Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Gen 3:4-5

4 "You will not surely die," the serpent said to the woman. 5 "For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."


Die?! You're not going to die! What does God know? He's just jealous of His wisdom and knowledge. He doesn't want you to open your eyes and know good and evil. He wants you to be His little puppets and just do as He says. The serpent appeals to Eve's desire for knowledge and wisdom. The serpent tempts Eve through subtlety. Much like Teelah tempted Tanis.

the serpent said: There are many who have problems with this statement and with the story of Balaam's donkey in Numbers 22. Animals can't talk! Anybody who would believe that such things happened is gullible, or worse, deliberately ignorant of scientific facts. Therefore, the Bible cannot be trusted as a source of truth. It must be full of ... of... well, you know what.

One common response: It was a miracle. The serpent talking and Balaam's donkey talking were miracles. Another response: God can do anything. He can make the waters part, He can make the sun stand still, He can rain down manna from heaven, He can make a pillar of cloud and a pillar of fire go before the Israelites on their journeys through the wilderness. He can make the dead rise, the blind to see, the deaf to hear, the mute to speak. He can make an akarah a joyful mother. [HEHEHEHEHEHEHEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!] Surely, it is no great feat for Him to make animals talk.

Objection: The word 'miracle' is not in the Bible. The stories mentioned are presented as fact, as actually happening. We know from observation of animals and people that animals do not talk. Apart from the two stories in the Bible, there's no evidence that animals ever talked to humans. And there's no evidence that such things happen now. Similarly, there's no evidence of the Reed Sea splitting or of manna raining down from heaven. And if the sun ever did stand still there would be catastrophic results on the earth. Since we're all still here, and the earth continues on its revolutions around its axis, same as it ever did, clearly, such a thing never happened. You silly little believers. You follow a book that tells you that animals talked, that a great fish swallowed a man and that he was in the fish's belly for three days and came out unharmed, that the waters parted, that the sun stood still, that manna (whatever that is) came down from heaven for forty years, that there was a worldwide flood for forty days, etc. etc.

Answer: And? This makes me what? Stupid? Gullible? Ignorant of scientific evidence? My belief that the stories as recorded in the Bible actually happened hampers my ability to use reason and logic and understand science? How? The study of Scriptures is a fantastic exercise in logic and reason. The harmonization of seemingly contradictory passages is one such example. The attempt to understand why God commanded certain rules, the attempt to live my life as God commands, demands my understanding of the text. I am required to read the words and interpret and apply that understanding to my life. Wrestling with difficult passages such as the command to kill men, women and children of other peoples brings to bear feelings of empathy, compassion and outrage. The nitpicking of certain details as being completely contrary to scientific evidence evidences more about the motives of the nitpicker than the one who believes.

I look at the Bible as more about faith and teaching and loving one another than it is about how wrong it is in terms of science. It matters little to me if people want to disprove the Bible scientifically. What effect does that have on how I live my life? Does my adherence to the mitzvot change because the earth is billions of years old rather than thousands of years old? Am I to love my neighbor and the stranger any less because the earth would not survive if the sun stood still? Should I hate my brother in my heart because bats aren't birds and rabbits don't chew the cud? Shall I commit murder, incest, idolatry, child sacrifice, and blasphemy [heaven forbid!] because there's no way a worldwide flood happened?

To conclude that the Bible is morally corrupt or "full of it" or self-contradictory or not trustworthy because of contradictions or unscientific evidence or abscene of historical evidence to back up its claims is what the skeptic would have you believe. Skeptics care not for the Bible as a guide for living righteously. Those looking for evil in the Bible will find it. Those who hold the Bible up as immoral will find proof texts to support their claims. "Text out of context is a pretext." Are we willing to accept the Bible on its terms? Are we willing to study the Bible and understand it in terms of when it was written and what the surrounding cultures were like at the time? And, can we also look at it from our own 21st century perspective and try to understand how these laws can apply to us today? What relevace does a conversation between a serpent and a woman have for us today?

Some will say none since animals don't talk. I say, look at the story closely. What was said? What was done? How was Eve tricked? What did Adam do? What was God's response? Why did God respond that way?

Let's return to the text.... :)

Monday, March 23, 2009

We interrupt this thread on Genesis 3

with a breaking news story!

The wife and I are expecting our firstborn! Yay, God! :D I'm thrilled and a little terrified. I'm grateful and anxious. I'm hopeful and fearful. I'm awestruck at the miracles He provides for us and how dependent for life we are upon Him. Lord, I pray that my wife and child be healthy. I pray that we lead our child in Your ways of justice and righteousness, of mercy and compassion, of love and forgiveness, of kindness and patience, of study and worship, of work and rest, of friendship and peace. May our child be blessed with a love of your Word and its teachings, a fruitful and happy marriage and a lifetime of good deeds devoted to Your glory and service.

Friday, March 20, 2009

Gen 3:1-3

Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?" Gen 3:1 (NIV)

Did God really say? Right away the serpent plants seeds of doubt. Can it be true that God actually said you cannot eat from any tree in the garden? We know that is not true. God them one negative commandment: don't eat from the tree of knowledge of good and bad. This does not mean you cannot eat from any tree, just that one tree.

you The Hebrew is plural. KJV has the archaic "ye", which is the second person plural. Was Adam also present when the serpent spoke to Eve? When she took of the fruit and gave it to her husband, notice that the text says he was with her. Was he there the whole time? How much of this conversation between the serpent and Eve did he hear? And if he was there the whole time, why didn't he say anything? If men are to be leaders what kind of example was Adam setting? How could he let Eve be tempted by the serpent and not rebuke the serpent? Did he not remember what God had told him? Was he also beguiled? People have been quick to blame Eve for the fall of mankind. Let us not forget that Adam was there too and he said nothing.

2 The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3 but God did say, 'You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.' "

and you must not touch it

Well, two out of three ain't too bad, right? She was correct that they were allowed to eat fruit from the trees in the garden except the fruit from the tree in the middle. But God did not say "don't touch it or you will die." Whence cometh this prohibition? Where would Eve have heard such a thing if God hadn't said it? Answer, Adam. Where did Adam get such a notion? I hain't got the foggiest.

We see here the conflict between "making a fence about the Torah" and not adding or detracting from God's laws.

The men of the kenesset ha'gadol (great assembly) said to make a fence about the Torah. Meaning, add safeguards to make sure you don't violate the commandments. For example, if God said not to boil a kid in its mother's milk, don't have any mixture of meat and milk at all, ever. Do not have meat and dairy in the same meal. Have separate cookware, plates, cups, bowls, and utensils for meat and milk.

On the other hand, God explicity said in the Torah not to add or take away from His commandments. Deut 4:2.

The former is Talmudic, based on oral tradition, the latter is straight out of the written Torah. I place greater emphasis on the written Torah. Orthodox Jews hold the Talmud on equal footing with the written Torah. How do we find a balance? What makes sense? What allows us to live fully for God within the rules and regulations He set for us? Are 613 commandments not enough?

Perhaps Adam felt he was making a fence about God's commandment and protecting himself and Eve from transgressing that commandment. Maybe he should have checked with God first. But the Torah is silent about any conversations Adam and God may have had regarding not touching the tree of knowledge. Suffice to say, God did not say "don't touch the tree or you will die." God did say, "don't eat from that tree, or you will die." We must be careful when trying to understand what God wants of us that we first understand what He says. There is more merit in doing the obligations you're expected to do than going above and beyond the call of duty. Lest anyone boast about his or her observance of the mitzvot, let us first recognize that none of us follow it perfectly, so why add additional burdens?

Thursday, March 19, 2009

Naked/Subtle

Many and varied have been the writings about the sin of eating from the Treek of Knowledge of good and bad. They range from Milton's Paradise Lost to Dekker's Black. For an excellent discourse on the temptation felt by Eve, I commend to you Sara's blog: http://overratedlogic.blogspot.com/2009/01/temptation.html

And now I will throw my own offering into the mix about this story. :) This will prolly take a few posts.... :)

Ninety nine point nine, nine, nine percent of this story takes place in Genesis chapter 3. But there is an important detail in the very last verse of chapter 2 that ties into chapter 3. Let's look, shall we?

The man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame. Gen 2:25 NIV (emphasis added)
Naked: arum, spelled ayin, resh, vav, mem

Now turn to Gen 3:1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. (Emphasis added)

crafty: erum, spelled ayin, resh, vav, mem. Same consonants as the word for naked. This word is also rendered as "subtle", "sly", "clever", "sneaky", and "cunning."

There's an element of deceit when this word is used is reference to the serpent. When used with reference to Adam and Eve however, there's no shame. See how things change though. After they eat of the Tree of Knowledge their eyes are opened, they see that they are naked and are suddenly ashamed. What caused this transformation? Sin. And so they make clothes (beged) for themselves. And the word for clothes (beged) also means treachery or deceit. From innocence to shame. From blessing to curse. And in between is sin. What once was pure and holy has now become a cause for shame and embarrasment. And why? Because of sin. Becuase the serpent through subtlety, craftiness, and sneakiness, tempted Eve to sin. See how wicked is sin.

It first appears as tempting, as a delight to the eyes and as good for food and desirable for knowledge. But once the glitter is stripped away its ugliness is revealed. So too with Teelah (hope I remembered the name correctly), the black bat in Black which tempted (oh shoot, the oldest living human-Tanis?) to drink the forbidden waters. And Teelah first appeared in beautiful plumage and then became dark and ugly. So too with sin. Don't be deceived by that which appears beautiful on the outside but inwardly is rotten to the core.


To be continued...

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

The prophetess

And the women, dancing with their timbrels followed Miriam as she sang her song:
Sing a song to the One whom we've exalted
Miriam and the women danced and danced the whole night long.

Who was this woman? Aside from the matriarchs, she's one of the more famous women in the Bible. What do we know of her? That was the older sister of Aaron and Moses. That she was a prophetess. That she led the women in song and dance after the crossing of the Sea of Reeds. That she spoke out against Moses by saying he married a Cushite woman. Yes, all that and more.

I have included her in my six sketches of women who were responsible for Moses being able to lead the Children of Israel out of Egypt. And she is to be praised for her work in getting Egyptian and Hebrew to work together. For it was Miriam who watched from the banks of the Nile as Pharaoh's daughter came to bathe. And it was Miriam who suggested that a Hebrew midwife be brought to the palace to nurse the baby. And it was Miriam who got her mother, Jocheved, to nurse Moses. And thus Moses learned of his people and history and about God, all thanks to Miriam.

It is also related in a midrash that when Pharaoh's decree came down that all male babies be killed that Amram, Miriam's father said that men should divorce their wives so that no more babies would be born to be thrown into the Nile. And Miriam spoke up that Amram's decree was worse that Pharaoh's. Pharaoh allowed the girls to live. Amram is cutting off the future of the people at the root. And Amram conceded and said that men did not have to divorce their wives. And some say, this allowed Moses to be born.

Yay for Miriam. Yay for Jocheved and Shifrah and Puah and Zipporah and Pharaoh's daughter. Praise the Lord to whom our praise is due, now and forever.

Monday, March 16, 2009

Bit'yah

She is unnamed in the Biblical text. This appellation was given to her by the rabbis of the Talmudic age. Her name means "daughter of the Lord." In the Bible she is known as the daughter of Pharaoh. Why the name change?

We have to contrast Pharaoh with the Lord to understand this. Pharaoh thought of himself as a god. He was worshipped as a god. His word was law. He also had a certain worldview that was completely at odds with God's plan for humanity. Pharaoh decided it was ok to work the Hebrew slaves seven days a week without a break for the Sabbath. The idea of the Sabbath was probably completely foreign to him and would have sounded like madness. What? A day off to worship the Lord? A day when the slaves weren't working? Unheard of! Who ever heard of letting the slaves decide when they would work and when they wouldn't? One of the excuses Pharaoh gives for not letting the Israelites go into the wilderness to worship the Lord is that they are lazy. See Exodus 5:8, 17. Pharaoh also decided that it was permissible to beat the slaves and kill them if necessary. To order the murder of all male babies by having them thrown into the Nile was fine with Pharaoh. And see how completely at odds with God all this is.

The first holy day instituted by God was the Sabbath. God decreed that we are to work six days and rest on the seventh. God gave us life and it is up to us to preserve it, to reverence it. Murder is specifically prohibited. Mistreatment of slaves is prohibited. Although, there is some debate about that since if a slave takes to his bed as a result of a beating but can get up after 3 days, there is no penalty imposed on the slave's owner. But certainly the beating of slaves to the point of death is no ok at all. If a slave lost an eye or a tooth because of a beating, the slave must go free. The point being that even the slave is made betzelem Elohim (in the image of God) and is also to be afforded dignity.

Pharaoh's daughter knew what her father (the king of Egypt) had decreed. She probably also saw the suffering of the Hebrew slaves. One day she goes down to the Nile to bathe and sees the little ark with the baby Moses in it. Had she paid heed to her father's instructions, she'd have just turned the akr over and let baby Moses drown and/or get eaten by a crocodile. The fact that she didn't, that she took pity on the baby shows her true colors. She raised Moses as her own son. No daughter of Pharaoh would take pity on a Hebrew. Therefore, she must be a daughter of God. Her values are much more in line with God's than Pharaoh's.

Praise the Lord for Bit'yah. May we all aspire to take pity on the helpless, the victims of unfortunate circumstance. May we have compassion on the stranger and always answer to our Father's calling to be a light unto the nations.

Friday, March 13, 2009

noble

If we are to think on whatever is noble, it would be well to consider what is noble. Noble, what words come to mind when you hear this word? If someone or something is of noble character, what do we mean?

The esheh hayil (noble wife) of Proverbs 31 gives us some good examples. She brings good and not harm, all the days of her life. She is hard working-gets up early, selects wool and flax, works with eager hands, provides for her family and servants, considers before buying (makes good purchases), sets about her work vigorously. What else? She gives to the poor and needy-has a kind heart. She is clothed with strength and dignity. She does not fear the future (laughs at days to come). Why? Because her family is well provided for in food and clothing because of her diligent efforts. She speaks wisdom, watches over her household and is not idle. Such a woman, would not her children and husband praise her?

So we see that someone or something that is noble is worthy of praise. Noble is something to aspire to. It's worth thinking about because it's how we should strive to be. We should think before we act. We should be generous to the poor and needy. We should be hard working. We should be careful with our speech so that we speak wisdom and have faithful instruction on our lips.

Do you know of any noble people? Talk with them. See how they act, how they treat others, how they talk. The Bible is also a good place to study this word. A concordance is an excellenet resource for this kind of study. See what kind of people in the Bible are of noble character. How did they act, speak, pray?

Let the glory of God be exalted. May He inspire us to be noble. He is a mighty King. We are his children. That makes us princes and princesses, i.e. nobility. Let us act accordingly.

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

What do you think about?

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Phil 4:8

Throughout the course of a week, a day, an hour, a minute, many many thoughts run through my head. Some I pay attention to, others I let fly by. The vast majority of them are anything but what Paul mentions in his letter to the Philippians. How will I pay the bills this month? What's for dinner? Will I be able to watch that tv show I like tonight? Who's on First? What's on Second? Let's see, there's a motion to answer. I need to draft a complaint. I gotta send a letter to this attorney or that client or make a phone call. It's my dad's birthday tomorrow, what should I get him? He says he doesn't want anything. I gotta get the oil changed in my car. We need to go grocery shopping. We need milk and bread and meat and fruit and veggies. We need cat litter and trashbags. It's gonna be spring soon. That means more outdoor work. Gotta get the lawnmower serviced. Is it the weekend yet? And on and on and on.

Rarely do I pause to focus my mind on what is noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent or praiseworthy. What things would fit these categories? God, obviously. But that's too cliche of an answer. What about God? His holiness? Certainly. But it's so far above ours, what can we hope to understand about it? His love? His justice, mercy, compassion? Same problem. What can we hope to understand about such things? Try specific examples. How did and does He manifest His love to us? In what ways is He compassionate, merciful, just, forgiving, patient? What examples from Scripture do we have of these occurrences? This is why study of Scripture is so important. It helps us focus our minds on Him.

But suppose we don't have the opportunity to study Scripture as much as we would like. What else can we do? How do we focus on what is noble, pure, lovely, admirable, etc? If we notice something in our lives that is any of these things maybe we can take a moment to pause and appreciate it. What things? A bright sun-shiney day. Enjoying the company of friends and family. An inspiring piece of literature. A movie that made us laugh, cry, think. Doing a mitzvah such as giving food to the hungry or clothing to the naked or shelter to the homeless. Such things ought to give us pause and make us reflect on our own lives. What are we doing in His service? We are called to let our light shine before men. We are meant to be leading examples of His servants. Let the light within us be bright, not dark.

What would darken the light? Things that are the opposite of what Paul mentioned. There is ugliness and sin in the world. There is depravity and brutality and cruelty. There is oppression and suffering and weeping and gnashing of teeth. We ought not to ignore it, but we also need to not let them extinguish our light for God. How do we combat this darkness? Bring the light.

Do not allow yourself to dwell on the misery and suffering in the world. Misery loves company. Unhappy thoughts breed unhappy thoughts. Focus instead on what is good, what is right, what is pure, what is holy. Yes, there is greed and ugliness in the world. There is also beauty and truth. Where are they? All around us. Amber (hope I got the name right) posted about beauty being everywhere. What about truth? "Truth is beauty and beauty truth. That is all you need to know." That which is true is beautiful. That which is beautiful is true. Simplistic? Yes. Accurate? Depends on your definition of beauty.

Some time ago I posted about seeking God's Face and gazing upon His beauty. And this was in the context of worshipping in shul. I see His beauty manifest when we greet one another with a Shabbat Shalom. When we chant the prayers to Him with uplifted hearts. When we study His Holy Word. But we can not also gaze upon His beauty outside of shul? Certainly. In nature. In people helping one another. In doing any number of mitzvot- studying the Scriptures, welcoming the stranger, making peace when there is strife, visiting the sick, rejoicing with bride and groom.

In our daily lives we don't always have these opportunities though. We don't always get invited to weddings, or have time to pay a sick call, or study the Scriptures. But we do have time to consider how our actions affect ourselves and others. In doing our school and homework, are we putting forth our best effort to show not only that we care about our work but also as a way to honor our parents and teachers? When we talk, do we consider if what we're saying is gossip and might hurt another person? When we watch a show or movie or listen to a piece of music, does it affect our walk with God? If such things cause us to stumble, perhaps we need to be more careful of what we allow our eyes to see and our ears to hear. When we eat, do we give thanks to God for the food and the good land that produced the food? When we lie down at night and get up in the morning, do we thank God for our souls, for His daily miracles, for His wonderous provenance?

I know that this is something I need to work on. Most of my thoughts are selfish. What am I doing? What is best for me? What do I need to do to make things work out best for me? When am I going to eat next? What form of entertainment will I choose tonight? A book? A movie? A tv show? A game? Time on the computer? It's a hard thing to refocus my thoughts on God.

Perhaps, one small thing at a time. Today, be conscious of what I eat and remember to thank God for the food and the earth. Tomorrow, be conscious of how I talk with others-my wife, my boss, my friends, my family. And always, hold up the standard of what is noble, pure, and praiseworthy. It's one thing to see what I'm doing. It's another to see how that compares with God's way and to attempt to change my behavior.

And the only way to compare my actions with God's standards is to know His standards. And He is all about whatever is noble, true, right, praisworthy, excellent and admirable.

Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable to You, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. (Ps 19)

Thursday, March 5, 2009

For a brief shining moment

I was warm. :) I was walking around outside enjoying the sun. I could see grass under my feet instead of snow and ice. Most of you know that I have been on vacation for the last week. I was in sunny Florida, enjoying the beaches, the warm weather, the company of family and friends and of course the food. Where'd we go? DQ, a sushi restaurant, a chinese restaurant, pizza, subs, coffee shops (I hate the coffee, but there was other food like bagels and muffins and such), we even visited a wine and cheese shop. Now I'm not a wine drinker, but the wife is. And we both like cheese and there was tapas and empanadas too. Oh what else, ice cream and cookies of course.

It was really nice to get away from the stress of work and non rent paying tenants and just enjoy one another's company. It's a rare treat that the wife and I get to spend large amounts of time together. Both of us are extremely busy with work (she has 2 jobs) and after work activites: shul, choir rehearsals, klezmer rehearsals, committee meetings, volleyball, etc. For a few days, we were able to put all that behind and just be together. And it was really refreshing.

There were a couple poignant moments in our travels as we realized we wouldn't be bringing back any souveniers or gifts for my wife's mother. I didn't dwell on them too long. I think she would have enjoyed hearing about our vacation and what all we did and our visit with our friends and family. Part of me wonders if she already knows what we did. Perhaps she can see us from heaven and is pleased that we had a good time. I would like to think so, but, really, who knows?

Nu, a good vacation. Praise God for the time off and a chance to recharge the batteries and especially to enjoy the warmth, even for a brief, shining moment.