpretation based on the original Hebrew of the text found in Genesis, chapter 4. I learned the following from the senior rabbi at shul.
But first, let us return to the text. Please open your Bibles up to Genesis, the fourth chapter. Genesis is literally the beginning. The beginning of creation. The beginning of humanity. The beginning of sin. We have the first people-Adam and Eve. They ate from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil and God said, *whistle* "Allright! Everybody! Out of the pool!" (Props to Bill Cosby) Now they have to live outside of the garden and work for the food. And they will also begin to be fruitful and multiply, as God commanded. Let's read the whole story. It's a mere 16 verses.
1. Adam knew his wife Eve intimately, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain. She said, "I have had a male child with the LORD's help." Then she also gave birth to his brother Abel. Now Abel became a shepherd of a flock, but Cain cultivated the land. 3 In the course of time Cain presented some of the land's produce as an offering to the LORD. 4 And Abel also presented [an offering]—some of the firstborn of his flock and their fat portions. The LORD had regard for Abel and his offering, 5 but He did not have regard for Cain and his offering. Cain was furious, and he was downcast.
6 Then the LORD said to Cain, "Why are you furious? And why are you downcast? 7 If you do right, won't you be accepted? But if you do not do right, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must master it."
8 Cain said to his brother Abel, "Let's go out to the field." And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.
9 Then the LORD said to Cain, "Where is your brother Abel?"
"I don't know," he replied. "Am I my brother's guardian?"
10 Then He said, "What have you done? Your brother's blood cries out to Me from the ground! 11 So now you are cursed [with alienation] from the ground that opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood you have shed. 12 If you work the land, it will never again give you its yield. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth." 13 But Cain answered the LORD, "My punishment is too great to bear! 14 Since You are banishing me today from the soil, and I must hide myself from Your presence and become a restless wanderer on the earth, whoever finds me will kill me."
15 Then the LORD replied to him, "In that case, whoever kills Cain will suffer vengeance seven times over." And He placed a mark on Cain so that whoever found him would not kill him. 16 Then Cain went out from the LORD's presence and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden.
(I'm using the HCSB translation).
Cain and Abel, the first pair of brothers in the Bible. Cain was a farmer; Abel was a shepherd.
Whose idea was it to present an offering to God? Cain's. Cain had the initiative. Cain brought of his produce and made an offering to God. Nothing in the text up through this verse (3) suggests that Cain's offering was in any way sub standard. Now pay attention to verse 4. "And Abel also presented [an offering]." I emphasize the word 'also' as that is actually in the Hebrew. The word in Hebrew is 'gam.' 99 out of 100 speakers of Hebrew will tell you that the simple straightforward meaning of the word 'gam' is 'also.' The one out of 100 who wants to be different will tell you it means 'too.' ;)
And what did Abel present? "The firstborn of the flock and their fat portions." If Abel also presented the best he had, it stands to reason that Cain presented the best he had first. Both brothers made offerings to the Lord of the best of what they had.
And here we have a fundamental key to understanding this text. Our best is not always accepted. How many of us have tried and failed at something? Ever study hard for a test and still not do as well as you hoped? Ever compete for a spot on a sports team or a dance team or band or theater and not get that spot? Ever try to woo another and have your advances rejected? Ever apply to a college or for a job and not get accepted or hired? I'm sure there are dozens of other examples you can think of. There are times in our lives when we know we did our best and we still didn't succeed. And to make matters worse, sometimes those whom we thought were less deserving than we got accepted.
The question still stands, why did the Lord accept Abel's offering and reject Cain's? Short answer.... I don't know. His ways are not my ways. I don't understand God completely nor could I hope too. I would offer this for your consideration, however.
God was testing Cain. God took time out to speak with Cain. God took time out from what I presume was a very busy schedule and had a one-on-one with Cain. When God questions Cain-why are you upset? why is your face fallen?-God is not asking because He doesn't know. Of coures God knows why Cain is upset. Just like when God asked Adam "where are you?" after Adam ate of the forbidden fruit-God knew exactly where Adam was. God asks so that we find the answer ourselves. God wants us to answer Him. Seek understanding within. When things don't go our way even though we do our best. We should ask ourselves why are we upset? Rejection hurts. It's not easy to take. Yes, our face will fall. Yes, we will be upset. But knowing why we are upset is only half the battle.
God tells Cain-and us-how to deal with it. "If you do right, won't you be accepted? But if you do not do right, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must master it." Some take the first hypothetical to mean that Cain did not do right. Because if he had done right, his offering would have been accepted. Not necessarily. I would see this as, if you don't do right, you certainly won't be accepted. Therefore, you must do right in order to be accepted. But, just because you do right doesn't mean you are automatically accepted. But keep trying anyway. Keep at it. I know it's hard. I know the way is difficult and narrow. There will be many times when you slip and fall. Get up, dust yourself off and press on. Forget that which is behind and reach for that which is ahead. There is uplift if you continue to do right. For the uplift is in the struggle. "According to the tsouris (trouble, struggle) is the reward." (Pirkei Avot). The harder the struggle, the greater the accomplishment.
Sin crouches at the door and it desires to have us, but we can master it. HCSB says 'must.' As if it's an imperative. The Hebrew is timshel, "you can." As in we have the ability to overcome sin. Yes, we should, but God won't do it for us. God won't make us overcome sin?
No. For after God talks with Cain, Cain goes to his brother and kills him. And God did not stop Cain from killing Abel.
How did this happen? Cain went to his brother and said... what? What he actually said to Abel is not mentioned in the Hebrew text. HCSB and other translations supply the missing words based on the context. Cain and Abel ended up in a field, so it is natural to assume Cain said to Abel, "let's go out to the field."
Cain attacked (lit. rose up against) Abel and killed him. And then, God speaks to Cain a second time. And again a rhetorical question since God really does know where Abel is. Again, God wants Cain to confess his crime. When God asks a question, we assume that God already knows the answer. The point is for the askee to come up with the answer. An answer we come up with on our own carries much more weight and meaning than an answer that is supplied to us. And it is more likely to stay with us.
Cain evades responsibility and says, "am I my brother's keeper?" I hope that the answer is obvious to us all. We are responsible for one another. We are to love one another as ourselves. We must not hate our brother in our heart. We must not take revenge or carry a grudge.
But Cain did not master sin. Cain let his feelings of anger and jealousy and bitterness take over him. Rather than continuing to cultivate the field and bring another offering, Cain killed Abel. And this is clearly the wrong thing to do.
God banished Cain and made him a ceaseless wanderer on the earth. But God also protected Cain. Here we see an example of God's justice and mercy working side by side. And Cain went out from the Lord's presence and settled in the land of Nod east of Eden.
I highlight the last three words as they form the title to one of John Steinbeck's major novels. It is a retelling of this 16 verse story in about 500 pages. Steinbeck called the story of Cain and Abel the symbol story of the human spirit. For it is everyone's story. We all have to deal with rejection and failure. And while we may at times feel as Cain did, we know the better way of dealing with those feelings.
Let us continue to press forward towards the goal despite the rejection of our best offerings and there will be uplift.
Amen.
Leo
The question has been posed many times why did God accept Abel's offering and reject Cain's. And overwhelmingly the answer has been that Abel brought a better offering. After all, he brought the firstborn of his flock and the fat portions thereof. Cain must have brought the refuse of the field. Some dried out stalks. Certainly not the firstfruits or the best that he had. This is an answer that makes sense and appeals to our idea of a just and caring God. And this interpretation has persisted throughout the centuries. The author of Hebrews was influenced by this interpretation when he said that "by faith, Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was commended as a righteous man, when God spoke well of his offerings." Hebrews 11:4 (Emphasis added)
Notice the word "better." I would offer a different interpretation based on the original Hebrew of the text found in Genesis, chapter 4. I learned the following from the senior rabbi at shul.
But first, let us return to the text. Please open your Bibles up to Genesis, the fourth chapter. Genesis is literally the beginning. The beginning of creation. The beginning of humanity. The beginning of sin. We have the first people-Adam and Eve. They ate from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil and God said, *whistle* "Allright! Everybody! Out of the pool!" (Props to Bill Cosby) Now they have to live outside of the garden and work for the food. And they will also begin to be fruitful and multiply, as God commanded. Let's read the whole story. It's a mere 16 verses.
1. Adam knew his wife Eve intimately, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain. She said, "I have had a male child with the LORD's help." Then she also gave birth to his brother Abel. Now Abel became a shepherd of a flock, but Cain cultivated the land. 3 In the course of time Cain presented some of the land's produce as an offering to the LORD. 4 And Abel also presented [an offering]—some of the firstborn of his flock and their fat portions. The LORD had regard for Abel and his offering, 5 but He did not have regard for Cain and his offering. Cain was furious, and he was downcast.
6 Then the LORD said to Cain, "Why are you furious? And why are you downcast? 7 If you do right, won't you be accepted? But if you do not do right, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must master it."
8 Cain said to his brother Abel, "Let's go out to the field." And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.
9 Then the LORD said to Cain, "Where is your brother Abel?"
"I don't know," he replied. "Am I my brother's guardian?"
10 Then He said, "What have you done? Your brother's blood cries out to Me from the ground! 11 So now you are cursed [with alienation] from the ground that opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood you have shed. 12 If you work the land, it will never again give you its yield. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth." 13 But Cain answered the LORD, "My punishment is too great to bear! 14 Since You are banishing me today from the soil, and I must hide myself from Your presence and become a restless wanderer on the earth, whoever finds me will kill me."
15 Then the LORD replied to him, "In that case, whoever kills Cain will suffer vengeance seven times over." And He placed a mark on Cain so that whoever found him would not kill him. 16 Then Cain went out from the LORD's presence and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden.
(I'm using the HCSB translation).
Cain and Abel, the first pair of brothers in the Bible. Cain was a farmer; Abel was a shepherd.
Whose idea was it to present an offering to God? Cain's. Cain had the initiative. Cain brought of his produce and made an offering to God. Nothing in the text up through this verse (3) suggests that Cain's offering was in any way sub standard. Now pay attention to verse 4. "And Abel also presented [an offering]." I emphasize the word 'also' as that is actually in the Hebrew. The word in Hebrew is 'gam.' 99 out of 100 speakers of Hebrew will tell you that the simple straightforward meaning of the word 'gam' is 'also.' The one out of 100 who wants to be different will tell you it means 'too.' ;)
And what did Abel present? "The firstborn of the flock and their fat portions." If Abel also presented the best he had, it stands to reason that Cain presented the best he had first. Both brothers made offerings to the Lord of the best of what they had.
And here we have a fundamental key to understanding this text. Our best is not always accepted. How many of us have tried and failed at something? Ever study hard for a test and still not do as well as you hoped? Ever compete for a spot on a sports team or a dance team or band or theater and not get that spot? Ever try to woo another and have your advances rejected? Ever apply to a college or for a job and not get accepted or hired? I'm sure there are dozens of other examples you can think of. There are times in our lives when we know we did our best and we still didn't succeed. And to make matters worse, sometimes those whom we thought were less deserving than we got accepted.
The question still stands, why did the Lord accept Abel's offering and reject Cain's? Short answer.... I don't know. His ways are not my ways. I don't understand God completely nor could I hope too. I would offer this for your consideration, however.
God was testing Cain. God took time out to speak with Cain. God took time out from what I presume was a very busy schedule and had a one-on-one with Cain. When God questions Cain-why are you upset? why is your face fallen?-God is not asking because He doesn't know. Of coures God knows why Cain is upset. Just like when God asked Adam "where are you?" after Adam ate of the forbidden fruit-God knew exactly where Adam was. God asks so that we find the answer ourselves. God wants us to answer Him. Seek understanding within. When things don't go our way even though we do our best. We should ask ourselves why are we upset? Rejection hurts. It's not easy to take. Yes, our face will fall. Yes, we will be upset. But knowing why we are upset is only half the battle.
God tells Cain-and us-how to deal with it. "If you do right, won't you be accepted? But if you do not do right, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must master it." Some take the first hypothetical to mean that Cain did not do right. Because if he had done right, his offering would have been accepted. Not necessarily. I would see this as, if you don't do right, you certainly won't be accepted. Therefore, you must do right in order to be accepted. But, just because you do right doesn't mean you are automatically accepted. But keep trying anyway. Keep at it. I know it's hard. I know the way is difficult and narrow. There will be many times when you slip and fall. Get up, dust yourself off and press on. Forget that which is behind and reach for that which is ahead. There is uplift if you continue to do right. For the uplift is in the struggle. "According to the tsouris (trouble, struggle) is the reward." (Pirkei Avot). The harder the struggle, the greater the accomplishment.
Sin crouches at the door and it desires to have us, but we can master it. HCSB says 'must.' As if it's an imperative. The Hebrew is timshel, "you can." As in we have the ability to overcome sin. Yes, we should, but God won't do it for us. God won't make us overcome sin?
No. For after God talks with Cain, Cain goes to his brother and kills him. And God did not stop Cain from killing Abel.
How did this happen? Cain went to his brother and said... what? What he actually said to Abel is not mentioned in the Hebrew text. HCSB and other translations supply the missing words based on the context. Cain and Abel ended up in a field, so it is natural to assume Cain said to Abel, "let's go out to the field."
Cain attacked (lit. rose up against) Abel and killed him. And then, God speaks to Cain a second time. And again a rhetorical question since God really does know where Abel is. Again, God wants Cain to confess his crime. When God asks a question, we assume that God already knows the answer. The point is for the askee to come up with the answer. An answer we come up with on our own carries much more weight and meaning than an answer that is supplied to us. And it is more likely to stay with us.
Cain evades responsibility and says, "am I my brother's keeper?" I hope that the answer is obvious to us all. We are responsible for one another. We are to love one another as ourselves. We must not hate our brother in our heart. We must not take revenge or carry a grudge.
But Cain did not master sin. Cain let his feelings of anger and jealousy and bitterness take over him. Rather than continuing to cultivate the field and bring another offering, Cain killed Abel. And this is clearly the wrong thing to do.
God banished Cain and made him a ceaseless wanderer on the earth. But God also protected Cain. Here we see an example of God's justice and mercy working side by side. And Cain went out from the Lord's presence and settled in the land of Nod east of Eden.
I highlight the last three words as they form the title to one of John Steinbeck's major novels. It is a retelling of this 16 verse story in about 500 pages. Steinbeck called the story of Cain and Abel the symbol story of the human spirit. For it is everyone's story. We all have to deal with rejection and failure. And while we may at times feel as Cain did, we know the better way of dealing with those feelings.
Let us continue to press forward towards the goal despite the rejection of our best offerings and there will be uplift.
Amen.
Leo
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