Leo's Blog

What's our obligation?

2010-01-14T14:23:00.002-05:00

Haiti was hit by a massive quake earlier this week. The loss and devastation is heart rending. Aid has been coming in but it's a logistical nightmare trying to get the aid to the people who need it. At times like this, I'm reminded of the verse from Leviticus, "Do not stand on the blood of your neighbor." (19:16) Don't idly watch as your neighbor bleeds. Don't profit from your neighbor's suffering either. Like Christopher Plummer's character did in "Inside Man." He said, "When there's blood on the streets, buy property."

Are the Haitians our neighbors? If so, what can we do for them? Some of you might answer to pray for them. Prayers go from the heart to God. And it's said that God hearkens unto our prayers. But He doesn't always answer them as we would like. Nor does a prayer by itself build a house, clean up rubble, or provide food, clothing and medicine. A prayer is basically words. To provide food, clothing, shelter, medicine, comfort, companionship, one must physically go and do. And I ask, can we? How?

There is suffering throughout the world on a daily basis. The quake in Haiti is a recent example. But there are millions throughout the world who don't have enough to eat or are homeless or jobless or need medical aid but cannot afford it. What shall we do for them?

Is it all too much? So I ask, what's our obligation. What are we to do? If our circumstances are such that we cannot lend aid and comfort, are we still obligated to do something? And what would that something be? Money? To whom? Will it get to the people who need it?

I wonder what we are supposed to do if prayer and money seem questionable responses at best.

Generations

2009-11-02T13:50:00.002-05:00

And these are the generations of Leo, a disciple of Elyon. And Leo begat Yehudit Chava, a daughter in his own image and likeness. And he said, brucha haba'ah (blessed is she who comes). And he thanked God with these words: Praised are You, O Lord, our God, King of the universe, Who has given us life, sustained us and enabled us to reach this season.

And it came to pass on the 22nd of October in the year 2009, corresponding to the 4th of the month of Chesvan in the year 5,770 from the creation of the world by HaShem, blessed be His Name, that Yehudit Chava came into the world. And the manner of her birth was of great struggle and suffering even as HaShem said to the first Chava, "I will greatly multiply thy pains in childbirth." And lo, the contractions did cause the baby's heartrate to drop dramatically such that the doctors and nurses were all greatly concerned. And the doctor bade the mother consent to an emergency c-section and yea, the same was performed that same hour.

And at 9:09 the doctor did pronounce, "it's a girl!" and after the staff suctioned the mucus from the baby's mouth and nose and the air flowed into her little lungs that she uttered her first cry bringing tears to her parents as well.

And lo, mother and father and baby did stay at the hospital over the weekend getting some time together while mother recuperated from her surgery. And yea, there were a great many messages and cards and phone calls and gifts and visitors. And Yehudit Chava did meet her grandfather and aunts and uncles on her mother's side. And she met her great grandmother and grandparents and aunt on her father's side. And there are still many uncles and an aunt on her father's side she has yet to meet.

And great was the rejoicing when Yehudit Chava came home for the first time and the family from her mother's side was at the house, including her great aunt, that is her mother's mother's sister.

Steep and difficult has been the learning curve for Yehudit's parents as she is the firstborn child for either of them. And her mother has had no child-rearing experience, ever. Not even babysitting. And while her father has done his share of caring for his younger siblings and changing diapers, that has been many years ago. And so her parents learn about her non-verbal communication and what different cries mean. And they learn about feeding her and changing her diapers and bathing her and comforting her in the wee small hours of the night.

And for all the crying and fussing and keeping her parents up at night, so that neither gets much sleep, her parents will accept it. A smile on her face instantly banishes all dark clouds. Holding her in their arms while she sleeps, all other concerns are forgotten.

Lord, may she have the wisdom of Sarah, the kindness of Rebekah, the tenderness of Leah and the courage of Rachel. Beautiful she is already, like the moon and the stars. And may she also be blessed with good health all her days and may she have descendants as numerous as the sands of the seashore and the stars in the heavens.

Thy Will Be Done

2009-09-16T16:30:00.002-04:00

Usually, when praying, I ask that my will be done. I ask that God align His will with mine. I petition the Almighty for all sorts of things. Health, happiness, success, prosperity, goodness, peace. Things I want.

But if we look at the model for prayer in Matthew 6:9-13, we see praise of God first and then asking that His will be done.

In times of great distress and turmoil, I am wont to ask that His will match mine. And yet it is more appropriate that I ask for my will to match His.

I was reminded forcefully of this last night when my wife heard from her father that he has prostate cancer. With all the tsouris already going on in her life, this news sent her over the edge. She was distraught. It's a scary word, cancer. It makes the blood run cold. It makes you worry-immediately. Horrible imaginings come to mind. How can you not be shaken?

And the natural reaction is to pray for his health, to pray for a speedy recovery, to pray that the cancer be removed and he be restored to full health and strength.

All this is well and good. I do not say that we should NOT ask for these things.

But, we should first ask that His will be done. If we would ask anything for ourselves, let us ask that we be given the strength to accept His will. For who knows if it be His will to heal my father in law? I would love it if it were. But if it is not, how deeply disappointed I will be. How angry at God. And why? Because He didn't answer my prayers. He didn't grant my petition.

And yet, and yet, life and death are not in my hands. Who lives and who dies, is not up to me.

If I could be granted the strength to accept His will, whatever happens, and of course I want my father in law to get well, then whatever does happen, I should be ok with.

A hard thing, to be sure.

Let His Name be glorified. Let his kingdom come. Let us learn to accept His will, come what may.

Much as I'd like to

2009-08-27T10:40:00.003-04:00

I think it's too early to say that the division race in the AL East is over. New York has a 6 game lead on Boston with 36 games left to play. The two teams will meet each other for another 3 game set. If NY's lead has shrunk to only 3 games by then (which is possible, though admittedly not likely) that becomes a huge series that could decide the race for the division crown.

New York has been playing well of late, especially since the All Star break, with a major league best 29-10.

But, a lot can happen with 36 games left to play. In a much shorter span, the Red Sox saw the Yankees pull away with a four game sweep at Yankee Stadium and a series win (2 of 3) at Fenway.

Barring catastrophic injuries (may the Almighty preserve them) the Yankees appear to have the division sewn up. Let's just not anoint them the winners till they've achieved their magic number.

Shir Ha Shirim chapter 2, continued

2009-07-23T11:13:00.002-04:00

Lover

¹⁴ My dove in the clefts of the rock,
in the hiding places on the mountainside,
show me your face,
let me hear your voice;
for your voice is sweet,
and your face is lovely.

This is not so bad, at least in my opinion. Dove is nice, isn't it? A symbol of peace. A beautiful white bird. "Clefts of the rock and hiding places on the mountainside" calls to my mind Moses hiding in the cleft of the rock on Sinai and also Elijah hiding in the same place when the Almighty passed by. See Exodus 33:21-22 and 1 Kings 19:11-12. And then he compliments her on her face and voice.

¹⁵ Catch for us the foxes,
the little foxes
that ruin the vineyards,
our vineyards that are in bloom.

And then the lover breaks off into a rant against foxes that ruin the vineyards. Not sure what this is doing here, but what the hey, right? :D

Beloved

¹⁶ My lover is mine and I am his;

This refrain (my lover is mine and I am his) will occur in various forms throughout this book.

he browses among the lilies.

¹⁷ Until the day breaks
and the shadows flee,
turn, my lover,
and be like a gazelle
or like a young stag
on the rugged hills.

so, what exactly is she asking her lover to do at night? And is it all night? "until the day breaks and the shadows flee" And "turn, my lover, and be like a gazelle or like a young stag." Meaning, what, exactly? "Turn and be like a gazelle or a young stag." Is she saying to run all night? To leap about? To frolic? And by frolic, does she mean sex? Hard to say. *shrug*

"She was with you"

2009-07-10T10:51:00.002-04:00

This past weekend, me wife went to Babies R Us to register for the upcoming baby shower. It hain't been planned yet, but no sense in delaying, eh? And it was really hard for her, not having her mom with her. She would have been able to rely on her mother's advice and wisdom on what products were necessary and which were not. Which were the best buys, which were not. Instead she was accompanied by her sister, her aunt, a family friend and her 3 year old son. Needless to say, a very exhausting day both physically and emotionally.

At the end of the day, she made a status post about how much she missed her mom and how it wasn't fair that she wasn't with her. And she got two responses back saying that her mom was with her.

Not helpful, people! Really not. What aisle was she in? What answers, what support, what comfort was to be had knowing that her mom should have been physically with her in the store but wasn't? She said that the next person who said that to her would be bitch slapped. Too bad that next person turned out to be someone me wife really likes. No, there was no slapping, but me wife did tell this woman of what was promised to the next person who said 'your mom was with you.'

When ties are severed because of death and nothing will ever be the same again, saying "she was with you" is ill advised and insensitive. People may be well meaning, but they're better off leaving well enough alone. Me wife's mom was not with her. That's the point. An occasion that might have been for much joy and celebration, doing a baby registry, was fraught with heartache and woe and aggravation and exhaustion.

Important events in life will be bittersweet. Birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, graduation, weddings, sporting events, recitals, plays, concerts will be missing an important element. The loss of a loved one is keenly felt at such moments (and other times as well). No, me wife's mom was not with me wife when she wanted her and needed her. She was not there to offer advice and encouragement and a shoulder to lean on.

Some vague knowledge that her mom was in heaven was of poor comfort, if any.

What can we do? We grieve. We mourn for those who loved her. We acknowledge that she misses her mom terribly and wishes with all her might that her mom could have shared this experience with her. And we pray for God to heal and comfort the bereaved. And most assuredly we do not say, 'she was with you.'

The peace of God be with you.

Shir HaShirim, chapter 2

2009-06-25T09:55:00.002-04:00

Beloved:

v. 1 A rose of Sharon, a lily among the valleys. One commentator says the beloved "modestly compares herself to the wild flowers of Sharon." I haven't seen the wild flowers of Sharon, but I hear tell that they are beautiful. I'm not sure how comparing oneself to those flowers is being modest, but hey. :)

Lover:

v. 2 Now here's a comparison! The beloved is a lily; the other maidens are thorns.

Beloved:

vv 3-13 The lover is compared to an apple tree among trees of the forest. What's the difference? He bears good fruit which is sweet to the taste. Food imagery is used in connection with love- apples, wine, raisins. How she longs for his embrace. And she charges the maidens of Jerusalem, by the gazelles and deer of the field (what? What does that mean?) do not rouse love, until it please. Meaning....? Her lover is compared to a gazelle leaping and bounding and standing at the wall gazing through the windows, peering through the lattice. His desire for her is so great he runs to her and waits by her window for her to get up. And he calls, come, get up, lecha dodi ("come, my beloved." Or, as I like to tell my wife, "move, baby.") Winter is past, the rains have come and gone. Look! It's spring! Flowers appear! The turtle-dove sings. The fig tree is ripening its early figs, the vines in blossom give forth their fragrance. Here's another reason for the Song of Songs to be read during Passover. Passover occurs in the spring. New birth, new life. Recall that God gave the Israelites new life by redeeming them from the bondage of Egypt. And as the lover calls to his beloved, so too, should we men call to our beloveds.

To be continued...

Shir Ha Shirim chp 1 (cont'd)

2009-06-19T11:53:00.002-04:00

Beloved

v. ¹² A pleasant dinner date perhaps? She wears perfume.

^{vv. 13, 14 The lover is compared to fragrant herbs and henna blossoms. What is this "resting between my breasts" business? Pretty graphic stuff for the Bible that doesn't always delve into explicit details regarding sex.}

Lover

¹⁵ How beautiful you are, my darling!
Oh, how beautiful! Here is a good place to stop.
But he continues... Your eyes are doves. Eh? This is flattering to his beloved, how? Not being on the receiving end of any 'compliment' such as this, I have no idea how this was supposed to be taken. Any ladies ever been told that your eyes are doves? How'd that make you feel? If you haven't suppose someobody did tell you this. What would you think?

Beloved

¹⁶ How handsome you are, my lover!
Oh, how charming! Nice, so far
And then we get this .... And our bed is verdant. Their bed is green with vegetation? So, they sleep outdoors? Or, he brings in plants and flowers and herbs and spices and litters the bed with them? Or perhaps the bed is 'green' as in 'inexperienced' or 'unsophisticated.' But that hardly makes sense as they don't shy from explicit talk about sex. So, yeah, other insights would be appreciated.

Lover

¹⁷ A well built, sturdy house. Firs and cedars. Good, strong wood. May have been expensive as well. Of course, Solomon could afford it. But this may have been an unidentified couple that Solomon was writing about. We're looking at an ideal. The man is strong, wealthy and virile. The woman is beautiful and certainly uninhibited. She's not shy about declaring her love for her lover to her friends. Nor does she refrain from talking about her body or her lover's body.

More Thoughts on Shir Ha Shirim

2009-06-02T16:43:00.002-04:00

Chapter 1

v. 1 This tells us that Solomon is the author.

v 2. This could be where we get the phrase "kisses sweeter than wine."

v 3. The beloved speaks of her lover as wearing perfumes. Could be scented oils. But yeah, wearing of cologne has apparently been around since Solomon's time and probably before.

v. 4 And the beloved says, let's go to your room!

(Friends) Where'd they come from?

They rejoice and delight in the lover. The 'you' is masculine singular. Must be really good love to be praised more than wine. At least one would hope so and not that the wine was of poor quality. :)

(Beloved)

Agrees with the friends. And why not? :)

v. 5 Black is beautiful. At least the beloved can see that.

v. 6 But others stare so she says that her skin was darkened by working out in the vineyards. Apparently they were not her own but her mother's sons'. Interesting that she doesn't say 'brothers.'

v. 7 So, where does her lover graze his sheep? "veiled woman beside the flocks of his friends." This calls to mind the story of Tamar and Judah and how Tamar dressed herself as a prostitute and waited by the side of the road for Judah to come by on his way to the sheep festival. The beloved doesn't want to be seen as a prostitute.

(Friends)

v. 8 So they offer some advice. Go follow the sheep tracks and graze your goats by the shepherd's tents.

(Lover) He speaks!

v. 9 And the first thing he can think of to tell his beloved is that she's like a horse! Like a mare harnessed to one of Pharaoh's chariots! He probably imagines that Pharaoh would keep only the best and most beautiful of horses. So she's highly prized by him. Hmmmph. I dunno how many women would like to be compared to a horse, but maybe that's just me.

vv. 10, 11 A little better. Cheeks beautiful with earrings. Cheeks? Not ears? Perhaps these were dangly earrings or earrings with hoops and they hung down to her cheeks. Who is this "we" in verse 11? Earrings of gold studded with silver. Now this I think is a little better. Who wouldn't want jewelry?

(to be continued)

Shir Ha Shirim

2009-05-26T17:05:00.002-04:00

The Song of Songs, which is Solomon's. Said to have been written by King Solomon in his youth when he was full of passion. Commentators, uncomfortable with the sexual content of this book, have downplayed the sexual overtones of this book and said that the love described in this book is that of God and His people. Certainly, that is one way of interpreting the text, but I don't think you can say that God loves His people the same way the lover and beloved love each other.

This book is traditionally read during Passover. There is a reference to the chariots of Pharaoh (1:9). But more than that, God showed great love to Israel in redeeming Israel from slavery in Egypt. And the obvious passion between the lover and the beloved in this book is but a shadow of the great love God has for His people.

More to follow.... (hopefully) :)

Mercy and Judgment continued

2009-05-12T11:21:00.002-04:00

The first part of verse 23 says that God banished Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden. The next part says, "to work the land." However, this does not mean that work is a curse placed upon Adam and Eve and all succeeding generations for disobeying God. Before they ate from the Tree of Knowledge, God had placed Adam in the Garden to work the land. Work preceded sin.

The difference here is that working the land will be much harder. Thorns and thistles and earning your food by the sweat of your brow.

After banishing Adam and Eve, God placed cherubim on the east side of the Garden and a flashing sword, guarding the way to the Tree of Life.

Cherubim-angels. Not naked babies with wings and halos. Cherubim are fearsome creatures. The great sphinx in Egypt is an approximation of a cherub. Cherubim appear again in the Wilderness wanderings. God commands that cherubim be crafted and placed on top of the chest of testimony (ark of the covenant) that resided in the Holy of Holies in the Tabernacle.

What can we learn from the relationship between the cherubim and the flashing sword and the Tree of Life? The Torah is likened to a tree of life (Proverbs 3). The cherub faced each other with their faces over the ark of the covenant which contained the tablets of stone on which were inscribed the Ten Commandments. The cherubim guarded the way to the Tree of Life, or Torah. The flaming sword....hrmmm....I dunno. But Paul says that part of the armor of God is the sword of truth. To get to the Tree of Life, you must use the truth and pursue it. Cut through all the bs using the sword of Truth. Many and varied will be the distractions and temptations to block your way. Fight them off with the sword of truth.

Be ye well,

Leo

Mercy and Judgment (Gen 3:21-24)

2009-05-07T18:45:00.002-04:00

21 The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them. 22 And the LORD God said, "The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever." 23 So the LORD God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. 24 After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life. Gen 3:21-24

garments of skin The first sacrifice in the Bible is done by God Himself. The fig coverings were not sufficient to cover Adam and Eve. If the wages of sin be death, then death was necessary. God said that in the day that Adam and Eve ate from the Tree of Knowledge of good and bad that they would die. They ate but did not die that day. Something else died in their place. What animals were slain to provide the skins for Adam and Eve? Scripture does not say. It's a small point though I'm sure there's lots of speculation about it. But the point is that blood was shed to cover over their sin. Blood atoned for their sin. Their sins were covered over. And their wearing of the animal skins served as a reminder that a living being was sacrificed so that they didn't have to die. What mercy God showed for Adam and Eve.

And the Lord God said... like one of us Who is this "us"? God has said "us" before in creating mankind and will say it again when men make the Tower of Babel. There are several theories as to who the "us" refers to. Christians see this as a reference to the Trinity. Others have said that the us is like a "Royal we". For example the Queen may say "we are not amused" when referring to herself. Some have said that the us refers to angels. I confess to not knowing. Those who like to argue for a triune God use this verse as a prooftext. However, as interesting as this trail may be, it can get us sidetracked very easily.

knowing good and evil. Before they ate from the Tree of Knowledge, what knowledge of good and evil did Adam and Eve have? Was there any distinction? Was everything all good? I think the presumption is that Eden was a paradise. Gan Eden (Garden of Eden) is a mystical paradise in rabbinic literature. It's all goodness and light and joy and happiness. With wisdom, however, comes heartache. Like God, mankind now knows that there is evil. There is wickedness and sin and shame and guilt. And like God, mankind will have to make distinctions between what is good and what is bad, between sacred and ordinary, between clean and unclean. And this will no longer be done in the Garden of Eden.

tree of life God would not allow Adam and Eve to reach out and eat from the tree of life and live forever. Why not? Again, an act of mercy. Mercy? Aye. And I learned the following from me mother in law (z'l) For if man stretched forth his hand and ate from the tree of life, he'd be forever in a state of sin. But I think that the fact that God clothed Adam and Eve in animal skins signifies that their sin was atoned for and forgiven.

To be continued...

Chava Gen 3:20

2009-05-01T10:46:00.002-04:00

Adam named his wife Eve, because she would become the mother of all the living. Gen 3:20 (NIV)

In Hebrew, her name is Chava, which is related to chai (life).

The living, not the dead. The curse is pronounced upon the serpent and the ground. Please take note of that. No curse is pronounced upon Adam and Eve. This does not mean that they go unpunished, far from it. But the idea of humanity being cursed for all generations because Adam and Eve ate from the Tree of Knowledge has no Biblical basis.

Eve, her name means life. She is mother of us all. The world's first mother. She is the progenitor of all the generations of humanity. Rather than shame her memory by saying we are cursed because of her sin, let us acclaim her life giving quality.

Praise the Lord, Who, in His great mercy and loving kindness, did not immediately put to death Adam and Eve for their sins but allowed them to beget the human race.

As for Adam... (Gen 3:17-19)

2009-04-28T10:22:00.002-04:00

¹⁷ To Adam he said, "Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, 'You must not eat of it,'
"Cursed is the ground because of you;
through painful toil you will eat of it
all the days of your life.

¹⁸ It will produce thorns and thistles for you,
and you will eat the plants of the field.

¹⁹ By the sweat of your brow
you will eat your food
until you return to the ground,
since from it you were taken;
for dust you are
and to dust you will return."

I want you to take note of what gets cursed. The ground. Not Eve. Not Adam. The earth suffers the curse for man's disobedience. We see this repeated throughout Scripture. Blood pollutes the land. Sexual immorality defiles the land and causes the land to spew out its inhabitants. The earth suffers for our disobedience. And ultimately, this will cause us to suffer as well since we are dependent upon the earth for our very lives.

"Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree ...." Are we to take from this that a man ought not to listen to his wife? On the contrary, pay attention to your wife and see if what she says conforms to what God says. The crime was not in listening to Eve; it was in doing what she said. She said to eat from the tree; God said don't.

And the result of the curse is that man must now get his food through painful toil. Eating from the tree of knowledge was easy. I presume that getting food before this sin was easy. Why else would God emphasize "painful toil" and "thorns and thistles" and "the sweat of your brow"? I would submit that prior to this sin, getting food involved none of these things. Before, getting food was easy. Now, it will be hard. This is way before there were farmers and butchers and shepherds and grocery stores and refrigeration and food preservation and so many other things we take for granted that make our getting food relatively easy. Adam had to plant the seeds and water the plants and pull weeds and drive the animals away that would eat his produce and then he had to harvest and separate the wheat from the chaff and he had to grind and make flour and do all the work involved just to get a piece of bread. I don't know if he had any tools to help him. I don't know if he could have used animals to help him plow and harvest. It truly was by the sweat of his brow that he was able to get any food.

This ought to give me some perspective. I might complain about having to take a couple hours out of the day to go grocery shopping. As if I have to do painful toil. I can get into my car and drive to the store and select whatever food I want and put it in a cart and pay for the food and bring it back home. I had nought to do with the preparation of any of the food. There was no painful toil. I did not have to deal with thorns and thistles. I did not sweat to produce this food. It's all very conveniently grown and harvested and packaged and placed on the shelves or bins and just waiting for me to pick it up. The hardest work I have to do is lifting the groceries. How easy I have it compared to Adam. And I think because getting our food is so easy now as compared to what Adam had to do we are wont to forget the curse on the earth.

"until you return to the ground...dust ... to dust..." The earth reclaims us. We were formed from the dust of the ground and to the dust we return. We like to think that we are mighty and superior to the earth and the other living creatures that inhabit it. After all, we were given dominion over the earth and over the fish and the birds and the land animals. We were told to fill the earth and subdue it. And what a job we have done. And still, we all of us must eventually go back from whence we came. It ought to give us pause.

Sin and Consequences, Gen 3:14-16 (part 3)

2009-04-22T14:09:00.002-04:00

So we're discussing what it means for a woman to desire her husband but the husband to rule over her. I've stated that I don't think this means that a husband is to rule over his wife sexually or intellecutally.

Lilly: I've always taken it to mean that the woman will want to rule over the husband when it comes to making decisions. Like, if it comes down to something the wife and husband strongly disagree, but a decision has to be made, it's the husband's place to have the final say, but the woman will want the final say (and, being female, I admit, we like to talk too much :P). Just what I've heard.

This is a little nearer to what I had in mind. Kudos. :) Certainly, there ought to be discussion and open communication between husband and wife. Compromise when necessary. But the husband has the final say. I like that, since I'm the husband. :D But really, this can be abused very easily. Husbands are to take their wives' concerns and feelings and objections and proposals in mind and not to arbitrarily decide how things are to get done just because they feel like things should be done a certain way. A man who does not take his wife's point of view in mind does not respect God. God said to Abraham, "hearken unto Sarah's voice." We as husbands, must hearken to our wives as well.

I still wonder, how is Eve having to submit to her husband a consequence for Eve's disobeying God's command? The Torah is frustratingly silent on Adam's role in this whole episode. He was with her. Did he say anything? Did he object? Did he rebuke the serpent? Did he try to stop Eve? Did he say he didn't want to eat from the Tree but did anyway because Eve did? What did Adam do? I must confess I don't know.

But considering what God says to Adam later on in this chapter, there's a time to hearken to our wives and a time to "wear the pants" and be a firm decision maker. Adam was apparently pantsless.

I tell you a truth, it is a hard thing to submit your will to another, especially when you don't agree.

Sin and Consequences (Gen 3:14-16) part 2

2009-04-20T11:19:00.002-04:00

"...Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you." Gen 3:16

Much has been written about this verse. Many and varied have been the interpretations. And women have been subjected to much suffering with this verse playing no small role in that subjugation. Especially the latter part, "and he will rule over you."

The subjection of women has got to stop. We can no longer say that because God said a husband is to rule over his wife that he has the right to beat her, or to embarass her in public or to otherwise mistreat her. A husband is to love his wife more than himself. Monetary, physical and spiritual efforts should be made to secure her happiness. "He who finds a wife, finds what is good and receives favor from the Lord." A newly married man is to be exempt from military service. Why? To bring happiness to his wife. I find no support in the rest of the Torah or the Prophets or the Writings that say a man is to rule over his wife in the way that millions of men have ruled over their wives for centuries-with beatings and shaming and silencing and dictating what they should eat, wear, read, watch and who their friends will be and when they can visit and a whole host of other restrictions.

Now, I have been known to (and still do) make light of this verse by saying to my wife that I "command" her to do something. I will say, "woman, I command you." Or "you will obey me." Since she knows I'm just kidding, she'll respond "Psssshhhh, whatever." Unfortunately, I have seen the case where a husband will tell his wife to do something and expect to be obeyed without argument and she'll comply. It saddens me greatly that husbands and wives are so often opposing (in a negative sense) rather than supporting.

What then are we to make of this verse? And again, how is this a consequence for Eve's actions?

Your desire... Some say this means sexually. A woman will desire to sexually dominate her husband but he is the one who gets the final say. Are we to interpret this to mean that a husband can demand sex from his wife whenever he wants it? Are we to take this verse to mean that a husband and wife will have sex only when the husband decrees? Unfortunately, some have interpreted the verse that way. Some men have gotten it into their heads that their wives are to pleasure them whenever the mood strikes them regardless of how their wives are feeling. And compliance is assured by force. Oy. I could not disagree more strongly.

Physical intimacy between a husband and wife is meant to be enjoyed. It is a great gift that the Almighty gave to humanity. Sex is not just for procreation but for pleasure. For this union of husband and wife to become an act where one party just takes to satisfy his own urges and gives nothing in return is to make the holy profane. Two do not become one. Two remain two and any feelings of closeness or love are swept away. This is not love but lust. The word for love in Hebrew is ahavah. The middle letters spell the word hav, meaning 'give.' To love another is to give of yourself for the other. Love is about giving. Lust is taking. When two become one, they give of themselves to each other and are united by mutual feelings of closeness and trust. When one takes from the other, with no concern for the other's welfare, there is only gratification of lust.

your desire... Maybe this refers to the desire to dominate intellecutally. The fruit was desirable as a source of wisdom. And the same word "desire" is used here. So, what? Wives are not permitted to teach Torah? They are not permitted to lead services? That cannot teach men Torah and mishnah and midrash? They must remain silent and only ask their husbands at home and submit to what their husbands tell them? Again, some say yes. Orthodox Jews do not have women rabbis or women cantors or women sitting with men in shul or women teaching Torah or Talmud to men. Paul said that he did not permit women to speak in church or have authority over men. He even said for them to keep silent. 1 Cor. 14:34

And again, I part ways with my Orthodox brethren and with Paul. For I see no shame or unseemlyness or anything untoward in women preaching or teaching or asking questions in church or shul. Are men's minds so weak that they cannot control lustful thoughts if they see a woman sitting next to them or standing in front of them giving a sermon or teaching from the Scriptures? Are we men so insecure that we cannot entertain the thought of being corrected by a woman? Are we so naive as to think that we know all the answers and could not learn anything from a woman? Why then is wisdom personified as a woman? Why is justice a woman? Why is the esheh chayil (woman of valor) of Provebs 31 said to speak wisdom? The Bible has several stories where women played a vital role in teaching, in prophecying, in leading men and in doing heroic deeds. Women are no less God fearing than men. Women are no less capable of learning and teaching the Scriptures. If we are to advocate for equality in terms of treatment for men and women, let there be women rabbis and cantors and pastors and teachers. Let them bring their perspectives as women to the text and share what the text says to them. Let them teach and share their wisdom. To silence women is to silence half our population. We do well to listen to the voices of our wives, even as God told Abraham to hearken unto Sara's voice. (Gen 21:12).

Well, if men are not to rule over their wives sexually or intellectually, in what way is a woman's desire for her husband to be subjected to his will? In what way is a woman to submit to the will of her husband?

Stay tuned... :)

Sin and Consequences Gen 3:14-16 (part 1)

2009-04-17T12:15:00.003-04:00

We went from Adam to Eve to the serpent. Now we will go from the serpent to Eve to Adam.

Notice that no questions are asked of the serpent. The serpent is not afforded an opportunity to account for its actions. Why not? Honestly, I don't know. Any answers we come up with will be purely speculative.

And the Lord God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this, Cursed are you above all the livestock and all the wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life. And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel." Gen 3:14-15

For its actions, the serpent is cursed. Cursed above all animals, wild and domestic. It has to crawl on its belly. This mention of crawling has led some to believe that the serpent used to walk upright but now is reduced to crawling on its belly. Eh. Seems rather fanciful to me. "Eat dust." I dunno if there are any lessons to be learned from this. :) Enmity between serpents and women and between children and serpents is predicted. Now, there are many who see Messianic overtones in these verses.

1 "your offspring and hers", meaning the seed of the serpent and the seed of the woman. But men are the ones who have seed. What woman would have seed without a man? Mary, the mother of Christ.

2 "crush your head...strike his heel." Foreshadowing the battle between Christ and the dragon in Revelation.

The senior rabbi at shul has seen these verses as an etiological story (story meant to explain why things are as they are). People and serpents do not get along (mostly). Serpents naturally strike at people's heels since both are low to the ground. And people attempt to smash serpents' heads. Genesis is a book full of beginnings. And here we see the beginnings of the enmity between people and snakes.

To the woman he said,"I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing; with pain you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you." Gen 3:16

increase? Could it have been that Eve previously conceived and bore children with little or no pain? It has been suggested by my rabbi at shul that there was no sex, no birth and no death in the Garden of Eden before Adam and Eve ate from the Tree of Knowledge. Hmmmm....Seems plausible enough, but depending on how you interpret the word "increase", it could be argued that there was at least sex and birth before this sin.

Nevertheless, from now on, labor will be difficult and painful. I would bet dollars to donuts that any woman who has delivered a baby will tell you that labor is called labor because it is painful and difficult. Goshness, I hope the wife and Junior make it through the delivery as smoothly as possible with no complications and with as little discomfort as possible even though God decreed that childbirth would be painful.

Furthermore, why is this decreed upon the woman for having eaten from the Tree? How does the "punishment" (if it can be called that) fit the crime?

I put punishment in quotation marks. Notice that the word "curse" is not mentioned in regards to Eve. The serpent is cursed. Eve is not cursed. But should this be called a blessing then? I don't think we can say that either. What shall we say then? It's a consequence for her actions.

What did Eve do? She saw that the fruit was a delight to the eyes, and good for food and desirable as a source of wisdom. I wonder if there is any relation to childbirth. Children are the fruit of the womb. They are also called the apple of their parents' eyes. Children are not food but they eat the same food as the mother while in the womb. And children are often great teachers opening up our eyes to things we never thought of or seeing things in a completely different way. So, perhaps in this way childbirth relates to the sin of eating from the Tree of Knowledge. But why increase the pain of childbirth? And why must it be carried from generation to generation? Every woman since Eve who has ever delivered a baby can tell you of the pains of childbirth. For these last two questions, I'm not entirely sure.

Maybe, because sin is so often easy, the consequence must be harsh to teach us not to sin again? But that doesn't answer why every woman who has gone through labor since Eve has had to deal with it being painful. And for that, I don't have an answer. Maybe others more learned than I have some insights or suggestions.

questions and answers Gen 3:10-13

2009-04-15T14:40:00.002-04:00

God asked, "where are you?" And Adam answered, "I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid." Gen 3:10

What kind of answer is this? Adam says that he heard, that he was afraid because he was naked and that he hid. None of this answers the direct question, "where are you?" What shall we answer when asked, "where are you?" Answer as our father Abraham answered. "Hineni" (here I am). Here, at this spot, at this moment. This is where I am. This is what I am doing. This is what I am thinking, feeling, saying. This place in my life is where I am. And be honest. I am weak. I am doubtful. I am hopeful. I am joyful. I am watching a movie. I am talking with friends. I am out shopping. I am at school. I am at work. I am discouraged. I am upset. Whatever it is, say so. When asked where you are, say where you are. Perhaps you are not full of the joy of the Lord. Perhaps you have had a close friend or relative die suddenly. Perhaps you are worried about work or school or sports or music or dance or dating or the suffering of millions around the world due to starvation and disease and oppression and injustice. Adam does none of this. He dissembles.

And God is not pleased.

"Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?" Gen 3:11 More questions.

Adam said he was naked. How did he know? There's only one way he could have known. And that was from eating from the tree that God commanded him not to eat from. Again, God knows the answers to these questions. Why ask them? To get Adam to confess his sin. To have Adam acknowledge his guilt and repent. Does Adam confess? Does he repent?

The man said, "The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it." Gen 3:12

On the contrary. Adam puts the blame on God and Eve.... The woman you put here with me. This is your fault, God. If you hadn't given me this woman, I'd never have eaten from that tree!
And she gave me the fruit. What was I supposed to do? Have you ever been married? Do you know what it's like to have to listen to your wife saying eat this, eat that, why don't you like what I make for you? Oy. This woman, she just talks all the time. She's constantly telling me to do this or that or the other thing. How could I know the fruit was from the forbidden tree? She said eat this fruit, so I did. She said she talked to a serpent! A serpent! Can you imagine that? Serpents don't talk! You and I know that. But, what could I do? She gets so upset if I don't believe her. She thinks I don't trust her or something.

You know what, last night I woke up to her tickling my side. I'm like, "what are you doing, woman?"

She's like, "are you sure you're not seeing anyone else?"

"Anyone else? Who else is there? Why are you touching my sides?"

And she says, "I'm counting your ribs."

So yeah, I ate the fruit. Just to shut her up. But You, You put her here with me. You knew what she was going to be like. You could have made her differently.

God turns His attention from Adam and his ridiculous protestations to Eve.

Then the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate." Gen 3:13

A direct question. What have you done? It requires a direct answer. I ate from the tree. Eve does answer a little better than Adam. At least she acknowledges what she did. And she knows it was wrong too, by using the word "deceived." The obvious implication is that if she wasn't deceived, she wouldn't have eaten from the tree. But, she too casts blame elsewhere. She blames the serpent saying that it deceived her.

How hard a thing it is to admit wrongdoing. To admit where we are when asked, especially if we're in the midst of sin or have just commited a sin. How hard and embarassing that is. And why? Because we want to hide from our sins. We want to cover them up, not expose them and risk His wrath and terrible judgment. We'd rather justify ourselves or cast blame elsewhere. Especially if we know the punishment for transgressing will be a harsh punishment. Who wants to suffer a harsh penalty even if we know we deserve it?

Lord, give us the courage and strength to answer honestly, hineni (here I am) and let Your mercy and compassion prevail over Your justice so that we are not swept away in Your righteous anger.

Glory to God, amen.

Where are you? Gen 3:8-9

2009-04-08T10:10:00.006-04:00

Adam and Eve heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden at the close of day. Before they ate of the forbidden fruit, this probably would not have been a problem. They might have talked and walked with God without fear. But now, now they are in fear. They knew they did wrong and they "hid themselves from the presence of the Lord."

Nelson Study Bible (NSB) notes: The scene is pathetic and sad. Here comes the Lord ofr an evening walk and a cozy chat. But Adam and Eve, who have "become wise," cower in the trees to avoid being seen by the Creator of the universe. What had been a perfect, shameless fellowship has turned into dreadful fear of God-not fear in the sense of true piety, as with Abraham, Moses, David, and Solomon-but the raw terror of being discovered in the wrong.

How true this reaction of hiding still is today. How often do people cover up their sins or try to hide them? How often do we push them aside, not daring to let others see the mistakes we have made? How terrifying it is to have our sins exposed to the light of day. How awful we feel to have to answer for what we have done. Especially when we feel that what we have done is a grave misdeed. Adam and Eve were given one negative commandment. Don't eat from this tree. Adam (may have) even added not to touch the tree. And still this wasn't enough. Stripped of the protection of the law, for that is what the commandment did, was protect Adam and Eve in the Garden, they are now naked and vulnerable.

Their fig leaf coverings do little to hide the fact that they have sinned. In fact, they do quite the opposite. By virtue of having made themselves leafy coverings, they proclaim that they know they are naked. Before, their nakedness was no cause for shame. They had no reason to cover up. Now, with their eyes having been opened, they feel a need to cover their nakedness. And they still hide from God.

And God called to Adam, "Where are you?" Did God not know where Adam was? Could God not see Adam? On the contrary, if we say that God is omniscient, then He knew exactly where Adam was. He could perfectly see Adam hiding in the trees. Why ask this question?

And here we see the beginnings of God's attributes of Justice and Mercy working side by side. The text, when speaking of God, uses the names YHVH Elohim (Lord God). The rabbis say that YHVH signifies God's attribute of mercy and Elohim signifies His attribute of justice.

Had God been merely just, He would have immediately brought death upon Adam and Eve. There'd have been no questioning, no pleas for forgiveness. They were told the law and the penalty for breaking that law. Justice would demand that the penalty be carried out.

Had God been merely merciful, there'd have been no punishment at all. They would have been forgiven and allowed to stay in the Garden. There'd have been no consequence for their behavior.

There must be both justice and mercy. Actions have consequences. Sin must be accounted for. And at the same time, if He took account of all our sins, who could stand before Him? Judgment must be tempered with mercy.

And so God takes time to talk with Adam and Eve. God, who already knows the answers to the questions He's going to ask, gives Adam and Eve a chance to account for themselves.

Where are you? A question we should ask of ourselves every day, maybe even several times a day. Where are we? Where are we in terms of our walk with God? Where are we in terms of loving our family, our neighbors, the stranger? Where are we in our devotions? Where are we? Are we at school, at work, at play, at home, at church, at shul, at a restaurant, at a movie theater, out shopping, hanging out with friends, at a game? Where are we? And what are we doing there?

If we engage in gossip or evil speech, where are we in terms of loving God and loving our neighbor?

If we be at church or shul but our minds and hearts are unrepentant, where are we?

If we fill our eyes and ears and minds with sights and sounds that encourage us to be violent, to be immoral, to be selfish, to be greedy, where are we in our walk with God? Can we say that such things don't affect our walk with the Almighty? If so, amen and hallelujah, may your strength increase. If they do affect our walk, maybe we should be more careful about what we let our eyes to see and our ears to hear.

Where are we? Are we hiding from God because of our sins? Are we hiding from the poor, the widow, the orphan and the stranger because they make us feel uncomfortable? Are we hiding from our neighbors? Are we hiding from ourselves, not willing to face and struggle with our problems? Where are we?

Eyes opened

2009-04-06T12:41:00.002-04:00

Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves. Gen 3:7

Having had their eyes opened by eating of the forbidden fruit, what do they realize first? That they are naked. Did they not know they were naked before? Yes. And there was no shame. But now, there is shame. Now they make coverings for themselves of fig leaves.

What is it about being naked that causes embarassment and/or shame? What is it about our naked selves that makes us seek cover? Did God not create us Himself? Wherefore are we ashamed of our nakedness? Naked we come from the womb. A baby feels no shame about its nakedness. A baby cares not that he is naked. Sometime later (weeks? months? years?) nakedness is something that we care about. I wonder what it is about our bodies that makes us cover them. This is not to say that I advocate a nudist lifestyle. Some (maybe a lot of ) people should not walk around naked. Yours truly being one of them.

What changed from being naked and feeling no shame to being aware of being naked and making coverings?

Gen 3, continued

2009-04-01T10:10:00.002-04:00

"your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." Gen 3:5

eyes ... opened Sight is a powerful thing. The ability to see-to distinguish light from darkness, truth from falsehood, holy from profance, and good from evil-is very important. By sight we see and are seen. We look around us and see God's Hand in His creation. We study the Scriptures. We see suffering and moved by compassion to ease it. We see beauty and give thanks to God.

And on the other hand (how often there's an 'on the other hand') there are many things we're better off not seeing. And our eyes can often lead us astray. We see something tempting and are motivated by lust to have it. We see suffering and devastation and may be tempted to curse God.

What can we do? "Walk by faith, not by sight." If you have the ability to see, which I presume you do if you're reading this post, use it. And when you come to a question of whether you should follow what your eyes see, walk by faith.

you will be like God, knowing good and evil. What a heady thing. To be like God! What power! What knowledge! What greatness! And all it takes is eating of this fruit? How easy! You mean, if I just eat this fruit, I'll know good and evil and therefore be like God? Wow! Why didn't He tell us this? Maybe there's more to this Tree than meets the eye.

When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Gen 3:6

So Eve took a closer look. And what did she see? Pay attention-there are three things.

The fruit was good for food; it was pleasing to the eye, and it was desirable for gaining wisdom.
Once again I commend you to Sara's blog about this famous story about temptation. Excellent exegesis which I would be remiss in not having you read and consider. I cannot add much more than to say that the last one (wisdom) finally convinced Eve to eat the fruit.

Food is good. Beauty is good, but that's not enough. They had plenty of both in the Garden already. But for the sake of wisdom, Eve was willing to sacrifice her carefree existence in the Garden of Eden. She was also willing to risk death, although she had no idea of what that was.

I wonder, if Eve hadn't eaten from the Tree of Knowledge, would humanity have acquired wisdom some other way?

Gen 3:4-5

2009-03-24T12:44:00.001-04:00

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.... :)

We interrupt this thread on Genesis 3

2009-03-23T10:47:00.003-04:00

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.

Gen 3:1-3

2009-03-20T10:15:00.002-04:00

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?

Naked/Subtle

2009-03-19T09:40:00.006-04:00

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...

The prophetess

2009-03-17T15:13:00.002-04:00

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.

Bit'yah

2009-03-16T14:11:00.002-04:00

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.

noble

2009-03-13T09:22:00.002-04:00

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.

What do you think about?

2009-03-11T11:55:00.002-04:00

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)

For a brief shining moment

2009-03-05T11:47:00.002-05:00

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.

Further thoughts

2009-02-23T10:59:00.003-05:00

I wonder about memorial services, funerals and the like, and what they mean for people who only knew the deceased marginally or not at all. Are they long and boring? What if the service is from a faith different from their own? Are they uncomfortable? What's the proper protocol? When do I stand up, sit down? And what about this person that they had no or very small connection to? What can they hope to learn about them? What can an hour and half tell you about someone who lived for sixty plus years? What can an hour and a half tell you about anybody, no matter how long they lived?

And for those of us who did know her, what was left out? What memories do we choose to share, what do we keep to ourselves? It's an odd thing, reviewing a person's life and picking and choosing what parts get displayed. At such times as these, we choose to remember the best parts of her.

In our grief we like to be consoled. And we choose to recall happy moments, things that make us smile. We remember the best parts of her. If there were disagreements or unflattering things she had done or said, they can wait. Why add to the misery? I think there will be time enough to think on such things.

The past eleven days have been a whirlwind of activity. We've had family from out of state staying over at our house. I met one of the wife's cousins whom they hadn't seen in twenty plus years, when she was an infant, and I had never met. There have been cards and cards and cards. Very nice ones too. Flowers and flowers and flowers, also very nice. People have brought by food. It seems incredible that it hasn't been two weeks since she died and already it feels like a month. We've been going through her stuff, going out to eat, visiting with one another. Hardly a moment to one's self. I suppose that's a good thing. There are times to be alone and times to be together. This was a time to be together. Just, wow, with all the family and friends and well wishers. All the phone calls and cards. The driving back and forth from one place to another. I never saw such activity from so many people in such a short period of time.

Now that the flurry of activity is done, where do we go from here? Friends and family we haven't seen or spoken to in years, will we keep in touch? We exchanged phone numbers and emails. How far will good intentions carry us? How long before life settles back into a routine?

What will holidays be like without her cooking? What will birthdays and anniversaries be like? Graduation? God-willing, the birth of her grandchildren? What's Mother's Day without your mother? There was a book that came out some years ago called "Tuesdays With Morrie" by Mitch Albom about a young man's visits with an old man, Morrie, and their conversations and what lessons the young man learned from Morrie. For the wife, she had Tuesdays with Mommy. Thankfully, the last couple Tuesdays have been filled with activity. And this Tuesday we'll be getting ready to leave for vaca and next Tuesday we'll be coming back from vaca. But what about after that? A good friend of the family has basically insisted that my wife come and visit her on the following Tuesday after she gets back. Don't call, just show up. It won't be the same-nothing ever will be-but at least she won't be alone.

I have been told that there will be periods of intense longing and sadness. Probably some time after we get back from vaca, or even during. They're normal, but still may take us by surprise. A silly, random thing can pluck a heart string and stir a memory. I can't think of anything at the moment, but I know that they will come. Is there any defense against such attacks on the soul?

I suppose not. We cannot rely on our own strength, our own understanding. Is not God sufficient for us? It's been said that God never gives us more than we can handle. Maybe not. I'm glad He knows how much I can handle. I'm not sure I do. I wish I didn't have to find out.

What is the best way to honor the memory of the dead? What do we think she would have us do? What would she want? Would she say, weep not for me, for I am with Jesus? Would she say, let not your hearts be troubled? Would she say, sing unto God? I think so. I just don't know how.

I don't have the words. I don't have the voice. My heart is still raw and sore and bleeding. Let others lift up their voices in song. I can only write what I feel in my heart.

Lord, open my lips that my mouth may declare your glory. (Psalm 51) Amen.

Memorial Service

2009-02-23T10:03:00.002-05:00

We had the memorial service for me mother in law on Sunday. Not a funeral, as there was no burial. Her wishes were to be cremated. So her cremains were in a simple wooden box on a table at the front of the church. The box was covered with a simple linen cloth. On the right side of the box there was an 11x14 photograph of her taken at the wife's and my house a couple years ago for Mother's Day beautifully matted and framed by the wife. And on the left side was a drawing on black paper of her as a child holding onto her doll with her right hand and onto Jesus with her left and she was facing a doorway through which a shaft of light was coming. Her husband drew that one several years ago.

We sort of made an improptu receiving line as people were coming into the church. The service began with the song "Balm in Gilead" (one of her favorites) being played on the piano. The priest, or rector (not sure what you call the spiritual leader in a Lutheran church) came up the center aisle followed by his wife holding a really large cross then a close personal friend dressed in white vestments and the family, the husband, the firstborn son and his wife, the wife and I, the youngest daughter, the sister, the brother and his eldest daughter, and an adopted daughter (our housemate).

We sang a hymn (forget which one). The first reading was from Isaiah 25:6-9, read by the sister. The second reading was Romans 8:31-39, read by the firstborn son. The third selection was Psalm 106:1-5, chanted (not sung) by the wife, beautifully done too, I might add. The husband read from the Gospel of John (hrmmm... I forget which passage now).

The priest gave the sermon talking about her life. How she "wished it was a musical." Aye, that she did. She loved music. Loved singing. Delighted in her family playing and singing. Her role as a teacher, leading Christian education, Godly play, even teaching the priest a few things. Her goodness, her generosity, her love for her family. It was really touching. I think there was another song. The woman did really like her music and we had plenty of it during the service.

Then we stood up as the youngest daughter and our housemate read the prayers of the people. Then I got up to recite the Mourner's Kaddish in Hebrew and in English. I believe she would have liked it as she was greatly interested in Hebrew and learning what the original language of the Bible said. Mind you, we're still standing.

Then came the elements for the eucharist, brought forward by the daughter in law and a close personal friend who is a pastor at a local church. Then the singing of a doxology and as people came forward to receive the bread and wine, another song. Gosh, I just can't remember the titles. We finally got to sit down after the family (who went first) went up to receive communion.
I didn't partake, in case you were wondering. Neither did the brother's daughter, who is RC.

Then the family recollections. Her sister got up and read something she had written about her sister. It was heartfelt and emotional and she struggled a bit, but got through it. The youngest daughter read something she wrote, which was also very emotional. The adopted daughter read a one paragraph statement, which was very sweet. Then the husband (me father in law) got up and talked about this woman whom he had been married to for 42 years and 2 months plus a four year courtship. It was sprinkled with little anecdotes that made some laugh, which was nice. I was grateful that he said he would not go into detail over that time period. I also wonder, how do you tell a group of people (most of whom who knew her, but only marginally) of the love of your life that you had for so many years? Can it really be condensed into a five, ten minute speech? Not really. No, not at all. People would be left with a few select memories of this woman. What her family wished to share about her. Which is nice and all, but you still don't know her. Ah well, the service would take way way way too long if everybody who ever knew her got up and said something about her.

The Apostles' Creed, the Lord's Prayer, some more hymns and a commendation. It's all out of order, but those pieces were in the service as well. Ah, the last hymn was "Onward Christian Soldiers." I think she would have liked that as well. Once the memorial service is over, which we called a celebration of her life, it's time to march on. It's time to carry her memory and light forward into the world. Do as she would wish us to do. Live life fully, for the glory of God. Serve Him with all your heart and soul, for such was her life.

We finally get done, the wife races to the rest room, and we form another receiving line. It was really nice to see how many people had come to the service. The husband's co-workers, friends of the family, church members, members of the community choir of which she participated, people we hadn't seen in years, even my boss and his wife and our office manager and his wife came. Now, my boss and his wife had met me mother in law twice. Once at a Jack and Jill party during the wife and my engagement. And the second time was at our wedding. The office manager and his wife had never met her, but they showed up anyway to support me. That was a nice touch.

In the hallway outside the sanctuary were several tables and chairs for people to sit at and have coffee or tea. And on one of the tables was a small photo album that the youngest daughter had put together with photographs of her mother from infancy through college, marriage, and motherhood. Really very neat. Also included were photographs of her parents, her siblings, her husband, her children, the pets, family vacations, family friends, etc. Again, pieces of her life.

All in all it was a really nice ceremony. Very touching, but also good for the soul.

Praise Adonai to Whom our praise is due. Praise Adonai to Whom our praise is due, now and forever.

Praise God

2009-02-19T10:02:00.002-05:00

Phil 4:4. Psalm 52:9; 75:9.

Paul says to rejoice in the Lord always. He even repeats the command-"and again I say, rejoice." The Psalms declare praise of God forever.

I wonder, in the midst of despair, of darkness, of sadness, of heartache and woe, of misery, is it possible to rejoice in Him? Can we praise Him at all times, even when we don't feel like it?

Sure, it's easy to accept the good from the Lord and give thanks unto Him for the many blessings He has bestowed upon us. When we can eat our fill and have fine houses and clothes for our bodies and shoes for our feet, when we are surrounded by family and friends and can fellowship with one another, it's a right and good and easy thing to rejoice in the Lord. It's also easy to forget the Lord too. (Deut 8). Be that as it may, when times are good, it's by far easier to rejoice in the Lord and praise His Name.

Now, on the other side, when we are overcome with grief, with sorrow, with bitter tears, with anger at the unfair taking of life, with thoughts of unspoken words, last memories, things that will never be done, how can we rejoice? If the command is to rejoice always, that means to rejoice at all times. In good and bad. In joy and sorrow. In times of plenty and times of want. Always. Don't rejoice only when you feel like it.

And yet, how can I? In my head, I know it is a right and good thing to praise God for the good and the bad. Shall we accept only the good and not trouble? (Job) And in my heart, I am grieving. I am unable to summon the joy of the Lord. And even if I were somehow to do so, would it not be a betrayal of my emotions? Should I not allow myself to grieve? What is it about her passing that leaves me empty of joy?

It has been said that we should rejoice at a death (not necessarily the manner of dying) in much the same way as we rejoice in a ship coming back to port. For we know that the passengers are safe and have come home. So too at death does the person finally arrive safely home. And at a birth, we should be sad and anxious just like we are for those leaving on a ship. For we know not what storms and troubles will come their way on their journey and if they will make it safely back home.

How completely contrary we treat the opposite ends of life. Birth is received with joy and death with grief. There's no getting around that. Life is celebrated. And it should be. I wonder, can we understand death as a part of life? That death is not the end but merely a transformation? The body goes into the ground, the soul returns to the Source from whence it came. And where the soul is, there is only goodness and joy and light and no more weeping or sighing or bitter tears. Shouldn't we be happy for that soul? Shouldn't we rejoice over that fact? I don't know.

I believe that we weep here on earth for those left behind. The dearly departed have no more pain, but we do. We weep for ourselves. We also weep because the departed will never experience certain things that we and they wished to. At least, not with us. We feel a keen sense of loss. There's so many things left undone, left unsaid. It pains the heart to know that nothing will be the same again. And so we weep, we mourn, we grieve. Even though we ought to praise God forever and rejoice in Him always, how hard it is to do so.

Lord, help us to be ever mindful of You, even in the midst of the darkness. Even though our hearts are weary and heavy laden with grief and sorrow, let us never forsake praising Your Name, just as you promise never to forsake us. I will sing the praises of the Lord even though my voice and heart break. Amen and amen.

Pieces of her life

2009-02-18T10:00:00.002-05:00

This is going to be really, really long....Just saying.... :)

For the last few days, I've been over to my father in law's house with my wife and her sister and their brother and his wife and our house mate and my mother in law's sister and we've been going through me mother in law's stuff.

For one, we've been cleaning out refrigerators, yes more than one, and the food pantry. We've had to throw out piles and piles of food. The woman just kept buying more and more food. She had so much, she didn't remember what she had and what she didn't. So food got pushed to the back, and out of sight, out of mind. Oh man, there was stuff that had expired years ago. The record belonged to something that used to be food that expired in 1992. That's the year I graduated highschool. Talk about ancient history.

The housemate and I went through her piles of catalogs. Some people collect stamps or coins or antiques or newspapers or bottlecaps or whatever. She collected catalogs. Of course, it's also very easy to collect catalogs. Buy one thing from one catalog just one time and you'll be inundated with catalogs for life. The thing is, she never threw any of them out. And it wasn't just a matter of picking up a stack of catalogs and dumping them in the trash. No, we had to leaf through each one because interspersed were pieces of mail, receipts, bank statements, etc. The labor was not in vain, however, as my father in law was able to locate a receipt from Wal Mart for some shirts his wife had boughtened him but were too small. So he was able to return them. :D

The women folk, with occasional input from my wife's brother, have been going through the jewelry, taking notes of who wants what with the understanding that nothing was going to leave the house without final approval from the husband. And there was a ton of jewelry. I don't think they're even halfway done yet.

And there's still clothes and books and cosmetics and shoes and so on and so forth.

And what struck me is how intimate a process this is. We're going through her life, in a sense. See what kinds of food she bought. She how she took care of her husband who had gout and therefore certain dietary restrictions. She what kinds of foods she bought for herself because of her diabetes and other health issues. See how she was concerned about being able to feed me kosher foods (not strictly rabbinic kosher, Biblically kosher). And lo, how much we have to throw out. Are we discarding her in a way? Are we relegating her to the trash heap? I prefer to think not. I think she would have liked to clean out her refrigerators and pantry as well. She just never found the time to be able to do so. Still, it's a hard thing to do.

And with going through the catalogs and such, we found scraps of paper with her handwritten notes on them. Recipes, meal plans for birthday dinners, Christmas cookie lists, etc. It's stuff to pull on your heart strings. Yea, how she loved to cook. She often said that she learned to cook in "self-defense." Apparently, her mother, whom I never met, was an awful cook. I mean dreadful. I mean just terrible. Couldn't get a hot meal on the table to save her life. Couldn't manage to get all the various pieces done at the same time. And so me mother in law became a cook out of necessity and by the time I got to know her, her powers were at their height.

I have no interest in my mother in law's jewelry. I wear one piece of jewerly. Just one. My wedding band. But I don't object to me wife and her siblings and her aunt and our house mate going through the jewelry, of which there is a great deal and seeing what pieces catch their eye, or their heart, as the case may be. That's a long, difficult process, and the cause for many tears as people would recall specific instances of her wearing them or remembering occasions associated with them.

Pieces of her life. Little mementos to remember her by. It's not always the big shock of a sudden death that cuts your heart. Sometimes, it's the little things that will be missed. The words of affection, the hugs and kisses, the look and feel of her hair, the scent of her cooking. Periodically, some random thing will call to mind a memory long forgotten. A mother and child sitting together in a restaurant; a beautiful autumn day that calls to mind the tree outside their unit at Trapp; a photograph from a vacation that we took; a handwritten note found tucked away in some book; a song on the radio; a prayer. Such things cut deeply because we can't share them with her. When these things happen, all we have is her memory.

In going through her material possessions and throwing out that which can no longer be used and donating that which can be used but nobody in the fambly wants it's like we're saying goodbye. It will be a long, slow, difficult road. It will be strewn with tears, and sorrow and heartache. But there is also laughter as we remember funny moments, good times, how she loved to laugh, to sing, and to delight in her family.

There is a time to mourn and a time to dance. A time to laugh and a time to cry. And I have felt that the two should not mix. When mourning, mourn. Allow yourself to grieve, deeply. When laughing, laugh, deeply. When dancing, dance with all your might. Still, is not even this sadness tempered with joy? Is not the grief we feel somehow eased by the knowledge that she is with her Lord and Savior? Can we not smile through tears as we recall her goodness, her love, her light? I don't know. I struggle with this daily. I suppose the best thing is to be honest with our feelings. Don't surpress grief or joy because you feel either would be inappropriate.

Who can tell another what to say or how to feel? Who wants to hear, "well, when my mother died, I mourned for a year, and then I moved on." Or, "it's been a year, [a couple years, however long], don't you think it's time to move on?" Stop it! You don't know us! You don't know what we're feeling! How dare you tell us when it's time to move on?

Everybody's grieving process is different. Everybody takes a different amount of time to accept a loss. Not 'get over', accept. I don't think you ever truly get over a loss as deep as this.

May her memory always be for a blessing. May we call to mind the goodness that she shared even as we go through the pieces of her life.

Glory to God in the highest. Let peace descend on us, on all Israel, and all the world, and let us say, amen.

A Deep Sense of Loss

2009-02-16T14:21:00.005-05:00

I feel a deep sense of loss since the mother of my wife passed away this Thursday last.

What a light she was to her family, to me, to her friends, to her neighbors, to strangers, to the church, to the elderly and children, to men and women, to the sick and the homebound. Her love of God and family was closely followed by her love for Scripture. And she knew Scripture better than a lot of priests and pastors and rabbis. Her deep rooted faith as a Christian was grounded in the Bible. I was continually impressed by the breadth and depth of her knowledge of Scripture. Not only did she know a wide variety of subjects, she knew them in depth.

And now, that light is gone. How does one go on? How do I pick up the pieces of my broken heart and carry on? Who will study the Scriptures with me and provide insights and comments and answer questions as only she could?

But more than a love for Scripture, she loved her family. And I feel blessed that she included me in her family. And she showed special love in cooking for her family. In making birthday dinners and Thanksgiving dinner and Christmas dinner and meals for just about any occasion.

And she loved to sew. She made bridesmaid dresses for the women in her family when her son got married. She made her eldest daughter's wedding dress and all the bridesmaid dresses and her own. She had piles and piles of fabric and patterns just waiting to be made.

She loved going to Vermont to the Trapp Family Lodge and just experiencing the peace of God in the mountains. One Shabbat, while retelling of visiting Vermont, she had tears in her eyes.

She loved music. She loved to sing. She delighted in her family playing instruments and singing. What music? Mostly praise music. But really, all kinds. She would even spontaneously burst into song over the slightest provocation.

She had a strong desire to be with her children and arranged her days around their work schedules so that she could spend time with them. Tuesdays, she would often spend time with my wife, who had that day off from work. Now that she's gone, Tuesdays will be hugely empty.

Lord, help me come to terms with my grief. Help me understand why she's gone. How can I fill the void that is in my heart? What solace is to be found in knowing she's with You? She's not here. She's not teaching, singing, laughing, cooking, worshipping here with us. She's all Yours, for eternity. And that's such a long time. Would it have been so terrible to let us keep her a while longer? Why? Why now? You know that she was doing well. You know that her health was good, that her energy was up, that she was feeling great. You know her eye was not dim and her vigor unabated. And yet, You decided to take her. You decided it was time for her to go. I can't understand. Should I be grateful that she didn't suffer? That she didn't have a lingering illness? Should I be grateful she wasn't taken in a car accident or fire or some other horrible means of dying? Is the pain and loss I feel any less severe because she didn't die in any of those ways? No. It is not. There are so many things left undone and unsaid. So many things I wanted to talk with her about. So many things I wanted her to experience. She never became a grandmother. She would have loved that, I know it. And yet, Thou hast robbed her of that opportunity.

How can I bend the knee and bow before You? How can I sing praises to Your Name, O Most High, when I feel such sorrow, such anger, such loss, such pain? How can I call this taking of life just? How is it righteous? How is it fair? "Wherefore hidest Thou Thy Face? Wilt Thou harass a driven leaf?"

Where is the Shepherd? Where is His rod and staff to comfort me? Why can I not see the glory of God manifest in the valley of the shadow of death? Lord, help me. Lord, hear my cry. Out of the depths, I call to You. Be not deaf to my plea for mercy. If only You would fufill Your Word and wipe away every tear. Oh where is Thy comfort?

And yet, I will praise Thee. For I feel she would want that. She would want me to carry on. And so I will offer this doxology, her favorite, in memory of her.

Praise God from Whom all blessings flow.
Praise Him all creatures here below.
Praise Him above ye heavenly hosts.
Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost.
Amen.

In loving Memory

2009-02-13T07:00:00.005-05:00

May 22, 1944 - February 12, 2009.

And my mother in law's life was sixty years and four years. These were the years of her life. What can I say to express the deep loss I feel? I shall remember the good times we had. The joy, the laughter, the love, the knowledge of Scripture, the passion for teaching, and for me, not least of all, the food. Oh, what wonderful food she always had in her kitchen. No matter who stopped by and when she was ready to offer whatever food she could. And such good food she made! And I will remember one of the last things she did for me was to give me a bowl of split pea soup last night when the wife and I stopped by on a spur of the moment. And she hurriedly finished her dinner to make something for us.

At this time we (her family and I) grieve. Deeply. And yet the Scripture says, "The Lord gives and the Lord takes away. Blessed be the Righteous Judge." Righteous?! How? Lord, You took her to Yourself before any of us were ready for her to be taken. You decided it was ok to call her home. Why? Why now? Why when she was feeling well? When she was in good spirits? When her health was good? With so many things left to say and do. You had to take her at this time? Really? This is righteous? This is just? No and a thousand times no. It is unfair. It's not right. And yet Scripture says that "the Lord is perfect and all His ways are just." All His ways. I am having a really hard time reconciling this right now.

For all too brief a time we were given Your daughter. I prefer to remember has the light and the flower-from the Greek and Hebrew names for her. What light? The light of God's Word shining in her life. Not only did she know the Scriptures better than most people I've met, she lived them. Her love for God and His Word and her family was evident in her life. And her favorite flower was Lilly of the Valley. But now the light has darkened, the flower has fallen. Where has it gone? Gone to be with the Lord. Gone from us.

But also gone to a place where is there no more weeping and no more sorrow. No more bitter tears and no more heartache. But especially, no more blood sugar tests. No more diabetes. No more health issues. No more aching muscles. Gone to where it is all joy and goodness and light. Gone to her Lord and Savior, her Creator and God, her Light and her Salvation. Gone on that journey we all must take one day where we will all meet again. And I am thankful for the short time I did get to know her. For the infinite kindnesses she showed me. For the many many meals. For the wonderful gifts on Christmas and birthdays and from places she would vacation to. For Bible studies. For her generosity. For accepting me into her family with loving arms. For her prayers. For inviting me on family vacations.

I thank God that I did get to know this wonderful woman. And I miss her terribly.

Let the glory of God be exalted above all hymns and blessings and adorations that we can utter. May He who creates peace in the high heavens let peace descend on us, on all Israel, and all the world.May the Source of peace send peace to all who mourn and comfort to all who are bereaved, among us and wherever they may be, and let us say, Amen.

Exodus 4:24-26

2009-02-11T12:58:00.003-05:00

Tzipporah-daughter of Jethro and wife of Moses. She gave birth to two sons, Gershom and Eliezer. What was her role in assuring that Moses would be able to go to Egypt and lead the Israelites out from bondage? Let's turn to the fourth chapter of the book of Exodus.

The Lord has finished telling Moses to go down to Egypt and that Aaron will go with him. Moses told his father in law that he had to go to Egypt. Jethro wished Moses well. Moses took his wife and sons, put them on a donkey and set off for Egypt.

And it is at this point in the narrative that we get a rather cryptic story. At a lodging place on the way, the LORD met {Moses} and was about to kill him. But Zipporah took a flint knife, cut off her son's foreskin and touched {Moses'} feet with it. "Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me," she said. So the LORD let him alone. (At that time she said "bridegroom of blood," referring to circumcision.) Exodus 4:24-26

This story raises a lot more questions than it answers.

What lodging place? Not specified. Whom did the Lord meet? The NIV supplies "Moses." The Hebrew (translated) says that the Lord met 'him.' Why would the Lord be about to kill him? Whoever he is? And how was this manifested? Did Moses become suddenly ill?

What did Zipporah do? She circumcised her son's foreskin and touched Moses' feet with it.
Why circumcision? Which son? Why Moses' feet? How would this save Moses' life, assuming it was Moses' life that was in danger? Why wasn't her son circumcised to begin with?

What is the significance of saying "bridegroom of blood"?

And after all that, the Lord left him alone. I have a feeling there's a lot more to this story that the Bible doesn't tell us.

Many commentators suggest that the 'him' refers to Moses. And the Lord was angry with Moses for not circumcising his son. Did Moses know about circumcision? If he didn't, how did Zipporah know? And why was she the one to circumcise her son? Shouldn't Moses have done so? But if Moses was gravely ill, then of course he couldn't have. So Zipporah cut off her son's foreskin and what, touched Moses' feet with it? Is "feet" a euphemism for male genitalia? Rather odd choice of word if you ask me. But what would that mean anyway? So she touch Moses' privates with her son's foreskin? This somehow makes Moses a bridgegroom of blood to her?

However we might understand this passage (or not understand as the case may be), the implication is that Zipporah saved Moses' life. Because of her actions, Moses survived to go down to Egypt and lead the Israelites to freedom. Had it not been for Zipporah, there'd have been no redemption of the Israelites through Moses.

So praise God for Zipporah who saved Moses' life and by extension brought about the redemption of the Israelites from slavery.

Shifrah and Puah

2009-02-02T16:16:00.002-05:00

The first women mentioned in the book of Exodus are not Miriam or Jocheved or Tzipporah. Not even the matriarchs (Sarah, Rebekah, Leah and Rachel) are mentioned in the listing of the names at the beginning of this book.

Rather, the women who are mentioned are not anybody nearly as well known (although they should be). They are Hebrew midwives. And their names? Shifrah and Puah. And why are they significant?

When a new king arose in Egypt who did not know Joseph, he decided that the Hebrews presented a threat to his country and imposed harsh labor on them. And more than that, he issued an evil decree that all male babies were to be killed. Whom did he tell this to? The midwives.

Now, midwives were not in a position of political power or strength. They did not tell Pharaoh what to do. Of the classes of people in Egypt, midwives are pretty far down the list. And yet, centuries before Thoreau and Gandhi and Martin Luther King and John Brown and many many others who engaged in "civil disobedience" there was Shifrah and Puah. They had the courage to disobey the mightiest man on the face of the earth. Unlike people who try to escape responsbility by saying they were "just following orders," Shifrah and Puah feared God more than Pharaoh. They followed God's laws and respected life. Now, whether what they told Pharaph about Hebrew women giving birth like animals was true or not, it was endorsed.

And because the midwives feared God, God established households for them.

Praise Adonai for Shifrah and Puah, who feared God rather than man. (Gal 1:10)

The Glory of the Lord

2009-01-21T13:54:00.004-05:00

Anytime you see this phrase, I would like you to remember Moses' mother, Jocheved.

Jocheved, from the Hebrew Yh (Lord) and kavod (glory).

Jocheved gave birth to Miriam and Aaron and Moses. And after Pharaoh's evil decree came that all male babies born to the Hebrews were to be thrown into the Nile, Jocheved hid her lastborn for three months. I don't doubt that other Hebrew mothers hid their baby boys as well. Their stories are not recorded because the story of Exodus focuses on Moses.

And Jocheved made a little ark and lined it with pitch and placed her infant son in it. I use the word 'ark' deliberately. Most English translations render the word tevah as basket. An unfortunate translation. The only other time this word is used is in Genesis with the story of Noah and the flood. Just as a remnant of humanity and the animal species were saved from destruction by getting onto the ark, so too was Moses saved from death by being placed in an ark.

Did Jocheved hear the voice of the Lord telling her to build an ark? Did the Lord tell her that in so many days that Pharaoh's soldiers would come looking for Hebrew male babies to throw into the Nile? I don't know. But her work was blessed by God. And because of her efforts, Moses survived.

And after Moses was rescued from the Nile by Pharaoh's daughter (whom the rabbis named Bityah (daughter of the Lord) ), Miriam, his sister, got his mother to be his wetnurse.

And once again Jocheved was reunited with her son. And she nursed him until he was weaned. How old would Moses have been then? 3? 4? I wonder what Jocheved told Moses about his people while she had him. Did she tell him the stories of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph and his brothers? Did she tell of Sarah, Rebekah, Leach, Rachel, Bilhah, Zilpah, and Tamar? Hagar and Ishmael? Esau? I wonder if she instilled in Moses a love for God and His ways of justice and righteousness of mercy and compassion. For we see that all that is evident in Moses' later years as he leads the Israelites out of Egypt and through the wilderness to the Promised Land.

Praise the Lord for Jocheved, God's glory, which was revealed in her actions and in her son Moses.

"And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed. And all flesh shall see it together. For the mouth of the Lord has spoken it." Isaiah 40:5

Six Women

2009-01-14T10:54:00.003-05:00

Were it not for no fewer than six women, Moses would never have been able to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. Who are these women? Jocheved, Miriam, Pharoah's daughter, Shifrah, Puah and Tzipporah.

Jocheved, Moses' mother, who hid him for three months after he was born and then placed him a little ark and trusted that God would take care of her son.

Miriam, Moses' older sister, who watched her baby brother and ran to Pharoah's daughter and got as a midwife for her brother none other than his own mother.

Pharaoh's daughter, who took compassion on the baby Moses and instead of turning the little ark over and letting the baby drown or get eaten by a crocodile, took him into the palace and raised him as her own son.

Shifrah and Puah, Hebrew midwives who defied Pharaoh's order to kill all male babies of the Hebrews. And because they feared God, God established households for them. They were of lowly status in Egypt but they stood up the most powerful man in the kingdom.

Tzipporah, Moses's wife, daughter of a Midianite priest, who saved Moses' life, when Moses was gravely ill on his way down to Egypt.

Because of these six brave women who hardly get the recognition they deserve in Bible studies and sermons and commentaries, Moses was able to stand before Pharaoh and say let my people go. Moses could perfom signs and wonders and lead the Israelites out of Egypt and through the wilderness to Sinai and receive the Torah and lead the Israelites for forty years through the wilderness to the Promised Land. Moses is arguably the most famous character in the entire Torah. The Torah is called the "Five Books of Moses." And yet, were it not for these six women, there'd have been no Moses.

Praise God for Jocheved, Miriam, Pharaoh's daughter, Shifrah, Puah and Tzipporah.

Vayehi (and he lived) Genesis 47:28-50:26

2009-01-09T11:45:00.002-05:00

And Jacob lived seventeen years in the land of Egypt with the whole mishpucha (family-70 souls in all). Why not say that Jacob sojourned in Egypt? After all, when he meets Pharaoh in last week's parsha, he says the years of his sojourn on earth have been few and hard. Jacob was a sojourner. His father Isaac was a sojourner. His grandfather Abraham was a sojourner. They were wanderers on the earth. They had no permanent resting place even though Canaan had been promised on oath to them and their descendants. A sojourner lives day to day. Look up the etymology of sojourn. It comes from the French for 'day.' A sojourner worries about how he will live each day. What will he eat? What will he wear? Where will he sleep? Who will give him a job? Can he expect to be protected by the laws of the land?

In Egypt, all these concerns were taken care of. Jacob and his family settled in Goshen, the best part of the land of Egypt. They had plenty of land for their flocks and herds. They didn't have to worry about the famine since Joseph, as VP (Vice Pharaoh), had stored up the grain from the seven years of plenty. Jacob and his family were living in Goshen at the good graces of Pharaoh, who was certainly pleased with Joseph and trusted him. So why wouldn't he take care of Joseph's father and brothers? What to eat, what to wear, where to sleep, will they be afforded the protection of the laws of the land? It's all taken care of. Jacob doesn't have to be a sojourner. He can settle in the land. He can live as he wished-with all his sons and daughter. His heart, which had broken and died within him at the sight of Joseph's ornamented tunic torn and bloodstained, has been revived at the news that Joseph is alive. And not only alive but doing very well indeed, thank you very much.

The whole mishpucha is back together. The brothers can tend their sheep as before without interference from the Egyptians-who find shepherds detestable. They're in very good country. No worries about food or water. It's the good life.

There's a nice symmetry with the number 17. Jacob lived seventeen years with Joseph in the land of Canaan. This was before Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers. Now, at the end of his life, Jacob gets to live another 17 years with his beloved son. The first seventeen years were marked by conflict. The last seventeen years, I would imagine, are much more peaceful.

hazak, hazak, v'nit'hazek (be strong, be strong and let us be strengthened)

Happy Brit Millah!

2009-01-02T11:52:00.003-05:00

IF Jesus was born on December 25 (and there's debate about that), then January 1, would be the day of his circumcision. As it is said, "For the generations to come every male among you who is eight days old must be circumcised." Gen 17:12

New Years Day is the annual celebration of Jesus entering into the covenant of Abraham.

The Grinch

2008-12-23T10:25:00.002-05:00

It's been a while since I read Dr. Seuss's story "How the Grinch Stole Christmas." I hain't never seen the movies either. So, I'm going off of memory here.

So there was this miserable little creature known as the Grinch. Everybody in Who-ville (did I get that right?) celebrated Christmas every year and had a grand time. But the Grinch didn't like that. So one year he decided that he would steal Christmas. How? By hitching up a sled to his dog (?) and stealing all the presents and trees and lights and decorations in Whoville. Then he'd see how well they celebrated Christmas without the trees and lights and presents and so forth.

Christmas day he woke up to the sound of singing. He couldn't believe it. How could they be singing? They didn't have any toys! There was no tree! No lights! But as he listened to the singing something happened inside him and it is said that his heart grew three times its size that day. And he returned everything he had stolen and even cut the roast beast.

What's the point? Christmas is not about the toys and trees and lights and eggnog and cookies and roast beast and so on and so on. Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus of Nazareth who came to save his people from their sins. The hymn "Joy to the World" expresses the idea very well. "Joy to the World, the Lord is come. Let earth receive her king. Let every heart prepare him room. And heaven and nature sing; and heaven and nature sing; and heaven and nature sing." How could those in Whoville sing without presents and trees and lights? They had joy. They were expressing their joy for the holiday. A mighty gift has been given to all the people. Should we not be grateful? Should we who have walked in darkness and now seen a great light not be happy? Let there be joy for all of us this holiday season.

Opposites contd

2008-12-12T11:40:00.002-05:00

Now there is some question as to whether Isaac really knew which son he was blessing when Jacob came in pretending to be Esau. "Are you really my son Esau?" "The voice is the voice of Jacob, but the hands are the hands of Esau."

However, there is no question as to whom Isaac blesses the next two times.

What does Isaac say when he knows for sure it's Esau?

"Your dwelling will be away from the earth's richness, away from the dew of heaven above.
You will live by the sword and you will serve your brother. But when you grow restless, you will throw his yoke from off your neck." Gen 27:39-40

What kind of blessing is this? Away from the earth's richness and away from the dew of heaven above? It's the opposite of what he originally intended to give to Esau. Instead of blessing of the heavens and earth, he is away from them. Instead of ruling over his brother, he is servant to him.

Isaac had already blessed Jacob and Jacob had to remain blessed. Esau asked if Isaac had only one blessing. His pitiful cry "bless me too, father!" echos through the ages. And so Isaac answers his eldest son. Although if this is a blessing, I'm not sure what to make of it.

Esau is naturally upset at Jacob supplanting him two times (once with the birthright and now again with the blessing.) And Esau vows to kill Jacob once their father is dead. The rabbis say that Esau wished for his father's death so that he could kill Jacob sooner. There's nothing in the text to support this, but the rabbis go out of their way to villify Esau.

Rebekah, knowing of her son's murderous intent invents another story to have Jacob flee Canaan and go to Haran, to her brother Laban's house.

And so Rebekah blames Esau's wives for her misery and says that Jacob must not marry a Hittite woman. So Isaac sends Jacob away. And before Jacob goes, Isaac gives Jacob another blessing.

And this time, Isaac is sure that it is Jacob, and not Esau. And what does Isaac say?

"May God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and increase your numbers until you become a community of peoples. May he give you and your descendants the blessing given to Abraham, so that you may take possession of the land where you now live as an alien, the land God gave to Abraham." Gen 28:3-4

The blessing of children and the land. The same promise given to Abraham and to Isaac. This is the covenant. This is what Jacob was to get. Notice that when Isaac first gave the blessing to whom he thought was Esau, he didn't mention this at all.

Perhaps Isaac knew that Esau was not the one to inherit the covenant after all.

But oh what misfortune and heartache when parents are at opposite ends of the tent and don't communicate with one another.

Let there be shalom bayit (peace in the home) and blessings on all of us. Amen.

Opposites cont'd

2008-12-05T12:58:00.003-05:00

Opposition between Isaac and Rebekah is perhaps best illustrated in the story of Jacob stealing the blessing. The story is recorded in Genesis chapter 27. I'm using the NKJV, but feel free to follow along in whatever version you like best. :) Genesis, chapter 27, starting at verse 1.

Now it came to pass when Isaac was old- How old? Good question. I don't know off the top of my head. I know that Isaac was 60 when his sons were born. (Gen 25:26) And Genesis 26 ends with Esau taking as wives daughters of the Hittites when he was 40, which would make Isaac 100 by that time. I just don't know how much time elapsed between the end of Genesis 26 and the beginning of Genesis 27. All we can say with certainty was that Isaac was at least 100 years old. Yeah, I'd say that qualifies as old.

and his eyes were so dim that he could not see-Isaac was blind. What caused this blindness? We are not told. When did he become blind? We don't know. The rabbis speculate that Isaac's blindness was caused by the incense that Esau's wives burned for their pagan gods and idols. Let me be clear, that's all speculation. But, be that as it may that's not all that important. Isaac's blindness is mentioned because of what follows.

Isaac then called his firstborn son, Esau. And he said, "my son." And Esau said, "here I am."
Hineni (in Hebrew). This is an appropriate response, but it's sometimes followed by a difficult test. Abraham said hineni and was told to sacrifice his son. Joseph said hineni and went to find his brothers and was thrown into a pit and then sold into slavery. If you say hineni, be ready to be tested.

Why did Isaac call Esau? “Behold now, I am old. I do not know the day of my death. 3 Now therefore, please take your weapons, your quiver and your bow, and go out to the field and hunt game for me. 4 And make me savory food, such as I love, and bring it to me that I may eat, that my soul may bless you before I die.” (Gen 27:2-4)

How old? Again, we don't know for certain. Isaac was at least 100. Perhaps we can narrow it down still further. I'm jumping ahead quite a bit here, but we know that Jacob spent twenty years in Laban's service after this incident and then returned home. And then he buried his father. And Isaac died at the age of 180. So, Isaac was somewhere between 100 and 160 years old at this time. None of us know the day of our death. But the older we get, the closer we feel it coming. Isaac wanted to bestow his blessing on Esau before Isaac died. Now, Isaac lived for another 80 years (at least), but he had no way of knowing that. Isaac loved the taste of meat. He may have been thinking of having a last meal before he passed on the blessing and died.

Notice that Isaac says "that my soul may bless you before I die." This is an important detail.

Where was Rebekah while this was going on? Where was Jacob? Isaac said, 'my son.' Didn't he have two sons? Wherever Jacob was, he didn't come when Isaac said, 'my son.' Rebekah heard the exchange between Isaac and Esau however.

And Rebekah went and spoke to Jacob. And listen carefully to what she says Isaac said.
“Indeed I heard your father speak to Esau your brother, saying, 7 ‘Bring me game and make savory food for me, that I may eat it and bless you in the presence of the LORD before my death.’ Gen 27:6-7

Is that what Isaac really said? Isaac told Esau to go hunt some game and make him some savory food such as he loves and bring it to him that his soul may bless Esau. What does Rebekah do? She adds that Isaac said "bless you in the presence of the Lord." Why? Didn't Isaac and Rebekah talk to each other? Rebekah knew that Jacob was the one to inherit the covenant, not Esau. Did she convey this to Isaac? Did she try and he not hearken? Did she think that Isaac was going to bestow the blessing of the covenant upon Esau? Is that why she added "in the presence of the Lord?" And what was Isaac's motivation? Did he intend to bestow the covenantal blessing on Esau? He never said as such. But see, this is where conflict arises. Without open communication, we have people working at cross purposes.

Rebekah, fearful that Esau would get the covenantal blessing and not Jacob, persuades Jacob to disguise himself as Esau and get the blessing from Isaac. Jacob protests but is finally convinced. And he goes before his blind father and in effect steals the blessing intended for Esau.

What was this blessing?

“ Surely, the smell of my son
is like the smell of a field
Which the LORD has blessed.
28 Therefore may God give you
Of the dew of heaven,
Of the fatness of the earth,
And plenty of grain and wine.
29 Let peoples serve you,
And nations bow down to you.
Be master over your brethren,
And let your mother’s sons bow down to you.
Cursed be everyone who curses you,
And blessed be those who bless you!”
Gen 27:27-29

What is the blessing? Riches and power. "The dew of heaven and the fatness of the earth and plenty of grain and wine." The first part of the blessing intended for Esau was that he should never suffer want. He should always have plenty. The second part is political and military power. "Let peoples serve you and nations bow down to you. Be master over your brethren and let your mother's sons bow down to you." Isaac intends to give Esau power over his brothers. But didn't the prophecy from the Lord to Rebekah say that the older shall serve the younger? What's going on here? This appears to be opposite what God told Rebekah. Perhaps Rebekah knew Isaac would say something like this and thus urged Jacob to receive this blessing instead of Esau in order to fulfill the prophecy. And lastly, we have an echo of God's call to Abram in Genesis 12.

Interesting! Here we have Isaac intending to say to Esau what God said to Abram! Whoever blesses you will be blessed, whoever curses you will be cursed! Except this is not to Jacob but Esau! Be careful whom you bless and curse. Isaac is saying that whoever blesses Esau will be blessed and whoever curses Esau will be cursed. And yet throughout the centuries, Esau (aka Edom) has been cursed. Edom was synonymous with Rome during the Roman occupation of Canaan. All the horrible things that could be said about Rome, without actually using the word "Rome" were said about Edom. Wow. Has the curse been nullified because it was Jacob and not Esau who in fact who received the blessing? So when Isaac said whoever blesses you will be blessed and whoever curses you will be cursed transferred to Jacob instead of Esau? I don't know. It makes my head spin though. :)

To be continued...

Opposites

2008-12-03T11:15:00.003-05:00

va'ye'itar yitzhak l'Adonai l'nochah ishto ki akarah hee And Isaac prayed to (entreated) the Lord opposite his wife for she was a barren woman. Gen 25:21 (Emphasis added)

This word, l'nochah, is usually translated as "for" or "on behalf of." Isaac prayed, certainly. Did not Rebekah pray? Rashi (Rabbi Shlomo ben Yitzhak) says the use of the word "opposite" means Isaac prayed in one corner and Rebekah prayed in another. I wonder, did they face each other? Did they pray together? Why use the word for opposite?

Is there a sense of conflict perhaps? Maybe things were not so good at home? Let's consider this word opposite.

When God decided to create woman, He said that he would make an ezer kenegdo (fitting helper) for man. ezer-help. kenegdo-fitting. But kenegdo also has another connotation, that of opposition. If a man is worthy, his wife will be a help to him (Proverbs 31). If a man his unworthy, his wife will be in opposition (kenegdo) to him. For Isaac to be opposite his wife suggests that the two were in opposition to one another. Was Isaac unworthy? We don't know. Did they talk to each other?

Isaac prays to God. God hearkens to Isaac's prayer. And Rebekah conceived. The children struggled in her womb and Rebekah went to inquire of the Lord. Did Isaac go with her? It is Rebekah who hears the Lord. Where was Isaac? Rebekah is given the prenatal vision that the older would serve the younger. 25:23. Did she convey this prophecy to Isaac? If so, why did she have Jacob go through the ruse of pretending to be Esau? If Rebekah knew that Jacob was the one to inherit the covenant and not Esau, wouldn't she have said as such to Isaac? Maybe she did and he didn't hearken unto her. Unlike his father Abraham, Isaac did not hearken unto the voice of his wife. This would make sense with the use of the word "opposite."

Yes, Isaac loved Rebekah. But how long did that love last? Twenty years is a long time to wait for children. And after the children were born, Isaac loved Esau and Rebekah loved Jacob. Did they not love both sons? Hard to say. But I think that preference for one over the other was clearly shown. Did they speak to each other about this?

To be continued...

The generations of Isaac

2008-12-01T14:49:00.002-05:00

This is the account of Abraham's son Isaac. Abraham became the father of Isaac. Genesis 25:19 (NIV-Nearly Infallible Version ;) )

In Hebrew, "V'eleh toledot Yitzhak ben Avraham. Avraham holid et-Yitzhak" And these are the generations of Isaac, son of Abraham. Abraham begat Isaac.

Well, this is one instance where the NIV is fallible. And the NIV is not alone in its interesting translation of the Hebrew. Some translations take the word 'toledot' to mean 'line' or 'account' or 'records' or 'history'. Go with 'generations.' This word is significant in Genesis. Ten times this word is used in Genesis. It would not be a bad idea to think of Genesis as a record of generations. The generations of heaven and earth (2:4). The generations of Adam (5:1). The generations of Noah (6:9). The generations of the sons of Noah (10:1). The generations of Shem (11:10). The generations of Terah (11:27). The generations of Ishmael (25:12). The generations of Isaac (25:19). The generations of Esau (36:1, 9). The generations of Jacob (37:2).

A generation links the present with the past and the future. More than an accounting of who fathered whom, a generation encompasses people's lives. Father to son, mother to daughter, grandparent to grandchild. You might expect the generations of Isaaac to be about Isaac. Yet Isaac is almost lost among the stories concerning his famous father and famous sons. Yet of the three Patriarchs, he lived the longest (180 years)remained monogamous his entire life, and did not go down to Egypt. Isaac stayed in the land. Isaac was blessed by God abundantly and God made a covenant with him as well. Be that as it may, Isaac's story cannot be separated from his father or his sons.

From the beginning of this parsha, we are reminded again of Abraham. Isaac is first identified as the son of Abraham. Why then say Abraham begat Isaac? Isn't that redundant or at least obvious?

Well, yes and no. If Isaac is the son of Abraham, it stands to reason that Abraham begat Isaac. The Bible is known for economy of language. So when a detail is repeated it is
important to note it and examine it. So let us examine the text closely, you and I.

Firstly, just because a man is someone's son, doesn't necessarily mean that he is the birth son of his father. I am adopted. My father is not my birth father, but my adoptive father. I will give you another example-spiritual sons and daughters of Abraham-those of faith-are not necessarily of Abraham's bloodline but he is still their father.

Secondly, like begets like. Humans beget human children. Cows beget cows. Horses beget horses. Sheep beget sheep. Apple trees beget apple trees. Sunflowers beget sunflowers. God made each species according to its kind. Gen 1:11, 12, 21, 24.

So, Abraham begat Isaac in Abraham's own image. Some of Abraham's character passed on to his son. Abraham dug wells; Isaac redug his father's wells. Abraham passed off his wife as his sister; Isaac passed off Rebekah as his sister. God talked to Abraham. God talked to Isaac. Both prayed to God. Now, Isaac was also his own person and did not do everything Abraham did. Isaac did not go down into Egypt. Isaac did not have sex with a concubine in order to give a child to his wife. Isaac did not banish one son and bind the other. Isaac remained monogamous his entire life. And Isaac lived the longest of the three patriarchs.

Isaac is an important link in the generations of Israel. More of Genesis is devoted to Abraham and to Jacob than to Isaac. Yet without Isaac, we don't get to Jacob. Isaac is like an anchor. He remains rooted in the land of Canaan. Abraham heard the call lech lecha and was on the more a great deal. Jacob moved a great deal as well. Jacob went from Canaan to Haran to Shechem to Egypt. Isaac remained grounded-literally and figuratively.

When life's ebbs and flows come our way and we feel pulled in several different directions at once, may we be blessed to remain grounded as Isaac was. May we be firm in our faith. Though we may tremble, so long as we stand on solid rock, whatever winds and rains may come our way, we shall not be moved.

Of all the women (cont'd)

2008-11-24T09:49:00.002-05:00

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.

Of all the women

2008-11-19T09:39:00.003-05:00

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....

And Abram Left

2008-11-18T10:06:00.002-05:00

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.

Bless and Curse

2008-11-17T11:18:00.003-05:00

"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"

Be a blessing

2008-11-13T09:44:00.002-05:00

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?

Ok, now go

2008-11-12T14:37:00.002-05:00

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.

Get going, continued

2008-11-11T09:38:00.002-05:00

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.

Get going

2008-11-10T11:25:00.002-05:00

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.

Why wait till chapter 12?

2008-11-06T12:02:00.003-05:00

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!

When our best isn't good enough

2008-11-03T10:36:00.005-05:00

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

Work and Rest

2008-10-29T12:10:00.002-04:00

Six days we are to work and one day to rest. That's the ratio; 6 to 1. The model given in the Bible is that humanity must work. But work is not a curse or punishment placed on humanity for the sin of eating the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil.

God placed Adam in the Garden of Eden to ... what? "to work it and take care of it." Gen 2:15. Work was ordained BEFORE Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit. And the Sabbath was ordained before that sin as well.

Work is not a curse or a punishment-although many see it that way. Not everyone is blessed with attitude of looking foward to work. Not everyone likes their job. It's something we HAVE to do. I know that I don't look forward to Mondays. Oy, it's Monday. That means another work week about to begin. Grah. It's often hard to pull myself out of bed. But I go. And I suspect many others go because we don't like the alternative-not working. Not working means no money to pay bills or buy groceries or buy medicine or support your family. Not working means you're not a productive member of society. As much as we may not like our work (and God bless those who do) I think that we don't like the alternative more.

But thanks be to God that He gave us a respite from our busy work week. Six days work may be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath unto the Lord. Rest is meaningful and welcome after the six days of labor. If it were the other way around, how much would we appreciate the rest?

We celebrated Simhat Torah last night

2008-10-21T11:52:00.002-04:00

at shul. This holiday falls on the 8th, or 9th day following Sukkot, depending on what tradition you follow. Or, if you're Reform like the shul I attend, you can celebrate it whenever the rabbi decides to celebrate it, even in the midst of sukkot! I really don't know why the rabbi chose last night for Simhat Torah, but it was a fun time nevertheless.

Simhat Torah (Joy of the Torah). We finish the annual cycle of reading the Torah and immediately go to the beginning and start over again with Genesis 1:1. The holiday of Simhat Torah is not prescribed in the Torah. But, we felt that God gave us a truly wonderful gift in the Torah that it is our duty to study it faithfully and thank Him for it.

Being in the klezmer band, I played with the band while congregants walked through the sanctuary holding the torah scrolls. Only adults (13 and older) get the privilege of processing through the sanctuary holding the Torah scroll. These processions are called hakafot.

It's a pretty neat thing to see people rejoicing in the Torah.

Happy Sukkot!

2008-10-20T10:55:00.002-04:00

This past weekend, I went to six different sukkahs. Five on Saturday and one on Sunday. The Saturday excursion was called a 'sukkah hop' because we went from one sukkah to another throughout the area. Each family had decorated their sukkahs differently with corn stalks or branches or dried fruit or gourds or drawings or paintings on canvas walls or paper chains. Each was distinct and beautiful in its own way.

Sukkot is the festival harvest in the fall and is also the holiday that reminds us of the exodus from Egypt. A sukkah is a temporary dwelling place-also known as a booth or tabernacle. In Leviticus, God says that we are to dwell in sukkot (plural of sukkah) as a reminder that God made our ancestors dwell in sukkot during their journeys in the wilderness.

This is contrasted with the fact that sukkot occurs in the fall at the time of the harvest. The first Thanksgiving in America was probably modeled on the festival of sukkot. FYI, Thanksgiving Day in Canada was on October 13, the first day of Sukkot. In any event, we contrast bounty with desert. Even while we enjoy our harvest we must be mindful of those who are not as well off as we are. The sukkah, this temporary structure that is open at all sides and does not have a closed roof, calls to mind how exposed to the elements people who don't have houses to live in really are. We are reminded of the fragility of life.

The evening prayer hashkeevaynu l'shalom (cause us to lie down in peace) asks that God spread over us His sukkah (shelter) of peace. Peace, too, is fragile. Only by working at justice-sharing with the less fortunate-will we have peace.

I assume the existence of God

2008-10-13T11:19:00.002-04:00

as does the Bible. The opening words of Scripture say 'beresheet bara Elohim' (in the beginning, God). Where God came from is not mentioned. The absolute sovereignty and holiness and awesomeness and power of God is taken for granted. The proof of the existence of God is not the Bible's aim. (But see Psalm 19:1) Rather, it is assumed that God exists, that He rules over us like a king and loves us like a father and asks that we take care of ourselves, of each other and the earth.

What proof, scientific or rational or logical can be proffered to eliminate doubt from the skeptic's mind? I doubt that any such proof can be had. For whatever we can point to as 'proof' of the existence of God can also be pointed to as proof of something else. The heavens declare the handiwork of God? No, they merely show that there are other stars and planets and galaxies in the universe. People are willing to die for their beliefs? That merely prooves they hold tightly to what they believe. For people of conflicting faiths will hold just as firmly to their own faith no matter the circumstance. The diversity of nature, the complexity of the human body, these are taken as proofs of evolution, not as proof of God. What about the miracles as recorded in the Bible with the sea splitting and the dead being resurrected and the bread and fish multiplying and the widow's oil supply not running out and the sun standing still? And again it will be argued that there is no extra Biblical evidence to support these claims. People have heard God speaking to them? Really? How do we know they weren't hallucinating? A person who spoke as the prophets did of old would probably be classified as mentally unstable.

And to all this, what can we say? I say, I don't have to prove the existence of God to you or anybody else. My belief in God rests not on scientific proof. It is not logical. The objection could be raised as to why don't I believe in any of the other gods that are worshipped? Or why not just bow down to the Flying Spaghetti Monster or believe in the Tooth Fairy or the Easter Bunny or Santa Claus? It would seem to make just as much sense to believe in any of those (for which we have no proof) as to believe in the LORD, maker of heaven and earth.

But there is a fundamental difference between all the other pagan gods and fairies and monsters and whatever else is worshipped as a god and the God of the Bible. For none of these other idols can be compared to the Great God, mighty and awesome Who demands justice and righteousness and love and mercy and is not moved by vain oblations and human sacrifice but asks that we love each other as ourselves.

The difference that my assumption of God makes for me is in how I view the world. The Bible makes clear that God created the heavens and the earth in an orderly way with purpose and meaning and created us in His image and therefore our lives have purpose and meaning. We are not here by accident. We are to walk in His ways. We are to revere Him because He is the Supreme Judge and King. We are to love Him because He showed us special love in creating us and redeemed us from bondage. This can be seen either in the physical sense of freedom from bondage to Pharaoh or in the spiritual sense of freedom from bondage to sin. In either case, we owe God a tremendous debt that cannot be fully repaid. He is infinte, we are finite. His glory and holiness and majest far transcends our puny existence. And yet, He deigned to create us and call us for His glory. We are to love each other as ourselves. We are all created betzelem elohim (in the image of God) and when we hurt one another, we tarnish that image. We are to take care of the earth and its inhabitants for so He commanded us.

What other entity worshipped as a god-pagan diety or idol or fairy or goddess or sun or moon or plant or animal or river-is like our God? As it is said, mi chamocha ba'alim Adonai (who is like You, among the gods, oh Lord?) Exodus 15:11

unetaneh tokef

2008-09-26T14:14:00.002-04:00

"let us ascribe holiness to this day"

This piyyut (prayer-poem) is attributed to Rabbi Amnon of Mainz, Germany, a medieval sage, and Torah scholar. The Bishop of Mainz offered Rabbi Amnon a ministerial position on the condition that Rabbi Amnon convert to Christianity.

Rabbi Amnon initially refused. The Bishop continued to insist. Rabbi Amnon finally asked for three days to consider the Bishop's offer. Upon returning home, Rabbi Amnon was distraught over his seeming willingness to accept the Bishop's offer and what he felt was a betrayal of God. When Rabbi Amnon returned to the Bishop, he said that his tongue should be cut out for not having refused immediately. The Bishop did not take up Rabbi Amnon on this offer but did torture Rabbi Amnon horribly and sent him home.

A few days later, it was Rosh HaShannah. Rabbi Amon asked to be carried to shul. He wanted to say the kedushah and sanctify God's Name. With his dying breath, he uttered the words that we now know as the unetaneh tokef.

Let us now relate the power of this day's holiness, for it is awesome and frightening. On it Your Kingship will be exalted; Your throne will be firmed with kindness and You will sit upon it in truth. It is true that You alone are the One Who judges, proves, knows, and bears witness; Who writes and seats, (counts and calculates); Who remembers all that was forgotten. You will open the Book of Chronicles - it will read itself, and everyone's signature is in it. The great shofar will be sounded and a still, thin sound will be heard. Angels will hasten, a trembling and terror will seize them - and they will say, 'Behold, it is the Day of Judgment, to muster the heavenly host for judgment!'- for they cannot be vindicated in Your eyes in judgment.

All mankind will pass before You like members of the flock. Like a shepherd pasturing his flock, making sheep pass under his staff, so shall You cause to pass, count, calculate, and consider the soul of all the living; and You shall apportion the fixed needs of all Your creatures and inscribe their verdict.

On Rosh Hashanah will be inscribed and on Yom Kippur will be sealed how many will pass from the earth and how many will be created; who will live and who will die; who will die at his predestined time and who before his time; who by water and who by fire, who by sword, who by beast, who by famine, who by thirst, who by storm, who by plague, who by strangulation, and who by stoning. Who will rest and who will wander, who will live in harmony and who will be harried, who will enjoy tranquillity and who will suffer, who will be impoverished and who will be enriched, who will be degraded and who will be exalted.

But REPENTANCE, PRAYER and CHARITY Remove the Evil of the Decree!

For Your Name signifies Your praise: hard to anger and easy to appease, for You do not wish the death of one deserving death, but that he repent from his way and live. Until the day of his death You await him; if he repents You will accept him immediately.

It is true that You are their Creator and You know their inclination, for they are flesh and blood. A man's origin is from dust and his destiny is back to dust, at risk of his life he earns his bread; he is likened to a broken shard, withering grass, a fading flower, a passing shade, a dissipating cloud, a blowing wind, flying dust, and a fleeting dream.Congregation aloud, then chazzan:
But You are the King, the Living and Enduring G-d.

There is no set span to Your years and there is no end to the length of Your days. It is impossible to estimate the angelic chariots of Your glory and to elucidate Your Name's inscrutability. Your Name is worthy of You and You are worthy of Your Name, and You have included Your Name in our name.

As a Driven Leaf by Milton Steinberg

2008-09-22T14:08:00.002-04:00

This is a fictionalized biography of the Talmudic sage Rabbi Elisha ben Abuyah. He struggled mightily with reason and faith and ultimately turned apostate. There is some speculation that he also became an informer for the Romans against his own people and is called "the other" (acher) in the Talmud. The references to Elisha ben Abuyah are few and far between. And those that are there are cryptic with several different possible interpretations. Steinberg, a conservative rabbi, fashioned a remarkable work of fiction about this historical figure.

Steinberg freely admitted that he took liberties with the sources and did not strictly adhere to the information provided in the sources. Whereas it is documented that Elisha was born before the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD, in "As a Driven Leaf", Elisha is born sometime after that. Whereas Elisha was survived by 2 daughters, in the book, he and his wife were unable to conceive children. Whereas Elisha's father did send him to learn Torah, in the book, Elisha's father was an unbelieving Jew who got a Greek tutor for his son.

Given my harsh reaction to "The Red Tent" by Anita Diamant, I wonder why I am more willing to forgive Steinberg his liberties with the sources than Diamant. Curious....

In any event... the title for the book comes from Job 13:24-25 "Wherefore hidest thou thy face? Wilt thou harass a driven leaf?" Job was a man who also struggled with his faith and demanded of God to know why he was being afflicted even though he was righteous. Job's question is echoed by Elisha.

Elisha could not conceive of an almighty, all good, all knowing God who would allow the righteous to perish and the wicked to flourish. He wanted to reason his way to his faith rather than start with assumptions and try to bolster them. Given the circumstances of his life and the Jewish people at the time, his questioning God and faith and the Tradition was not tolerated. He was excommunicated. Forced to choose between unquestioning loyalty to a faith that no longer made sense to him and forbidden Greek wisdom in the hopes of establishing his faith as Euclid established the principles of geometry, Elisha chose the latter.

Faith vs. Reason is only one of the themes in this book. There is the struggle of the Jewish people against Rome in the 2nd century AD. Elisha feels that the cause of the Jewish people is hopeless and that the sooner they give up against Rome, the better, for everyone. Rabbi Akiba-of whom there is a tremendous amount of information and arguably the greatest sage of the Talmudic era-argued differently. Can any earthly power extinguish a people whose mission is to spread God's message of love, hope, mercy and justice to all humanity? Even all the nations united in unholy alliance have not the might to destroy this people. There were enemies before the Romans and there were enemies since. The threat of eliminating the Jewish people comes not from outside forces but from within. Before a people can be conquered, it must destroy itself first. Because of Elisha's supposed informant status with the Romans and helping the Romans to enact edicts designed to crush the Jewish people, he was seen as helping to destroy the Jewish people from within, and is therefore called acher (the other).

Elisha's homelife was not much better. He and his wife, Deborah were unable to conceive children. She had an aristocratic hauter even though her family had fallen on hard times recently. She was concerned with Elisha's doubts only to the extent that they threatened their financial security. She was constantly harping on the servants. Their marriage was not a happy one.

It is unknown whether Elisha repented of his actions. In the book, it is clear that Elisha felt remorse and guilt and felt that he had gone too far to be able to repent.

Despite his theological and marital troubles, Elisha was not entirely friendless. A pupil of his, Meir, who later became a renowned rabbi, remained loyal to him and did not let the ban of excommunication prevent him from learning from Elisha. Elisha moved to Antioch after he left Palestine and found his old childhood friend Papas, who introduced him to scholars and rhetoricians and plays and museums and libraries. In Antioch, Elisha found the freedom to pursue his intellectual quest and he delved into the Greek sciences and literature and philosophy, something that he could not do as a rabbi in Palestine.

"As a Driven Leaf" is a remarkable piece of fiction. It has some basis in recorded events but does not hold strictly to them. I recommend this work to all who are interested in the age of the Talmud, in the question of faith vs. reason, in the question of why bad things happen to good people, and in ancient Israel.

The Greatest Generation (?)

2008-09-19T09:18:00.002-04:00

The rabbis of the Talmudic age called the 40 years of wandering in the wilderness a golden age in Israel's history. Look at the faith they had. Look at the miracles God did for them. Really? Weren't they called a stiff-necked people? Didn't they complain about lack of water, lack of food, boring manna, their inability to take the land? Didn't they worship the molten calf? This is a generation worth emulating?

Ah, how quick we are to point out their faults and not see our own. Sure, they had God's presence among them with the pillar cloud and fire. And yes, God provided them with their daily manna. Suppose you had to eat the same thing every day of the year not just for a week or a month but for forty years. I imagine it would get old very quick. When water is hard to come by, as it is in the wilderness, what else can we think about except water? When no water is in sight for miles and miles and our children look to us and ask for drink, what can we do? Who would not feel despair? When our leader is gone for forty days and we have no idea if he's coming back, what are we to do? Should we stay? Should we go? What's our sign?

The praise is due to the wilderness generation not because they failed. Every generation fails. Every generation could do better. The praise is due because they persevered. They kept going despite the hardships and doubt and fear. Because of that generation that came out of Egypt and received the Torah and taught it to their children, their children were blessed with being able to inherit the land. And each generation since owes a huge debt to those who stood at Sinai and experienced God's awesome power and glory.

Waiting for God

2008-09-17T12:52:00.001-04:00

Waiting for God is a lot harder than it sounds. I'm reminded of Abraham and Sarah and Rebekah and Isaac. With Abraham and Sarah, God had promised that Abraham would be the father of many nations and that none but his own issue would be his heir. Yet Abraham had to wait till he was 100 before he became a father. In the meantime, his wife Sarah told him to have a son with her handmaid, Hagar. Look how that situation turned out.

And with Isaac and Rebekah, God had told Rebekah that two nations were in her womb and the older would serve the younger. Rebekah knew that Jacob had to get the blessing instead of Esau but she never discussed it with her husband and instead had Jacob lie to his father to get the blessing. I don't know if Rebekah ever saw her twin sons again after Jacob had to flee to Laban's house.

Throughout the Bible, people took matters into their own hands, despite the promises of God. We can sit here a few thousand years removed and say, "well, of course they should have just trusted in God and waited." Could you? Could I? I don't know. I'd like to think that I could, but I tell you, waiting for God is hard stuff. What else can we do but pray and ask for wisdom and patience.

If not higher

2008-09-11T11:51:00.002-04:00

This is a story I heard at Shabbat services last Friday. It's the rabbi's favorite story of the month of Elul.*

*Elul is the last month of the Jewish calendar before the New Year (Rosh HaShannah) begins on the first of Tishrei. The 10th of the month is the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur). The first ten days of Tishrei are called the Days of Awe. We are in awe of the Awesome Creator and Judge of the universe Who holds people to account for their sins the past year and pronounces judgment-who shall live, who shall die, who shall be well, who shall be ill, who rich, who poor, etc., etc. We pray that God act in accordance with His great mercy and forgive us our sins. Now, having the context for the month when this story takes place, I give you, "If Not Higher."

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Once upon a time, in an Eastern European village lived a rabbi. He had been the leader of the small Jewish community there for many years and people came to him with all sorts of problems and he always had time for them. They said he was a holy man and spoke with God regularly, as Moses had. Now, every year, during the month of Elul, the last month of the year, the rabbi would disappear on the Sabbath. The people would wonder where he went. And some would say that he went up to heaven to plead with the Almighty to forgive the sins of the people before the coming Days of Awe (The New Year and the Day of Atonement when even the hosts of heaven were judged). But, as there is in ever community, there was a skeptic. And this skeptic thought, bah! He doesn't go to heaven. Nobody goes up to heaven and comes back. So one year the skeptic decided that he would follow the rabbi and see where the rabbi went every Sabbath during Elul.

On the first Thursday of the month of Elul, the skeptic followed the rabbi back to the rabbi's house after evening services. He hid under the bed and waited to see what would happen. Early the next morning, the rabbi got up, washed his face and hands, said his morning prayers, and then got dressed. But not in his normal rabbi clothes. He put on overalls and a heavy flannel shirt and work boots and a knit cap and gloves and a heavy jacket. And he took an axe from the wall and a long piece of rope from the closet. And he went out. And the skeptic followed at a distance so as not to be noticed. The rabbi did not go towards the synagogue but into the woods. He began chopping down small trees and then sectioning the trees into logs. He gathered the wood into a bundle and tied it with the rope. He worked all through the morning and into the afternoon pausing briefly to drink water and eat a small lunch. Then, with a heave, he pulled the rope onto his shoulder and began walking back towards the town. By now the sun had begun its descent. But he did not go to the center of town but to the poorest section on the outskirts. He went to a small hovel and knocked on the door. A timid voice belonging to an old woman asked, 'who is it?' The rabbi disguised his voice and in a deep, gruff tone said, 'it is I, Vassal, I have some firewood to sell you. Winter is coming and it will be very cold.' The woman said, you may come in, but I'm afraid I don't have any money to buy firewood. The rabbi entered and said, that is ok, I will sell it to you on credit. He then deposited a bundle of wood by the fireplace. The woman said, I am unable to get out of bed to light the fire. So the rabbi put some logs in the fireplace and lit the wood. He stood up and said, I will return next week with some more wood. He then left the hovel, and went back to his home and bathed and went to bed. And the next day, he was back at the woods and chopping and off to another poor person’s house delivering firewood.

And so from then on, every Elul, when the townspeople would wonder, where did the rabbi go on the Sabbath, and some would answer “he goes up to heaven” the former skeptic would answer, ‘yes, to heaven, if not even higher than that.’

Why so angry?

2008-09-05T15:27:00.002-04:00

Let us say that God created us. Let us also say that God knows us intimately. He knows our thoughts. He knows our habits. He knows our likes and dislikes. He knows how we will act in every situation. He knows that have a sinful nature and that we will not always abide by His commands. Let us also say that He fashions our hearts. He knows that we will stumble and fall short of His Glory. He knows that we are fallible. Why then is He wroth when we act as He made us? Why does He express outrage and pronounce horrible curses upon us for our failure to fulfill every particular of His decrees? Why so harsh?

And I answer: We ought to know better. We were given the rules and the consequences. We were called by God not because we are special or better than any other people. We were called to spread His message of justice and righteousness of love and mercy of forgiveness and compassion. We are to be a light unto the nations. If we do not uphold our end of the deal, why should we expect God to deal kindly with us? Is not sin to be punished? Do we not learn from being chastised? As a man disciplines his son, so does God discipline us. The same root of discipline is in the word disciple. Are we His disciples? Let us act like it. Praise God for the opportunity to spread His Word and to bring Him glory.

The Red Tent by Anita Diamant

2008-09-05T11:15:00.002-04:00

So I finally have my new car (woo hoo), a 2002 Honda Civic. Well, it's new to me anyway. And it has a tape deck! So I went to the liberry the other day and I got "The Red Tent" by Anita Diamant on Books on Tape. So I'm listening to this novel in the car as I drive from home to work and back and elsewhere.

"The Red Tent" is the story of Dinah, the daughter of Jacob and Leah. Gen 30:21 She gets very little mention in the book of Genesis and is best known for being abducted by Shechem. Was she raped? The Bible seems to indicate that Shechem lay forcefully with Dinah, but his actions afterwards are not consistent with a rapist. So, that's an ambiguity in the text. Anyway, when Dinah's brothers learn what happened to their sister, they lay siege to Shechem and take away their sister by force, thus avenging her honor. Gen. 34:1-31 After that, she disappears from the text, except for mention in a genealogy. Gen 46:15

What happened to her? What was her life like before she met Shechem? What is like being the only daughter among 11 brothers? Benjamin had not been born yet. What household duties did she have? What was her relationship with her mother and the other women in Jacob's family? What was her religion? "The Red Tent" attempts to answer this and many other questions.

So far I'm only on the 1st side of the 3rd cassette out of 8. So I'm not too far into the book (tapes). Diamant is an excellent story teller, no doubt. She has a wonderful way with words and brings each of her characters to life with stark clarity. The ancient pagan rituals and worship practices of the Canaanites are laid out in vivid detail.

One thing I noticed though is that Diamant takes certain liberties with the story from the Bible that don't jive with the Biblical account. For example, she says that the contract between Jacob and Laban for Rachel's hand is 7 months instead of 7 years. And she writes that Leah is the mother of seven sons and Bilhah the mother of only one. Actually, Leah bore six sons and Bilhah bore two. But, dont' take my word for it, look these facts up for yourself. Genesis 29:18-19; 30:20; 30:1-8.

I understand that the Bible can be frustratingly silent on certain details about people, especially women. But when information is given, why not use it? Those who advocate for women's commentaries and women's studies on the Bible and for novels about Biblical women (and I whole-heartedly agree with them) do themselves and other women a disservice when they do not accurately portray what is in the Bible. Who will take them seriously if they cannot get those details correct? Either it shows ignorance or lack of attention, and I'm not sure which is worse.

And this problem of not properly using what's in the Bible is not limited to stories written by and about women. I don't know if any of you are familiar with "Charlton Heston [may he rest in peace] Presents the Bible." His take on the stories in the Tanakh, or OT, weave a complicated mess not even Alexander the Great could have cut through.

But, I will continue to listen to the tapes because I find the story of Dinah interesting and also to find out (for my own perverse satisfaction-God forgive me) where else Diamant diverted from the Biblical text.

See

2008-09-02T14:45:00.002-04:00

See, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse. Deut 11:26

In Hebrew, the word translated as "see" is "re-eh." It is in the second person singular. You, (singular) see. The phrase "before you", however, is in the second person plural. What does this teach us?

Individual and communal responsibility. A popular saying puts it this way: "All Israel is responsible for one another." Each person must do her part. Each person should feel as if the choice of blessing and curse was before her personally. And each person should also feel part of a larger whole. Any collective group-teams, armies, bands, communities-works best when all its separate parts are working together, each doing its part.

But how do we see an incorporeal thing? How do we see the choice of blessing or curse? How do we see what is promised but not yet come to pass? The curses are pronounced on Mount Ebal, the blessings on Mount Gerizim. The Israelites could see the mountains certainly, but not the actual words.

We hear words. Can we see words? And yet, how often do we say to one another, "I see what you're saying." Someone new to the English language might have a hard time understanding how we could say such a thing. You can't literally see the words that come out of a person's mouth.

What do we mean by see in this context then? Understanding, insight-notice the word 'sight'. When we see what someone says or means, we grasp what she is trying to convey.

We are to see (understand) that God has given us a choice. We can choose life and blessing or death and curse. It's up to us. Following the mitzvot (commandments) leads to life and blessing. Disobedience to God's laws leads to death and destruction. The choice seems obvious.

Yet, we all struggle daily with the choice of blessing and curse. Like Paul, and I daresay many others before and since, that which I desire to do, I don't and that which I don't want to do, I do. Would that I could see the right path and have the courage to follow it.

ekev continued

2008-08-25T15:26:00.003-04:00

Deut 9

Moses tells the Israelites not to fear the people of the land that they're going to enter. Even though the people are giants and their cities are fortified to the heavens, God will destroy those people before the Israelites.

The beginning of verse 1 in the Hebrew is "Shema Yisrael". The more famous Shema Yisrael is from Deut 6:4 which says "the Lord our God, the Lord is One." Here, Moses tells the Israelites to listen up because they're about to cross the Jordan and take over from nations greater and stronger than they are.

Next time you're asked if you know the Shema, you might ask, which one? ;) (Deut 6:4 or Deut 9:1)

God is described as a consuming fire (verse 3). Only because of God's help will the Israelites be able to destroy their enemies.

But Israel has to remember that they are getting the land NOT because of her righteousness but because the nations that were there were so bad. The other nations were wicked and practiced all sorts of abominations including the horrific practice of human sacrifice.

Moses reminds the Israelites of their wickedness as well in recounting the incident of the golden calf (egel zahav).

Moses, the man of uncircumcised lips, who was heavy of speech and heavy of tongue, has managed to wax eloquent and even throw in some good old fashioned Jewish guilt into the narrative. Listen...

"When I ascended the mountain to receive the stone tablets, the tablets of the covenant which the Lord made with you, I remained on the mountain forty days and forty nights; I neither ate bread nor drank water" 9:9

Twice more, Moses will say that he ate no bread and drank no water for 40 days. Think he's trying to tell the Israelites something? One interpretation is that Moses was so focused on God that he didn't have these other human concerns.

Moses tells of the people's great sin with the golden calf, God's angry response and Moses' own plea before the Lord to forgive the people. And lo, God did not destroy the people and make of Moses a greater nation as He promised.

"The prayer of a righteous man availeth much." James 5:16

Thanks be to God, Who was pleased for the sake of His righteousness, to render His Law great and glorious. Isaiah 42:21.

ekev... continued

2008-08-18T14:08:00.002-04:00

Duet 8

verse 1 You shall faithfully observe all the Instruction that I enjoin upon you today, that you may thrive and increase and be able to occupy the land which the Lord promised on oath to your fathers.

today-Everybody should feel as if the Torah was given anew every day. Observe the mitzvot today, as if you were hearing them for the first time. Act as if the flame of your desire to do God's will was as bright and hot as when it was first kindled.

Why are the commandments to be followed? So that Israel may live and mulitply and occupy the land.

The land was promised on oath to their fathers. God is faithful to keep His promises.

In verse 2, we learn that God made the Israelites travel through the wilderness for forty years in order to test them. He afflicted them with hardships. The word for 'afflict' (anot) is the same word used to describe the hardships imposed by the Egyptians. Exodus 1:11. In Egypt, the affliction was the work of an oppressor. In the wilderness, the affliction was the work of God to refine Israel.

Verse 3 says that God afflicted the Israelites with hunger and gave them manna, something neither they nor the fathers had ever experienced. Manna is portrayed as a supernatural gift. Why was it given? And then a very famous phrase: "in order to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but that man may live on anything that the Lord decrees." Many have taken this to mean that the Bible, that came from God's mouth, is our spiritual food.

In verse 4, there are two recorded instances of God's miraculous providence: The Israelites' clothes did not wear out, nor did their feet swell those 40 years. Imagine your clothes lasting 40 years. More than that, the rabbis took that to mean that God made the clothes of the children grow along with them.

Verse 5 gives another reason to keep God's commandments: God disciplines Israel just as a man disciplines his son. And Israel is God's firstborn son. Exodus 4:22.

Verse 6 emphasizes that Israel is to keep God's commandments, to walk in His ways and to revere Him.

Verses 7-9 describe the Promised Land. It is a good land. And the first feature is water. After 40 years of wandering in the wilderness and wondering where their next drink of water was going to come from, God alleviates that concern right off the bat. There are streams and springs and fountains. There's a continuous supply of water. And the water comes from plain and hill. Low and high places alike have water.

And because of the plentiful water, there's plentiful produce: wheat and barley, vines, figs and pomegranates, olive trees and honey. All good food. God promises that the food will be plentiful enough that the Israelites may 'eat food without stint.' They will lack nothing. The Israelites remembered sitting by the fleshpots of Egypt and having their fill of meat and being able to eat leeks and garlics and melons. In Eretz Yisrael, there will be no more fleshpots of Egypt. Everybody will have enough.

From food we move to industry. The land has rocks of iron and hills of copper.

Verse 10 is the prooftext for the birkat hamazon (blessing after the meal). When you have eaten your fill, give thanks to the Lord your God for the good land which He has given you.

It would be easy to forget that the Lord provided all this sustenance when the Israelites are living in the land free from hunger and enemies. And thus verse 10 is to be a constant reminder that God gave them the land.

Verses 11-20 continue this theme of remembering God. This section starts with a stern warning: Take care lest you forget the Lord your God and fail to keep His commandments, His rules and His laws, which I enjoin upon you today.

What would cause the Israelites, and us, to forget the Lord our God? vv 12 and 13: When we have eaten our fill, and have built fine houses to live in, and our herds and flocks have multiplied, and our silver and gold have increased and everyting we own has prospered. Our present consumer society sees things as they are and asks for more. We have food and we gorge ourselves on more. We have places to live and think of getting bigger houses. Our businesses do well, and we think of ways to increase and maximize profit. We have money in our pockets, in our bank accounts, in stocks, in investments, in cd's and a myriad other ways. And the more we have the more concerned we are with keeping it and making even more. Even when everything we own has propsered we are still not satisfied. Maybe if I find a way to reduce costs, our profit margin can go up even more. It's the age old question. How much is enough? What do people need to live? We like to think of ourselves as somehow entitled. I worked hard. I earned it. I started at the bottom and worked my way to the top. I made sacrifices so that I and my family could have the kind of life we have today. We are wont to say, the gold is mine and the silver is mine. It's my house. My car. My clothes. My furniture. My jewelry. It's mine.

And because we feel like we earned it, our hearts are liable to grow haughty. That's the very thing God warns us against in verse 14. We forget that were it not for God freeing us from the land of Egypt, the beit avodim (house of bondage) we would not be where we are today. We'd be making bricks without straw for Pharaoh. But not only did God redeem us from slavery in Egypt, He led us through the great and terrible wilderness with its serpents and scorpions. A land with no water in it. But God brought forth water from the flinty rock. Back in Numbers Moses struck the rock and made it look like he brought water forth from the rock. Here, he gives God the credit. And God fed the Israelites with manna in the wilderness. Egypt was the house of slavery with all its attendant horrors. The wilderness was no picnic either. Don't forget where you came from. Don't forget that you were brought out from those terrible conditions by the hand of Almighty God.

And because of that, we owe God a debt we can never fully repay. God did not take us out of Egypt and lead us through the wilderness and give us the land of Israel in order for us to forget Him. On the contrary, He said that He will be our God and we will be His people. We are His people.

Why were we chosen? To walk in God's ways and to teach our children after us the way of the Lord by doing tzedekah u mishpat (justice and righteousness). God made a covenant with our ancestors and with us. A covenant is an agreement. Both parties have obligations. Our duty is to be a blessing, walk in God's ways, be tamim (worthy), practice justice, righteousness, kindness, love the stranger, love our neighbor and love God. And for God's part, He will bless us, give us children, give us the land of Israel, make us a permanent people and protect us.

We can only expect God to fulfill His end if we fulfill ours. And we cannot fulfill our end if we forget God. And how easy it is to forget God when we are surrounded by fine food and clothes and houses and gold and silver. And we say, (verse 17) "my own power and the might of my own hand have won this wealth for me."

It is not so. Rather, we should "remember that it is the Lord your God who gives you the power to get wealth, in fulfillment of the covenant that He made on oath with your fathers, as is still the case." Verse 18

Chapter 8 ends with the very real threat that if we do forget the Lord our God, we will certainly perish, just like the nations that God caused to perish before the Israelites when they came into the land. And they perished because of their wickedness. They were so bad that the land vomited them out. And the same will happen to Israel if they forget the Lord and don't keep His commandments.

And so today and everyday, we are to remind ourselves that is because of God that we are able to eat, breathe, sleep, wake, walk, talk, earn a living and do a host of other things we take for granted.

Blessed be God for His holy Word.

ekev "because" Deut 7:12-11:25

2008-08-15T13:29:00.004-04:00

This is not a portion that typically gets a lot of air time. There are promises of blessing for obedience; warnings to keep God's law faithfully; a recounting of Israel's wanderings through the wilderness and the people's great sin with the golden calf; and exhortation to keep God's laws.

Throughout the portion we see "if... then." The Hebrew 'ekev' (because) is usually translated as "if" or "it will be". There's a causal link between obeying God and being blessed. See Deut 7:12-26. If the Israelites keep God's law, they will be blessed abundantly with fertile women and fertile land. They will be able to destroy their enemies who stand in their way and God will drive them out little by little lest the wild beasts multiply to their hurt.

The verses describing God's command to wipe out the peoples, showing them no pity, and God's promise to help the Israelites (7:16-26) is typically glossed over.

We like to think of God as a loving parent, or a benevolent king or a fair Judge. It is hard to reconcile these images with the verses that portray God as commanding the Israelites to destroy the peoples of the land that the Israelites are coming into. My rabbi calls these verses "anti-Semites' delight." That is to say, anti Semites look at these verses and say, the Jewish God commands genocide. Israel uses these verses as justification for its 'ethnic cleansing' of the native Palestinians. It's easy to see how that could be an interpretation.

I submit that the Canaanites and Perizites and Jebusites and Ammonites and Midianites and Moabites and Girgashites, et al, were not just going to welcome Israel back to the Promised Land after a 430 year hiatus on Israel's declaration that God promised the land to their fathers. If Israel wanted to inhabit the land, they would have to fight for it.

Couldn't the Israelites and Canaanites live together peacefully side by side? Why did God have to command Israel to utterly wipe out the people? History has shown that that is not feasible. Already in the wilderness, Israel had been seduced by Moab and God sent a plague throughout the camp and the plague was only checked when Phineas killed Cozbi and her lover with a spear. Who's to say that Israel would not have been led astray by the peoples living in Eretz Yisrael? And in fact that did happen, time and again. And time and again Israel had to fight many wars against Midian and Moab while Israel was in the land.

Still, this business of killing every body who stands in their way-what is that all about? I could understand smashing the pillars and destroying the high places and burning the idols. But wholesale slaughter? Listen to the verses:

You shall destroy all the peoples that the Lord your God delivers to you, showing them no pity. And you shall not worship their gods, for that would be a snare to you.....The Lord your God will deliver them up to you, throwing them into utter panic until they are wiped out. He will deliver their kings into your hand, and you shall obliterate their name from under the heavens; no man shall stand up to you, until you have wiped them out. Deut 7:16, 23, 24 Emphasis added

I cannot pretend to understand the mind of God. I don't know why God would say this. But I also know that these verses and others like them turn people off from the Bible. Because they cannot understand this passage, they reject it, and other parts of the Bible, and ultimately, God. They want no part of a God who commands genocide. Frankly, I cannot fault them.

But I'd like to somehow have people see this passage as only a small part of the Bible. The Bible contains many stories about God and His creation. And the stories show that God is complex. God is bigger than our understanding of Him. The Bible does not fully portray God, as no book possibly could. God is too big, too holy, too great to be confined to a book-holy as that book may be.

The Torah contains God's words to us. To gloss over or reject the parts that we don't like or don't understand is to reject part of God. I, for one, am grateful for these passages and others. Everything is not peaches and cream or roses or sunshine or rainbows or sugar and spice and everything nice.

If we view God and the Bible through rose-colored glasses, we do so at our peril. People are wont to forget that everything comes from God. Good AND evil. If God is One (Deut 6:4) and He is the Creator of all that is, seen and unseen, everything is attributable to Him. There isn't a good God and a bad God. There's just God. And as Job said, "shall we accept the good from God and not trouble?"

Blessed be God, to whom our thanks are due. Praise Him for His great and glorious law and for the knowledge that He cares for us even though we cannot always understand Him.

Three cencuses

2008-07-21T14:21:00.002-04:00

There are three cencuses lilsted in the Torah. The first is at the end of Genesis when Jacob and his family go down to Egypt. The second is at the beginning of Numbers when the Israelites are ready to move on from Sinai. The third is towards the end of Numbers as the Children are preparing to enter the Promised Land.

One name is mentioned in all three of the cencuses. It's not Moses. It's not Aaron. It's not Joshua or Caleb. It's Serach bat Asher. (Serach, the daughter of Asher). Why is this significant?

When Joseph was about to die, he told his brothers that God would remember them and that when they returned to the Promised Land that they should take his bones up with them. And then Joseph and all his brothers and all that generation died. And the Israelites were in Egypt 430 years. And then Moses came to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. But he had to get the bones of Joseph and bring them with him. Where was Joseph buried? Who knew where his bones were?

Answer-the only one who was still alive when Joseph exacted that oath from his brothers. That person was Serach, the daughter of Asher. And she is counted again at the beginning of Numbers and at the end of Numbers. There's a connection between past, present and future. And it is a woman who is the link.

Blessed be God for Serach bat Asher, the keeper of memory.

6 games behind

2008-07-18T14:16:00.002-04:00

In the standings, the NY Yankees are six games in back of first place Boston and 5 and a half games behind Tampa Bay. As the second half of the MLB season gets underway, the Yankees will look to make up ground and try to make the playoffs for the 13th straight time and 1st for new manager Joe Girardi. The Yankees begin the second half against Oakland, Minnesota and Baltimore. Here's hoping the Bronx Bombers make a serious second half charge and end the final season at the House that Ruth Built on a high note*.

*That means a World Series Championship. :)

Eli Eli

2008-07-15T14:21:00.003-04:00

My God, My God,
I pray that these things never end
The sand and the sea,
the rush of the waters,
The crash of the heavens,
the prayer of the heart.

-Hanah Senesh

Hana, a paratrooper who saved many Jews in Europe during WWII wrote these words: “When I feel like my world is falling apart, I look up at the sky and somehow feel comforted in seeing that it is still there.” Hana was killed by the Nazis. May her prayer never end.

http://www.sarathomsen.com/lyrics/eli_eli.html

Wanted, Hancock and Hellboy II

2008-07-14T14:54:00.002-04:00

Wanted: A fairly decent action flick. The story tries to be clever and almost pulls it off. Morgan Freeman does a passable job as a bad guy (See "Lucky Number Sleven"). Angelina Jolie returns to her girls kicking butt role ("Tomb Raider", "Mr & Mrs Smith"). A young man is recruited by a secret society of assassins. He's told that the target he's after killed his father. He embarks on a rigorous training regimen which includes learning how to curve a bullet. Apparently, the laws of physics don't apply to this movie. Good chase scene? Yes. Good gun battles? Yes. Lots of mayhem and destruction? Yes. Worth the full price of admission? Eh. Depends on what you're looking for. If all the above, then yes. If you want a good story with sharp, witty dialogue, good writing and directing, then no.

Hancock: Withe the successes of Independence Day, Men in Black and I, Robot, Will Smith owns the July 4 weekend for new movies. Smith has shown he can take on serious roles (The Pursuit of Happyness, Ali) but he's best at action-comedy-Bad Boys, Wild Wild West. Hancock is more in line with the action-comedy genre. Hancock is not your average superhero. No cape. No special gadgets. No souped up car. Other than Superman-like strength and speed, there's not much about Hancock that marks him as a superhero. And he prefers it that way. He lives on the street and takes out the bad guys when called upon. But, his work is not appreciated. Mostly, because he leaves a lot of collateral damage in his wake. Enter an image consultant whose life Hancock saved and wants to return the favor by restoring Hancock's public image. He suggests a stint in jail to show the public how much they really need Hancock. Don't know what you have till its gone mentality. The image consultant's wife (Charlize Theron) plays a major role in this movie and not one that's expected. It's a pretty good plot twist in the movie.

Hellboy II, The Golden Army: Good action. Good story. Better than the first Hellboy. A long time ago, when trolls and elves and goblins and all manner of fantastical creatures walked the earth with humans, great wars were waged by the humans because of their greed. The fantasy creatures might have been utterly destroyed had not an indestructable, invincible army of golden robots been created that turned the tide. Then the humans might have been destroyed. But finally an elf king (or some non-human royalty) established a truce and made a crown with three parts and only when all three parts were together could the wearer of the crown command the golden army. One part was given to the humans. The other two were divided among his twin son and daughter. The son does not trust humans and wants to finish them off, but he needs the crown. He opens war on the humans at an auction house where a piece of the crown is on display. HellBoy and his partners a fire girl and an acquatic humanoid are called in. Lots of fighting, fire, shooting, and very gross looking creatures. The quest to stop the prince from commanding the golden army leads them to the prince's sister and across the world to Northern Ireland. There are some moments of levity among all the fighting and fantasy creatures, which serves to break the tension of the film. Recommended viewing.

More Opinions quotes...

2008-07-08T16:06:00.003-04:00

On not defaming lizards...

1 Opinions 23:1-10

And shouldst thou think to thyself superior to the lizard, consider that the Almighty created the lizard before thee. And shouldst thou reply that the best was saved for last and man was created afterwards, behold the woman was created after man and is superior to thee. And it has been said by the keystrokes of she who is known as MyHeartsNAfrica, "Do not say mean things about lizards! I love them a lot, and find it offensive. You can tease me all you like, but not the lizards. I shall forgive everyone that has done this in the past, but I highly suggest no one does this again. I am totally serious. Yup. Everything else is fine, within reason of course, but I truly find no humor in the whole lizard torture thing. Both words and pictures. Okay? Okay. Now we should all be good. Yes indeed. I am done now. Thank-you. -Jaryd" The word of Jaryd. And verily, she ain't a man.

On capitalizing in the chat room

2 Opinions 18:1-19

Behold, the word of the chat admins concerning the use of capitalized letters in the Chat Room. The word of the admin has come upon me, to proclaim the correct use of capital letters in internet chat. Thou shalt surely capitalize the first letter of every proper noun. Thou shalt capitalize the first letter of every sentence. Thou shalt follow standard laws of English style and usage in regards to the capitalizing of acronyms. Behold, the use of capitalization for emphasis is a thing not to be done. For there be three distinct ways of emphasizing you words in the chat, viz. bold, italics and underline. And through thy use of these forms thou needest not capitalize thy words for emphasis. Indeed, there be even a fourth measure to make thy words stand out and that be by the use of different colors to highlight your text. Do you have eyes and not see? Do you have ears and not hear? The use of capitalization is taken as shouting, a thing not to be done. Who needs or wants to be shouted at? And verily, the continued use of capitalization when requested not to do so is disrespect of a high degree. Yea, it bespeaks ill of thy wisdom and upbringing to do so. In all things, seek decorum and couth and let it be said that the way you present yourself speaks well of you. The word of the admins. Thanks be to God.

On anime...

2 Opinions 23:1-14

Behold, the word of the webmasters concerning eastern culture and anime. It has been told thee, o man, what is good and what the webmasters do require, but to do computer graphics and to love animation to walk humbly with thy laptop. And behold there arose a question as to the value of eastern culture and anime in particular in fulfilling this command. Hast thou not heard? Hath it not been told thee? The ways of the east are perversion and wickedness. For from the east come forth all sorts of wickedness disguised in the medium of anime. And lo, though some may think that there be skill in the art, be thou not deceived. Anime is wicked. It is abomination and perversion. All who devote themselves to it shall surely perish. Like a gold ring in a pig's snout is animation lacking in discretion. Yea, the eastern culture cares not for the values we espouse. And it is reflected in their anime. Be thou scrupulous in what thou allowest to enter into thy life. An open mind is a terrible thing to waste. The word of the webmasters. And all the people said amen and worshipped.

Fun on July 4

2008-07-08T11:13:00.000-04:00

So...we (myself and a couple friends) were trying to light the gas grill that me sister in law has so we could cook the burgers and dogs and stuff. And it's not lighting and we turn off the valves and wait a bit and try again and still nothing. And the sky's dark and it looks like it might rain and people are randomly shooting off fireworks in the neighborhood.

And we decide to give it another try and just as I push the ignition- BOOOM!!!!!- there's a sound like a cannon going off.

My word, I thought we were all toast. After the heart rate slows down to normal and we check bodies and are convinced we having lost any body parts and our hair hasn't been singed and the house is still standing, we slowly realize that it was just a firecracker.

But, wow, what timing. :0

Why a thread of blue?

2008-07-01T14:43:00.002-04:00

This is a follow up to my last post on parsha shelach...

The fringes (tzitzit) were to have a thread of blue. Why blue? A couple reasons have been given.

Blue was a color of royalty. All Israel is to be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. Exodus 19:6. How? By keeping God's commands. And the fringes would help remind them of that.

The blue was clearly distinctive from the white. When it was light enough to tell the difference between the blue thread and the white threads, then it was time to say the morning prayers.
When it was dark enough to not be able to distinguish the blue thread from the white threads, then it was time for the evening prayers.

Shelach continued

2008-06-30T10:06:00.002-04:00

Fringes (tzitzit) Numbers 15:37-41

God tells Moses to tell the Israelites to put fringes on the corners of their garments. This passage is the orgin of the tallit-a prayer shawl worn by Jews during worship services. Some orthodox will have an undergarment with fringes at the four corners to fulfill this command. And they will wear this every day, not just at worship services.

Each corner was to have a thread of blue. The blue came from a snail found in the Mediterranean. For a long time, the animal could not be found and thus many tallitot did not have the blue thread. Some say that they have found the snail again and have made tallitot with the blue thread. But they are very few and far between. the vast majority of tallitot today do not have blue threads at the corners.

Be that as it may, there are several features that are common to all tallitot. Each corner has 8 threads. And there are five knots made by the threads. The word for fringes in Hebrew is tzitzit. Tzitzit has a numerical value of 600. Adding 600 to the 8 threads plus 5 knots equals 613. And there are 613 commandments in the Torah. Knowing this was one way to remind oneself of the obligation to keep all the commandments. Numbers 15:39.

Another note about the threads-Between the first and second knots, the thread is wound 7 times, between the second and third knot, 8 times, between the third and fourth knot, 11 times, and between the fourth and fifth knots, 13 times.

7 plus 8 plus 11 equals 26. 26 is the numerical value of the tetragrammaton (YHVH), the personal name of God. 13 is the numerical value of the word 'echad' (one). So, we have YHVH echad, or "the Lord is one"-the last phrase of the Shema. (Deut 6:4) The threads serve as a reminder that God is One.

The connection with this passage and the rest of the parsha (weekly portion) that we have been discussing is at Numbers 15:39. And you will look upon them and remember all the commands of the Lord and do them and not scout about after your own heart and your owns eyes, which lead you astray.

The Hebrew text uses the word for 'scout' which is the same word used to describe the mission of the 12 spies at the beginning of this parsha. And at the end of the parsha, we have the reminder that God took us out of Egypt to be our God. This is directly related to the people's call to return to Egypt.

Wearing the fringes and looking upon them, we are reminded to keep the 613 mitzvot of Torah, that God is One and that God took us out of Egypt to be servants to Him, not slaves to Pharaoh.

Shelach continued

2008-06-26T10:31:00.002-04:00

The Lord gives some instructions regarding sacrifices. The same law is to apply for the native and the stranger. Numbers 15:1-21

Laws are given concerning unintentional sin. Violating a command, even if done unintentionally, is still violating a command. That is a sin that must be atoned for. 15:22-29

Presumptuous sin is treated as well and the consequences are much harsher. A person who sins presumptuously shall be cut off from his people. Why? "Because he has despised the word of the Lord and has broken His commandment." It's one thing to sin unintentionally. It's quite another to sin with open disdain for God's word. 15:30-31

A Sabbath violator put to death. 15:32-36

This is one of two instances in Torah where a judgment of execution was ordered for transgressing one of God's commands. What happened? "The children of Israel found a man..."

What man? Scripture does not say. Some say it was Zelophehad, whose daughters will figure prominently in a few chapters. I don't know. If Torah does not reveal his name, why should I? If I'm wrong, I've slandered an innocent man. If I'm correct, I've revealed what God chose to conceal.

What was the man doing? "...gathering sticks on the Sabbath day."

Gathering sticks? Big deal. God had said not to light any fire on the Sabbath. Nothing was said about gathering sticks. But it could be argued that he was gathering sticks for the purpose of lighting a fire. Why else would you gather sticks?

However, since it was not clear what should be done in this situation, the people "brought him to Moses and Aaron, and to all the congregation."

From this we learn that we are not in a position by ourselves to act as judge, jury and executioner for what we might think is a capital offense. If I see a neighbor gathering sticks or building a fire on the Sabbath or doing some other form of prohibited work on the Sabbath I do not get to stone my neighbor because Scripture says such a person should be put to death.

Moses and Aaron were the leaders of the people. And the whole congregation was made aware of the situation. This is a matter that concerns all the people.

Was he then summarily executed? No. "They put him under guard, because it had not been explained what should be done to him." No judgment had been pronounced. No death sentence had been decreed. This was a case of first impression. A decision had to come from on high as to what should be done.

And then the Lord spoke to Moses and said, "The man must surely be put to death; all the congregation shall stone him with stones outside the camp." God, the Supreme Judge, who knows the hearts and minds of all people, decreed what should be done.

And, as the Lord commanded Moses, so the whole congregation did. And the man was taken outside the camp and stoned.

A brief passage. For opponents of the death penalty this is rather troubling. Why would God condemn a man for gathering sticks on the Sabbath? Why did the whole community have to stone him with stones? Why aren't we given this man's name? Did it really happen? If it didn't, why is it included in Scripture? I don't have answers to these questions. I pose them here to have you think about Scripture.

To be continued...

Get Smart

2008-06-24T12:48:00.000-04:00

Starring Steve Carrell, Anne Hathaway, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Alan Arkin.

I enjoyed this movie. Carrell does a great job in the role Don Adams made famous. Carrell's style of humor works well for the role of a spy who saves the world despite himself. Hathaway lends fine supportas the female lead. The Rock returns to his big man as funny man role he debuted in "The Rundown." Arkin is at his usual funny self as the head of CONTROL, a secret government agency that spends mostof its time battling the evil crime syndicate CHAOS.

It's sort of a mixture of Johnny English, James Bond and Mission Impossible. Carrell is more Johnny English than Bond. The nod to the Bond films is Maxwell Smart's (Carrell) swiss army pocket knife which has dozens of features including a blow torch and grappelling wire. Smart can also dance, shoot and drive with the best of them but is too socially clueless to be a snob.

Agents of CHAOS have stolen some nuclear weapons and are smuggling them into countries throughout the world. CONTROL field agents have been compromised so its up to Maxwell Smart, the newest agent-who finally passed the exam-to go into the field. With him is Agent 99(Hathaway) who puts up a brave front but we know will fall for Smart. Terrence Stamp as a head bad guy is more amusing than menacing. But this is a comedy. Some humor is directly aimed at a young audience. Those old enough to remember the tv show should get a kick out ofthis movie as well. Recommended viewing.

Shelach continued

2008-06-24T10:38:00.002-04:00

Yes, God is forgiving and merciful. Yet, He does not relent of all punishment.

God speaks to Moses and Aaron saying, How long will this wicked community grumble against me? I have heard the complaints of these grumbling Israelites. So tell them, 'As surely as I live, declares the LORD, I will do to you the very things I heard you say: In this desert your bodies will fall—every one of you twenty years old or more who was counted in the census and who has grumbled against me.

Everybody except Caleb and Joshua will die in the wilderness.

In the same passage that speaks of God's great mercy, God also says that he punishes children for the sins of the fathers even to the third and fourth generation. In an ironic twist, it is not the children who are punished for their fathers' sins. The present generation does not get to see the land. But the children will be brought in to enjoy the land that their fathers rejected. Still, the children will have to wait forty years, suffering for their fathers' unfaithfulness. Why forty years? A year for each day spent scouting the land.

And then God sent a plague and the ten men who gave an evil report about the land died as a result.

Moses reported all that the Lord had spoken to the Israelites and they mourned bitterly. And early next morning they went up ready to go into the land.

Too little, too late. God's decree, once given, cannot be revoked. Isaiah 55:11. Faced with the prospect of suffering the consequences for their actions, the people attempt to change God's mind. But they are not Moses. And they have shown by their behavior that their hearts are hard and the necks are stiff. Like Pharaoh, they plead for God's mercy but revert back to their evil ways once mercy is shown to them.

Moses tries to warn them not to invade the land. God is not with them. The ark does not go out. Moses does not leave his tent. But the people refuse to listen and lead an attack that ends in disaster.

To be continued...

Shelach continued

2008-06-23T09:14:00.004-04:00

Then two of the twelve (any guesses as to which two?) rent their clothes and said, The land is an exceedingly good land. And if the Lord delights in us, He will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land flowing with milk and honey. Only don't rebel against the Lord and don't fear the people. They are our bread. Their protection has gone. The Lord is with us. Do not fear them.

A rousing speech of encouragement. What effect did it have on the congregation?

"And all the congregation bade stone them with stones." What should have encouraged the people and strengthened their hearts only made them furious. Having rejected God they would not be dissauded from their idea to return to Egypt. Woe betide any who would suggest otherwise. And who knows if the two courageous spies would have indeed been stoned? And what would have happened to Moses and Aaron?

But then....[Imagine if you will a choir singing from Handel's "Messiah"] "And the glory, the glory of the Lord, shall be revealed..."

For indeed the glory of the Lord appeared in the tabernacle of meeting before all the children of Israel. God is not pleased. The Israelites want to stone the only two people who were faithful and courageous? The only two who fulfilled Moses' command should be stoned? God forbid! And that's exactly what happened.

In fact, God is so incensed that He threatens to destroy the entire congregation. Hear now, the words of the Lord and tremble before Him all the earth.

"How long will these people reject Me? And how long will they not believe Me, with all the signs which I have performed among them? I will strike them with the pestilence and disinherit them, and I will make of you a nation greater and mightier than they."

After all that God had done for them-the ten plagues, the splitting of the Sea of Reeds, the manna, the water, the quail, the pillar of cloud and fire, the giving of the Torah-the people still grumble. They still complain. They are an ungrateful people. They are stiffnecked. Theyhave uncircumcised hearts. They still do not trust in God. With the attitude of 'what have you done for me lately?' the Israelites only see that God brought them to the edge of the Promised Land to be slaughtered by their enemies.

Instead of relying on the promise of God that they will inherit the land, terror and dread fill their hearts. We will die! Our children and wives will be spoils of war! Why couldn't we stay in Egypt? Why did we have to come out here? This generation is not readyto enter the Promised Land. A generation born in slavery has no concept of freedom. The people were taken out of Egypt, but Egypt was not takenout of the people.

And if that's how they want to be, if they want to reject God, then He will reject them. If they want no part of the inheritance of the Promised Land, then so be it. They want to be back in Egypt? God will destroy them with the pestilence. It will be as if they were still in Egypt. They reject the inheritence? God will disinherit them. And then every rabbi's dream (said tongue in cheeck of course), God will make a greater and mightier nation of Moses. Moses is called Moshe rabbenu (Moses our Rabbi). Every trial and tribulation the rabbis faced was borne by Moses. The offer to be rid of an unruly and ungrateful congregation and to start over with a brand new one modeled after the rabbi himself, what could be more tempting? But, Moses does not take God up on His offer.

Moses our rabbi, is also Moses our defense attorney. Knowing full well that God is jealous for His honor and glory and reputation, Moses gives an impassioned and inspired plea for God's forgiveness. (See also Moses' plea to God afterthe incident with the golden calf-Exodus 32:11-14.)

"Then the Egyptians will hear it, for by Your might You brought these people up from among them, and they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land. They have heard that You, Lord, are among these people; that You, Lord, are seen face to face and Your cloud stands above them, and You go before them in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night. Now if You kill these people as one man, then the nations which have heard of Your fame will speak, saying, 'Because the Lord was not able to bring this people to the land which He swore to give them, therefore He killed them in the wilderness.' And now, I pray, let the power of my Lord be great, just as You have spoken, saying, "The Lord is long suffering and abundant in mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression; but He by no means clears the guilty, vising the inquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation.'

What will Egypt say? What will the nations say? What about Your promise to Israel? Let your power be great and show mercy.

Egypt, and other nations, believed in local gods. Their gods could wield power in their respective spheres. But outside of their land,then the god of another people took over. If the Israelites' God could wreak havoc in Egypt, then He was stronger than Pharaoh, no doubt, but what about His power in the wilderness? There, it is for naught. He atually cannot do what He promised. Why then should the other nations fear the Lord? Why should the Israelites be able to take the Promised Land if You are powerless to bring them in?

God swore on oath to give the land of Israel to Abraham and hisdescendants. It is not on account of the Isrealites' righteousness or merit that they get to inherit the land. It is because God loved their fathers and is faithful to fulfill His promises. But if He decides not to bring the Israelites in, then what of His great promises? Why should He be feared and worshipped if He cannot make good on His promises?

And lastly, Moses makes a plea for God's mercy. And Moses says, "letthe power of my Lord be great." Sometimes, showing mercy can be seen as weakness. And sometimes it takes great strength to be merciful. Here, Moses is saying that mercy on God's part would be a tremendous display of power. As justified as God would be in destroying this wicked and rebellious people, it shows even greater strength to let mercy overcome justice. Moses quotes God's own words back to Him. These are words that God spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai after the incident of the golden calf. See Exodus 34:6-7. Remember, Lord, how You said that You are merciful and compassionate and long suffering and forgiving of iniquity,transgression and sin.

The last line of Moses' closing argument is: "Pardon the iniquity of this people, I pray, according to the greatness of Your mercy, just as You have forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now." Numbers14:19 And the Lord said, "I have pardoned, according to your word." Numbers 14:20.These two verses are part of the Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) worship service. It's pretty powerful stuff.

To be continued...

Shelach (send)

2008-06-20T12:06:00.001-04:00

Twelve men, leaders all, were selected to go on a reconnaissance mission. This was dangerous work as nobody knew what to expect when they got there. All they knew was they were tired of wandering after a pillar of cloud and fire and having nothing but this manna to look forward to. Who cares if its taste was like that of rich cream? Too much of a good thing is too much. They were ready to go into the land. But first, they had to know what it was like. What kind of land is it? What are the people like? Are they strong or weak? Many or few? And the land, is it good or bad? What about the cities? Are they fortified or more like camps? How's the soil? Are there trees? Go and pick some of the fruit. In the days before satelittes and cameras and video, intelligence had to be gathered first hand.

And they went up into the land and scouted the land for forty days and came back with a report and some of the fruit of the land. And in their report they said the land does flow with milk and honey and here is its fruit. So far, so good. But then they said, However, the cities are huge and fortified. The people are mighty. We even saw the offspring of the giant. And there are all sorts of tribes inhabiting the land. Uh oh. The seeds of doubt are planted. Yes, they were told to report back on the strength of the people and the cities. Did they have to say "however"? This had quite an effect on the people.

But then one of the twelve stood up. One had the courage to silence them and say, "we can surely go up and take possession of it, for we can indeed overcome it." Who was he? A cookie to whoever gets it right. ;)

The others shouted him down. They said, we cannot go up against this people, for they are stronger than we. They spread an evil report about the land. They said the land consumes its inhabitants. They saw the giants and the sons of Anak. And they said, in our eyes, we seemed like grasshoppers, and so we were in their eyes.

How do they know they seemed like grasshoppers in the eyes of the inhabitants? Who told them this? How do they know they didn't seem like giants to the inhabitants? They let their eyes lead them astray. They were afraid and let that fear overtake them. Despite the promise that God had made to bring them into the land, they did not trust in Him.

What calamity their evil report caused. The whole community lifted up their voices and wept. And they complained. If only we had died in Egypt. If only we had died in the desert. Why did the Lord bring us here to fall by the sword? Our wives and children will be captives.
Was Egypt so wonderful? Was the wilderness a picnic? How quickly we forget former troubles when new ones suddenly appear. Then, what was in the past does not seem so bad. Egypt? Sure, we had to work. But who doesn't? And remember the food? Oh the food, what food we had. The fish and the garlic and the leeks and the melons. Oh the meat that we used to eat in Egypt. And now what do we have? Nothing but this stupid manna.

And then they made a terrible decision. Let's appoint a leader and go back to Egypt!

Back? They were not to go back that way again. Deut 17:16. If they go back to Egypt, why did God redeem them with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm? Why did He visit ten plagues upon Pharaoh and Egypt? Why did God bring them to Sinai and give them the Torah? So that they could go BACK to Egypt? They might as well have never left. No. They were redeemed from being under the burden of Pharaoh so that they might be servants of God. You cannot serve both God and Pharaoh.

And Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before the congregation.

To be continued...

A King and His Son

2008-06-19T09:17:00.001-04:00

And it came to pass that a king had a son and was well pleased with him and fed him and kept him safe from harm. And the king taught his son laws and rules to live by and gave his son a teacher. And in time, the son grew up and grew fat and coarse and waxed thick and did associate with evil neighbors and hearkened not unto the words of his father. And the king did send messengers to his son telling him to resist these evil men and to obey the voice of his father. And the son paid the messengers no heed. And the king did banish his son from the kingdom, though it grieved his heart to do so. And the son fell on hard times and did wish to be back with his father but found the gates barred. And after a while, the king relented of his anger and sent a messenger saying, return to me. And the son sent a reply back saying, I cannot come, the distance is too great. And the king answered, come as far as you are able, and I will come the rest of the way to you.

So too does God deal with us. God is the king. Israel (us) is his son (Exodus 4:22). God has lovingly provided for all our needs (Psalm 145:15-17). He gave us His holy Torah to teach us how to live. And he sent Moses our teacher. And lo, we have been blessed to live in a land of religious freedom and we are in a land of silk and money and we have not obeyed the Lord our God. For who among us does not sin? And we are tempted by evil influences all day and our own heart and our own eyes often lead us astray. And though we know we are to obey God's voice we all fall short of God's glory. And in hard times it can seem that the gates of heaven are barred though we pray with all our might. But God is a gracious and merciful God. And He asks that we return to Him. And we acknowledge that we cannot do it on our own. Our sins create a gulf between us and God. How can we bridge it? And God says, come as far as you are able, and I will come the rest of the way. "Return to me and I will return to you." Zechariah 1:3

What do you want?

2008-06-18T15:25:00.002-04:00

What do you want? Happiness? Life? Peace? Strength? Courage? Success?
All these can be found in Torah.

Happy is the man whose delight is in the Lord's Torah. Psalm 1
It is a tree of life to them that hold fast to it and all of its supporters are happy. Proverbs 3:18
Its ways are ways of pleasantness and all its paths are peace. Proverbs 3:17
Be strong and courageous. Meditate on it day and night and you will make your way prosperous and have success. Joshua 1:7-8

Lift up the lights, part 2

2008-06-16T11:48:00.003-04:00

This line of reasoning is why we still have the poor among us. For people to realize the truth that all are created equal and always equal in worth, self aggrandizing positions need to be put aside. It is not ourselves that acquire the wealth. It is God who allows us to become wealthy. The silver and gold belongs to him. We no more own the earth than we own our bodies. The earth is the Lord's and everything in it. We are but resident aliens upon the earth. We are to take care of it, not exploit it. The way to justice is to make sure everybody has equal access to adequate food, clothing, medicine, shelter, education. The gap between rich and poor is ever increasing and this is so because the rich want it to be this way. The rich make the rules. The rich vote the rich into office. The rich make tax breaks for themselves. The rich elevate themselves and keep the poor in squalor. This is not elevating the lights. This is elevating money and greed. But we are to lift the lights of Torah and mitzvot.

From the study of God's Word we know that all are created betzelem elohim (in the image of God). We know that we all have one Father-one God Who created us. We all belong to the same family-the human family. Better and worse are illusions brought on by the desire for gain and material things. I am not better than you by reason of my upbringing and education and work. And the reverse is also true. You and I are the same. We are equally worthy of love. And if we are to love God with all our heart, with all our soul and with all our might, we can love each other only if we too have the divine within us.

And when we realize that we are the same and belong to the same family, we will put aside our selfish ambitions for the good of the group. In a family, the members sacrifice personal wants for the good of the whole. We make choices based on what's best for everybody, not what's best for me right now and to hell with everybody else. And we know what's best for everybody. Feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit the sick, take in the homeless. This is how our light breaks forth as the dawn and shines as the noon day sun.

Let us lift up the lights so that others may see by our light and glorify our Father in heaven.

Lift up the lights, part 1

2008-06-13T11:01:00.005-04:00

1. The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 2. Speak to Aaron and say to him: "When you light the lamps, the seven lamps shall cast their light toward the face of the menorah." Numbers 8:1-2

"When you light", literally, when you raise (or, "cause to ascend"-Rashi) the light. We are to lift up our light to God. What light? Our study of Torah-Your word is a lamp unto my feet and light unto my path. Our deeds of kindness. Feed the hungry, clothe the naked, take in the homeless, visit the sick and imprisoned, break the bonds of injustice, then your light shall shine forth as the sun. Isaiah 58.

Before and after each reading of the Torah, we recite a blessing thanking God for giving us His Holy Torah. Judaism has raised the study of Scripture to an act of worship. Study is not just for rabbis and kohanim (priests) and Levites. Study is for the masses. All people are to know and understand and keep God's commands. Study can be for its own sake. As some study is better than none. But the ultimate goal is to glorify God. And we glorify God when we live according to His Word. If we would be satisfied with what He has told us to do rather than cutting the Torah to fit our lifestyle (see prior post "A Story") how much more could we glorify His Name. John Piper has said, "God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him." Is it odd that I, a Jew, would quote a Christian preacher? Not at all, for wisdom can be found anywhere. Who is wise, he who learns from everyone. Even in the Torah itself, blessings and advice is not always given by Moses but by non-Jews. See Jethro's advice to Moses on leadership. Exodus 19. And Balaam's blessing on the Children of Israel at Numbers 24:5. That verse is said during the morning prayers to thank God for the privilege of worshipping in shul. Both Jethro and Balaam were Gentiles. Let your study of Scripture be a way of bringing kavod (honor, glory) to God.

In the same way, good deeds, such as care for the stranger, widow, orphan and poor are also light. How do we lift up our deeds so that others will see them and glorify God? By not doing them in the hopes of gaining something in return. True kindness is helping another not for your own sake but for theirs.

However, my experience has been that people perform random acts of kindness in the hopes of earning God's favor or for their own desires. A donation to a charity results in a tax break. A benefit dinner to raise money for AIDS, cancer, leukemia, or any other disease allows people to feel good about themselves and assuages their guilt in keeping their riches while the poor continue to stay poor. Every Yom Kippur, our shul hosts a food drive. It is the largest, by far, of any other food drive by any other house of worship in the area. The shul is located in a very wealthy suburb of one of the poorest cities in the nation. So what do we do? We donate several tons of food-one day of the year. How long does that food last? Less than a week. But we pride ourselves in having a ginormously successful food drive every year. If we were so successful, we wouldn't HAVE to have the food drive. People would give anyway without being asked because of their sense of tzedakah and mishpat (justice and righteousness).

But we don't. And I include myself in 'we.' Our sense of justice and righteousness is skewed. Justice is what's best for me. Righteousness is acting like we care once in a while. We like our homes and cars and tvs and movies and clothes and jewelry and toys and appliances and all the other things that the work of our hands has acquired for us. Why should I have to reduce my standard of living? "There will never cease to be poor and needy in your land." "The poor you have with you always." What good will impoverishing myself do? If by the sweat of my brow I earn my own food, why should that be taken away to feed those who are too lazy to get a job? This is America! We speak English! Learn English! Go through the process of becoming a citizen. Become a productive member of society by going to school and acquiring the skills to earn a living. Anybody can do it. The poor remain poor because they'd rather live off the system and take a hand out than pull themselves up by their bootstraps. My wealth is mine. The silver and gold is mine. I did the work. I earned it. I already pay taxes to support government funded programs that help the poor. And politicians are talking about increasing taxes? Have you seen the price of gasoline? Oh, and by increasing taxes, how do I know that's going to do any good? Where's that money going? Are will filling pork barrels? Are we sending money to countries that harbor terrorists? Is the money actually being spent on helping the poor receive health care, clean water, a decent education, better homes, better jobs? And if not, why should my taxes be increased? All that does is give everybody less money except for the government. And we hold this truth to be self evident: the government is terrible at managing money.

To be continued...

You Don't Mess With the Zohan

2008-06-10T12:31:00.002-04:00

Starring Adam Sandler. Rated PG 13

For a PG-13 movie there was plenty of sexual situations. Sandler appears naked several times with his privates strategically blocked from view. Sexual activity with older women is implied frequently and is played for laughs.

The Zohan is an Israeli counter-terrorist agent. He's exceptionally good at capturing terrorists. He has feet of fury, can tie people into a pretzel and can immobilize an opponent just by holding their pinky. He's also impervious to pain which he shows by placing a piranha down his speedo. However, the Zohan is tired of the constant fighting between the Israelis and Palestinians and hopes to make a new life for himself in America as a hair stylist. To achieve this goal, he goes off alone to fight a terrorist mastermind known as the Phantom (John Turturro). Zohan fakes his death and escapes to America in the cargo hold of a plane. He practices his hair styling technique using a Paul Mitchell book from the 80's. Getting a job with Paul Mitchell proves harder than expected and Zohan takes a job in a hair salon run by a Palestinian woman (Emmanuelle Chirqui). Zohan tries to keep his idenity a secret but he gets recognized and his past that he tried to leave behind catches up with him.

The Israeli-Palenstinian conflict is treated rather lightly. When the Zohan says that he wishes the fighting would stop his mother says, "they've been fighting for 2000 years, it's bound to stop soon." Actually, no it's not. The conflict will not end so long as Arabs hate Israelis more than they love their own children. It will not end so long as Arabs do not recognize the right for Israel to be an independent nation. It will not end when attacks and counterattacks occur on both sides. When victims are made martyrs and Israel is condemned as a Goliath oppressing the Palestinian David and people buy into the nonsense of "Zionism is racism" no end to the conflict is in sight. When the Arab world is not interested in peace despite concession after concession has been made by Israel, how can there be peace? The situation is dreadful for people on both sides who just want to get on with their lives.

The Zohan learns that several other people in the area where he works have also left Israel in hopes for a better life. But things in America are not much better. The street is divided into Arab and Israeli sides. When racist remarks are printed on some shops and others are vandalized both sides are quick to blame the other. Only by putting aside their differences can they come together to fight a common enemy.

Hacky sack and hummus go together like ice cream and hot sauce but in this movie, both are used quite often. Mariah Carey makes a brief appearance and does a decent job being funny. Unlike "Glitter" which bombed, this movie is supposed to be funny and Carey doesn't take herself too seriously. SNL alums Kevin Nealon and Rob Schneider make appearances. Hezbollah is made fun of. Ethnic jokes are made of Jews, Arabs and Southerners.

There are some funny moments. The action is rather goofy. The storyline is ok. Worth seeing once as a matinee or rental.

A Story

2008-06-08T09:29:00.003-04:00

A synagogue needed a new Torah scroll. The best scribe who could be found was commissioned to do the work. The synagogue board got together and decided to hold a contest for a torah scroll cover. The best cover would be displayed on the scroll when the scroll was completed and ready to be used for the first time. The other entries would be used throughout the year. Many scroll covers were submitted. The winning entry had an beautifully embroidered picture of Jerusalem. Gold, silver, copper, red, blue, crimson, white and purple were skillfully used. When it came time to put the cover on the scroll, a slight problem came up. The cover was too small. Oy! Now what. The board said, unfortunately, we can't use it. The woman who made the cover was not about to see her hard work be for naught. Can't we just cut the Torah to make it fit the cover?

This story is fictional and we're not told what happened later. But it serves to illustrate a point.

I believe that many would react with horror at the woman's suggestion. Cut the Torah?! A curse on anyone who would do such a thing. But, I submit that we do this already. We like our lives and worldview. God's Word does not always fit with what we would like to do. So, we cut it out. It doesn't apply. That was for a different people at a different time in a different place. We fool ourselves into thinking that we're ok because we love Jesus or because we follow the 10 commandments or because we treat others as we would like to be treated. I do not say that any of these are wrong and should not be done. I say that they are not enough by themselves.

It's a great thing to love your neighbor as yourself. But if you neglect God by turning to idols, where is your love for God? If you say you love Jesus but don't follow his commands to love one another, then how can you say you really love Jesus? If you observe the 10 Commandments and say the other 603 don't matter, what does that say about your attitude toward God's holy, righteous and wonderful law? Be careful about cutting the Torah down to size to fit your lifestyle. It is better by far to conform your life to God's Word.

Psalm 1:6

2008-06-06T10:08:00.002-04:00

For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly shall perish.

knows-more than awareness, this is intimate, personal knowledge (NSB note)
the way-John 14:6. See also Proverbs 2:8; 4:19. "He guards the paths of justice and prserves the way of His saints." "The way of the wicked is like darkness; they do not know what makes them stumble." Two ways are contrasted. Which way is better? The choice should be obvious.

NSB note: God is intimately involved with the way of the righteous, but has no connection with the way of the ungodly, except in judgment. See Psalm 146:9: "the way of the wicked He turns upside down."

Psalm 1:5

2008-06-05T08:50:00.002-04:00

Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.

This verse parallels verse 1. Just as the righteous are blessed for not standing with the wicked, so are the wicked condemned and shall not stand with the righteous.

Psalm 1:4

2008-06-04T09:55:00.002-04:00

The ungodly are not so,
But are like the chaff which the wind drives away.

Here we have a contrast with verse 3. "Not so" contrasts the state of righteous who meditate on God's Torah. The ungodly are not like ever fruitful trees. Whatever they do does not prosper.

'Like the chaff': Chaff is refuse that is blown away by the wind. It is what is separated from the wheat at harvest. This is similar to the imagery of the separation of the goats and sheep in the Olivet Discourse. Matthew 25:31-46. The righteous shall stand firm in the judgment. The wicked will be blown away.

'the wind': Hebrew, ruach. This word also means 'spirit.' The ruach ha'kodesh is the Holy Spirit. The ruach ha'elohim is the Spirit of God. God's spirit will drive away the wicked. If you would be firmly planted like a tree and not be harassed like a driven leaf (Job 13:25), spend your time in Torah. It is by meditating on His Word that you will have much success and that you will prosper. See Joshua 1:7-8.

Psalm 1:3

2008-06-03T14:17:00.002-04:00

He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water,
That brings forth its fruit in its season,
Whose leaf also shall not wither;
And whatever he does shall prosper.

Like a tree-see Jeremiah 17:8. The image is of a desert date palm that has been firmly planted in a well-watered oasis. (Nelson Study Bible) The image of tree also calls to mind the personfication of Wisdom in Proverbs. "It is a tree of life to them that hold fast to it and all of its supporters are happy." (Prov. 3:18) This verse is chanted after the reading from the Torah scroll. Torah itself is called etz chayim (a tree of life). Thus we have a connection between studying Torah (a tree of life) and being like an ever fruitful tree.

Shall prosper-from this we may get the mistaken notion that if you study Torah you will never lack for anything. The idea that if you just meditate on God's Word you won't have to worry about your future finances is not what this verse is saying. NSB notes: The righteous person is always useful and productive to the Lord.

Psalm 1:2

2008-06-02T16:40:00.003-04:00

But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he mediates day and night.

Joy can be found in studying God's law. The 'law' is literally the 'teaching', or Torah of the Lord. Torah is the right way, contrasted with that of the ungodly, the sinners and the scornful.

Meditates: The emphasis is on study, as opposed to doing. "Study leads to all the commandments" says the Talmud. Of all the things that one may do to inherit eternal life-honoring parents, dowering the bride, making peace when there is strife-the study of Torah excels them all. From this verse, and others (Joshua 1:7-8), we get the rabbinic dictum of Torah lishmah, study for its own sake. The act of study can itself be an act of worship. Every study session begins with a prayer thanking God for the privilege of studying His Word.

Day and night: taken figuratively to mean, all the time. When asked if Jews should be allowed to study Greek philosophy, this verse was quoted and the rabbis answered, find a time that is neither day nor night and then you may study Greek philosophy. JSB notes: The Dead Sea Sroll community took it literally, suggesting that "[I]n the place in which the Ten* assemble there should not be missing a man to interprest the law day and night, always relieving each other."

*Ten-the mininum number for a quorum required to conduct services or publicly read from the Torah. In Judaism, this number is called a minyan. In Orthodox Judaism, this number must be 10 adult (over the age of 13) Jewish males. In Reform Judaism, to which I belong, we ask for 10 people. Women are counted equally with men.

Psalm 1:1

2008-06-02T11:27:00.003-04:00

The name "Psalm" comes from the Greek "psalmos", which is a translation of the Hebrew "mizmor" (a song with the accompaniment of a stringed instrument) Jewish Study Bible.

The Hebrew name for the book of Psalms is Tehillim, meaning songs of praise. Tehilim has the root word hallel, meaning "praise."

It is the first book in the section of the Tanakh known as the Writings. Jesus refered to the third section of the Scriptures as the Psalms. Luke 24:44

1:1 Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful. (NKJV)

Blessed: The Hebrew word is "ashrei." The JSB translates this as "happy". Ashrei comes from the root word 'asher', which means happy. And Asher is the name given to the second son of Jacob and Zilpah (Leah's handmaid). Gen 30:13. "Then Leah said, 'I am happy, for the daughters will call me blessed.' So she called his name Asher." (Emphasis added).

Why then say "blessed"? Because happy, as we may commonly understand it, doesn't quite convey the meaning of 'ashrei.' Happiness is more than an emotion. What is true happiness? I would submit that happiness is a sense of peace or contentment. It's being satisfied with what you have rather than hoping for what you don't have. It's loving God and loving your neighbor. It's not worrying about the past or the future. Who by worrying can add a single hour to his life? It's not hating your brother in your heart. It's not seeking revenge or bearing a grudge but forgiving those who trespass against you. And of such a person, you would call them blessed.

the man. Why not the woman? Are women prohibited from meditating on God's Word and thus being 'happy', or 'blessed'? Rather, this should be taken in the sense of any person who wants to study Scripture may do so. In Biblical times, it was incumbent on fathers to teach their sons the Scriptures. Daughters did not have to follow all 613 mitzvot and since they were exempted from certain laws were not expected to have to follow all of them either. But, that which is not prohibited is permitted. Nowhere does Torah forbid a man from teaching his daughter Torah. Nor does Torah forbid a woman from learing Torah on her own.

walk...stand...sit. Notice the progression. If you follow after ungodly people, you will end up standing with them and eventually sitting down with them. Do not walk in the way that is not God's way. What is God's way? Torah. God stands in the godly assembly, amidst the judges, he judges. Psalm 82. To stand is to pronounce judgment. Standing is also a way of showing respect. The sheriff will announce "all rise" whenever the judge enters or leaves the courtroom.
Do not pronounce wicked judgments. And do not respect those who do. What about sitting? What comes to mind is eating. Usually people will sit down to a meal. What is the Psalmist saying here? Have nothing to do with those who mock and scorn God. Do not eat with them. Do not conduct business with them. And note that once you are sitting, it is that much harder to get back up and walk away than if you are already standing.

Note that those who abstain from the path of the wicked will be truly happy, or blessed.

Decoration Day

2008-05-30T13:57:00.002-04:00

In honor of the REAL Memorial Day, not the observed holiday, let us now pause to honor the men and women who have served and continue to serve in our military.

For those who have made the ultimate sacrifice, our grief and sympathy for the loss your friends and families suffer. For those who have come back, our joy and thanksgiving. For those MIA and POW, you are not forgotten. Our thoughts and prayers with you and your loved ones. And for all who have gone before to defend our freedom that we might have a better world, our deepest gratitude that words cannot fully express.

A moment of silence, if you will....

May the Source of Peace send peace to all who mourn, and comfort to all who are bereaved, among us and wherever they may be, and let us say, amen.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

2008-05-28T16:14:00.001-04:00

Harrison Ford dons the trademark fedora and once again goes off in search of treasure. Characters from past Indiana Jones movies reappear. And new faces are brought to light. The bad guys in this latest caper are not Nazis, but Russians. The head bad guy is played brillaintly by Cate Blanchett (Elizabeth, The Lord of the Rings, Bandits, The Aviator). Shia LeBeouf (The Greatest Game Ever Played, Transformers) doesn't quite pull off the James Dean "Rebel Without a Cause" character. He's got the look, but that's about it.

In this movie, Jones goes off in search of a mysterious crystal skull that seems to have magical powers. Some say it belonged to aliens. The location of the skull is in the fabled "City of Gold", El Dorado, deep in the Amazon rainforest. He who returns the skull to its rightful owner will possess truly magnificent power. The Russians, of course, want this power and will stop at nothing to get it, including kidnapping a former associate of Jones and his family.

For a man in his 60's, Ford is still pretty spry. He's not as strong or violent as Stallone (Rambo) but his whip and wit are as sharp as ever. The action sequences are exciting. The music, some of John Williams' best (Jurassic Park, Star Wars) helps move the story along. Excellent special effects. The story is far fetched and doesn't try to take itself too seriously.

Recommended viewing.

Buffy The Vampire Slayer as a college course?!

2008-05-20T14:40:00.002-04:00

I heard this story on the news this morning as I was driving in to work. Apparently, some professor wants to do a course based on the popular TV series "Buffy The Vampire Slayer." Why? "Because it poses eternal questions about the battle of good and evil"-or some such dreck.

Really? This is what we've come to? Of the thousands of classics out there that discuss the battle of good and evil, I could probably name dozens before I got to Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Now, I have to admit that I've never watched the show, nor did I see the movie that was the basis for the show. For all I know, it could have redeeming qualities, but I doubt it. Aside from starring Sarah Michelle Geller, who's been typecast into doing horror films, why watch the show? I wonder if it is even worth taking a full college course on.