You have certainly noticed that Israeli society develops new view about what European cultures used to call "weekend", definitely influenced by the Christian tradition. Apparently, the Christian weekend consists in a secular understanding of two non-working days, e.g.: Saturday and Sunday that may start on Friday afternoon. With regards to the Work regulations in force in most countries, the obligation to stop any activity on one day of the week has not been very constant. Until nowadays, a lot of people throughout the world would not really benefit from any day-off, and this affects them for the better part of the year. Some cultures would simply ignore the right to get some rest.
In this respect, Judaism has introduced the Shabbat day-off, with the obligation to rest, not to accomplish 37 sorts of activities for a very special reason: it is a real "imitatio Dei" - the Jew and the strangers who abide in the midst of the Jewish community have been created at the Image and Likeness of God Himself. And, when God finished His labor that was the creation and fashioning of the world and its inhabitants, he rested from all the work that He had done while continuing to develop and create it (asher bara Elohim la'asot) (Gen. 2:3). When entering the seventh day eve when sun sets on the sixth day, the prayer quotes the verse of the TaNaKh that explains why all activities should be stopped. "Yom shishi : sixth day. and, thus, were achieved, the heaven and the earth and all their array (Bereishit 2:1).
God made them to the fullest of their plenitude, which is explicit in the verb "Vayechullu". It does not mean that He had "finished" a task, a work. It states that the six day intense activity was a time of conceiving, constructing, shaping, breathing-in life and bringing-in a full autonomous and systematic. It could also function and be self-sufficient. This is why "asher bara la'asot - which He created in a continual process" is meaningful. Let's say that, God could have gone for a nap or a rest, not even the supposed 24 hours of Shabbat. The whole system and their numerous living, procreating devices and creatures could have stopped. We are perfectly aware that we exist and survive day by day, generation after generation by some automatically scheduled table that requires a repair or some adjustment from time to time. This is puzzling, precisely because God has accomplished, achieved His creation work. The root comes from "KOL/kolel/klal = fulfill, fulfillment. wholeness, entirety".
"Vaykhullu" has another meaning linked to what shows fulfillment according to the Jewish tradition. God "achieved" His work on the sixth day in the sense that it was "total and one, unique". So God shaped the universe, heaven and earth, with the substance of being a “bride – kallah” in two ways. Firstly, to be like a crown that ornaments the nature of the worlds as in Isaiah 49:18. Secondly, the perfect crown is figured out as the bride because she allows the bridegroom to continue this systematic action of creativity based on uniqueness and love. "The bride/kallah is to be found perfect in the house of her father-in-law" (Pessahim 87a). Kallah is also the name of the Great Assembly of the students who, like those in Babylon, study the Torah during the months of Adar and Ellul. God's Presence is spicy as the k’lah/uchla – the full measure of spices (Bava Betza III.62b).
This is why the sixth day is so meaningful for the Jewish tradition. It realizes to the whole what was already unique and one, singular on the first day, "yom echad - day one" and not "yom rishon" as we have it today for our weekly delays. In Hebrew (as in all Semitic languages), days are named by numbers from one to six. Modern Hebrew lined the initial creation day on the second, "rishon = first" sounds more coherent. And we have been launched in the whirling development of time in space. We may consider the biblical account of the 6 day creation as a tale. Still, it is certainly the best way to describe what happened in the realm of God’s big bang. The seventh day or "yom hashevi'i - Shabbat" implements and clarifies additional features of a "creative launching process". As if the "day one/yom echad" might, in the future, appear as the one and eighth day in terms of symbolic existence. Biblical Greek (Septuagint) and Latin (Vulgata) are of course based on the Hebrew day compute. There is no Sun-day, Moon-day, Fri-day (Frijadagur - (Freyja/Venus) wooing day) or Satur(ne)-day) = Laugardagur in Icelandic: "laundrying, washing, bathing day -Dan. Loerdag". Christianity - this is barely known even by the believers - has kept until now the Hebrew weekly compute to define the days and the hours for the prayers.
Thus, Friday (Gr. Paraskevi; Rus. Piatnitsa/5th day) is of major importance in Christianity since the very foundation of the faith that Jesus of Nazareth rose from the dead. Good Friday is Gr. Megali Paraskevi/Great Friday ('Sad' in Arabic) Germ. Karfreitag (Lamentation day) or Slavonic Strasnoi Piatok/stranaia Piatnitsa (Passion Friday/5th day), Scand. Long Friday. Jesus died at the some hours before the beginning of the Great Feast (Pesach). The Greek word is in the LXX as "the day of preparation to the Shabbat" is referred as Friday in all the Gospel (Matthew 27:62; Mark 15:42; Luke 23:54; John 19:14 (Nisan 14 = Pesach).
It means that the Yom shishi took place in a full Jewish and ritual context, still under control of a foreign occupation Roman Empire governor, soldiers coming from all possible nations of that huge empire. The whole account of Jesus judgment is fascinating because it shows the acuity of Jesus' words or silence in facing two heads of questionable institutions. Pontius Pilatus condemned him by fear then played the innocent. He sent Jesus to Caiaphas, the high priest but the Sanhedrin could hardly be decisional in the situation of occupation. The context is mostly biased in a unique messianic context. It is impossible to make any comparison with Shabtai Tzvi destiny or other false messiahs. In the case of Good Friday, it does correspond to the bridal end day of the creation of the world and the preparation to resting... thus not dying, but being prolonged over the apparent stop, cease. The women had brought the spices (cf. k’lah) for his embalming (Luke 23:55).
It is quite impossible for the Jewish Israeli society in which we live to positively consider in the present any link between Yom shishi/Friday - entrance of the Shabbat and Good Friday. Ecumenical movements showed after World War II with strong interests for the ties that do exist and cannot be cancelled or denied between Judaism and Christianity. In this field, we are lying in some cradle of understanding, at some blurred dawn of a possible encounter that cannot be escaped. It will require centuries of patience and a lot of mutual humbleness.
The split between Judaism and Christianity does show with persistence and violence (bedin: with violence and unwillingly) hesitating between friendship, total ignorance or dreamy love and peace utopia. The recent change that Pope Benedict XVI decided with regards to the classical Good Friday Tridentine prayer mainly tends to ban the reading of the prayer as printed in the old books printed in Latin because it is the standard language of the Roman Church. Pope John XXIII had suppressed the words "Let us pray for the perfidious Jews (pro perfidis Judaeis)" in 1960.
Now, the version of the prayer said on Good Friday in the Roman Catholic Church after the final publication of the text in 1970 (Pope Paul VI) is thus: "1. Let us pray for the Jewish people, the first to hear the word of God, that they may continue to grow in the love of His Name and in faithfulness to His covenant. 2. Almighty and eternal God, long ago you gave your promise to Abraham and his posterity. Listen to your Church as we pray that the people you first made your own may arrive at the fullness of redemption..."
This change only concerns and is only observed by the Latin rite part of the Roman Church. The Oriental Churches have not revised any text. It would have presupposed the union of the Orthodox Churches and their agreement that was not possible for political and mostly theological positions. The new authorized Catholic Tridentine text states: "1. Let us also pray for the Jews: That our God and Lord may illuminate their hearts, that they acknowledge Jesus Christ is the Savior of all men. 2. Almighty and eternal God, who want that all men be saved and come to the recognition of the truth, propitiously grant that even as the fullness of the peoples enters Thy Church, all Israel be saved. Through Christ Our Lord. Amen" (Vatican, 2008).
There are positive expressions scattered in many Latin rite prayers (e.g. "the Israelite dignity" for Easter). All suggest that the Jews should confess and recognize the Savior. Thus, all the Churches call the Jews to convert to the Christian Creed. In this matter, we cannot be blind or keep parroting that this has been canceled. Some Churches would stop baptizing because they are afraid of Israeli or Muslim protests. Fear has nothing to do with faith, freedom of conscience, respect of the souls. Israel still bears, for a long time, the wounds and scars of the nails of the Cross.
Yom shishi - Friday as Good Friday is and remains a bridal day, a day of preparation to rejoicing and faith. Every Friday, Jews enter the time of rest, repose, calm and peace. This remains for all a day of fulfillment.
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Vayakhel: the real taste of All Israel
Thursday Feb 28, 2008
Shall we have some snow or not in Jerusalem before Shabbat Vayakhel-Pekudei? People seem chilly these days after some snow, at least in Jerusalem. The real weather forecast states that spring-summer are near and usually they show when the youths will wear cotton T-shirts letting the navel breathe with full visibility. Clothing and fashion are again on the spot in the reading portions of this week: firstly parshat hashavua Vayakhel (Shemot 35:1-38:20 - And then Moses convoked) followed by Pekudei (Shemot 38:21-40:38 - These are the records of the Tabernacle). This long series of verses describing how to construct the Mishkan (Tabernacle - God's dwelling) is not a reprint of what God had instructed to carry out before the "chet HaEgel - the sin of the golden calf". There are similarities and more: we assist to a hammering party. Each letter is screwed, nailed and hooked into the building process so that every human being could understand what implies that God has His Dwelling among the Israelites.
Israelis progressively forget that they did live in huts, cabins, huge tents (ma'abarot) or caravans. I still know several people who - maybe for some personal reasons - continue to live in odd caravans. A lot of people are rather lodged in third-rate conditions, in hotels. There have been a lot of progress since Trumpeldor's time (1916) and Golda Meir's installation near the swamps. In 1975, visiting in Vienna (Austria) a place for the homeless and refugees, we had been astonished that everywhere people were up-to-the-minute as regards cloths and fashion and they had access to all sorts of TV satellites. The situation is rather similar today even if Israel has to face a permanent fight against poverty, hunger, lack of food, health protection, the increasing amount of homeless. We are mutating to down-sliding impoverishment, need and insolvency. Still, the Israeli society is basically rich and wealthy. Our frenzy consumption, credit and monetary corruption show that we line with other spoiled economic systems; this was definitely not at the heart of the ingathering of the Jews in Eretz Israel. True, a lot for people are compelled to live humbly, with much restricted resources and, at the same time, they must acculturate to a country on build. Whether secular, partly religious, the Israeli society was born because of the ethical, spiritual hardships overcome in the course of the Exodus and the construction of the Mishkan. This was certainly not a political prime TV show news with politic-dealers. When we consider today Nahmanide’s famous words "that the Book of Exodus deals with the first exile... and the redemption of it" we maybe find the phrase true, intriguing, questioning, arousing or rubbish. It sounds like a professional statement for rabbis and Co Ltd. Faith becomes at the present a job or a way to learn the Jewish traditions without being involved professionally or socially. Politics save the universe with Heads of the States summits that replace Antiquity’s gods and goddesses banquets. They have nothing to resolve and too many fledging advisors to feed.
At the present, the Israeli society would have to make an enormous spiritual effort to read the Torah portions of this week with total confidence in God alone. The Jewish community has - also scattered throughout the world - simple "anay'im - simple believers", that love the Torah and the Mitzvot with such insights as to feel that nothing will ever shake fundamentals. We pathetically need some spiritual voices to clearly prove and be heard that this week of reading the end of the Exodus should let us reconsider how the Shekhinah/Divine Presence descending on the Tabernacle is calling us to get out of "galut - exile and reach ge'ulah - redemption". We desperately need the kind of guy or girl (quite a possible sketch today) who somehow is like David, the incognito youngest child, the real mentsh (humane human being w/heart), not head over heels self-willed and stiff-necked. Candidate(s) should only have heard of the Torah, the Mishkan (Tabernacle) and be maven (have expertise in good heart).
"A'nan" is a very precious word in the TaNaKh and the Talmud. It means "to make cloudy" as we say "yom me'unan = cloudy day" (Yoma 28b, Nega’im 2,2), or "to gather clouds, augur from clouds" (Targum 2 Kings 21:6; Luke 12:54 refers to weather and times and delays forecast). The root is linked to "anah - to answer = begin to speak" as in "and all (the cless) repeated each sentence after him" (Sota 5,20c). "me'uneh = fasting" (Toseft. Taanit 2,7). This explains the connection with "ani = poor, humble": "if one has an enemy, does one wish him to be poor or rich?" (Milah 17a) and : "The Jews became poor again" (Ketubot 33a) or : "Let the poor be members of your household (Avot 1,5). The word 'anan' is very often used in the sens of 'protection, cover' such as in this interesting verse: "as long as Sarah lived, a cloud was tied (anan kashur) over the entrance of her tent and when she died, the cloud ceased" (Bereishit Rabba 60). This verse encompasses all the future developments relating to the Shechinah/Divine Presence and indeed the construction of the Mishkan., then the Temples/Batey Mikdash. The word is also to be found throughout the life, ministry and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth and in most epistles as a specific mention of the Spirit and the Divine Presence. In the Song of the Songs (2:6):" "his right arm embraces me' that means the cloud of the Divine Presence in the world-to-come" (Shir Rabba). Moses gathered, convoked the Israelites (vayakhel), i.e. he showed to fulfillment of the Kahal - Holy Congregation (cf. blogs "Kahal/12/18/07 - Kehilah/07/01/07"). God gave ordinances, mitzvot and the people deviated.
Human herd instinct is trivial and prefers molten materials. they think they can manipulate such stuff. Even quixotic personae would not imagine to put a portion of cloud into a fridge... We do sell fresh Jerusalem air box. We want to own God. we could put Him into some box. No way! Moses does check that the Mishkan /Tabernacle is perfect according to God's requirements. Still, God covers the Holy Place with His Shechinah in the shape of a cloud that no man can hook or capture.
The parshat Vayakhel (reading) starts with the heart of what the Kahal/Whole Congregation means for the Jewish tradition: "On six days work may be done, but on the seventh day you shall have a Shabbat of complete rest, holy to the Lord; whoever does any work on it shall be put to death" (Ex. 35:2). The Ten Paroles do not require to murder a person who trespassed this commandment. But the Shabbat is not something that vaguely starts from Thursday afternoon to some indefinite Friday or Friday afternoon and stumbles between a "sof shavua = week end" that would sound like a "British tea time break" The Shabbat does not belong to any human being (Mark 2:27), cannot be postponed whatever tricky games we may do with our clocks. Anyway, God’s Presence "thickens His Presence" with specific solar, lunar and time schedules that will overshadow the world with a "neshamah yetara - additional soul surplus, or Divine Presence surplus" (Shemot 40:35). It took one year from the Rosh chodashim (beginning of all months) and the first day of month Nissan. Just as money, economics, socializing with God is on constant fluctuation. God obliged, requested His people to build His Dwelling with perfection: this means they had to go far beyond any idols. They had to be moltenin in order to become good-hearted and "tender". They built the Tabernacle. There were seemingly no more gold rings and accessories roasted with the calf. The half-shekel participation served to make the hooks for the pillars of the Mishkan (Ex. 38:28). Good. Then, God will for ever cover them with clouds and the Shabbat. Rashi thought - true in the Galut (diaspora) - that the TaNaKh should commence with the "rosh chodashim - the beginning of all months" and the Feast of Pesach. He mainly lived and studied the Scriptures in France and Germany, i.e. in a Christianized area.
We are not in the same situation in the State of Israel. To begin with, we are not in the diaspora, but we often behave as if we never knew that Eretz Israel was in our bones and minds throughout the dispersion. The prayers for rains or good harvesting in Jewish tradition are calling to God for Eretz Israel, then for any other place in the world. But this is not a DNA nationalistic ethnical, "my culture-my tongue-not yours" claim to God or a notice of strike action. God continues to show His clouds. The Shabbat is not Jewish, Israeli. It introduces the Community to the perfect achievement of the creation and comes to abide the whole world from week to week.
This is the challenge we have to face in Israel. This is why the Sages acted with much insights and wisdom. They decided that the TaNaKh does start with the Book of Genesis/Bereishit and the shaping of the first "universal" human beings. Not only that: The genesis of Passover is not in the Book of Exodus. The Book is that of the Name/Shemot of those who were the descent of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Israel did not originate with the Mishkan, nor the Exodus, but the faith of God in all His creation and Jacob's wrestling and dream of a ladder. The commandment of the Shabbat states: "You shall not do any work - you, your son or daughter, your male or female slave, your cattle, the stranger who is within your settlements" (Ex. 20:10). Oh, we are very good at twisting this commandment. Whatever sort of human we are, the Shabbat invisibly engraves God's Presence in time. Some Chassidic rabbis said they would, in the absence of any reference point, be able to recognize the time of the Shabbat. We feel its presence.
This presupposes that we can be open, not scared by others or the liberty provided by God. Some people would then think the situation is unbearable. Puzzling, what! With all the nations and spiritual denominations present in Israel, it would mean something like a 28 hours total break? Rashi said that the "Gentiles of our generation are not ovdey zara" - idolaters (he meant the "Christians"). Now, it might be a plus to have some Christians who seem to work on Shabbat. Then Muslims stop on Fridays. Mutual authentic recognition and consideration do not rely on economic or emergency situations. They have more to do with how we can get aware that we live under the same clouds.
Each year, the Christian Orthodox have a special memorial celebration on the Sunday before Great Lent. On this Sunday, there is a special call to remember all the souls who lived and returned to God. We forget that we don't live in a culture of death. This was maybe possible before the One God has been announced throughout the world. We live in a culture of testing, temptation: some have killed God and would like to revive Him. Then they think they own God, which is a nonsense. On the fourth Sunday of Great Lent, the Byzantine Church commemorates a Syrian monk, saint John Climax (7th c.) who spent his life in the Sinai and wrote "The Ladder of Divine Ascent" that combats laziness (akadia), apathy (apatheia) and proposes to contemplate Easter as an elevating process. He was abbot at Raitho, not far from the place where Moses proposed this spiritual ascent to the Israelites. Yes, this week we are challenged to show that we are true humans.
Shall we have some snow or not in Jerusalem before Shabbat Vayakhel-Pekudei? People seem chilly these days after some snow, at least in Jerusalem. The real weather forecast states that spring-summer are near and usually they show when the youths will wear cotton T-shirts letting the navel breathe with full visibility. Clothing and fashion are again on the spot in the reading portions of this week: firstly parshat hashavua Vayakhel (Shemot 35:1-38:20 - And then Moses convoked) followed by Pekudei (Shemot 38:21-40:38 - These are the records of the Tabernacle). This long series of verses describing how to construct the Mishkan (Tabernacle - God's dwelling) is not a reprint of what God had instructed to carry out before the "chet HaEgel - the sin of the golden calf". There are similarities and more: we assist to a hammering party. Each letter is screwed, nailed and hooked into the building process so that every human being could understand what implies that God has His Dwelling among the Israelites.
Israelis progressively forget that they did live in huts, cabins, huge tents (ma'abarot) or caravans. I still know several people who - maybe for some personal reasons - continue to live in odd caravans. A lot of people are rather lodged in third-rate conditions, in hotels. There have been a lot of progress since Trumpeldor's time (1916) and Golda Meir's installation near the swamps. In 1975, visiting in Vienna (Austria) a place for the homeless and refugees, we had been astonished that everywhere people were up-to-the-minute as regards cloths and fashion and they had access to all sorts of TV satellites. The situation is rather similar today even if Israel has to face a permanent fight against poverty, hunger, lack of food, health protection, the increasing amount of homeless. We are mutating to down-sliding impoverishment, need and insolvency. Still, the Israeli society is basically rich and wealthy. Our frenzy consumption, credit and monetary corruption show that we line with other spoiled economic systems; this was definitely not at the heart of the ingathering of the Jews in Eretz Israel. True, a lot for people are compelled to live humbly, with much restricted resources and, at the same time, they must acculturate to a country on build. Whether secular, partly religious, the Israeli society was born because of the ethical, spiritual hardships overcome in the course of the Exodus and the construction of the Mishkan. This was certainly not a political prime TV show news with politic-dealers. When we consider today Nahmanide’s famous words "that the Book of Exodus deals with the first exile... and the redemption of it" we maybe find the phrase true, intriguing, questioning, arousing or rubbish. It sounds like a professional statement for rabbis and Co Ltd. Faith becomes at the present a job or a way to learn the Jewish traditions without being involved professionally or socially. Politics save the universe with Heads of the States summits that replace Antiquity’s gods and goddesses banquets. They have nothing to resolve and too many fledging advisors to feed.
At the present, the Israeli society would have to make an enormous spiritual effort to read the Torah portions of this week with total confidence in God alone. The Jewish community has - also scattered throughout the world - simple "anay'im - simple believers", that love the Torah and the Mitzvot with such insights as to feel that nothing will ever shake fundamentals. We pathetically need some spiritual voices to clearly prove and be heard that this week of reading the end of the Exodus should let us reconsider how the Shekhinah/Divine Presence descending on the Tabernacle is calling us to get out of "galut - exile and reach ge'ulah - redemption". We desperately need the kind of guy or girl (quite a possible sketch today) who somehow is like David, the incognito youngest child, the real mentsh (humane human being w/heart), not head over heels self-willed and stiff-necked. Candidate(s) should only have heard of the Torah, the Mishkan (Tabernacle) and be maven (have expertise in good heart).
"A'nan" is a very precious word in the TaNaKh and the Talmud. It means "to make cloudy" as we say "yom me'unan = cloudy day" (Yoma 28b, Nega’im 2,2), or "to gather clouds, augur from clouds" (Targum 2 Kings 21:6; Luke 12:54 refers to weather and times and delays forecast). The root is linked to "anah - to answer = begin to speak" as in "and all (the cless) repeated each sentence after him" (Sota 5,20c). "me'uneh = fasting" (Toseft. Taanit 2,7). This explains the connection with "ani = poor, humble": "if one has an enemy, does one wish him to be poor or rich?" (Milah 17a) and : "The Jews became poor again" (Ketubot 33a) or : "Let the poor be members of your household (Avot 1,5). The word 'anan' is very often used in the sens of 'protection, cover' such as in this interesting verse: "as long as Sarah lived, a cloud was tied (anan kashur) over the entrance of her tent and when she died, the cloud ceased" (Bereishit Rabba 60). This verse encompasses all the future developments relating to the Shechinah/Divine Presence and indeed the construction of the Mishkan., then the Temples/Batey Mikdash. The word is also to be found throughout the life, ministry and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth and in most epistles as a specific mention of the Spirit and the Divine Presence. In the Song of the Songs (2:6):" "his right arm embraces me' that means the cloud of the Divine Presence in the world-to-come" (Shir Rabba). Moses gathered, convoked the Israelites (vayakhel), i.e. he showed to fulfillment of the Kahal - Holy Congregation (cf. blogs "Kahal/12/18/07 - Kehilah/07/01/07"). God gave ordinances, mitzvot and the people deviated.
Human herd instinct is trivial and prefers molten materials. they think they can manipulate such stuff. Even quixotic personae would not imagine to put a portion of cloud into a fridge... We do sell fresh Jerusalem air box. We want to own God. we could put Him into some box. No way! Moses does check that the Mishkan /Tabernacle is perfect according to God's requirements. Still, God covers the Holy Place with His Shechinah in the shape of a cloud that no man can hook or capture.
The parshat Vayakhel (reading) starts with the heart of what the Kahal/Whole Congregation means for the Jewish tradition: "On six days work may be done, but on the seventh day you shall have a Shabbat of complete rest, holy to the Lord; whoever does any work on it shall be put to death" (Ex. 35:2). The Ten Paroles do not require to murder a person who trespassed this commandment. But the Shabbat is not something that vaguely starts from Thursday afternoon to some indefinite Friday or Friday afternoon and stumbles between a "sof shavua = week end" that would sound like a "British tea time break" The Shabbat does not belong to any human being (Mark 2:27), cannot be postponed whatever tricky games we may do with our clocks. Anyway, God’s Presence "thickens His Presence" with specific solar, lunar and time schedules that will overshadow the world with a "neshamah yetara - additional soul surplus, or Divine Presence surplus" (Shemot 40:35). It took one year from the Rosh chodashim (beginning of all months) and the first day of month Nissan. Just as money, economics, socializing with God is on constant fluctuation. God obliged, requested His people to build His Dwelling with perfection: this means they had to go far beyond any idols. They had to be moltenin in order to become good-hearted and "tender". They built the Tabernacle. There were seemingly no more gold rings and accessories roasted with the calf. The half-shekel participation served to make the hooks for the pillars of the Mishkan (Ex. 38:28). Good. Then, God will for ever cover them with clouds and the Shabbat. Rashi thought - true in the Galut (diaspora) - that the TaNaKh should commence with the "rosh chodashim - the beginning of all months" and the Feast of Pesach. He mainly lived and studied the Scriptures in France and Germany, i.e. in a Christianized area.
We are not in the same situation in the State of Israel. To begin with, we are not in the diaspora, but we often behave as if we never knew that Eretz Israel was in our bones and minds throughout the dispersion. The prayers for rains or good harvesting in Jewish tradition are calling to God for Eretz Israel, then for any other place in the world. But this is not a DNA nationalistic ethnical, "my culture-my tongue-not yours" claim to God or a notice of strike action. God continues to show His clouds. The Shabbat is not Jewish, Israeli. It introduces the Community to the perfect achievement of the creation and comes to abide the whole world from week to week.
This is the challenge we have to face in Israel. This is why the Sages acted with much insights and wisdom. They decided that the TaNaKh does start with the Book of Genesis/Bereishit and the shaping of the first "universal" human beings. Not only that: The genesis of Passover is not in the Book of Exodus. The Book is that of the Name/Shemot of those who were the descent of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Israel did not originate with the Mishkan, nor the Exodus, but the faith of God in all His creation and Jacob's wrestling and dream of a ladder. The commandment of the Shabbat states: "You shall not do any work - you, your son or daughter, your male or female slave, your cattle, the stranger who is within your settlements" (Ex. 20:10). Oh, we are very good at twisting this commandment. Whatever sort of human we are, the Shabbat invisibly engraves God's Presence in time. Some Chassidic rabbis said they would, in the absence of any reference point, be able to recognize the time of the Shabbat. We feel its presence.
This presupposes that we can be open, not scared by others or the liberty provided by God. Some people would then think the situation is unbearable. Puzzling, what! With all the nations and spiritual denominations present in Israel, it would mean something like a 28 hours total break? Rashi said that the "Gentiles of our generation are not ovdey zara" - idolaters (he meant the "Christians"). Now, it might be a plus to have some Christians who seem to work on Shabbat. Then Muslims stop on Fridays. Mutual authentic recognition and consideration do not rely on economic or emergency situations. They have more to do with how we can get aware that we live under the same clouds.
Each year, the Christian Orthodox have a special memorial celebration on the Sunday before Great Lent. On this Sunday, there is a special call to remember all the souls who lived and returned to God. We forget that we don't live in a culture of death. This was maybe possible before the One God has been announced throughout the world. We live in a culture of testing, temptation: some have killed God and would like to revive Him. Then they think they own God, which is a nonsense. On the fourth Sunday of Great Lent, the Byzantine Church commemorates a Syrian monk, saint John Climax (7th c.) who spent his life in the Sinai and wrote "The Ladder of Divine Ascent" that combats laziness (akadia), apathy (apatheia) and proposes to contemplate Easter as an elevating process. He was abbot at Raitho, not far from the place where Moses proposed this spiritual ascent to the Israelites. Yes, this week we are challenged to show that we are true humans.
Chazarah: Turn back
Thursday Feb 21, 2008
A lot of things are read this Shabbat which includes two parshiyot shavua/reading portions: the first weekly reading refers to Shabbat "Ki Tissa - When you take (a census of the Israelite people)" (Shemot 30:11-34:35) - the second Shabbat is one of the four special Shabbatot before Pesach: Shabbat Parah dealing with the Red Heifer (Parah Adumah) described for the ritual of purification thirty days before the Feast of Passover(Bemidbar/Numbers 19:1-22). The haftarah -Prophets' portion is read from the Book of Ezekiel 36:16-38 and adds some intensity to the requirement to get clean, renewed before the Feast of Pesach.
Forty days ago, the Israelites were on the move to Mount Sinai. We already discussed the problem of faith, confidence, spleen and regret for having abandoned Egypt, slavery and the local onions. Finally, they agreed to "nishma' vena'aseh - to do and to listen" to God's words and commandments and launched big building works, firstly with the construction of the Mishkan (Dwelling of the Shechinah - the Divine Presence). Last week, the Israelites helped Aaron and his sons to be correctly clothed for the sacrifices and ensure their priestly functions. This was more a sort of fashion and accessories design. This week, the pure and neat divine design mitzvot/commandments ordered by God turn to a twofold design process: God in person engraved the Ten Divrot (Ten Paroles) on two tablets and handed them down to Moses. But Aaron, harassed by wild crowds, voraciously hungry for "worshipping", had collected all the gold rings the people had brought from Egypt to melt them into a deity around which they started to have festive meals. They invoked the metallic egel/calf after having offered to him burnt-offerings. This fake-god fashion design ordered by the priest Aaron shows how people can easily go wild or mad when they lose a strong and authentic direction toward God. In Egypt as in the Sumerian civilizations, men and women could be covered with rings, bracelets, necklaces of gold, silver, whatsoever. We have the same and some males and females can be totally pierced with such accessories.
Haircut, fashion, piercing may be a must for some people raving up in light-flashing discotheques, maybe with one idol for the night. Many non-pierced groups with visionary mentors would also rage together around sculptures made of wood, precious stones or metals.This is more an instinctive belly-call as shown in the reading portion: festive meals, gluttony, offerings that can turn to be today rhythmically correct by using wildlife protection incenses, soul music and a soupcon of religiosity.
We are 29 days before the Feast of Purim and indeed the question to know whether we might or not feel the presence of the absence of God. The question is pending: can we play the fool with God’ actions, be He present (HaMakom = the Omnipresent) or "Hester panim - hiding (His) Face)". This weekly portion includes 22 times the word Panim (Face) as referring to God. The major question is to envision God as the Only Giver. He may be present, absent, speak or keep silent: "Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh" - I shall be(come) the fulfillment of Who I am (becoming) as He stated to Moses (Ex. 3:14). But "egel - calf" has a lot of rabbinic backgrounds that are presuppose our desires for cults, absence of deity and slowness to seek God's Face. It maybe hard at times to acknowledge we were shaped in His Image.
"The day the Israelites made the golden calf in the desert was ominous to Israel" (Shabbat 1, 17). The Mishkan (Tabernacle) and the priestly clothes were God's commandments. The gold rings boiled into a calf consisted in making a farce of what God had ordered. We face the same problem at the present. "Agal" means "to make round, circle" as the "agulah = a round heap of debris"(Pessahim 8,36a) and "agalta" = "the head-star of the Ox" (Taurus, Steer) (Berachot 58b) that still can be fixed by the "eglah - red heifer" (Kiddushin 8a).
In the meantime, Moses is urged by the living God to go down the mountain! Is there a kind of subtle divine jealousy? God had written His Words on the Tablets (Luchot) and He had given them to Moses. And down the mount, Moses saw from afar this roaring knees-up with the calf of gold. The trustworthy Yehoshua accompanied Moses who shattered the Tablets. Is it possible? Two gods to be destroyed face to face. Because Moshe did break God Himself as he burst into fragments the Divine Luchot (tablets). And he ordered to burn the beast. On the one hand, God's autograph was reduced to nil by the Prophet while the priest grilled up the last jewels brought from Egypt. They were gone with the wind, as the onions of the Nile. On the other hand, God could not accept to be beaten by molten deities. Again, He convokes Moses to the mount and gives him two new Tablets. Bringing them down to the Israelites, Moses could not see that his face was radiant "ki karen or panav alav" because he had spoken with God (Shemot 34:29.30). "Karen" has the same root as "keren - horn" or the trumpets that sound, echo and explode into rays, also with much light. He brought the two new Tablets, i.e. that God sparkles and mirrors His glory as Moses had approached Him. The fragments of the two Tablets were taken to the Land of Canaan in the Tabernacle. The word "luach" has multifold meanings. In Modern Hebrew, "luach haz'manim = time-table, schedule". There is an interesting saying: "The second Luchot/Tablets and the broken Luchot were both preserved in the ark, so don't despise an old scholar when his memory forsakes him" (Berachot 9b, Bava Bathra 14a).
Our memory may be affected by some troubles. Alzheimer sounds a modern disease. Memory was imperiled when humans got aware of the fact they can think. Our daily life and various commitments exert a real pressure. It often causes dramatic damages on our memories. Judaism acknowledges that the Torah is the only genuine and reliable sign of the God's Presence and Existence. Humans have destroyed documents. Moses shattered the Tablets.
"Luach = agenda" and means that God was dating (it is indeed a love affair) in a very special way with the Israelites. It is difficult to line along with an agenda. Both sides cannot look at each other immediately. Then, Moses had disappeared for a very long time. So let's go dating with the one we molt. It is much easier, "do-it-yourself". And the calf might have the profile we want him to have. This is a major issue in our spiritual tendencies to bleat like sheep and goats flocking up with our pundits. This Tablet dating rendez-vous that God progressively proposed to the Israelites is unique in history. This love affair has been tragic at times. It still develops, beyond all ages, an unparalleled love and life affair. The "Luchot/Tablets" were legible from both sides. It means that the Torah is open to all the universe as God truly is the "Melech Ha'olam - King of the universe".
Except one letter in the Book of Jeremiah, the Torah has preciously been safeguarded over thousands of years. It is our privilege and mostly the responsibility of our generation that the children of Israel return en masse to Eretz Israel. This is only a part of what the Jewish Traditions. From the date at Mount Sinai, the Jewish people were taught to abandoned everything and thus never to despair. This is a teaching shared for the sake of all human beings, without distinction. We lost the Land, our independence, the Temples. We have the Torah and how to be faithful to God's Commandments. It is amazing that we still could not breed a "red heifer - parah adumah" also compared as a counter-poison to the golden calf.
We live in a country where bank accounts are lodged in the weirdest tax havens of the world. Official services would only accept payments in cash to avoiding real bookkeeping. Nonetheless, the chetzi-shekel (half-shekel) would allow the census of the adults and measure a collectivity, making each Jew a full partner to another one. We have the Torah and we are born to recall and understand how and why God was destroyed in His writing and in the shape of a fake worthless golden calf. On the other hand, the Luchot/Tablets can hang around our necks, be engraved on rings: they are the legitimate mark of God’s Presence that can reach out to every Jew throughout the world and the betterment of ethics and maybe correct us in the many turbulences that affect our complex societal situation.
The Christian Orthodox Church will commemorate "The Sunday of the Prodigal Son" (Luke 15: 11-32).This is the third week of the Great Lent for the Roman Catholic Church. The Eastern Orthodox Church starts it later. But it is a time of reflection on turning back to God. Jesus gives a "mashal - enigmatic account" that is well-known: a man had two sons. One of them decides to ask his heritage and to live on his own. He goes on a trip, a sort of Indian journey or Himalayan trekking on dad's money. Because the problem is that he doe not understand what it means to be an heir and manage a heritage. Finally, he got penniless, without the assistance of our new style two New Shekel coin, the cute shnekel... Spent everything in gluttonies, with women and he was about to eat the karub grains left for swines. He did not want to work. So he got a brilliant, great idea: turn back home (lachzor = to return; chazarah: return, chazir: pork, recurrent sign of uncleanness) and ask for forgiveness to his father. And the father, told that his son is back after having wasted everything, gives him his ring (the power over his house and properties), ordered to kill the fatted calf and to make a banquet because his son "was dead and he is back, he was away and he is living". The brother is so jealous. But the father tells him that they never separated and he never asked anything. But this other one was dead.
The departed do not return home to be welcomed that way. It is because we have a poor conscience of how wonders can turn weirdest hells into blessings. Struggle for survival may erase from our minds that God does pardon the wildest sins...The problem is find how this has nothing to do with a lotto-bingo, and still...
A lot of things are read this Shabbat which includes two parshiyot shavua/reading portions: the first weekly reading refers to Shabbat "Ki Tissa - When you take (a census of the Israelite people)" (Shemot 30:11-34:35) - the second Shabbat is one of the four special Shabbatot before Pesach: Shabbat Parah dealing with the Red Heifer (Parah Adumah) described for the ritual of purification thirty days before the Feast of Passover(Bemidbar/Numbers 19:1-22). The haftarah -Prophets' portion is read from the Book of Ezekiel 36:16-38 and adds some intensity to the requirement to get clean, renewed before the Feast of Pesach.
Forty days ago, the Israelites were on the move to Mount Sinai. We already discussed the problem of faith, confidence, spleen and regret for having abandoned Egypt, slavery and the local onions. Finally, they agreed to "nishma' vena'aseh - to do and to listen" to God's words and commandments and launched big building works, firstly with the construction of the Mishkan (Dwelling of the Shechinah - the Divine Presence). Last week, the Israelites helped Aaron and his sons to be correctly clothed for the sacrifices and ensure their priestly functions. This was more a sort of fashion and accessories design. This week, the pure and neat divine design mitzvot/commandments ordered by God turn to a twofold design process: God in person engraved the Ten Divrot (Ten Paroles) on two tablets and handed them down to Moses. But Aaron, harassed by wild crowds, voraciously hungry for "worshipping", had collected all the gold rings the people had brought from Egypt to melt them into a deity around which they started to have festive meals. They invoked the metallic egel/calf after having offered to him burnt-offerings. This fake-god fashion design ordered by the priest Aaron shows how people can easily go wild or mad when they lose a strong and authentic direction toward God. In Egypt as in the Sumerian civilizations, men and women could be covered with rings, bracelets, necklaces of gold, silver, whatsoever. We have the same and some males and females can be totally pierced with such accessories.
Haircut, fashion, piercing may be a must for some people raving up in light-flashing discotheques, maybe with one idol for the night. Many non-pierced groups with visionary mentors would also rage together around sculptures made of wood, precious stones or metals.This is more an instinctive belly-call as shown in the reading portion: festive meals, gluttony, offerings that can turn to be today rhythmically correct by using wildlife protection incenses, soul music and a soupcon of religiosity.
We are 29 days before the Feast of Purim and indeed the question to know whether we might or not feel the presence of the absence of God. The question is pending: can we play the fool with God’ actions, be He present (HaMakom = the Omnipresent) or "Hester panim - hiding (His) Face)". This weekly portion includes 22 times the word Panim (Face) as referring to God. The major question is to envision God as the Only Giver. He may be present, absent, speak or keep silent: "Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh" - I shall be(come) the fulfillment of Who I am (becoming) as He stated to Moses (Ex. 3:14). But "egel - calf" has a lot of rabbinic backgrounds that are presuppose our desires for cults, absence of deity and slowness to seek God's Face. It maybe hard at times to acknowledge we were shaped in His Image.
"The day the Israelites made the golden calf in the desert was ominous to Israel" (Shabbat 1, 17). The Mishkan (Tabernacle) and the priestly clothes were God's commandments. The gold rings boiled into a calf consisted in making a farce of what God had ordered. We face the same problem at the present. "Agal" means "to make round, circle" as the "agulah = a round heap of debris"(Pessahim 8,36a) and "agalta" = "the head-star of the Ox" (Taurus, Steer) (Berachot 58b) that still can be fixed by the "eglah - red heifer" (Kiddushin 8a).
In the meantime, Moses is urged by the living God to go down the mountain! Is there a kind of subtle divine jealousy? God had written His Words on the Tablets (Luchot) and He had given them to Moses. And down the mount, Moses saw from afar this roaring knees-up with the calf of gold. The trustworthy Yehoshua accompanied Moses who shattered the Tablets. Is it possible? Two gods to be destroyed face to face. Because Moshe did break God Himself as he burst into fragments the Divine Luchot (tablets). And he ordered to burn the beast. On the one hand, God's autograph was reduced to nil by the Prophet while the priest grilled up the last jewels brought from Egypt. They were gone with the wind, as the onions of the Nile. On the other hand, God could not accept to be beaten by molten deities. Again, He convokes Moses to the mount and gives him two new Tablets. Bringing them down to the Israelites, Moses could not see that his face was radiant "ki karen or panav alav" because he had spoken with God (Shemot 34:29.30). "Karen" has the same root as "keren - horn" or the trumpets that sound, echo and explode into rays, also with much light. He brought the two new Tablets, i.e. that God sparkles and mirrors His glory as Moses had approached Him. The fragments of the two Tablets were taken to the Land of Canaan in the Tabernacle. The word "luach" has multifold meanings. In Modern Hebrew, "luach haz'manim = time-table, schedule". There is an interesting saying: "The second Luchot/Tablets and the broken Luchot were both preserved in the ark, so don't despise an old scholar when his memory forsakes him" (Berachot 9b, Bava Bathra 14a).
Our memory may be affected by some troubles. Alzheimer sounds a modern disease. Memory was imperiled when humans got aware of the fact they can think. Our daily life and various commitments exert a real pressure. It often causes dramatic damages on our memories. Judaism acknowledges that the Torah is the only genuine and reliable sign of the God's Presence and Existence. Humans have destroyed documents. Moses shattered the Tablets.
"Luach = agenda" and means that God was dating (it is indeed a love affair) in a very special way with the Israelites. It is difficult to line along with an agenda. Both sides cannot look at each other immediately. Then, Moses had disappeared for a very long time. So let's go dating with the one we molt. It is much easier, "do-it-yourself". And the calf might have the profile we want him to have. This is a major issue in our spiritual tendencies to bleat like sheep and goats flocking up with our pundits. This Tablet dating rendez-vous that God progressively proposed to the Israelites is unique in history. This love affair has been tragic at times. It still develops, beyond all ages, an unparalleled love and life affair. The "Luchot/Tablets" were legible from both sides. It means that the Torah is open to all the universe as God truly is the "Melech Ha'olam - King of the universe".
Except one letter in the Book of Jeremiah, the Torah has preciously been safeguarded over thousands of years. It is our privilege and mostly the responsibility of our generation that the children of Israel return en masse to Eretz Israel. This is only a part of what the Jewish Traditions. From the date at Mount Sinai, the Jewish people were taught to abandoned everything and thus never to despair. This is a teaching shared for the sake of all human beings, without distinction. We lost the Land, our independence, the Temples. We have the Torah and how to be faithful to God's Commandments. It is amazing that we still could not breed a "red heifer - parah adumah" also compared as a counter-poison to the golden calf.
We live in a country where bank accounts are lodged in the weirdest tax havens of the world. Official services would only accept payments in cash to avoiding real bookkeeping. Nonetheless, the chetzi-shekel (half-shekel) would allow the census of the adults and measure a collectivity, making each Jew a full partner to another one. We have the Torah and we are born to recall and understand how and why God was destroyed in His writing and in the shape of a fake worthless golden calf. On the other hand, the Luchot/Tablets can hang around our necks, be engraved on rings: they are the legitimate mark of God’s Presence that can reach out to every Jew throughout the world and the betterment of ethics and maybe correct us in the many turbulences that affect our complex societal situation.
The Christian Orthodox Church will commemorate "The Sunday of the Prodigal Son" (Luke 15: 11-32).This is the third week of the Great Lent for the Roman Catholic Church. The Eastern Orthodox Church starts it later. But it is a time of reflection on turning back to God. Jesus gives a "mashal - enigmatic account" that is well-known: a man had two sons. One of them decides to ask his heritage and to live on his own. He goes on a trip, a sort of Indian journey or Himalayan trekking on dad's money. Because the problem is that he doe not understand what it means to be an heir and manage a heritage. Finally, he got penniless, without the assistance of our new style two New Shekel coin, the cute shnekel... Spent everything in gluttonies, with women and he was about to eat the karub grains left for swines. He did not want to work. So he got a brilliant, great idea: turn back home (lachzor = to return; chazarah: return, chazir: pork, recurrent sign of uncleanness) and ask for forgiveness to his father. And the father, told that his son is back after having wasted everything, gives him his ring (the power over his house and properties), ordered to kill the fatted calf and to make a banquet because his son "was dead and he is back, he was away and he is living". The brother is so jealous. But the father tells him that they never separated and he never asked anything. But this other one was dead.
The departed do not return home to be welcomed that way. It is because we have a poor conscience of how wonders can turn weirdest hells into blessings. Struggle for survival may erase from our minds that God does pardon the wildest sins...The problem is find how this has nothing to do with a lotto-bingo, and still...
Chatunah: Sealed to be one
Monday Feb 18, 2008
"To wed or not to wed?" What does it mean to enter into a marriage and what for? This could be the "happy end" conclusion of some normal Valentine after-tomorrow day. How can we, both with regard to Jewish and Christian rites, match today in Israel with the first stated mitzvah/commandment: "p'ru ur'vu umil'u et haaretz - be fertile, and increase and fill the earth and master it"? (Ex. 1:28). After God fashioned the rib (or "side - tzela'") into a facing-up help and soul-mate for Adam (ezer kenegdo), it is said: "Hence a man leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife (be'ishto) so that they be "bassar echad = one, one flesh, one good prophetic announcement" (Bereishit. 2:24). It should be noted that Jesus refers and insists and confirms the importance of this commandment. It is also a human right and requirement. He added: "So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, no human being must separate." (Matthew 19:5; Mark 10:7, that continues about divorce).
The "Ten Paroles/Divrot" consider the matter as a prohibition: "lo tin'af - You shall not commit adultery" (Shemot 20:13), though the midrash explains that "God strongly sneezes out of furious anger (Heb. "af")" (Midrash Shemot Rabba 20,3).The real purpose maybe stressed by Paul of Tarsus quoted Genesis 2:24, concluding: "This is a great mystery" (Ephesians 5:32). The apostle meant a mystery of connection between God and His Kahal (Community). His views about Jesus are thus important in this context because it shows that Christianity fully took up the Jewish tradition for which "marriage, wedding, match, betrothal" are the key and utmost vital mark of holiness between humans and, indeed, called "kiddushin - sanctifications"
Now, we live in the State of Israel. There is no civil marriage in the country. Thus, this creates a new form of spiritual interrogation. We face a paradox: the whole Jewish tradition emphasizes the importance to get married, establish a family, have children and see the children of their children… in a legal way that also relies upon a strict and very developed understanding of the status and role of women. Marriage is a must, a blessing. Divorce (get= divorce bill) would deeply affect every partner. The Talmud states that it causes God to weep upon His heavenly altar (Gittin 62b) because the only thing He is doing since He created the world is to marry people.
The problem is that in Israel, there is no majority to accept to be married by the Orthodox Rabbinate. Nu-nu... Or they may not be able to go through the procedures. An Israeli citizen or a pious Jewish person may totally belong to the children of Israel and still not be recognized by the Rabbinate. Then, the Orthodox Rabbinate is the only body to be legally entitled to perform weddings and deliver the required ketubah (certificate of marriage). Generations of North American people would not be able to show their ancestors' ketubot as the people from the former Soviet Union. In the former USSR, "being a Jew" was a "nationality" that often showed to be in full contradiction with the real origin of the person. Anyone could simply be declared as a Jew because of their paternal or maternal line. The Law of Return accepts civil marriage certificates. But very few were married under the chupah - canopy and as "Jews, officially recognized by the Rabbinate". Local sabras, born in the country, or people who were raised here, often prefer to travel abroad or contact some authorized foreign delegations (embassies). In some cases, this raises very serious cultural problems with psychological identity interrogations: whatever statistics, it is evident that a lot of non-Jews, people of any faith arrived and settled in Israel in the past 60 years. During the war in some parts of Central Europe and Balkans, a lot of newcomers arrived showing documents of some parents or relatives who had lived some time in Israel in the 50ies, then left back to their home countries. In case, they had both Jewish and Christian documents.
Biographies can be absolutely amazing and it often appears that people are all together Jewish, Christian and Muslim, i.e. legally, according to the right of the concerned denominations. This chidush/new unique aspect of the Israeli society shows how terrific, wild and off-the-wall we are in a civilization that develops its energetic socializing capacities. There is another hint: people can get married abroad in any legal country - and then renew many times the same manifold marriage-divorce process in the officially recognized Christian Churches or at some Islamic Courts. Yes, many people are legally compelled not to marry or to cope with problematic lawless give-and-takes.
This is the legal identity dash. There is also the individual clue. In the new-old State of Israel, wandering Jewishness often turned to risky and gambling sort of adultery journeys or settlements. They grow because of the general hedonistic or self-centered tendency to selfishness and loneliness. Stability requires a lot of efforts in matching with the special one. This is a long-term experience. Now, the real touch is love. Not desires of any kinds, but to make these efforts for the sake of love. And not necessarily because two got damned crazy about each other, share common views or interests as also their families. There is more: to love because God can match two persons. True, any marriage is firstly a partnership with God. At least it may lift up and inspire even those who would be deceived by any clerical administration. It happens too often. I discussed with a woman and her daughter. She told me she was not Jewish. Her daughter was cool about going to the Army. The mother, a physician, was divorced. She suddenly asked: "What is more important: to be Jewish or non-Jewish, or is there more?" I said: "Love is more important than anything". She got very surprised and agreed.
The Jewish marriage is short: a) Kiddushin (Sanctifications) are immediately followed by the Nissu'in (marriage under canopy). Talmud Kiddushin 1:1 states that the woman can be married (acquired/qanah) by receiving some value - or a contract (the Ketubah is a part of the marriage today) or by having sexual intercourse with the man. Thus, during the Kiddushin, the woman does not say anything, doing more in accepting her husband. The Kiddush and cup of wine reminds: "Your wife shall be a fruitful vine within your house, your sons like olive saplings around your table" (Psalm 128:3). The bridegroom puts a ring on his bride's index and says: "at mekudeshet/ you are consecrated to me by this ring according to the Law of Moses and Aaron". "Mekudeshet/being consecrated" points out, in return, that the woman blesses and brings "some sanctifying abilities" to her husband. Curiously enough, the Eastern Orthodox marriage service has about the same words. In Bessarabia-Romania, some Christian Orthodox rituals, in the 19th century, included the Hebrew word said to the bride, showing a strong ritual proximity (when the bridegroom gives the ring to his bride).
In the Jewish tradition, the whole service recalls that the "chatan - bridegroom" is welcomed by his wife, as entering the Temple (Mikdash): "Ve'ani berov chasdekha (and I with Your abundant love) avo veytecha (enter Your house)" (Psalm 5:8). Then, she is given the Ketubah/bill of marriage ("writ") that is strictly legal and aims to protect her financially in case of a divorce. A second cup of wine is given with seven blessings about, God's glory, man's fashion, the barren (ekeret) fertility, children and the return to Jerusalem (Jeremiah 33:10-11) climaxing in the full jubilance (10 different words) of the new "one flesh" (Isaiah 62:5) as each marriage restores this unity of joy between Adam and Eve (Tractate Bava Bathra 75a). Thus, "chatan = to covenant, tie, be connected, protect" means "bridegroom" who "by his fructifying rain" (Berachot 59b), gladdens his "kallah = fulfillment help-mate", contrary to "ba'al" (husband) who exercises apparent power (Taanit 6b). The cup of wine is then broken, which is usually considered as a memorial of the Temple destruction.
Judaism insists, on Shabbat eve that the husband praise his "eshet chayil - woman of virtue" by reading verses from Proverbs/Mishaley 31:10-31. Indeed, he acknowledges: "Batach bah lev ba'alah /in her confides the heart of her husband - veshalal lo yechsar / and he lacks no good thing - g'malat'hu tov ve lo ra kol yemei chayeiah / she is good not bad to him all the days of HER life" (Proverbs 31:2-3).
The Eastern Orthodox marriage celebration consists in two parts: the betrothal is followed by the wedding. The interesting point is that all the readings come back again and again to the fact that the bridegroom leaves his father and mother to cling to his wife. And these portions show the importance of the spiritual clutch that is set up, in one flesh - progressively into a new family entity. In contrast with the Roman Catholics who often celebrate a mass, the Byzantine tradition cancelled the Liturgy a long time ago, considering that the new spouses dedicate themselves, individually and to each other. There is also a cup of wine and the kiss. Strangely enough, people show very shy. It is the first "life" kiss. The last one is given during the burial of a dead person.
There is a tremendous paradox: Jews - and thus the Christians - have described how womanhood saves humanity and manhood. Women pay a huge price for the sake of their identity and dignity. Male power and stubborn machism often disregarded marriage, somehow deconsecrating themselves. "No man can live without a woman, nor a woman without a man because both of them cannot live with the Presence of God (Shechinah)." (Talmud Berachot 9:1).
"To wed or not to wed?" What does it mean to enter into a marriage and what for? This could be the "happy end" conclusion of some normal Valentine after-tomorrow day. How can we, both with regard to Jewish and Christian rites, match today in Israel with the first stated mitzvah/commandment: "p'ru ur'vu umil'u et haaretz - be fertile, and increase and fill the earth and master it"? (Ex. 1:28). After God fashioned the rib (or "side - tzela'") into a facing-up help and soul-mate for Adam (ezer kenegdo), it is said: "Hence a man leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife (be'ishto) so that they be "bassar echad = one, one flesh, one good prophetic announcement" (Bereishit. 2:24). It should be noted that Jesus refers and insists and confirms the importance of this commandment. It is also a human right and requirement. He added: "So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, no human being must separate." (Matthew 19:5; Mark 10:7, that continues about divorce).
The "Ten Paroles/Divrot" consider the matter as a prohibition: "lo tin'af - You shall not commit adultery" (Shemot 20:13), though the midrash explains that "God strongly sneezes out of furious anger (Heb. "af")" (Midrash Shemot Rabba 20,3).The real purpose maybe stressed by Paul of Tarsus quoted Genesis 2:24, concluding: "This is a great mystery" (Ephesians 5:32). The apostle meant a mystery of connection between God and His Kahal (Community). His views about Jesus are thus important in this context because it shows that Christianity fully took up the Jewish tradition for which "marriage, wedding, match, betrothal" are the key and utmost vital mark of holiness between humans and, indeed, called "kiddushin - sanctifications"
Now, we live in the State of Israel. There is no civil marriage in the country. Thus, this creates a new form of spiritual interrogation. We face a paradox: the whole Jewish tradition emphasizes the importance to get married, establish a family, have children and see the children of their children… in a legal way that also relies upon a strict and very developed understanding of the status and role of women. Marriage is a must, a blessing. Divorce (get= divorce bill) would deeply affect every partner. The Talmud states that it causes God to weep upon His heavenly altar (Gittin 62b) because the only thing He is doing since He created the world is to marry people.
The problem is that in Israel, there is no majority to accept to be married by the Orthodox Rabbinate. Nu-nu... Or they may not be able to go through the procedures. An Israeli citizen or a pious Jewish person may totally belong to the children of Israel and still not be recognized by the Rabbinate. Then, the Orthodox Rabbinate is the only body to be legally entitled to perform weddings and deliver the required ketubah (certificate of marriage). Generations of North American people would not be able to show their ancestors' ketubot as the people from the former Soviet Union. In the former USSR, "being a Jew" was a "nationality" that often showed to be in full contradiction with the real origin of the person. Anyone could simply be declared as a Jew because of their paternal or maternal line. The Law of Return accepts civil marriage certificates. But very few were married under the chupah - canopy and as "Jews, officially recognized by the Rabbinate". Local sabras, born in the country, or people who were raised here, often prefer to travel abroad or contact some authorized foreign delegations (embassies). In some cases, this raises very serious cultural problems with psychological identity interrogations: whatever statistics, it is evident that a lot of non-Jews, people of any faith arrived and settled in Israel in the past 60 years. During the war in some parts of Central Europe and Balkans, a lot of newcomers arrived showing documents of some parents or relatives who had lived some time in Israel in the 50ies, then left back to their home countries. In case, they had both Jewish and Christian documents.
Biographies can be absolutely amazing and it often appears that people are all together Jewish, Christian and Muslim, i.e. legally, according to the right of the concerned denominations. This chidush/new unique aspect of the Israeli society shows how terrific, wild and off-the-wall we are in a civilization that develops its energetic socializing capacities. There is another hint: people can get married abroad in any legal country - and then renew many times the same manifold marriage-divorce process in the officially recognized Christian Churches or at some Islamic Courts. Yes, many people are legally compelled not to marry or to cope with problematic lawless give-and-takes.
This is the legal identity dash. There is also the individual clue. In the new-old State of Israel, wandering Jewishness often turned to risky and gambling sort of adultery journeys or settlements. They grow because of the general hedonistic or self-centered tendency to selfishness and loneliness. Stability requires a lot of efforts in matching with the special one. This is a long-term experience. Now, the real touch is love. Not desires of any kinds, but to make these efforts for the sake of love. And not necessarily because two got damned crazy about each other, share common views or interests as also their families. There is more: to love because God can match two persons. True, any marriage is firstly a partnership with God. At least it may lift up and inspire even those who would be deceived by any clerical administration. It happens too often. I discussed with a woman and her daughter. She told me she was not Jewish. Her daughter was cool about going to the Army. The mother, a physician, was divorced. She suddenly asked: "What is more important: to be Jewish or non-Jewish, or is there more?" I said: "Love is more important than anything". She got very surprised and agreed.
The Jewish marriage is short: a) Kiddushin (Sanctifications) are immediately followed by the Nissu'in (marriage under canopy). Talmud Kiddushin 1:1 states that the woman can be married (acquired/qanah) by receiving some value - or a contract (the Ketubah is a part of the marriage today) or by having sexual intercourse with the man. Thus, during the Kiddushin, the woman does not say anything, doing more in accepting her husband. The Kiddush and cup of wine reminds: "Your wife shall be a fruitful vine within your house, your sons like olive saplings around your table" (Psalm 128:3). The bridegroom puts a ring on his bride's index and says: "at mekudeshet/ you are consecrated to me by this ring according to the Law of Moses and Aaron". "Mekudeshet/being consecrated" points out, in return, that the woman blesses and brings "some sanctifying abilities" to her husband. Curiously enough, the Eastern Orthodox marriage service has about the same words. In Bessarabia-Romania, some Christian Orthodox rituals, in the 19th century, included the Hebrew word said to the bride, showing a strong ritual proximity (when the bridegroom gives the ring to his bride).
In the Jewish tradition, the whole service recalls that the "chatan - bridegroom" is welcomed by his wife, as entering the Temple (Mikdash): "Ve'ani berov chasdekha (and I with Your abundant love) avo veytecha (enter Your house)" (Psalm 5:8). Then, she is given the Ketubah/bill of marriage ("writ") that is strictly legal and aims to protect her financially in case of a divorce. A second cup of wine is given with seven blessings about, God's glory, man's fashion, the barren (ekeret) fertility, children and the return to Jerusalem (Jeremiah 33:10-11) climaxing in the full jubilance (10 different words) of the new "one flesh" (Isaiah 62:5) as each marriage restores this unity of joy between Adam and Eve (Tractate Bava Bathra 75a). Thus, "chatan = to covenant, tie, be connected, protect" means "bridegroom" who "by his fructifying rain" (Berachot 59b), gladdens his "kallah = fulfillment help-mate", contrary to "ba'al" (husband) who exercises apparent power (Taanit 6b). The cup of wine is then broken, which is usually considered as a memorial of the Temple destruction.
Judaism insists, on Shabbat eve that the husband praise his "eshet chayil - woman of virtue" by reading verses from Proverbs/Mishaley 31:10-31. Indeed, he acknowledges: "Batach bah lev ba'alah /in her confides the heart of her husband - veshalal lo yechsar / and he lacks no good thing - g'malat'hu tov ve lo ra kol yemei chayeiah / she is good not bad to him all the days of HER life" (Proverbs 31:2-3).
The Eastern Orthodox marriage celebration consists in two parts: the betrothal is followed by the wedding. The interesting point is that all the readings come back again and again to the fact that the bridegroom leaves his father and mother to cling to his wife. And these portions show the importance of the spiritual clutch that is set up, in one flesh - progressively into a new family entity. In contrast with the Roman Catholics who often celebrate a mass, the Byzantine tradition cancelled the Liturgy a long time ago, considering that the new spouses dedicate themselves, individually and to each other. There is also a cup of wine and the kiss. Strangely enough, people show very shy. It is the first "life" kiss. The last one is given during the burial of a dead person.
There is a tremendous paradox: Jews - and thus the Christians - have described how womanhood saves humanity and manhood. Women pay a huge price for the sake of their identity and dignity. Male power and stubborn machism often disregarded marriage, somehow deconsecrating themselves. "No man can live without a woman, nor a woman without a man because both of them cannot live with the Presence of God (Shechinah)." (Talmud Berachot 9:1).
Simanim: Awaiting signs or miracles
Thursday Feb 14, 2008
This Wednesday 13th of February 2008 corresponds to the 7th of Adar 5768. It may be useful from time to time to recall what precise date we are or will be according to our socializing agendas. The Christian Orthodox are on February 1st and the Muslims on Safar 6, 1429 since they started the month "safar" as we entered in Adar. Just in case you want to wish someone a happy day or remind that Judaism celebrates the "petirat Moshe Rabbenu = the death of Moses". By the way, it also the supposed date of his birth. It happens quite often that people would die, whatever age, but with a sort of chic to reach their birthday and pass away as if achieving a cycle. Moses is the matching personality between Judaism, Christianity and Islam. In the Jewish tradition it is also a day dedicated to the study of the Scriptures.
Moses was born in an unknown place on Adar 7, 2368 (1393 BCE) and died on his 120th birthday, i.e. Adar 7, 2488 (1273 BCE) somewhere on Mount Nebo facing the Land of Canaan. He died on a leap year and in a month that includes of lot of events for the spiritual life of the Jews. On the 1st of Adar, God had sent the 9th plague to Pharaoh and over Egypt in the shape of a thick darkness. Adar is the month of the Feast of Purim and the providential rescue of the Jews by Queen Esther in Persia. The first gate was built in the walls of Jerusalem and the construction of the Second Temple was also achieved in this month (3 Adar 3412 = 349 BCE).
In a few days, we shall joyfully commemorate Purim. The account appears like a fairy tale and still it is more real than any virtual scenario. It might thus be useful to stop some seconds on the meaning of the Vidui of confession of sins in the Jewish tradition and much in use as a specific sacrament of the Orthodox and Catholic Churches (and some other denominations). Indeed, (saint) Krikor of Narek (Naregatsi), is one of the most famous Armenian writers and theologians who wrote in a very Biblical style. Apart his wonderful "Song of the Songs" that echoes the Jewish text and midrashim, his "best" is without contest "The Book of Lamentations", interestingly published in Marseille (France) in 1673. It is a long and very insightful, profound reflection about spiritual development from penance to quietness. It is worth saying that the great Western Roman Church theologian saint Thomas of Aquinas paraphrased many parts of his long poem.
In Hebrew, the "Vidui – confession" is at least pronounced three times a day. It aims to cure, heal through the way of speech and soul remittance in God's hands as said "HaShem beyadech afkid ruchi / Lord into Your hands, I entrust my spirit/soul/life - padita oti HaShem El Emet / You redeem me, Lord of Truth"(Psalm 31:6-7). The following verse is intriguing: "I detest those who rely on empty folly ("Havley-shav" = empty minds driven to destruction) and trust in the Lord. In the Oriental Church, the night prayers include a demand of pardon.
Judaism has developed special activities into very proficient professions of excellence as a full part of the impact exerted by the Written and Oral Laws on the Hebrew way to secure social welfare, well-being and wellness. Jews love when people feel healthy and comfy. Thus, the rabbinic tradition strongly defended and found ways to correct or reach some sort of balance, soul and body equilibrium and equanimity. Quite a challenge! Yes, Jews love to be physicians (to heal), assist and defend all kinds of victims (lawyers, advocates, judges) for the sake of Justice and Rights and, finally writers, journalists, reporters to inform the world about true events. They combat ignorance by means of written or oral words. This would prove, even in any secular society or choice of lifestyle, how Jewish traditions have engraved the spirit of the children of Israel throughout the ages for the benefit of theirs and the possible enemies.
True, suffering, diseases, social defects show that faith, teaching and learning of God's projects have proven to be gigantic, mammoth and prodigious instruments of screwing the mysteries of life defects and unease that can be remedied by permanent research. At this point, Judaism has no price of excellence, but the example of Moses, the model of the displaced person and loser but he was awkward to speak, totally given to God's most unbelievable projects, ready to sacrifice his life and death for the sake of his people and all the humans.
When somebody is sick, we wish in Hebrew: "refuah shlemah - full, complete recovering, healing". "What needs to be remedied? It is a divine decree that may be averted by man's repentance"(Talmud Rosh HaShanah 17b, cf. Isaiah 4:10). It may be irreverent and sacrilegious, somehow calumnious to refer to sin or to a divine defect that people have to face waves of terrible diseases that take decades or centuries to be cured at the price of extreme sufferings. Faithful and clerics of all denominations maybe tempted to cite some Scriptures. They might also be so terrified that they stay put, speechless. There is still a link between the Vidui and diseases. Some heavily sick persons may have insights about the real value of our days. "Whatever Jeremiah spoke and prophesied evil, Isaiah came and healed, i.e. restored" (Pessikta Rabbati 29/30). This "repair" belongs to the heart of Jewishness, with a touch of joy beyond any oy's.
In Hebrew "asham = guilt", and was a special offering of atonement" and is linked with the root "satam = to lie in wait for, to bear a grudge against, persecute". Thus "sina'h s'tunah = a hidden hatred". The Vidui (confession) starts with the word "ashmanu - we have sinned" that means that we might have twisted against ourselves or others a sort of hidden and broken hatred that requires the repair of "restoration". R. Nachman of Breslov suggested a wonderful "Tikun klali - total repair" set of prayers that combines some Tehillim/Psalms. Because we are imaging God Himself as "icons" who have been shaped in His Image and Likeness. It is a miracle to see how people can still be alive, beyond any explanation or rationalization.
Rabbi Suziyah was a famous rabbi. He felt he was called to a great achievement for God's love in this world. So he went to his mashgiach (say, counseling rabbi) and told him how he had the wonderful project to help any soul to get rid of their sins. He asked his rabbi to get him (with God's permission, of course) to see everybody's sins in order to heal them and save the souls. Good enough. He got it! And then, R. Suziyah could not sleep anymore. He could see all the sins everywhere, all the way, night and days. He arrived worn out, totally dead beat at his rabbi and told him to stop such a crazy hell of a vision. The rabbi answered he got what he had asked... No way to cancel such spiritual gifts. R. Suziyah suddenly humbled himself and said he would ask God to get him to go down to hell with the sinners and take up their sins in order to raise again and help them be released, delivered of such pains. This is far more difficult and thus the job of any good spiritual counselor. This is the living accomplishment of the Mitzvot.
Yiddish is a digging-in scrutinizing tongue that reveals and may suggest some speech or psycho-analytic ways of healing. Is it the "Mume-lush'n - mom-tongue" or the "language of women"? It conveys with insightful acumen a lot of words borrowed to more than 25 languages; it is puzzling like Esperanto, but deeply humane and heart-melting. Yiddish faces and grasps the haunting demons of sins and sickness, folly, madness. "Leytzim - the clowns, crazy demons yakking up for all the evil they do", "sheydim, dibbukim - devils, demons", "chitzoynim - outlaws or spirits of impurity", "tzedreyte ruches - foolishly twisted poltergeists". These words and their related phrases seemingly show more senselessness and delirium than wisdom and equanimity. And still, they do bring us close to more reason and
We should be very cautious in our way to use and not to misuse or abuse any soul with faith and the way God runs our lives. A century ago, it was usual to find in the Eastern European prayer-books these few words: "al-tehi shoteh - do not (use this prayer-book) to mislead anyone to craziness or make the fool of these prayers". It needs a lot of words to explain something that can reduce us to automatons. And this is frightful.
It is true that a lot of people are attracted by irrationality. All sorts of soothsayers, sorcerers, witches practice in the country as in most parts of the world. Jews have experienced how to fight and overcome any fear or hindrances. It is definitely present in a kind of unuttered capacity to pardon and to heal. Jesus of Nazareth has walked throughout the country "healing all torments and diseases", expelling demons and possessed souls and bodies. This is the language of "signs - simeia in Greek (Heb. "simanim"/nissim" that indeed maybe considered as miracles.
There might be a reason for this steadfast combat against fear, fright, anguish: making everything new is God's night and day action. And numerous people - who would even say - are just haunted by what seems sealed. But "making things new" means that the world only starts, today and tomorrow. This should be positively challenged without mocking the heritage given by our traditions. "A thousand may fall at your left side, ten thousand at your right, it shall not reach you. Because you took the Lord - my refuge, the Most High - as your haven, no harm will befall you, no disease touch your tent" (Tehillim/Psalm 91:7-10). We ask for "refuah shlemah - total recovering"; can we all, as a society, ask for "emunah shlemah - total faith/confidence" and accept whatever response.
This Wednesday 13th of February 2008 corresponds to the 7th of Adar 5768. It may be useful from time to time to recall what precise date we are or will be according to our socializing agendas. The Christian Orthodox are on February 1st and the Muslims on Safar 6, 1429 since they started the month "safar" as we entered in Adar. Just in case you want to wish someone a happy day or remind that Judaism celebrates the "petirat Moshe Rabbenu = the death of Moses". By the way, it also the supposed date of his birth. It happens quite often that people would die, whatever age, but with a sort of chic to reach their birthday and pass away as if achieving a cycle. Moses is the matching personality between Judaism, Christianity and Islam. In the Jewish tradition it is also a day dedicated to the study of the Scriptures.
Moses was born in an unknown place on Adar 7, 2368 (1393 BCE) and died on his 120th birthday, i.e. Adar 7, 2488 (1273 BCE) somewhere on Mount Nebo facing the Land of Canaan. He died on a leap year and in a month that includes of lot of events for the spiritual life of the Jews. On the 1st of Adar, God had sent the 9th plague to Pharaoh and over Egypt in the shape of a thick darkness. Adar is the month of the Feast of Purim and the providential rescue of the Jews by Queen Esther in Persia. The first gate was built in the walls of Jerusalem and the construction of the Second Temple was also achieved in this month (3 Adar 3412 = 349 BCE).
In a few days, we shall joyfully commemorate Purim. The account appears like a fairy tale and still it is more real than any virtual scenario. It might thus be useful to stop some seconds on the meaning of the Vidui of confession of sins in the Jewish tradition and much in use as a specific sacrament of the Orthodox and Catholic Churches (and some other denominations). Indeed, (saint) Krikor of Narek (Naregatsi), is one of the most famous Armenian writers and theologians who wrote in a very Biblical style. Apart his wonderful "Song of the Songs" that echoes the Jewish text and midrashim, his "best" is without contest "The Book of Lamentations", interestingly published in Marseille (France) in 1673. It is a long and very insightful, profound reflection about spiritual development from penance to quietness. It is worth saying that the great Western Roman Church theologian saint Thomas of Aquinas paraphrased many parts of his long poem.
In Hebrew, the "Vidui – confession" is at least pronounced three times a day. It aims to cure, heal through the way of speech and soul remittance in God's hands as said "HaShem beyadech afkid ruchi / Lord into Your hands, I entrust my spirit/soul/life - padita oti HaShem El Emet / You redeem me, Lord of Truth"(Psalm 31:6-7). The following verse is intriguing: "I detest those who rely on empty folly ("Havley-shav" = empty minds driven to destruction) and trust in the Lord. In the Oriental Church, the night prayers include a demand of pardon.
Judaism has developed special activities into very proficient professions of excellence as a full part of the impact exerted by the Written and Oral Laws on the Hebrew way to secure social welfare, well-being and wellness. Jews love when people feel healthy and comfy. Thus, the rabbinic tradition strongly defended and found ways to correct or reach some sort of balance, soul and body equilibrium and equanimity. Quite a challenge! Yes, Jews love to be physicians (to heal), assist and defend all kinds of victims (lawyers, advocates, judges) for the sake of Justice and Rights and, finally writers, journalists, reporters to inform the world about true events. They combat ignorance by means of written or oral words. This would prove, even in any secular society or choice of lifestyle, how Jewish traditions have engraved the spirit of the children of Israel throughout the ages for the benefit of theirs and the possible enemies.
True, suffering, diseases, social defects show that faith, teaching and learning of God's projects have proven to be gigantic, mammoth and prodigious instruments of screwing the mysteries of life defects and unease that can be remedied by permanent research. At this point, Judaism has no price of excellence, but the example of Moses, the model of the displaced person and loser but he was awkward to speak, totally given to God's most unbelievable projects, ready to sacrifice his life and death for the sake of his people and all the humans.
When somebody is sick, we wish in Hebrew: "refuah shlemah - full, complete recovering, healing". "What needs to be remedied? It is a divine decree that may be averted by man's repentance"(Talmud Rosh HaShanah 17b, cf. Isaiah 4:10). It may be irreverent and sacrilegious, somehow calumnious to refer to sin or to a divine defect that people have to face waves of terrible diseases that take decades or centuries to be cured at the price of extreme sufferings. Faithful and clerics of all denominations maybe tempted to cite some Scriptures. They might also be so terrified that they stay put, speechless. There is still a link between the Vidui and diseases. Some heavily sick persons may have insights about the real value of our days. "Whatever Jeremiah spoke and prophesied evil, Isaiah came and healed, i.e. restored" (Pessikta Rabbati 29/30). This "repair" belongs to the heart of Jewishness, with a touch of joy beyond any oy's.
In Hebrew "asham = guilt", and was a special offering of atonement" and is linked with the root "satam = to lie in wait for, to bear a grudge against, persecute". Thus "sina'h s'tunah = a hidden hatred". The Vidui (confession) starts with the word "ashmanu - we have sinned" that means that we might have twisted against ourselves or others a sort of hidden and broken hatred that requires the repair of "restoration". R. Nachman of Breslov suggested a wonderful "Tikun klali - total repair" set of prayers that combines some Tehillim/Psalms. Because we are imaging God Himself as "icons" who have been shaped in His Image and Likeness. It is a miracle to see how people can still be alive, beyond any explanation or rationalization.
Rabbi Suziyah was a famous rabbi. He felt he was called to a great achievement for God's love in this world. So he went to his mashgiach (say, counseling rabbi) and told him how he had the wonderful project to help any soul to get rid of their sins. He asked his rabbi to get him (with God's permission, of course) to see everybody's sins in order to heal them and save the souls. Good enough. He got it! And then, R. Suziyah could not sleep anymore. He could see all the sins everywhere, all the way, night and days. He arrived worn out, totally dead beat at his rabbi and told him to stop such a crazy hell of a vision. The rabbi answered he got what he had asked... No way to cancel such spiritual gifts. R. Suziyah suddenly humbled himself and said he would ask God to get him to go down to hell with the sinners and take up their sins in order to raise again and help them be released, delivered of such pains. This is far more difficult and thus the job of any good spiritual counselor. This is the living accomplishment of the Mitzvot.
Yiddish is a digging-in scrutinizing tongue that reveals and may suggest some speech or psycho-analytic ways of healing. Is it the "Mume-lush'n - mom-tongue" or the "language of women"? It conveys with insightful acumen a lot of words borrowed to more than 25 languages; it is puzzling like Esperanto, but deeply humane and heart-melting. Yiddish faces and grasps the haunting demons of sins and sickness, folly, madness. "Leytzim - the clowns, crazy demons yakking up for all the evil they do", "sheydim, dibbukim - devils, demons", "chitzoynim - outlaws or spirits of impurity", "tzedreyte ruches - foolishly twisted poltergeists". These words and their related phrases seemingly show more senselessness and delirium than wisdom and equanimity. And still, they do bring us close to more reason and
We should be very cautious in our way to use and not to misuse or abuse any soul with faith and the way God runs our lives. A century ago, it was usual to find in the Eastern European prayer-books these few words: "al-tehi shoteh - do not (use this prayer-book) to mislead anyone to craziness or make the fool of these prayers". It needs a lot of words to explain something that can reduce us to automatons. And this is frightful.
It is true that a lot of people are attracted by irrationality. All sorts of soothsayers, sorcerers, witches practice in the country as in most parts of the world. Jews have experienced how to fight and overcome any fear or hindrances. It is definitely present in a kind of unuttered capacity to pardon and to heal. Jesus of Nazareth has walked throughout the country "healing all torments and diseases", expelling demons and possessed souls and bodies. This is the language of "signs - simeia in Greek (Heb. "simanim"/nissim" that indeed maybe considered as miracles.
There might be a reason for this steadfast combat against fear, fright, anguish: making everything new is God's night and day action. And numerous people - who would even say - are just haunted by what seems sealed. But "making things new" means that the world only starts, today and tomorrow. This should be positively challenged without mocking the heritage given by our traditions. "A thousand may fall at your left side, ten thousand at your right, it shall not reach you. Because you took the Lord - my refuge, the Most High - as your haven, no harm will befall you, no disease touch your tent" (Tehillim/Psalm 91:7-10). We ask for "refuah shlemah - total recovering"; can we all, as a society, ask for "emunah shlemah - total faith/confidence" and accept whatever response.
Trumah: how many new shnekels for a soul
Thursday Feb 07, 2008
We enter a special time with the beginning of new month Adar 5768: the weekly parshiyot hashavua (reading portions) will lead us to the feast of Pessah/Passover. Four special shabbatot are dedicated to paving the spiritual way of the Jewish communities to leaving the Land of bondage, being present at the Sinai; then to receiving the Written and Oral Law, at Shavuot or Jewish Pentecost. This allows us to prophetically envision the development of God's actions and projects in our society, in particular in the State of Israel and the numerous issues we have to face and resolve here.
Along with the Jewish community, the Churches present in the Holy Land - and basically the Eastern Orthodox one - together with the Catholics, Armenians, Copts, Syrian-Orthodox, Ethiopians who have been present here since the beginning of Christianity will go through a time of intense fast or Great Lent, marked by different calendars but a general penitential attitude that will lead them to the feast of Easter on March 23 for the Western and April 27 for the Oriental Churches, i.e. unusually before the Feast of Pesach on Nisan 14 (April 19) for the Catholics and the Protestants. This is contradiction with a decision of the Nicene Council in 325. By that time (4th century), and definitely disconnecting Jesus' resurrection from Passover, we can really that the Christian sects had grown up into independent entities or patriarchates: Rome, Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch. Jerusalem became an independent patriarchate (a local Church headed by a bishop/metropolitan and a local synod, i.e. managed by local clergy and lay people) only in 451. To begin with, the five patriarchates were in full communion of faith even if some very harsh theological disputes caused violent debates and temporary reciprocal excommunications everywhere. The point is that Jerusalem and Eretz Israel (the Holy Land) is the unique place where Jesus of Nazareth spent all his life. He rarely went outside of this area. The Patriarchates developed as an extension of the message proclaimed by the Christians all over the world. Today, there are more patriarchates, like Moscow (Russia), Bucharest (Romania), Beograd (Serbia), Sofia (Bulgaria) and many independent (autocephalous = "self-headed") Churches like Greece, Cyprus, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, Poland... In 1054, the Church of Rome separated from the other patriarchates. In general, it is interesting to note how the Church of Rome split many times in the West, giving birth to the Protestant (Lutheran and Calvinist) movements, then the Church of England (Anglican) that spread through the world as the Episcopalian Church. Other denominations were created from these Christian ruptures (Mennonites who developed in North America, Baptists, Presbyterians, and others).
In some way, the Christian Churches in the Holy Land and in the State of Israel, substantiate in various colorful rites, vestments, languages, cultures something of what the civilization of the Yiddishkayt has met in her dispersions/galut. Today's situation in the Ukraine is very inquisitive: the country has three or four separate Christian-Orthodox patriarchs, a Greek-Catholic major archbishop, Roman Latin, Apostolic and catholic Armenians, Baptist, Methodist, Lutheran, and ancient Calvinists and all kinds of Ashkenazi and Sephardic groups incl. Breslov (Rabbi Nachman) or the Chabad (Lubavitch) and other Chassidic movements. I mention the Ukrainians because a great amount of Israelis are of Ukrainian origin, even if they had been deported during WWII to Uzbekistan or other Central Asian or Far-Eastern areas of the former Soviet Union.
This week, parshat Trumah (Shemot/Ex. 25:1-27:19) depicts at length how the Israelites should build the Mishkan (Tabernacle) or first housing for God's Presence and various utensils, vessels, the pieces of manna and the luchot or Tablets of the Law. Numerous verses and words explain the species of wood that should be used, the measures, gold, two Cherubim of gold, bowls, ladles, jars and jugs and on the "shulchan = table (not yet an altar)" the "lechem panim = showbread". The same continues with the shaping of the candelabrum or "menorat zahav = the menorah made of pure gold". Shemot 26 details the cloths that should decorate and protect the Mishkan/Tabernacle. Say, as Rabbi Y. Leibowitz used to point out: God did not use so many words and verses to outline the creation of the world!
True, though the Talmud is extensive on the matter. The creation of the world, the way-out from Egypt and the land of bondage were decided by God Himself. Humans had to accept and develop. Evidently they tried to demolish the creation by means of specific crimes or trespasses. This is a constant temptation for humans to test God or to destroy Him or His creation. It is the same today with the misuse of products that destroy either the eco-system or affect the health of the living. Still, everywhere people are frantic of how to decorate their flats, villas, houses. Interior architecture is en vogue, with sophisticated taste or touch of personal pleasures and flavors. The Mishkan/Tabernacle and all the vessels were not realized as a magnificent wilderness architectural national, ethnical, one-cultural project. God gave a series of mitzvot/commandments to structure His sacred space in the wilderness in order to meet with His people ("Veno'adeti lecha – and I shall meet with you" (Ex. 25:22).
Encounters with God never depend on human will, though He might know we should need and we can send Him some alerts. The Mishkan did not reflect a Unesco architectural heritage of humanity. God often says that in the Scripture, especially in the Tehillim/Psalms: "Tefillah le'Ani = Prayer to the Poor"(Psalm 104:1). He is the "Poor - 'ani" or the "Hoshana prayers" (Sukkot). God is in need of humane care and social entertainment, i.e. He loves when humans pray and act to be good and show humanity. God loves when tight and close, authentic connections do increase between Him and the humans; then, among the humans because He matches them to get to (some sort of) oneness. This is why all the splits that affected Judaism and Christianity as we can see them in Israel are fascinating. They are so thought-provoking, but also so artistic, splendid, magnificent or humble and spiritual. God wants us and not only our creative capacities. This week, the point is that the Israelites accept to build a house to the One Who does not need any dwelling because the world and each creature is His home.
This is a wonderful reading portion at a time when we are as "evil-possessed" by ethnical nationalism and cultural or faith-traditional fences. This often deals with properties, shapes of places of worship, languages, gestures, vestments. Compare with parshat Yitro (Ex. 20:19-23), the altar is not the same, nor the materials (no silver or gold). It is interesting to visit the Beyt Hatfutzot (Museum of the Diasporas) in Tel Aviv to contemplate the great diversity of buildings of worship in the Jewish dispersion. A lot of wealth, ornamental eye-pleasing materials. Gold and silver, wood, as in the Churches compose a world that flirts with paganism. God gave His Torah, repeated it in a "neutral" place called "midbar" (desert, wilderness) in Hebrew. Nothing to do with "emptiness"; or Russian "pustynya, from "pustoi = empty" or Germ. "Wueste - desert/uninhabited". In Hebrew, on the contrary, "midbar" is the unique place where only One Person, i.e. God could speak and be heard - Hu medaber (He speaks/ Hu dibber /He spoke) something clear and audible. Midrash Canticle Rabba 8 says: "Though the Temple is in a desert, you are bound to observe the sacredness of its precincts as it is ruined at the present". It means that we have to consider more. God did not give the Law in Eretz Israel or the Land of Canaan. He did not speak in a house, under a huge pop-event folk tent. We are not even sure of the exact location, because it does not and cannot belong to anybody, any nation. It obliges every person, Jew or non-Jew to consider their existence and human flesh and bones, body as the real dwelling of God as every Jew states when waking up: "Modeh ani l'cha = I give You thanks, o God, that You restored my soul within me (bi)".
On this Shabbat "Trumah", we should remember that the priests had no properties, no possessions. They used to receive the "trumot - offerings", which is the "removal lifted up as the ashes from the altar" (Yoma 22a). Every body , every soul has the capacity to melt till opening their hearts to God's Shekhinah (Pessikta Rabba 21) and also for Paul of Tarsus who wrote: "You are a naos (temple) of God" (1 Corinthians 3:16). But do we look at the present as shining God's face and likeness? There are tremendous resources in Israel and the Jewish society to give alms, to make real sacrifices for others. It is also time to encounter others with a thirst to discover the richness of our incredible multifaceted society.
The ancient Drachma quoted in the Gospel disappeared when the Euro was created. Today the US Dollar, the new Euro are slowly and dangerously dropping down, This year, it is thus funny to hear how the media are delighted about the raise of the "New Shekel"! And there is more: now, we have a Two Shekel coin, spontaneously called "shnekel". It cannot prevent a very monetary-sick system from collapsing. It gives a touch of tenderness in a ruthless trading conquest for power. The two months of Adar remind us that we belong to God. He is not ours.
We enter a special time with the beginning of new month Adar 5768: the weekly parshiyot hashavua (reading portions) will lead us to the feast of Pessah/Passover. Four special shabbatot are dedicated to paving the spiritual way of the Jewish communities to leaving the Land of bondage, being present at the Sinai; then to receiving the Written and Oral Law, at Shavuot or Jewish Pentecost. This allows us to prophetically envision the development of God's actions and projects in our society, in particular in the State of Israel and the numerous issues we have to face and resolve here.
Along with the Jewish community, the Churches present in the Holy Land - and basically the Eastern Orthodox one - together with the Catholics, Armenians, Copts, Syrian-Orthodox, Ethiopians who have been present here since the beginning of Christianity will go through a time of intense fast or Great Lent, marked by different calendars but a general penitential attitude that will lead them to the feast of Easter on March 23 for the Western and April 27 for the Oriental Churches, i.e. unusually before the Feast of Pesach on Nisan 14 (April 19) for the Catholics and the Protestants. This is contradiction with a decision of the Nicene Council in 325. By that time (4th century), and definitely disconnecting Jesus' resurrection from Passover, we can really that the Christian sects had grown up into independent entities or patriarchates: Rome, Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch. Jerusalem became an independent patriarchate (a local Church headed by a bishop/metropolitan and a local synod, i.e. managed by local clergy and lay people) only in 451. To begin with, the five patriarchates were in full communion of faith even if some very harsh theological disputes caused violent debates and temporary reciprocal excommunications everywhere. The point is that Jerusalem and Eretz Israel (the Holy Land) is the unique place where Jesus of Nazareth spent all his life. He rarely went outside of this area. The Patriarchates developed as an extension of the message proclaimed by the Christians all over the world. Today, there are more patriarchates, like Moscow (Russia), Bucharest (Romania), Beograd (Serbia), Sofia (Bulgaria) and many independent (autocephalous = "self-headed") Churches like Greece, Cyprus, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, Poland... In 1054, the Church of Rome separated from the other patriarchates. In general, it is interesting to note how the Church of Rome split many times in the West, giving birth to the Protestant (Lutheran and Calvinist) movements, then the Church of England (Anglican) that spread through the world as the Episcopalian Church. Other denominations were created from these Christian ruptures (Mennonites who developed in North America, Baptists, Presbyterians, and others).
In some way, the Christian Churches in the Holy Land and in the State of Israel, substantiate in various colorful rites, vestments, languages, cultures something of what the civilization of the Yiddishkayt has met in her dispersions/galut. Today's situation in the Ukraine is very inquisitive: the country has three or four separate Christian-Orthodox patriarchs, a Greek-Catholic major archbishop, Roman Latin, Apostolic and catholic Armenians, Baptist, Methodist, Lutheran, and ancient Calvinists and all kinds of Ashkenazi and Sephardic groups incl. Breslov (Rabbi Nachman) or the Chabad (Lubavitch) and other Chassidic movements. I mention the Ukrainians because a great amount of Israelis are of Ukrainian origin, even if they had been deported during WWII to Uzbekistan or other Central Asian or Far-Eastern areas of the former Soviet Union.
This week, parshat Trumah (Shemot/Ex. 25:1-27:19) depicts at length how the Israelites should build the Mishkan (Tabernacle) or first housing for God's Presence and various utensils, vessels, the pieces of manna and the luchot or Tablets of the Law. Numerous verses and words explain the species of wood that should be used, the measures, gold, two Cherubim of gold, bowls, ladles, jars and jugs and on the "shulchan = table (not yet an altar)" the "lechem panim = showbread". The same continues with the shaping of the candelabrum or "menorat zahav = the menorah made of pure gold". Shemot 26 details the cloths that should decorate and protect the Mishkan/Tabernacle. Say, as Rabbi Y. Leibowitz used to point out: God did not use so many words and verses to outline the creation of the world!
True, though the Talmud is extensive on the matter. The creation of the world, the way-out from Egypt and the land of bondage were decided by God Himself. Humans had to accept and develop. Evidently they tried to demolish the creation by means of specific crimes or trespasses. This is a constant temptation for humans to test God or to destroy Him or His creation. It is the same today with the misuse of products that destroy either the eco-system or affect the health of the living. Still, everywhere people are frantic of how to decorate their flats, villas, houses. Interior architecture is en vogue, with sophisticated taste or touch of personal pleasures and flavors. The Mishkan/Tabernacle and all the vessels were not realized as a magnificent wilderness architectural national, ethnical, one-cultural project. God gave a series of mitzvot/commandments to structure His sacred space in the wilderness in order to meet with His people ("Veno'adeti lecha – and I shall meet with you" (Ex. 25:22).
Encounters with God never depend on human will, though He might know we should need and we can send Him some alerts. The Mishkan did not reflect a Unesco architectural heritage of humanity. God often says that in the Scripture, especially in the Tehillim/Psalms: "Tefillah le'Ani = Prayer to the Poor"(Psalm 104:1). He is the "Poor - 'ani" or the "Hoshana prayers" (Sukkot). God is in need of humane care and social entertainment, i.e. He loves when humans pray and act to be good and show humanity. God loves when tight and close, authentic connections do increase between Him and the humans; then, among the humans because He matches them to get to (some sort of) oneness. This is why all the splits that affected Judaism and Christianity as we can see them in Israel are fascinating. They are so thought-provoking, but also so artistic, splendid, magnificent or humble and spiritual. God wants us and not only our creative capacities. This week, the point is that the Israelites accept to build a house to the One Who does not need any dwelling because the world and each creature is His home.
This is a wonderful reading portion at a time when we are as "evil-possessed" by ethnical nationalism and cultural or faith-traditional fences. This often deals with properties, shapes of places of worship, languages, gestures, vestments. Compare with parshat Yitro (Ex. 20:19-23), the altar is not the same, nor the materials (no silver or gold). It is interesting to visit the Beyt Hatfutzot (Museum of the Diasporas) in Tel Aviv to contemplate the great diversity of buildings of worship in the Jewish dispersion. A lot of wealth, ornamental eye-pleasing materials. Gold and silver, wood, as in the Churches compose a world that flirts with paganism. God gave His Torah, repeated it in a "neutral" place called "midbar" (desert, wilderness) in Hebrew. Nothing to do with "emptiness"; or Russian "pustynya, from "pustoi = empty" or Germ. "Wueste - desert/uninhabited". In Hebrew, on the contrary, "midbar" is the unique place where only One Person, i.e. God could speak and be heard - Hu medaber (He speaks/ Hu dibber /He spoke) something clear and audible. Midrash Canticle Rabba 8 says: "Though the Temple is in a desert, you are bound to observe the sacredness of its precincts as it is ruined at the present". It means that we have to consider more. God did not give the Law in Eretz Israel or the Land of Canaan. He did not speak in a house, under a huge pop-event folk tent. We are not even sure of the exact location, because it does not and cannot belong to anybody, any nation. It obliges every person, Jew or non-Jew to consider their existence and human flesh and bones, body as the real dwelling of God as every Jew states when waking up: "Modeh ani l'cha = I give You thanks, o God, that You restored my soul within me (bi)".
On this Shabbat "Trumah", we should remember that the priests had no properties, no possessions. They used to receive the "trumot - offerings", which is the "removal lifted up as the ashes from the altar" (Yoma 22a). Every body , every soul has the capacity to melt till opening their hearts to God's Shekhinah (Pessikta Rabba 21) and also for Paul of Tarsus who wrote: "You are a naos (temple) of God" (1 Corinthians 3:16). But do we look at the present as shining God's face and likeness? There are tremendous resources in Israel and the Jewish society to give alms, to make real sacrifices for others. It is also time to encounter others with a thirst to discover the richness of our incredible multifaceted society.
The ancient Drachma quoted in the Gospel disappeared when the Euro was created. Today the US Dollar, the new Euro are slowly and dangerously dropping down, This year, it is thus funny to hear how the media are delighted about the raise of the "New Shekel"! And there is more: now, we have a Two Shekel coin, spontaneously called "shnekel". It cannot prevent a very monetary-sick system from collapsing. It gives a touch of tenderness in a ruthless trading conquest for power. The two months of Adar remind us that we belong to God. He is not ours.
Yelif: Memorizing the future
Sunday Feb 03, 2008
Some years ago, by some remote chance, I survived a series of operations which implied total anesthesia followed by a rather long coma. When I woke up just by some Providence, I had faced death and was told that some 10 years earlier I would simply "lig'n in a kever - repose in cemetery". Things were new and this "ad shaarey hamavet - till the gates of death" experience looked like a renewal with some losses. Repeated and prolonged anesthesia - the operation is still a questioning accident because I was not sick - affected my memory, except for specific things which had been stimulated in various contexts. On the other hand, I am awfully grateful to the daily studying of the daf yomi (the Talmudic daily page) since my early age. It sustained my memory and humbled me a lot about "knowledge" changing it into a series of life experiences. I met a wonderful a professor of Talmud who, just before World War II began, had the insights to make a journey through the Lithuanian yeshivot, a world that was unknown to him. There he did experience the importance of what his own father had repeated along his adolescence: "laernen, laernen, tumid laernen - to learn, learn and learn always more". God protected him in a way and he became a forced worker/prisoner in a German farm during WWII . The farmer wanted to take some care of him and often gave him some thick Bockwurst (pork sausages) that the talmudist faked to take into his mouth and was quick to spitting out. When he came back and started to teach the Mishna and the Gemara, he used to apologize: he had forgotten everything and was "discovering" the subject with new eyes and a partial absence of correct language and memory. In this context, he was a true survivor. Thus, in a different way, I felt after all these sleeping hours, that waking up was a miracle and that the pedagogy of Talmud had allowed me to impulse some neurons and jog how to track back my memory knitting past and present through this special training.
Talmud Yoma 10a ascertains that before being delivered a Jewish child has a perfect knowledge of the Torah and the Mitzvot (Commandments), the Jewish traditions and the Oral Law, i.e. the Talmud. After his birth, he forgets all that and has to acquire it again in order to be able to go through his life. As if all spiritual and century-long tradition was inscribed in his ADN system as a son of Israel before his birth and disappears when he enters the world in order to make no difference with other people, except the duty to be a subject of the Law (Pirkey Avot 1:1; Galatians 4:4).
This is why Judaism is firstly and resolutely focusing on learning and teaching, which has been considered for centuries as a sacred and long-life educational system to cope with faith and discover a wealth of spiritual gifts and joys. Knowledge about Godly matters doesn't come out of some green cheese or blue moon. This requires a lot of time-tiring training hours, consistency, patience and perseverance. The Jewish world of knowledge is not related to some aesthetic wisdom method or technique. It does not include aerobics, fitness (maybe it should?), Japanese tiny sand gardens for meditation with seeds of reduced bonsais. To begin with, Jewish teachings flow naturally like a river that grows into channels and connect oceans of Aramaic and Hebrew words - without vowels - that may be read in different ways, traditions (massorah) or "fashions". Again, the vowels are the colorful vocalic "helps" or "neshamot - souls" that allow to utter "consonants = bones (etzamot)". It is quite probable that this is what Paul of Tarsus meant when he said "the letter brings death, but the Spirit gives life" (2 Corinthians 3:6). And when he declared that each believer is "a letter", this positively echoes that each Jew has to write a Torah, at least a letter to be interpreted in numerous ways. A letter is "ot - pl. otiyot" = miracles, signs, marks" that encompass the many possibilities or opportunities to govern one's life and to help the others.
"Learning" is definitely and "professionally" Jewish. In Israel, people will speak at length of their "limudim - studies" that are often considered as a minimum, could be better etc. Still, there is a real thirst for knowledge that come from the positive Commandments.
The Jewish life entirely relies upon the world of the Mitzvot. It is a bit brusque and stated too shortly. But the whole of the Jewish life consists of a self-evident respect and joyous accomplishing the test to achieve the realm of the Mitzvot; from before the time of a birth till burial and faith in the resurrection of the dead. Then it is undoubtedly a humble task overshadowed by spiritual substantial principles that may penetrate our lifestyles in order to make us free and occasionally heal others.
The Pirkey Avot (Sayings of the Fathers) are read for the better part of the year on the Shabbat and are included in Tractate Nezikin (Damages). Along with the Book of Job, they are one of the world's best-sellers because of their simple, incisive and profound wisdom. "Moshe received the Torah from Sinai and handed it down to Yehoshua; Yehoshua to the Elders (Zeqenim); the Elders to the Nevi'im (Prophets); the Prophets handed it down to the Anshey Knesset HaG'dolah (The Men of the Great Assembly = 120).These said three things: "Be prudent in judgment, raise up many disciples (ha'midu talmidim) and make a fence (va'assu seyag) for the Torah" (Avot 1:1).This means that we follow a series of commitments that trace back to Moses, though even Abraham did respect the entire Law because "he loved" (Tractate Berachot 56b). The essential teaching element is based on handing down, communicating, repeating and grooming disciples. This often looks like an exploit for a pack of self-centered or egoistic singletons. At the present, with a small team you can make quite a living promoting discs, CD's-DVD's and some lectures. It is much more difficult to really get to what would definitely help the youth, elders, newcomers, professionals in their lives. Before the Shoah, in a rather poor and needy context, the realm of the Mitzvot could help unveil some difficult aspects of our lives.
Rabbi Rabinowicz had written a perspicacious version of a Talmud text about mice and dogs that provided Louis Pasteur with some instructions as how to find his rage vaccine. The last Rebbe of Lubavitch, Menachem Mendel Schneerson, was consulted about astronomic and geophysical issues. But the Chabad Lubavitch movement is one of the trendiest if not most up-to-the-minute groups which developed a strong pattern to teach how to practice the Mitzvot.
It can be only en vogue in the present to say a blessing including the words: "Asher kidshanu bemitzvotav - Who sanctified us by your commandments"; either religion is too present and on the verge of boring, either it enables to get closer to the meaning of words or traditions that need to be explained. In Hebrew and Aramaic, "teaching" and "learning" are close and lead to each other. The "Shema Israel - Hear Israel" (Deut. 6:4; cited three times in the Gospel) confesses and instructs: "Veshinantam levaneikha - You will teach/repeat/infuse to your children, vedibarta bam - and you will speak with and about these words, in your house, on the way, going up or down to bed". This makes teaching similar to conversations, activities, inserting faith and Godly into secular deals and changing the society to its betterment. Indeed, as Jews need to protect the realm of God by walls, fences and hedges for the sake of The Most High, these are not human or cement barriers, nor negative frames as in the ghettos or shtetlech. Universality requires encasement in order to emanate and come forth to full coherence. It is a back and forth, in and out movement toward everyone, in any place. "To repeat" = "shanah, sheni" implies that learning echoes to a "year (shanah)" time that can change us (shanot) and memorize good and bad, tragic and joyous events that make then sense over duration. Israel has created a special body: "ulpan" in order to allow the newcomers to learn Hebrew quickly. "alef - yelif" means "to get accustomed, to learn" (Avot 1:13 : to make a proper use of the learning of the Crown of the Torah). "Lamad - lamed" = "to study" which describes a process of training, practice: "I learned much from my teachers, more from my fellowmen, most from my pupils", states Tractate Makkot 10a.
Now, this constant learning/teaching system allows to question God and the world back and forth and find ways to resolve human cross-questions. Words are turned into permanent paradoxes and traditional inquiries (sheilot) in view to correct or envision reality with more insightful responses (teshuvot - responsae).
Some Jewish groups do or did not accept this tradition of handing down a tradition: the Sadducees who did not believe in the resurrection, the Samaritans, the Karaites who reject the Oral Law. Just as the Christians do not include the Talmudic tradition.
This may be a consequence of some questions about the times and delays in the Mitzvot and in the spiritual experience reported by the Gospel. The Christians often point out that Jesus gave "new commandments" (John 13:34; 1 John 2:7). The Jewish attitude toward the Mitzvot is that - either sichliyot (intellectually acceptable) or shimiyot (to be accepted only for the sake of God) - they exist beyond any real "taamei hamitzvot - reason or explanation". Learning allows the opening of the gates of future because history is more articulate than we can imagine.
God "mechadesh maasey vereishit - renew the acts of the commencement". Learning should sustain us in feeling such motions. "Not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter will pass from the Law until all things have taken place. Thus, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do so will be called least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments will be called greatest in the kingdom of heaven"(Matthew 5:17-19).
Some years ago, by some remote chance, I survived a series of operations which implied total anesthesia followed by a rather long coma. When I woke up just by some Providence, I had faced death and was told that some 10 years earlier I would simply "lig'n in a kever - repose in cemetery". Things were new and this "ad shaarey hamavet - till the gates of death" experience looked like a renewal with some losses. Repeated and prolonged anesthesia - the operation is still a questioning accident because I was not sick - affected my memory, except for specific things which had been stimulated in various contexts. On the other hand, I am awfully grateful to the daily studying of the daf yomi (the Talmudic daily page) since my early age. It sustained my memory and humbled me a lot about "knowledge" changing it into a series of life experiences. I met a wonderful a professor of Talmud who, just before World War II began, had the insights to make a journey through the Lithuanian yeshivot, a world that was unknown to him. There he did experience the importance of what his own father had repeated along his adolescence: "laernen, laernen, tumid laernen - to learn, learn and learn always more". God protected him in a way and he became a forced worker/prisoner in a German farm during WWII . The farmer wanted to take some care of him and often gave him some thick Bockwurst (pork sausages) that the talmudist faked to take into his mouth and was quick to spitting out. When he came back and started to teach the Mishna and the Gemara, he used to apologize: he had forgotten everything and was "discovering" the subject with new eyes and a partial absence of correct language and memory. In this context, he was a true survivor. Thus, in a different way, I felt after all these sleeping hours, that waking up was a miracle and that the pedagogy of Talmud had allowed me to impulse some neurons and jog how to track back my memory knitting past and present through this special training.
Talmud Yoma 10a ascertains that before being delivered a Jewish child has a perfect knowledge of the Torah and the Mitzvot (Commandments), the Jewish traditions and the Oral Law, i.e. the Talmud. After his birth, he forgets all that and has to acquire it again in order to be able to go through his life. As if all spiritual and century-long tradition was inscribed in his ADN system as a son of Israel before his birth and disappears when he enters the world in order to make no difference with other people, except the duty to be a subject of the Law (Pirkey Avot 1:1; Galatians 4:4).
This is why Judaism is firstly and resolutely focusing on learning and teaching, which has been considered for centuries as a sacred and long-life educational system to cope with faith and discover a wealth of spiritual gifts and joys. Knowledge about Godly matters doesn't come out of some green cheese or blue moon. This requires a lot of time-tiring training hours, consistency, patience and perseverance. The Jewish world of knowledge is not related to some aesthetic wisdom method or technique. It does not include aerobics, fitness (maybe it should?), Japanese tiny sand gardens for meditation with seeds of reduced bonsais. To begin with, Jewish teachings flow naturally like a river that grows into channels and connect oceans of Aramaic and Hebrew words - without vowels - that may be read in different ways, traditions (massorah) or "fashions". Again, the vowels are the colorful vocalic "helps" or "neshamot - souls" that allow to utter "consonants = bones (etzamot)". It is quite probable that this is what Paul of Tarsus meant when he said "the letter brings death, but the Spirit gives life" (2 Corinthians 3:6). And when he declared that each believer is "a letter", this positively echoes that each Jew has to write a Torah, at least a letter to be interpreted in numerous ways. A letter is "ot - pl. otiyot" = miracles, signs, marks" that encompass the many possibilities or opportunities to govern one's life and to help the others.
"Learning" is definitely and "professionally" Jewish. In Israel, people will speak at length of their "limudim - studies" that are often considered as a minimum, could be better etc. Still, there is a real thirst for knowledge that come from the positive Commandments.
The Jewish life entirely relies upon the world of the Mitzvot. It is a bit brusque and stated too shortly. But the whole of the Jewish life consists of a self-evident respect and joyous accomplishing the test to achieve the realm of the Mitzvot; from before the time of a birth till burial and faith in the resurrection of the dead. Then it is undoubtedly a humble task overshadowed by spiritual substantial principles that may penetrate our lifestyles in order to make us free and occasionally heal others.
The Pirkey Avot (Sayings of the Fathers) are read for the better part of the year on the Shabbat and are included in Tractate Nezikin (Damages). Along with the Book of Job, they are one of the world's best-sellers because of their simple, incisive and profound wisdom. "Moshe received the Torah from Sinai and handed it down to Yehoshua; Yehoshua to the Elders (Zeqenim); the Elders to the Nevi'im (Prophets); the Prophets handed it down to the Anshey Knesset HaG'dolah (The Men of the Great Assembly = 120).These said three things: "Be prudent in judgment, raise up many disciples (ha'midu talmidim) and make a fence (va'assu seyag) for the Torah" (Avot 1:1).This means that we follow a series of commitments that trace back to Moses, though even Abraham did respect the entire Law because "he loved" (Tractate Berachot 56b). The essential teaching element is based on handing down, communicating, repeating and grooming disciples. This often looks like an exploit for a pack of self-centered or egoistic singletons. At the present, with a small team you can make quite a living promoting discs, CD's-DVD's and some lectures. It is much more difficult to really get to what would definitely help the youth, elders, newcomers, professionals in their lives. Before the Shoah, in a rather poor and needy context, the realm of the Mitzvot could help unveil some difficult aspects of our lives.
Rabbi Rabinowicz had written a perspicacious version of a Talmud text about mice and dogs that provided Louis Pasteur with some instructions as how to find his rage vaccine. The last Rebbe of Lubavitch, Menachem Mendel Schneerson, was consulted about astronomic and geophysical issues. But the Chabad Lubavitch movement is one of the trendiest if not most up-to-the-minute groups which developed a strong pattern to teach how to practice the Mitzvot.
It can be only en vogue in the present to say a blessing including the words: "Asher kidshanu bemitzvotav - Who sanctified us by your commandments"; either religion is too present and on the verge of boring, either it enables to get closer to the meaning of words or traditions that need to be explained. In Hebrew and Aramaic, "teaching" and "learning" are close and lead to each other. The "Shema Israel - Hear Israel" (Deut. 6:4; cited three times in the Gospel) confesses and instructs: "Veshinantam levaneikha - You will teach/repeat/infuse to your children, vedibarta bam - and you will speak with and about these words, in your house, on the way, going up or down to bed". This makes teaching similar to conversations, activities, inserting faith and Godly into secular deals and changing the society to its betterment. Indeed, as Jews need to protect the realm of God by walls, fences and hedges for the sake of The Most High, these are not human or cement barriers, nor negative frames as in the ghettos or shtetlech. Universality requires encasement in order to emanate and come forth to full coherence. It is a back and forth, in and out movement toward everyone, in any place. "To repeat" = "shanah, sheni" implies that learning echoes to a "year (shanah)" time that can change us (shanot) and memorize good and bad, tragic and joyous events that make then sense over duration. Israel has created a special body: "ulpan" in order to allow the newcomers to learn Hebrew quickly. "alef - yelif" means "to get accustomed, to learn" (Avot 1:13 : to make a proper use of the learning of the Crown of the Torah). "Lamad - lamed" = "to study" which describes a process of training, practice: "I learned much from my teachers, more from my fellowmen, most from my pupils", states Tractate Makkot 10a.
Now, this constant learning/teaching system allows to question God and the world back and forth and find ways to resolve human cross-questions. Words are turned into permanent paradoxes and traditional inquiries (sheilot) in view to correct or envision reality with more insightful responses (teshuvot - responsae).
Some Jewish groups do or did not accept this tradition of handing down a tradition: the Sadducees who did not believe in the resurrection, the Samaritans, the Karaites who reject the Oral Law. Just as the Christians do not include the Talmudic tradition.
This may be a consequence of some questions about the times and delays in the Mitzvot and in the spiritual experience reported by the Gospel. The Christians often point out that Jesus gave "new commandments" (John 13:34; 1 John 2:7). The Jewish attitude toward the Mitzvot is that - either sichliyot (intellectually acceptable) or shimiyot (to be accepted only for the sake of God) - they exist beyond any real "taamei hamitzvot - reason or explanation". Learning allows the opening of the gates of future because history is more articulate than we can imagine.
God "mechadesh maasey vereishit - renew the acts of the commencement". Learning should sustain us in feeling such motions. "Not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter will pass from the Law until all things have taken place. Thus, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do so will be called least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments will be called greatest in the kingdom of heaven"(Matthew 5:17-19).
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