Special Guest – Interfaith Weekend... Fern Chertok from Brandeis University

A researcher and teacher on interfaith trends and impact on the Jewish community, our speaker gave us a lot of insight into how assimilation had effected Jews over time.

Data from the 2000 National Jewish Population study and the Birthright database showed that Jewish continuity does not depend on intra-faith marriages.

She gives historic and Torah based background from the week’s parasha showing that Yitro, a non Jew, was one of the first who stood with the Israelites and the ‘sojourners’ at Mt. Sinai and gave a blessing to the One God.

The “Mixed Multitude” Ha Am – had a significant place at Sinai also.

In 1985 synagogues started reaching out to interfaith families with a slow but successful result.

4 predictors of participation in Jewish life:

1. Gender – women have higher probability of participation
2. Jewish education after bar/bat mitzvah
3. Home ritual or observance on a regular basis
4. Social network of Jewish friends – emphasis on a positive attitude
   

Problem is in the engagement - between 13 and marriage age there is no connection to youth. Important to find ways to keep the connection during the college years especially.

New trends and ideas are emerging to help this connection from facebook pages to Jew Brews – Shabbat meetings at local bars.

To keep young Jews from feeling like “incompetent strangers” when they go to the synagogue.

A New Promise After Lot Leaves...

Torah Study 1/16
Genesis 13: 12-18

Lot and Avram part ways. Lot chooses greed over morality.

v13 – Sodom- a fertile land that Lot chooses. Inhabitants are ‘wicked’ and ‘sinners’ - a redundancy -
No details at this point on how they were wicked or sinning.
the curse, "May [his / her] name and memory be obliterated," (Hebrew: ימח שמו וזכרו , yimach shmo ve-zichro)

As opposed to:
Z”L - zikhrono livrakha זיכרונו לברכה of blessed memory; or
may his/her memory be for blessing

Rashi on the redundancy: Wicked – with body – adultry – man lies with another man’s wife.
Sin – with money – stingy – not give to the poor – greed.

(Sodomy – not from the Bible – no mention of homosexuality in relation to the place of Sodom)

Book Review: Elizabeth Gilbert - Committed

Al Het – the word for sin = “miss the mark”

Hassidic interpretation: Ezekiel on Sodom (book)
Sinners (pride and idleness) before God – cruelty to other people.

Even if someone seems pious on the outside they may be a sinner before God.

V14 – After Lot leaves – God speaks to Avram.
“Lift your eyes” and a reconfirmation of the promise not that Avram is cut off from his past and his family.

Avram waits for God to ask.

Samson R. Hirsch – Writes about this in reference to his own time.
Don't be seduced by the material wealth. Speaking to people who were assimilating with the German society.

The Divine promise is renewed – the land given to him and his offspring.

This is problematic as you ‘cant take land’ but we have a responsibility to care for the land.

Nachum Sarna - It was not about ‘ownership’ – it is about ‘home’ and where we are from.

“Dust of the Earth” (interesting website)
Dust endures forever – we are everywhere as dust is.
Blessed with water:
Water = Torah
Dust outlives people.

Paul Resnikoff poem:

Ownership of land commentaries:
Eretz Yisrael in the Parashah (Hardcover) By: Moshe D. Lichtman

Oct 7 2000 – Tomb of Joseph desecrated. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph%27s_Tomb

Question: Why does the Bible start with Genesis?
To give the background about the land.

Conflict and Solutions

Genesis 13: 8-15 – Abraham’s Solution – the separation

Leon Kass – why midrash? To fill in the gaps! To keep it fresh through 100s of generations.

Abraham was always the ‘stranger’ ( Peter Pitzele)

Avram stays in Canaan Lot goes to Sodom

Avram tries to make peace.

They are “ahim” brothers/kin – how does the relationship effect their attitude and the attitude of the community?

When did Lot “go wrong”? When he acquired wealth.

Rashi says that the text implies that Avram and Lot ‘looked alike’ -
Eli Munk says on this that the lesson is not to think that because they look alike that they are alike.

Lot’s nature is based on greed – thus he went to the place that “looked” good from where he was.

Avram’s tone in suggesting separation is most respectful and peaceful.
Eli Munk points how the word for ‘separate’ indicates a definitive separation which implies a complete break including forbidden intermarriage in the future.
SR Hirsch – this is to protect Avram’s people from the bad influence of Lot’s way of life.
Rashi – looking forward in the story to Sodom & Gomorra – interprets it differently – Abraham will always be there to help Lot.
Nachum Sarna – Abraham shows nobility of character here (to make up for the last chapter) he doesn’t insist on his seniority.

Directions: Left Right = North South

E Munk – there is inference of sexual desire – Lot is driven by sensuality – which is confirmed later.

Lot sees the Planes of Jordon – using the word ‘kikar’ = same as a bar of gold
The sin of Sodom is greed and selfishness.

v11 – parenthetical statement – before the destruction of Sodom & Gemorra - it was beautiful and lush prior to this.

A parallel to Eden – while it looks good there is a serpent buried below.

Lot’s choice is based on his self interest. He doesn’t consult with anyone else.

A word confusion: “Journeyed Eastward” vs. “from the East” to figure out next week.

Books & Articles Mentioned:
I Only Say This Because I Love You, Deborah Tannen

Sendak, schmendak. - guest review of CJM exhibit

304,805 at the CJM
by Howard Selznick


Sendak, schmendak.

The much-ballyhooed exhibit on the acclaimed author and illustrator Maurice Sendak packs them into the San Francisco’s Contemporary Jewish Museum. What’s overlooked is the display upstairs.

The CJM has commissioned a scribe, Julie Seltzer, to write a Torah scroll, all 304,805 letters of it. She’s a rookie soferet; it’s her first effort. You’d hardly know it by the care and precision with which she forms the letters and words. She was taught well.

Julie claims that the writing is a science. It’s anything but. The effort is mostly artistic and requires much patience. The discipline to work for several hours a day for over one year with ink, quill pen, and parchment must be demanding. It’s a labor of love. It could be mind-numbing boring, but Julie deals with this by remembering that her efforts connect to numerous scribes going back thousands of years. It must be gratifying to know that she is sustaining an ancient tradition.

The effort is mostly copying; the real artistic work comes from the need to justify the text. So that every line has equal length, certain letters must be elongated to fill the space. Evidently, you can tell a veteran scribe from an inexperienced one by the way this spacing is done.

It’s also an ongoing ritual. Each word is pronounced before being written. Before beginning work each day, she silently recites, “I write this Torah scroll for the sake of the holiness of the Torah.” Before each of the many names of God is written, she whispers, “I write this holy name for the sake of the holiness of the Torah.”

She expects the scroll to be completed by the fall of 2010, about one year after starting. If so, she will have written an average of about 1,000 letters per day (excluding Shabbat and holidays) or the equivalent of 20 verses.

A scribe’s work is anonymous, so Julie will not sign the completed scroll. Too bad.

Post script: the 613th mitzvah is to write your own Torah, derived from Deuteronomy 31:19. Of course, it must be done perfectly, according to guidelines on type of parchment, ruled lines, type and color of ink, quill, and lettering; even one variation means the scroll cannot be read publicly. What if I wrote a Torah on notebook paper, with a pencil, in my poor Hebrew script? No matter how kosher the trees or lead were, the result wouldn’t be a truly valid Torah, at least in public, ritualistic terms.

But what a labor of love this would be! It would be my private Torah, to be used to follow during Shacharit services. Or study the words during Shabbat Torah class. Or learn Biblical Hebrew. What a sense of accomplishment it would produce! What a huge time commitment it would be! Vey iz mir!

So, when should I start?

Too Much Stuff Causes Big Family Split!

Genesis 13: 1 - 10 (summary of notes - need to fill in details)

Books & Articles Mentioned:
Jews for Judaism: Know How to Answer (I could not find the book but here is their website )

Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed by Jared Diamond
Review by Malcolm Gladwell -

The Tragedy of the Commons by Garrett Hardin, 1968


About Avram returning from Egypt the ‘way he came’ - returns by the same route:

• A lesson in frugality
• Showing loyalty
• He paid his debts – debts not monetary but of answers to questions he could not previously answer
• To return to the altars – as he was a missionary
  

Lot’s role -
“the land could not support them both”
- Too much stuff!
- Ecological reasons
- Conflict over resources
- Their possessions weigh them down.

SR Hirsch – incompatibility between Lot and Avram – If they can’t agree and there is no trust they need to separate all their possessions.

Priority conflict: Lot = Profit Avram = Morality

There are deeper reasons why people come into conflict.

What does ownership mean? Concept of private property?

Canaanites and the Perizzites – the settled population – a contrast to Avram and the nomadic life he leads.

Avram and Lot – strangers in the land and conflict between them.

NEXT TIME: Avram offers a solution...

Go Down to Go Up

Books:
That's Not What the Good Book Says by Yair Zakovitch Avigdor Shinan
Compares the Story of Avram & Sari going to Egypt to the Book of Esther.

The Genesis of Ethics by Burton L. Visotzky


Chapter 13 - Going UP from Egypt

Refers to both geographically and spiritually ‘going up’

Eli Munk – on the spiritual journey of Abraham. Avram held his high moral standards and was not influenced by the moral attitudes in Egypt but he had to be exposed to this so he would be able to rise higher:

Thanks to Jack Goldberg for the appropriate song:

Mipney ma, mipney ma, yoredet han'shama l'mata
Mipney ma, mipney ma, yoredet han'shama.

Hoy, hoy yerida, yerida tsorech aliya (2)


Why does the soul go downward?
Because descent is required for rising up.

Aaron Copland used the melody in his piano trio Vitebsk, Studies on a
Jewish Theme He heard it when attending a performance of The Dybbuk,
by S. An-Sky. A Google search on [mipney ma copland] will identify
many references, many of which use Ladino in the second verse. Mine
uses Hebrew for both verses.

You can preview it at this site

Abraham was exposed to the dangers in Egypt. Parallel to the story of the Israelite people when they went to Egypt. They had to experience Egypt to rise higher after they left.

Talmudic quote: “the repentant sinner stands higher than the high priest”

A bad experience can be the “booster rocket” to better experiences.

Burt Visotzky’s book accepts Abraham as flawed.

Karen Armstrong – contemporary teacher at Leo Beck School -
The ethics is not the primary teaching of Torah, it is more about the progressive separation between man and God.
“Ethical fashions” change over time. All the patriarchs were a failure in their family relationships.

What Avram took with him:
His wife is mentioned separately from his other possessions which is significant.
And the way Lot is mentioned is also significant – important because of what happens later.

Avram was wealthy – The question arises – where did his wealth come from?
Lot also had possessions – where did he get his wealth?

The word for wealth also means “heavy” - which allows for many interpretations.
Rashi – He was laden with the burden of wealth!
“wealth weighs you down”
More wealth = More worries

There is also a parallel with the episode in Exodus – the fleeing Israelites ‘borrow’ wealth from the neighbors.

The word also is related to Kavod = respect.

Avram returned by the same route that he came to Egypt. (to the tent where he was before)

Two interpretations:

• Rashi – this is proper conduct because it shows that he had been satisfied with his lodgings before and he is showing loyalty to those who helped him previously.
• Hasiddic – he was content with what he had before – money didn’t change him.
  

A lesson in frugality!

Sari - a Princess - Avram Not So Cool!

Gen 12: Review of the Overall Story with Rabbi Sarah Wolf

Details and Generalizations about Avram and Sari and their venture into Egypt were explored this week.

Sari = Princess – word play in Torah. Whose Princess was she?

The Morality of Avram Question:
Per Leon Kass – Avram was just clueless.
God intervenes and makes the situation right without the knowledge of Avram.
God intervenes often when it comes to situations with women.
Avram needs to learn how to treat a wife.

Per Mark Brett – Avram needs to learn about dealing with foreigners.
It is a lesson in understanding and not fearing foreigners.

Per Robert Altar – this is one of the ‘conventions’ in Torah – repeating themes
- a literary style that repeats itself throughout Torah:
meeting the wife at the well, baren wife later has a son, mistaken identity, opportunity for God to save the people from disaster...

Another theme: Women to the rescue – but the men get the applause!

Does Avram pass his wife as his sister to “save his skin”?

OR

Per Randi – was the whole adventure Sari’s idea?

Per Samson R. Hirsch – No human is the model for proper behavior – God is the model we should follow.
The Patriarchs are ‘not whitewashed’

Irony – The first time Avram speaks in Torah is not very ‘flattering’.
He is not trusting, he doesn’t treat his wife well and he seems very selfish. We question again why he was chosen.

This was one of the ‘tests of Abraham’ - So, did he pass?
This depends on who you ask!
To better understand the message you need to better understand the ancient audience for words of Torah.

“the story keeps our attention but the commercial is the important message here”

This is the predecessor to the Lot story where the women also are ‘expendable’.

Lies and Gifts and Avram's Character

Torah Study with Rabbi Marder Gen 12:10 - 20

Many possible ways to interpret why Avram got all those gifts from Pharaoh. AND why was Pharaoh was so eager for Sari and Abraham to split and take all those gifts with them.

Why did Avram tell Sari to say she was his sister? On the surface this seems very unethical and selfish.
David Kimke – 13th Cen. France offered 2 options
1 – The “lie or die” suggestion – Avram would have a better chance to survive if she lies.
2 – The “marriage isn’t important” thought – as Avram has so little trust and faith at this point he believes he must compromise the honor of his wife to survive.

Verse 14 – Entering Egypt – it only says that Avram Enters – no mention of Sari or the others who traveled with him at this point.
Problematic wording.
Rashi says that this indicates that Avram hid Sari in a box to smuggle her in but it backfired when the Egyptians inquired to the content and he said it was garments. (or spices) and he was quick to agree to pay the tax on the garments which arose suspicion and the found Sari when they opened the box.

And there is the romantic version of the story – In Avram’s eyes Sari was still beautiful even though she was older.

When Sari was taken to Pharaoh's house – text is missing from the story to describe the ‘parting’.

Eli Munk – says that Avram was just “buying time” and didn’t think that Pharaoh would want Sari himself. He was obliged to accept the payment. But they both resort to prayer and God answered – Pharaoh returned Sari and told them to leave.

Sari’s abduction was one of the 10 trials of Abraham.

Midrash is troubled by Avram’s behavior – thus there are many different explanations.

Samson Raphael Hirsch says that Avram was desperate and felt he had no alternatives. He says there is a reason for his morally ambiguous behavior.
On the list of gifts he was given – the listing is haphazard in order indicating that Pharaoh was in a “frenzy” to gain Avram’s favor. One of the ‘gifts’ was a maidservant – but spelled without the vav – so not plural – midrash says this was Hagar – the same servant that later bears his son Ishmael.

Nahum Sarna on Camels – An anachronistic interpretation – Camels in the Bible are associated with women – here with Avram getting camels, again when they are taken to find a wife for Isaac ... They are rare and a sign of wealth.

Eli Munk – Avram is later shown as not being materialistic – he shows characteristics of generosity and lack of greed for things. Here is was obliged to accept the gifts.

There is an explanation of Pharaoh’s actions that there were plagues – a parallel to the Exodus story – In this case it is speculated that Pharaoh was plagued with a debilitating skin disease that made it impossible for him to have sex with Sari. This might explain his response a bit.

Another possibility is that the term Devar = Word – thus Sari had words with Pharaoh – She did reveal to him who she was.

And it does indicate that they prayed to God – Their prayers were answered!

And another question: Why didn’t Avram return all the gifts? “This is a great miracle in this story!”

A Promise - Takes a Long Time to Fulfill

Gen 12:7-9 Torah Study 11/28
with Rabbi Marder

God will give this land to Abraham's offspring. - "to your ‘seed’ I will give this land."
A line that is the foundation of the idea that the land is divinely promised.
This seems an absolute promise from God – but caused a lot of problems.

Cannot have a rational dialogue on this today.

In original context:
relates to Beginning Chapter 12 ‘make you a great nation’
Here the promise is for a specific 'territory'.

Long time between the promise to Avram and the fulfillment that doesn't happen until the end of Torah. Avram continues to wander and doesn't settle there.

The theme of Jewish history is to live in the interval between - maintain hope, not to give in, and to believe the promise will be fulfilled.

What happens to Avram / Happens to the Jewish people throughout history.

Commentator 12th Century - from France - () - Avram was never commanded to *live* in the land - God said he "may" dwell there.

Orthodox response is that this is a commandment to be in Israel.
Ohr Somayach - Ask The Rabbi - notes that you have to be a sufficient and productive person in Israel to live there.

Avram built an altar - in gratitude to God near the tree.
When patriarchs worship it is private and build their own altar. Never see that any altars or worship is noted outside of Israel. No group worship. Private model of religion of the patriarchs.

What is an 'altar'? Means by which you make an offering.
An altar is a symbolic way to 'lift up' things to God.

Book by Mark Brett - Melborne - Decolonizing God: The Bible in the Tides of Empire
no hint in Genesis of the ideology of dispossession as in other Books
Avram builds altar near a tree. This flaunts the concepts presented in Deuteronomy. Avram is NOT worshiping the tree, but the tree becomes a landmark.

Why build an altar?
There is an intrinsic impulse of the human spirit to give thanks to God.

Eli Munk - Says that Avram was able to worship with his whole spirit.
Another concept is that the altar built is a symbolic way for Avram to claim the land. It is his 'mark' on the land.

Avram goes to the mountains:
Hebrew Ha Harah - hey - at end of word- going to the mountains.
Why go to mountains two thoughts:
1. Getting away from the fighting. There were problems within the Canaanites who were battling for the land.
2. fanciful reading: read the 'hey' as a symbol of God. Says that he went to the mountain of God - Mt. Moriah - where he builds the second altar - (some say this is where the temple is built in Jerusalem and also where the binding of Isaac happens)

Zohar - commentary on the altars built by Avram.
1. dedicated to God - the one that appeared
2. dedicated to the God 'the invisible' - Kaballah - the God that we cannot know.

Mountain East of Bet El - Geography noted is problematic. Not everyone says it is where the Temple will be built - the Zohar does.

Where he goes: Bethel - House of El - Cannanite Diety - near a pagan center Avram builds his own altar. Later this is where Jacob has his dream.
Ha Ai -a Ruin - Identified as a 'tel' - associated later with Joshua and the military conquer of the place.

Rashi - says Avram knew that this place would be the site of misfortune in the future. Avram comes back to this place again.

Richard Freedman - says this is another indication that the books were edited later - which explains the connections between the places and the significance into the future. Shows that the influence is there from our ancestors even though we don't directly know it.

v8 - Move to the south and 'pitched his tent' - in Hebrew the word for tent ends in 'hey' which can be interpreted as the feminine. Rashi says that this means that Avram always pitched his wife's tent first.

end of v8 - "He called to God by name"
*Nachmanades - interprets that Avram started preaching about God.
13th Century Spain - later Nachmanades was forced to defend his faith and then he was exiled from Spain.

*Eli Munk - Where Jerusalem will stand - Avram begins a missionary effort. The patriarchs 'spread the word of God'.

"There was a famine in the land"
As soon as he gets to the land - things turn bleak.

What is famine? - Death - serious matter-
Famines do not happen often in Israel - 5 famines mentioned in Bible.
Why is there famine? - Lack of rain in a place dependent on rain for water.
Why did they go to Egypt? Egypt is not dependent on rain.

Nahum M. Sarna commentary:
Land not have milk & honey in Genesis -
Israel dependent on rainfall... Egypt not - has the Nile.
The few times there famine are mentioned:
Here, the time of Joseph, in the time of David, the time of Joshua, in the story of Ruth.
The people were aware of their need for divine protection.

Famine in the land is one of the 'trials of Abraham'.
Book by Rabbi Michael Ozair: The Ten Trials of Abraham

The Rambam, (Maimonides) in his explanation of the above Mishna enumerates the ten trials:

1) the “Calling" of Lech Lecha, leaving behind a situation that is no longer working in order to surrender to the unknown.

2) the famine in Canaan, especially after G-d has promised blessing and prosperity – economic security of the entire region is threatened. Feelings of abandonment and perhaps betrayal from Life itself.

3) the injustice he faced in Egypt concerning Sarah – government sponsored injustice.

4) the war between the four kings and the five kings – being at the mercy of the turbulent political climate of the times.

5) the marriage to Hagar that came as a result of having no children with Sarah – family drama and relationship challenges

6) the command to circumcise himself at his advanced age – carrying out G-d’s Will can be painful.

7) the injustice and deception suffered at the hands of Avimelech of Grar when he also took Sarah – people could be cunning, manipulative and self seeking at the expense of others

8) the sending away of Hagar after having impregnated her - family drama, heartbreak, and pain.

9) The sending away of his son Ishmael – family drama, heartbreak and pain.

10) And finally, the binding and attempted sacrifice of Yitzchak, his beloved son, Isaac – testing the limits of sanity itself

Rashi - Famine 'in the land' - means ONLY in that land - to test Abraham. God told him to go there and now He has to leave there.
Will Abraham hold his faith in trying times?

The Controversial "THEN"

Torah Study with Rabbi Sarah Wolf 11/7

Genesis 12: 6 –

The Canaanites were THEN in the land -

This one word, "THEN" in this verse caused much anguish and controversy for Ibn Ezra relating to the possibility of “post-Mosaic” editorial of the Bible...
It was a huge controversy in the Middle Ages (1089-1164) to even imply that the Bible was not the “words of God”.

The "then" implies that they weren't there any more when the narrator was telling the story. So if the narrator were Moses, this would not make any sense because the Canaanites were still there in Moses' time.

His commentary notes:

It could be that the land of Canaan was seized by Canaan from someone else. If not, there is a secret “And the enlightened one will be silent.”
OR
he suggests that the more likely correct interpretation is that the verse teaches us that the Canaanites had taken the land by force from someone else. In other words, he thinks the better translation of the verse is “The Canaanites were then in the land”, meaning “then as opposed to previously”. That translation allows the verse to be written at the time of Moses.

The subject goes back to the verses on the son’s of Noah and their places “in the land” when Ham was the one who was associated with Canaan.

Many opinions and options are possible...
Abraham had become a Canaanite?
Abraham and the Canaanites arrived at the same time?
It was a mistake to use the word “then” - a word lost in the recording?

This leads to a big discussion on “who wrote the Bible” and the many verses and words that are inconsistent and imply that Moses could not have written the Bible. AND if Moses DID write the Bible – where and when did he write it? There is the possibility that he wrote it at the end of his life rather than at Mt. Sinai...

There is also the midrash that he made 13 copies of the Bible – one extra copy for each tribe.

Spinoza alludes to Ibn Ezra in his analysis of the question. He suggests that Ezra wrote the Bible after the Deuteronomy scroll was found.

Books on this topic:
Who Wrote the Bible? by Richard Elliott Friedman
Who Wrote the Bible?: A Book for the People by Washington Gladden
The Bible Unearthed: Archaeology's New Vision of Ancient Israel and the Origin of Its Sacred Texts by Neil Asher Silberman and Israel Finkelstein
A Layman's Guide to Who Wrote the Books of the Bible?: When? Why? by C. Jack Trickler

JDEP theory:

The theory is based on the fact that different names for God are used in different portions of the Torah, and there are detectable differences in linguistic style. The letters of the JEDP theory stand for the four supposed authors: the author who uses Jehovah for God’s name, the author who uses Elohim for God’s name, the author of Deuteronomy, and the priestly author of Leviticus. The JEDP theory goes on to state that the different portions were likely compiled in the 4th Century BCE, possibly by Ezra.

Talmudic story of when Moses visits the class of Rabbi Akiva

Rav Judah said in the name of Rav, When Moses ascended on high he found the Holy One of Blessing, engaged in affixing coronets to the letters. [6] Said Moses, "Lord of the Universe, Who stays your hand?" He answered, "There will arise a man, at the end of many generations, Akiba b. Joseph by name, who will expound upon each tittle heaps and heaps of laws." "Lord of the Universe," said Moses; "permit me to see him." He replied, "Turn around." Moses went and sat down behind eight rows [and listened to the discourses upon the law]. Not being able to follow their arguments he was ill at ease, but when they came to a certain subject and the disciples said to the master "Whence do you know it?" and the latter replied "It is a law given to Moses at Sinai" he was comforted. Thereupon he returned to the Holy One of Blessing, and said, "Lord of the Universe, you have such a man and you give the Torah by me!" He replied, "Be silent, for such is my decree." Then said Moses, "Lord of the Universe, you have shown me his To rah, show me his reward." "Turn around," said He; and Moses turned around and saw them weighing out his flesh at the market-stalls. "Lord of the Universe," cried Moses, "such Torah, and such a reward!" He replied, "Be silent, for such is my decree." [7]

Abraham - Old Scientist and Seeker

Abraham like a scientist -

The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, by Thomas Kuhn, is an analysis of the history of science.

The Beginning of Desire by Avivah Gottlieb Zornberg
pictures Abraham as a scientific thinker
she points out Rambam's analysis of how Avram realized that there was one God.

- a thinker teacher and writer
- a wanderer in his mind as well as location
- freedom from the cognitive norms of his time

Abraham was an 'inner vagabond' and a discoverer. He used the process of scientific discovery and gradual development of understanding.

---

The significance of Lot on the journey:
- Avram had no son of his own.
- Lot had no father.
- Lot's nature is a contrast to Abraham - he takes the rich land, he seeks out a sinful life
while Abraham's focus is on compassion and welcoming others.

There are rabbinic opinions of misplaced compassion of Abraham:
“He Who is Compassionate to the Cruel
Will Ultimately Become Cruel to the Compassionate”.

tells the lesson on leniency vs discipline
Evil should have consequences rather than indulgences.

Rabbi Moshe of Kobrin - Lot give excuses as to why not to do mitzvot. Abraham had Lot "tagging along" to offer the excuses!

The Rabbi of Kobrin said,

“The soul says to the evil inclination what Abraham our Father told Lot: 'You go to the left and I'll go to the right. If you go to the right, I'll go to the left. If you want to lead me to the left,' the soul says to the evil inclination. 'I will not listen to you and I will go to the right path. Even if you advise me to go with you to the right, it is better that I go to the left.'”

---
Abraham is 75 years old:
Pirkei Avot :

At five years of age, the study of Bible; at 10, the study of Mishna; 13, responsibility for the mitzvot; 15, the study of Talmud; 18, marriage; 20, pursuit of a livelihood; 30, the peak of one's powers; 40, the age of understanding; 50, the age of counsel; 60, old age; 70, the hoary head; 80, the age of strength; 90, the bent back; and 100, one dead and out of this world.

Our patriarchs were old men!

80 age of strength refers to inner strength.
- compassion and acceptance of others
- humility
- strength and self respect

---

The souls / person made in Haran

Rashi accepts the simple reading that they were the servants.

Midrash says it refers to converts "brought under the wings of the divine presence"

Proselytization and attitude toward conversion changed over time.
In the New Testament - Matthew - tells that Jesus was critical of the Pharisees as being too zealous in their proselytization of pagans to the laws of Moses.

There is question on whether it was the servants or converts - the commentators ask why we do not hear of these 'converts' again. Was it that they were not treated well and then they abandoned their faith? Used as a teaching point on why it is important to treat the convert well.

Conversion is not in Torah.

After the exile came the realization that God is portable and can be 'shared'. However at the time of the destruction of the temple through the acceptance of Christianity by Constantine it became 'illegal' to do the mitzvot of Judaism such as circumcision and then conversion was discouraged.

Sanhedrin 19b, quoted by Rashi- "Anyone who teaches someone else's child Torah is regarded as if he had begotten them."
---

Abraham brought all his wealth...

assures that wealth is a good thing ...


Eretz Yisrael in the Parshah: The Centrality of the Land of Israel ... by Moshe Lichtman
connects this thought to the mitzvah to make aliyah 'fully' - not on the '10 year plan'
Avram left first - he immediately left and didn't wait to settle his affairs ( as in verse 4 it states that he left) Then he was joined by Sari and Lot and the others - they may have stayed behind to 'settle the affairs' and gather the wealth. (verse 5)
---

NEXT TIME:
Abraham arrives in Canaan - Abraham passes through Canaan
there is redundancy that spurs controversial interpretatrion!

Motivation to Go...

Torah Study 10/24

Genesis 12: 4-6 - review with Rabbi Marder

Continuing the story of Abraham as he set forth to Caanan

Leon Kass – exploring Avram’s motivation for going on this journey.
Noting the immediate obedience and questioning if the motivation is based on the promises or his faith alone.

This is one of the elements in the evolving understanding of Abraham’s character.

Eli Munk – There is a struggle of good vs evil from this question.

A Hassidic approach (v4) Avram goes because he is ‘just commanded’ to do so.

He does not need the recognition or glorification.

BOOK REFERENCE: Forgetting Yourself On Purpose
Forgetting Ourselves on Purpose: Vocation and the Ethics of Ambition
~ by Brian J. Mahan & Robert Coles

Peter Pitzele – compare Abraham to Odysseus ...
Both on a Quest! Both ‘men of the world’.
Contrasting the motivation and questions if they go on their mission for fame and privileges or not?

Abraham – a hero of silence. “listens to win”
“ordeals of imagination!”

Questions the meaning of life!

"Humbition"- want everyone to know you are humble!

Richard Freidman — emphasis on obedience rather than faith

Peter Pitzele - “history gave obedience a bad name!”
Ambivalence and fear may have also been evident in Avram’s motivation.

The Word Obedience – means more ‘pay attention’ or listen to the call.

BOOK REFERENCE: Spiritual Life of Children by Robert Coles
Never forget the compassion of children.

A Great Nation Blessed

Genesis 12: 2-5 - Torah study 10-17 Rabbi Marder

Continuing the story of Abraham
Great Nation – what is that?

Rashi – a different view - Daily prayers say “God of Abraham” - at end of Avot prayer - “magen Avraham” - single out Abraham for special blessing.

Bal Shem Tov – repeat “God of___” - each forefather came to an awareness of God in his own way.

Dr. Avivah Gottlieb Zornberg – contemporary scholar – Genesis – Beginning of Desire. - Abraham will be redefined / reborn / transformed to another – “Shredding of destiny” – to change and to move to a new place – an act of kriah. Needs to go through a destabilizing process to change from Avram to Abraham.

Midrash: “a two sided coin was made with Abraham’s image on it” one side Avram & Sari other side young boy and girl who might be the ‘rejuvenated Abraham & Sarah’ - Hassidic interpretation that the drive for money remains throughout life young to old.
OR the coin of Abraham message that he was generous when he was young and when he was older.
OR could represent the transfer of things from one generation to the next.

“And you will be a blessing”
Can read 2 ways – future tense or command form to BE a blessing
Rashi – “Blessing are placed in your hand” - Abraham now has power to bless others.
Commentators read it differently – Riches kept for their owners only will hurt themselves – must share wealth and goodness.
I will bless you and you will be a blessing – I will bless you and you will bless others.

Other interpretations:

• People will ‘flock’ around you to be blessed.
• You will succeed whatever you do
• You will be the standard of blessing – become like Abraham
• Where you go – be an inspiration for others
• Sharing of wealth and ideas that are ‘blessings’
  

“Those who bless you ... Those who curse you”
Iben Ezra – you will have many friends and those who curse you will be few.
Hassidic – “try to have many who like him and few who dislike him...” “try to have few enemies”

2 verbs for cursing -
Kalal – action of the offender
Aror – God’s response to the offender
SR Hirsch – God will accompany Abraham to the new nations and will judge them by how they treat Abraham.

“all the families of the earth – shall bless themselves by you” or “ bless through you”
(7 promises Abraham received)
Mystical interpretation – Eli Munk – As he leaves home he is blessed with 7 benedictions – like the newlyweds beginning a new life.
Zohar – Souls of righteous – exists with God when sent to the body it is given 7 blessings. Soul function in body is the same as Avram is in the land where he is going. Speaking to the soul of Avram.
Peter Pitzele – compare Abraham to Odysseus ... (next time)

The Jewish Story is Launched

Summary of topics/highlights – will fill in details later...
Torah Study 10/10 Genesis 12:1-3

About Avram - Abraham

• • The special relationship between God and Avram/Abraham - Avram picked - not because he was perfect - probably because he was faithful and willing to stand his ground.
• • Why did he have to go from one pagan land to another? - Your message is better heard away from home - people listen to 'outside consultants'
• • The beginning of the patriarchs of the Jews - Why wasn't Terrah the beginning instead? (other than he made idols)
• • Problems with traveling and why it is significant according to Rashi
• • about children, wealth and fame - Avram had to be in a new place for this (his fate) to happen...
• • "Bless you ... Great Nation" - what does that mean?
• • "to a land I will show you" - why not tell him where he was going? Why is God so vague about the instructions?
• • Connection to Eretz Israel. - a review of views.

Sukkot and Joy!

Notes from Howard Selznick

Sukkot, on the heels of that most somber and reflective of Jewish days, Yom Kippur, is supposed to be joyous (Leviticus 23:40, Deuteronomy 16:14). In Rabbi Janet Marder’s study session at Shabbat-Sukkot services, congregants reflected on the meaning of “joy.”

What kind of joy is in the sukkah? Is it physical pleasure of backyard or fire escape camping?
“Look at us! We’re outdoors eating in our sukkah – woo hoo! “
“Yeah, but it’s freezing out here and it looks like rain. Vay iz mir! You call this joy?”

Indeed, how is it possible to be happy by eating outdoors in a flimsy “booth” when it’s turning cold and rainy?
Sukkot joy is not about “woo hoo, we’re camping in the city; isn’t this fun?” If you think about the immediate environment and personal comfort, then the point is missed.

The Sukkot festival is celebrated for the booths in which the Israelites lived after the Exodus in Egypt (Leviticus 23:43). Living in booths is a link to Jewish historical myth. For those living in Eastern European ghettos, it was a link across time and space from their tenuous existence in less-than- enlightened regimes to a time when Jews were free from slavery.

According to poet Charles Reznikoff [ below], being in Sukkah is a journey from barrenness to garden. To those ghetto dwellers, it was 51 weeks in a crowded, chilly, dank environment and one week of joy somewhere else where life was better, where lush plants and fruits grow –- palm, citron, willows.

The wilderness experience during the Exodus simulated in the sukkah lets imagination run wild. This was especially relevant in those Eastern European ghettos, where living was stateless and rootless – always strangers in someone else’s country. Living in the sukkah recalls the journey to a place of stability; it was your own land where crops grow plentifully and you’re in control.

We go outside physically to the sukkah, but once inside the sukkah, we get spiritual. We may prefer to stay indoors in stable, warm, dry structures; but inside in the sukkah, a fragile structure where it may be cold and windy, we connect to our ancestors who wandered in temporary, flimsy structures, all for the goal of getting to a better place, the land of Israel.

As Samson Raphael Hirsch puts it, our homes may be sturdy and seem permanent, but it’s an illusion, a temporary structure, especially in earthquake country; if this were written in the Midwest, it would be tornadoes; in the southeast, hurricanes. This is Rabbi Janet’s extrapolation of Hirsch’s idea; Hirsch probably didn’t know about earthquakes or North American weather extremes. We need to be in a Sukkah to remind us of the temporary nature of human existence. It may seem “joyous” to be under a roof with lots of furniture, appliances, and books. You may be calm but it’s a house of cards. Instead, the Sukkah brings out an inner joy based not on “stuff” but on a connection to Jewish history. It’s an inner calm being connected to God.


“Feast of Booths,” poem by Charles Reznikoff
From the Kol Haneshama: The Reconstructionist Siddur, Shabbat Vehagim, page 809.

This was the season of our ancestors’ joy:
not only when they gathered the grapes and the
fruit of the trees
in Israel, but when, locked in the dark and
stony streets
they held—symbols of a life from which they
were banished
but to which they would surely return—
the branches of palm trees and of willows, the
twigs of the myrtle,
and the bring odorous citrons.

This was the grove of palms with its deep well
in the stony ghetto in the blaze of noon;
this is the living stream lined with willows;
and this the thick-leaved myrtles and trees
heavy with fruit
in the barren ghetto—a garden
where the unjustly hated were justly safe at last.

In booths this week of holiday
as those who gathered grapes in Israel lived
and also to remember we were cared for
in the wilderness—
I remember how frail my present dwelling is
even if of stones and steel.

I know this is the season of our joy:
we have completed the readings of the Torah
and we begin again;
but I remember how slowly I have learnt,
how little,
how fast the year went by, the years—
how few.

Lech Lecha - 2 words to many words!

Torah Study 10/3 Genesis 12
Rabbi Marder

The Call To Abraham/Avram - Lech Lecha

Two words and so much commentary!

Go Forth - the two words that launch the 'Jewish enterprise'.

Torah themes: Home and Homelessness - a pervasive theme throughout
characters in Bible always seeking a home but then they must leave their homes.
Always looking for our identity and yet always a 'stranger in a strange land'.

Lech Lecha - continues the theme of being driven away. Being told to 'get out'.

These are the words that break God's silence for 10 generations.

The word "lecha" 'demands interpretation' as well as the repetition.

Rashi: "go for your own benefit" Lecha implys 'for you'
he focused on the 'IF you go God will make him a great nation"
IF you leave 'you can have children'

Contradictory to the image of Avram with his strong faith that implies he would go only for his love of God.

There is a link also to the later event with the binding of Isaac - starts with the same two words: Lech Lecha

Hassidic interpretations comparing to Noah - the Noah part begins with praise for Noah. Abraham is not praised, he is just told to go. Abraham is not chosen because he is righteous because of what follows. God's reasons are unknown. The Israelites are CHOSEN - not necessarily because they are righteous.

"God is just nuts about Abraham and who knows why!" (R. Marder)

Rashi: another interpretation - "so I will make known your character in the world"

Midrash compares Abraham to a bottle of perfume:

"The Lord said to Abram: 'Go forth from your native land and from your father's house to the land that I will show you. (Genesis 12:1) What did Abraham resemble? A bottle of perfume closed with a tight fitting lid and lying in a corner so that its fragrant smell was not spread. When it was moved, however, its fragrance was spread. Similarly, god said to Abraham: "Travel from place to place and your name will become great in the world." (Bereshit Rabba 39:2)

God needed a broader arena to show the talents of Abraham, so he was sent out into the world.

Sampson Raphael Hirsh: 19th cen Germany - "Go by yourself" " Go your own way" "be by yourself" - Lech Lecha is a command to be different. It is fundamental to being a Jew - to be different and to walk apart from centralization of thought.

To 'go away from the spirit of the times' was essential in SRH time. Abraham becomes a metaphor for protest against what is currently accepted. He was willing to walk away in order to be faithful to God.

Philo: (from the Plaut Gleanings) - reads Lech Lecha in a more 'Helenistic' way - to separate himself from the material world. To 'escape the body' and focus on the spiritual.

Hassidic reading: "Go for yourself" Go for the benefit of Eretz Israel.
It is all about the motivation:
You should be willing to go to the land - even if it means economic sacrifice.
Lech Lecha - is seen at the first commandment to go to Israel.

Jonathan Magonet (20th cen): Links the first 'lech lecha' here with the 'lech lecha' of the binding of Isaac. It is a similar starting point. Which is harder to leave home and family or to sacrifice your child? (Compares Abraham's leaving home to Don Quixote) We do not see Abraham's thoughts on leaving. He does not argue with God on the command "lech lecha".

However, Abraham is know for 'arguing' with God when it is for the benefit of someone else - as in the Sodom case.

What is a 'great nation'? We are so few by comparison.
Greatness is based on the relationship with God, based on quality not quantity.
The greatness of the Jewish nation is measured more by our contributions to the world.

This is why the shofar is blown from the small end to make a great sound.

Lech Lecha - from a psychological view -

Aharon of Karlin: "go to yourself" - seek your own roots.

R. Zusya: "go for your essence" accomplish what you can - follow your own skills a you are responsible to give this to the world.

When Rabbi Zusya was about to die, his students gathered around him. They saw Rabbi Zusya's eyes break out into tears. "Our master," they said with deep concern, "Why are you crying? You have lived a good, pious life, and left many students and disciples. Soon you are going on to the next world. Why cry?"
Rabbi Zusya responded, "I see what will happen when I enter the next world. Nobody will ask me, why was I not Moses? I am not expected to be Moses. Nobody will ask me, why was I not Rabbi Akiba? I am not expected to be Rabbi Akiba. They will ask me, Why was I not Zusya? That is why I am crying. I am asking, why was I not Zusya?"
The greatest tragedy of life is not death. The greatest tragedy is dying without having completed our mission, dying before we know why we lived. Each of us has a responsibility to search our own soul and ask the ultimate question - "why did God place me on this earth?"

R. Nachum: "go for yourself" for benefit and pleasure.
Abraham needed to wander to better understand other people and lifestyles. It made him a better 'host'.

Rashi: A person is appreciated more outside his own home.
(thus the need for an outside consultant)

Noah to Terrah to Avram

9/26 Torah Study with Rabbi Marder

Genesis 11: 26-32 - from Terrah to Avram

There are many ideas about Abraham as a child and his family history.

As we enter "historical" time with Abraham the names and the places are documented. There is no physical evidence of Abraham himself.

The introduction of 'characters' that show up again. Lot

3 women:
Sari = princess = queen (Acadian)
Milka (Malka) = queen = daughter of moon god (Acadian)
Ischa ( Milka's sister) - mentioned but no definite information on who she is.

Rashi: Iscah is the same as Sari - this is another name for Sari because she can see into the future.

Who is Sari's father? The problematic question. It is not clear here but later when Abraham takes her to Egypt and says that she is his sister may just be partially true? Many midrashim on this one...

Sari is "barren" she has no children. The term is not that she in infertile necessarily. Some commentators say that she was infertile and that is why the miracle of Isaac is even more important.

Leon Kass: The childless relationship of Sari and Avram is an indication of the importance of the marriage relationship where 'love' exceeds the desire for children. This is also an indicator of Avram's special qualities. He is not ordinary in this way, it shows his potential for compassion and ability to learn and lead people.

THE JOURNEY

Remember there has been no communication from God for 10 generations.

Terrah's family was already on the move - some indication that they were traveling toward Canaan. When Avram leaves it is not clear if he is making a complete break from his father OR if he is continuing the journey.

The numbers show that his father lived a long time after Avram leaves.
- 60 years more approximately
Rashi interprets this as Avram not honoring his father properly as he left him and did not stay to take care of him.

Haran - the place where they were - a center for moon worship

Eli Munk interprets the Zohar commentary on the travels:
The journey of Avram reflect the inner turmoil, he is moving around to seek the truth over the period of 75 years before God speaks to him.

It was Avram's efforts to search for the truth that made him the one chosen by God. He was a spiritual pioneer before he was chosen.

Regarding Sari being barren, Munk points out that this induces prayer by the women. Because God yearns for prayer, the matriarchs were not blessed with children until they prayed.

Another thought was that they had to go to the new land first. They had to break from the past to get a 'fresh start'.

Avram & Sari are held as a model of a good marriage.
Children are just a transitory part of life.

"the tree is judged by it's fruit" You can tell things about the parent from the children.

Gibberish and Gates / On to Avram

Torah Study Notes Sept 12

R. Marder Genesis 11:8-9

The name Babel
derivative from Babylonia

They thought: Bab El (Babylon) - Gate to/of God
God named: Babel - Gibberish

interesting etymology here.
Language accentuates the differences between people.
It is a double edged sword.

Samson Raphael Hirsch on the nature of Hebrew.

In his translation and commentary on Genesis, the great nineteenth century German Neo-Orthodox rabbi and scholar, Samson Raphael Hirsch, provides what is perhaps a more accurate translation of this very difficult passage. Working from an elaborate system of Hebrew philology that attempts to establish the true meaning of the Biblical text from within itself based on the etymological and phonetic relationships among the words of the Biblical lexicon, Hirsch makes a compelling case that the Hebrew text in Genesis 10:5 is saying that the proliferation of dialects (literally "tongues") was a consequence of the dispersion of peoples, not its cause. He further points out that the Hebrew word for "language" used in Genesis 11 is not the same as the word for "tongue" used in Genesis 10:5, but describes something much more general. He argues that what is being described in Genesis 11:7 is not a confusing of language in the sense of dialectification so much as a "withering away...the thought that is conveyed by this passage is that when God comes down, language is detached from its formative source." (The Hirsch Chumash: Sefer Bereshis, Feldheim, New York and Jerusalem, 2002; English translation of the 1867 German edition by Daniel Haberman, pp. 252-280).http://www.jinfo.org/Linguists.html

the English word for "have" is not in Hebrew
What belongs to a person in English is 'alloted' to a person in Hebrew. Private property or the notion of ownership is not a concept in Hebrew - it was introduced in other languages.

The concept of multi-lingual people having a deeper understanding of things was discussed.

Yiddish Folktale - the feminist version:

(need details)

End of the story has a repetition or redundant line: Scattered is noted twice and that must have hidden meanings.

Rashi says they were scattered once in this world and again in the world to come.

There is confusion in figuring out the punishment for human behavior when comparing the flood punishment to the Babel punishment:

Flood - people were bad to each other and the punishment was death.
Babel - people actually worked together well but the rebelled against God - punishment was to be scattered and diversified.

Thus peace among people is given greater importance and less drastic of a punishment.

Verses 10-32 give another lineage from Shem to Avram
10 generations -
similarly there are 10 generations from Adam to Noah

Comparing the structure of this line to Chapter 5 - after Adam -
The life spans get shorter.
Younger when they have children
And in Chapter 11 it doesn't say "and they died"

Eli Munk points out the the importance of this lineage shows that the patriarchs are human and not divine. Which is important when considering the ancestry of the messiah.

Midrash on the younger life of Avram from this: how Terrah saw his youngest son die based on Nimrod throwing Avram into the furnace.

And another story on how Avram smashed his father’s idols and tried to blame it on the ‘bigger’ idol to show him that idols have no power.

(more updates soon)

Shana Tova!

Human Needs: Outside Guidelines and Humility

Finish Chapter Genesis 11:4 - 9 Torah Study with Rabbi Marder

end v5 God "comes down" to investigate - last word = children of Adam

Introduces the concept that the building project is human - and they have limits and humility of Children of Adam

Rashi - Torah didn’t need this phrase (sees humor) Who else built it? (the animals?)
why give this - vene adam - descendants of the first Adam who was ungrateful to God - per garden of Eden - when Adam blamed Eve... and blamed God for giving Eve to him. These descendants of Adam are also ungrateful and are rebelling against God for saving them from the flood. A characteristic of humans

Midrash modern Hasidic interpretation - quotes Rashi - then the characteristics in a person carry over for several generations. Family patterns. This characteristic of Adam followed through the generations to these people. From this if people improve attributes then that will be continued for generations. - a message of “hope’.


v 6 - if one people with one language then this is what they will do... their power will be infinite.

Rashi reads as an interrogative - And now should not all they propose to do be withheld from them? as a question. God not threatened. They are using their benefits, unity, for destructive purposes. God Questions if he should intervene so they don’t get into so much trouble...

v7 let us go down ... (reminder - Rashi ran a yeshiva) God consulted with his ‘bet din’ because of humility.

Confound language - what happens when they no longer understand each other.
One person asks for a brick and another person brings limes instead. Makes the person angry and the situation becomes chaotic. Communication problems cause failure of the tower building project.

Humility - comes up in different ways on this text.

Hasidic commentary:

Creation not finished - God wants humans to use our intelligence to continue creation. Part of plan. BUT generation of Babel - denied God and said they had created it all on their own.

What was the sin of the generation? Traditional thought: They denied God.
Other interpretations were more politically driven.

3 books by Kushner referenced:

• Who Needs God -
• How Good Do We Have to Be -
• Overcoming Life’s Disappointments

Question: What is the Necessity of God?

Leon Kass - prof Univ of Chicago - Trace what had happened to this point. Early chapters outline 4 conditions :
1. Simple Innocence - (Eden)
2. Anarchy - life without law - should know right and wrong - (Cane Abel)
3. Life in Primordial Law - State of Nature - (Noah) - law passed by generations
4. Dispersion of People - each under it’s own law.

God keeps trying new plans.
People realize that the previous methods don’t work. So cannot rule from within. Need help from outside to have laws to live by. Instinct not strong enough. Therefore we need God.

First failing of people of Babel - lack of piety - they begin to believe in their own superiority.
They see no eternal horizon. This is the theme of the story and the danger.

relationship to the High Holy Days:

Gates of Repentance: addresses the same question as Babel

comment before Avenu Malkenu in the Yom Kippur service
- “hundreds of people have done this before” - - - “we are of the generation who had fought to dethrone You” “men and women grow smaller without You” / God...

Refer to the love of God as the love of a parent - regardless of what we do.

Avenu Malkanu -words
Have mercy on us
We are of little merit -


Avenu Malkanu -
the prayer lists all the sins we have done collectively.
Shared act of humility - so if you as an individual didn’t do this sin, someone in the greater congregation probably did - it is acknowledging our flaws as a group.


Humanism is not enough:

People cant make it on own instincts alone, humans keep getting us in trouble - this is why we need Torah, the book of wisdom, to guide us so we have a decent world to live in.

We need a source of wisdom from outside ourselves.

Compare the Christian view presented by Paul - Conscious of sin and the overwhelming feeling of guilt. Jesus lifts the burden of this guilt and the need to always follow the ‘laws’.

Jewish answer - you are capable of making a real mess or of doing good. You can do better with work and following the guideline and ability to ‘do better’. We are capable of good but also we can make big mistakes.

Tshuvah - not repentance - it is going back to true authentic self, the goodness inside us.

Issue of humility: Always two sided in Judaism - the two notes - one “for my sake the world was created” other “we are but dust” - balance these two consciousnesses at all times.

Kushner about humility - acknowledging something larger than self.
Humility - Not self effacement nor false modesty. Not everything in life is about you. Recognizing that you are not responsible to run the world.

Why so hard to accept this? When a child we are the center of the world. As we grow the child learns to leave this concept behind for the satisfaction of sharing with others. Teens who learn to manipulate others around them. And bosses who abuse employees. Terrible spouses who need to win every argument. Humility is the cure for these faults. The essence message: “leave a little to God”

This interpretation is less about needing wisdom and more about recognizing that the world doesn’t exist for you alone.

Commentators reacting to “let us make a name for ourselves” - About the belief that we don’t need anything beyond ourselves.

There is a standard for ‘right and wrong’ that started within religion, but it can be separated from religion.

Connection between humility and the ground. We are the earth - source of humility.

Check R. Marder’s sermon from 9/4/2009 for use of language.

Tower Interpreted Across Ages

Genesis: 11 1-9 Torah Study Class 8/29 with Rabbi Janet Marder

Many interpretations of the story

Gadal (Hebrew root) = big tall – what is the significance?
Questions

What is wrong with this?
How can we understand the consequences?

most interpretations: “Make name for selves” indicates a rebellion against God – idolatry.

Story has been construed as a satire and a mocking of Babylonian culture. A parody.

More modern interpretations

Abravanel – 15th century -
Urbanization brings corruption and violence
“journey from East” (v2) Kedem means East and before – interpretation based on these words – moved from how the world was to technological production by man.

Rousseau– 18th century – On the Origin of Inequality
man who fenced in an area and said “this is mine” - and others believed him – the beginning of inequality. - No one owns the earth!
Once people congregate there is the strong who abuse of power and dominate the weak. Cynicism of people getting together to build the city.

Erich Auerbach - compares the Bible to Homer – Biblical style leaves out the details

Bricks = technology of its day.

Netziv: Rabbi Naphtali Tzvi Judah Berlin – 19th century of Volozhin (now Belarus Russia)
“top in the heavens” - not plan for one city in the world – but this city would be the dominate city – with a watch tower to see others. To make sure no one would break away.
concern – that the ideas of people should be the same – builders of the tower were to be sure no one would change their way of thought. Sees a denial of independent thought.
“Big Brother” concept.

Midrash quoted: Years building tower – took a year to climb to the top – brick was more precious than the life of a human. If a brick fell they wept but not if a man fell.
About the inhumanity of its time – refers to the time of Roman building projects.

“God came down” “God descended” verse 3
Suggests human-like image of God

Ibn Ezra on anthropomorphisms
But accepts as a description. Human language.

David Kimze – also of the middle ages
Describes the lowly man- scripture calls this descent – language of spatial movement – when God wants to examine human deeds.

Rashi – to teach judges not to condemn an offender until they have reviewed all the details - personal investigation. (a teaching point)

Eli Munk – quote: Nachmanades – Kabalistic reading - descend when applied to God – says that it refers to the scale of divine attributes. Still God that comes down – metaphorical way God moves from love and compassion down to strict justice.

Satire – God had to “come down” but they were building a tower – not tall enough!

Samson R Hirsch – describes as a society that is determined that they don’t need God. Problem was in the attitude that motivated the builders. Structure to remind

Community must act in service to God. Problematic that the act of building the monument is the ‘end’ rather than a ‘means to an end.’

Seen as an act to ‘dethrone’ God – an act of arrogance.

- - -
Another theme of Torah: ending of divine intervention

Tower of Babel is the ‘last direct intervention’ by God. Concept that end of Bible the earth is given to humans.

Men don’t learn their lessons.

Another interesting parallel to Jacob's ladder - link

- - -
“Let us go down” Who is “us”?


1. Majestic / Royal “WE”
2. God consults with the angels.

Significance – God is humble – takes cognizance of other opinions. (team of Rivals)

Value of humility – act of humility.

V7 – Let us… Hebrew ‘Hava’ – first word
V3 – same word/phrase used when humans are talking. Symmetry

Word for Confound- Wordplay on the word for brick also – the consonants are reversed.

V8 – scatters – stopped building – story based on the ruins 100 bce of a ziggurat

Question is it a punishment or not?

Benno Jacob - 20th century reform Jewish commentator
Misunderstood story – Name Tower of Babel misleading it is about the city.

Not like the story of the Titans… not an attack on heaven.

About the building of the city as an act of unification due to anxiety and fear. Want to gather together not to get lost. The scattering of the nations is a consequence of population growth and a fulfillment of the mitzvah.
"The tower was to bring them fame and glory. their mistake was to use their technology for pride and vanity instead of using it to improve quality of life in their society."

Earth given so we will spread out and become diverse!

Story is a protest against uniformity.


Poem by our classmate Nora Buys:

The tower has gone
Its rubble smoothed away
By winds and rains and wars
Even so, the whisper
“You can be like God”
Still lures, still tempts,
Still seduces

Responding arrogance builds new towers
Seizes new powers
Grabs new riches
Creates new empires
Always to crumble into oblivion
The sighing, murmuring, siren voice lies
For we cannot be like God

© Nora Buys

A Building Drive - A City / A Tower

Genesis 11: 3-9 – Building the City and the Tower
key words: bricks, tar (mortar), city, tower, one language, confuse speech, scattered, babel (confused)
“to make a name for ourselves”

Key topics from Torah Study with Rabbi Marder 8/22

• The first ‘building drive’
• sound patterns in the verse
• contrast between location where you build bricks vs use stone
• bricks were an important aspect of Mesopotamian culture
• What is the motivation for building the city? Was it a rebellion against the command to populate the world?
• Ziggurat – the spiral tower in the ancient near east – to emulate a mountain.
• Why is there a problem with this?
• Arrogance of humans to try to ‘reach the heavens’
• interpretations from: Arthur Green, Talmud Sanhedrin, Rashi, Eli Munk, Samson Raphael Hirsh
• And more contemporary interpretations – political points
• Why is God above?

Art:
Pieter Bruegel.









Gustave Doré,











Poetry:

Ozymandias

by Percy Bysshe Shelley

I met a traveler from an antique land
Who said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert. Near them, on the sand,
Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown,
And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,
The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed;
And on the pedestal these words appear:
“My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:
Look upon my works, ye Mighty, and despair!”
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare
The lone and level sands stretch far away.

Language:
BabEl = confusion – joke on the Glory of Babylon

Different Languages at Babel

Tower of Babel

Continuation of exploration of Nimrod from Ch 10, he was associated with Babylon and the building of the city and the tower and the turning away from God.

"Now the whole earth had one language and few words. And as men migrated from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. And they said to one another, 'Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly.' And they had brick for stone, and bitumen for mortar. Then they said, 'Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.' And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the sons of men had built. And the LORD said, 'Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language; and this is only the beginning of what they will do; and nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. Come, let us go down, and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another's speech.' So the LORD scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city.' Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the LORD confused the language of all the earth; and from there the LORD scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth." (Genesis 11:1-9)

We focused on the “languages” aspect this week.

“everyone had the same language”

Abravnel - the goal is a single community. There was no ‘private property’ until Nimrod built the city and the tower. (sin was the capitalization of moving away from a communistic view)

Contradiction
How important is unity through language?
How important is diversity?
or is it more 'understanding' that changed?

Different words for language:
Safa VS Lashon
Lips VS Tongue
Language of the tongue is from the depth of life / holy tongue.
Language of the lips is on the surface.

What is the language of God?
A language that everyone understands.

ABRACADABRA - relates to language origins – Hebrew

The sins of those who built the Tower resulted in the language differences and thus cultural differences and mis-communications. The contrast between the richness that the differences give us and the problems of those same differences.

Why is this story in this place of Torah?
Parallels between Adam and Eve in the garden and the building of the city and the tower,

The contrasts between urban and rural living begin at this point.

The question if Language is a unifying factor or not was discussed as well.

11:2 – “from the East” could also refer to “from the old ways”
marks a moving away from God. . .

East is significant – Babel is in Southern Iraq today.

11:3 “come let us make bricks”
no mention yet of what building but emphasis on ‘bricks’ rather than ‘stones’.
Bricks made by man rather than natural like stones.

Etymology – 1st person imperative - signifies the desire to do this.

Historical moment – a new way of building with brick and mortar.


No other Mesopotamian story parallels the Babel story.

Names - Places - Table of Nations

Genesis Chapter 10 – The Table of Nations

Torah Study with Rabbi Janet Marder

8/1/09 and 8/8/09

This rather lengthy list of names and places, many unpronounceable, that delineates the descendants of Noah and shows where they ended up.

Two key messages coincide – “we are all the same and yet we are all different.”

This family ‘tree’ with geographic indicators divide the descendants of Noah’s sons. And yet while it sounds like a list of individual names, it is more likely that it is speaking of the ‘nations’ that come after the sons of Noah.

When this is first read it seems like it has little meaning (like so many of the chapters) a bit of digging into the many commentaries gives it so much meaning.

Ethnology is not the point. These ‘nations’ appear in other near-east literature and it gives a panoramic image of the people of the world ‘post flood’.

The geography is described so we can actually define the map (above)

The later Jews are from SHEM and are within the ‘fertile crescent’

There are 70 ‘nations’ mentioned – many are linked to geographic areas but some are not.

(74 names = 70 nations + 3 sons + Nemrod who is the only ‘individual’ named.)

70 is one of those key numbers that comes up again in Torah. Jacob’s descendants that go to Egypt, 70 elders in the wilderness, 70 members in the Sanhedrin.

There are other later traditions that key on the number 70 as well –

• 70 mythological gods of the time
• 70 languages of Torah
• 70 nations represented at Sukkot

Nahum Sarna - modern Biblical Scholar:

Emphasis on our common origin. Human divisiveness is less important than our common origin. Universalistic view – Humanity is all connected correlates to One God.

Emotions are universal.

Photo exhibit: The Family of Man

The Family of Man (MoMA Exh. #569, January 24-May 8, 1955) was composed of 503 photographs grouped thematically around subjects pertinent to all cultures, such as love, children, and death.

The names are divided within the 3 basic areas –

• Japheth – relates to the Greek influence
• Ham – relates to the Egyptian influence
• Shem – relates to the followers of Abraham – Jews

Names mentioned appear again in Torah and help to better define the who’s who listed here. While it is not an ‘actual anthropology’ there are hints to known places and people in history.

A Few Specifics Noted:

Ashkenaz - from Japheth via Gomer – and this relates to ‘nomadic people’ around the Caspian Sea. This later referred to Germany and is said to be the genealogy that leads to Ashkenazi Jews from Eastern Europe!

Alashia – Mentioned in many texts – ancient name for Cyprus. Ionian - an ethnic division of ancient Greeks.

Tarshish – the place on the Mediterranean where we later see Jonah.

Ref: Cyrus Gordon -

# The Wine-Dark Sea – Homer –

Cyrus Gordon related the name "Tarshish" to a Semitic root also found in the Greek "Thalasos" meaning sea. This explanation is close to that of the Talmud which however seems to connect Tarshish to the Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean in particular.

"C. Gordon attempts to interpret the name Tarshish with the wine-dark sea of Homer" Journal of Near-Eastern Studies 37 (1978), pp. 51-52. "

"Attic thalatta, meaning sea, becomes thalassa in Doric".

Cyris Gordon has also been quoted as identifying Tarshish with America.

Nimrod – an individual – “mighty one”. It seems that Nimrod must have been a known character of his time but the specific details of the ‘epoch of Nimrod’ were lost to time, so it gives much room for midrash and interpretation.

“Mighty Hunter before God”

Some say he rebelled against God. Others say he was ‘godly’.

The Hebrew root – relates to rebellion, warrior…

Rashi – Nimrod hunted men’s souls to entrap them

Samson Raphael Hirsh – progenitor of religious tyrants.

He is said to have misused the name of God.

Abravanel, 15^th Century Spanish scholar of Torah, who was a great advocate of republicanism, believed that Nimrod had forced himself upon the people, established the principle that monarchy goes with tyranny, and built great edifices to big-note himself. – Avravanel was very negative based on his personal experiences in Spain in the 15^th Century.

Eli Munk, connects Nimrod to the Tower of Babel which is the beginning of a series of his failures as a monarch. Abraham (Avram) was cast into the fiery furnace but was saved by God, then Nimrod is killed by Esau, the other hunter.

Another interpretation is that Nimrod was seeking to slay him on account of the cloak which had belonged to Adam [and which Esau now possessed], for whenever he put it on and went out into the field, all the beasts and birds in the world would come and flock around him. (Midrash Rabbah - Bereishit 65:16)

The first monarch. Strong rule. Corrupt power.

Nimrod = the spirit of raw power that is always present.

Places mentioned in Genesis 10 link to other places in Tanak – many are known but some not. Most based on the political and economic ties :

Bavel = Babylon = confused – (babbled)

Another interpretation: Bavel = gate = gate of God or gateway to heaven.

Eber = source for Evrit (Hebrew) - the name of the language

Eber and Shem started a yeshiva. (This started a discussion of how they could study Torah before the events of Torah happened!)

Hirsch:

Japheth = Hellenistic Culture / Arts & Science

vs

Shem = Moral Ethics / Truth / Ideal

‘One can get the aesthetics BEFORE they can get the ethics!’

Themes of Torah: Include the younger son prevailing over the older son – true here also as Shem is the younger son.

Overall: Polarized struggle between the universalistic view and the dominance of one people over another. This is a tension in Torah.

Generation of Division

Literary pattern here shifts from unity to division to unity.

Judah Ha-Levi, was a Jewish physician, poet and philosopher. He was born in Toledo in Spain, about 1085 and died in about 1141 soon after he moved to the Holy Land.

My heart is in the East

My heart is in the East, and I am at the ends of the West;

How can I taste what I eat and how could it be pleasing to me?

How shall I render my vows and my bonds, while yet

Zion lies beneath the fetter of Edom, and I am in the chains of Arabia?

It would be easy for me to leave all the bounty of Spain --

As it is precious for me to behold the dust of the desolate sanctuary.

NEXT – Languages and the human hubris!

Understanding a Curse - or not...

Torah Study 7/18 - R. Janet Marder

Genesis 9:24-27

Noah wakes up! And ‘understands’.

And

The Curse of Canaan

This portion has been used and misused a lot.

Noah “wakes up to smell the coffee” he becomes very aware of what has happened.

There is much speculation as to how exactly he knows – whether he really is lucid or if he was told. However, Noah’s reaction is swift and harsh.

The curse is not to Ham, his son, but to his grandson, Canaan. This leaves many questions: Why pick on the grandson – was he involved? What exactly is the curse – a one time thing or one that goes forward in history? How is this understood?

It is possible that there is missing information that would clarify these details more. And as in much midrash, the scholars try to fill in the blanks. Could it be a type of retaliation? What could Ham have done to deserve this? There is even some theories that Ham castrated Noah so he could not have more children.

The curse: Cursed be Canaan, let him be a slave of slaves to his brethren

Cursed be Canaan-ןענכ רורא. A slave of Slaves-םידבע דבע
Grammatical construction emphasize the “extremes”

Like “God of gods” = Supreme God
So “Slave of slaves” = Lowest slave.

Nothing is actually said about the descendants of Canaan – this is all interpretation and midrash. It is used to justify the Israelites taking over the land of the Canaanites and the submission of Canaanites to the Israelites.

Rambam speaks of Rashi commentary – he questions why the Torah even starts with Genesis – what is the purpose of this? God created the whole world – not just the world of the Israelites. To answer the question “who is the owner of the world?” Rambam continues to interpret that this is all about Divine justice. The Israelites are warned and that “possession of the land is dependent upon their moral behavior”.



Misinterpretations have been dangerous

Louis Farrakhan “On the Jewish myth:

Until Jews apologize for their hand in that ugly slave trade; and until the Jewish rabbis and the Talmudic scholars that made up the Hamitic myth -- that we were the children of Ham, doomed and cursed to be hewers of wood and drawers of water -- apologize, then I have nothing to apologize for.”

-Interview in Swing magazine, October 1996

NO COLOR IS MENTIONED IN TORAH
The Egyptian word for ‘black’ sounds a little like Ham – more like ‘hem’

In Egyptian verb-stem of this word is Bohem/Bahm, which means to be/make obscure or dark/black/mysterious/mystical

The use of this connection to interpret the ‘curse’ as on black people came from the church. It was also used in the 19th century politically to ‘sanction slavery’.

The curse on slaves in the American history was blamed on Jews.

Book: Jews and the American Slave Trade by Saul Friedman

The Secret Relationship Between Blacks and Jews
by Historical Research Department of the Nation of Islam. Charges that Jews controlled the slave trade.

Rabbi Morris Raphall – During Lincoln’s term the first rabbi to open a session of the United States – said the Civil War split Jews also because there were Jews on both sides.
The Torah specifically says that owning slaves is not a sin – 4th commandment.

Why Jews were not typically among the Abolitionists? They wanted to blend in to their communities, they followed their neighbors. Many of the Abolitionists were evangelical Christians who blamed the Jews for many things and that was unpopular among Jews.

There is a lot of ‘legislation’ regarding slavery in the Torah. Exodus 22 – punishment for the thief. Rules of slavery during war. A crime to kidnap someone to enslave them. A master who kills their slave is responsible for the death and can be punished same as for anyone else. Lev 25 – labor laws that relate to slavery. Deuteronomy – terms for freeing slaves.

Book: All Other Nights by Dara Horn
Speaks of class differences during the Civil War period


Book: Republic by Plato
Class differences even in the ‘Utopian’ state.

There is also the question of “Moses marries a Cushite woman”

Cush – African land – later Nubia
Association of ‘dark skin’ and beauty.

Outrageous interpretations and miss-interpretations have led to political troubles.
How to combat this? The best strategy is to publicize the facts and keep it in the open.

Reform Jews: Progressive Revelation – As time goes forward we learn what God really wants of us.
An “Ethical Evolution” reflects the cultural changes in our world.

Eben Ezra, a Spanish commentator in the twelfth century
“be a slave to our brothers…” reminds us that it was not an ancestral curse: that the first King of Edom was "Nibroth [Nimrod] son of Chus [Cush], who was son of Chem [Ham]”
Thus, he rejects the reading that it reflects a justification for perpetual slavery.

Naked in his Tent

Genesis 9:20-27

Noah – naked in his tent. Ham – sees and tells. Brothers – cover and don’t look.

What does this mean?

Eli Munk: he goes into his tent to get out of the public eye – so his children would not see him in a drunken state.

Impact on the psychological effects of alcoholism.

What does it mean in Biblical times vs the political significance
Lev 18:3 – Sexual Depravity – do not copy the abhorrent practices of cultures in Egypt and Canaan (ref to Ham) – list of these practices in Lev 18 - 20
Political Message: If go to pagan nations you will encounter these practices – a recurring theme in Torah.
“Jews are EXPECTED to behave better” (not always happen ie. King David)

Rashi: Nakedness – reflexive view –
Possibly someone else took off Noah’s clothes

Possibly Ham took off Noah’s clothes

Peter Pitzele Bibleodrama
Book : "Our Father's Wells" by Peter Pitzele excerpt of a reflection of a son on his father’s alcoholism.

My Papa's Waltz by Theodore Roethke


The whiskey on your breath
Could make a small boy dizzy;
But I hung on like death:
Such waltzing was not easy.

We romped until the pans
Slid from the kitchen shelf;
My mother's countenance
Could not unfrown itself.

The hand that held my wrist
Was battered on one knuckle;
At every step you missed
My right ear scraped a buckle.

You beat time on my head
With a palm caked hard by dirt,
Then waltzed me off to bed
Still clinging to your shirt.

The image of a drunk father is a powerful one.

Ham – sees his father’s nakedness and tells his brothers.

Two issues with different interpretations.

Most see this as a literal interpretation but some interpret it as a sexual “nakedness” and it is not clear with whom – the details of this story are lost in time.

The word for Nakedness – Arvat – something shameful or dirty

Because Shem & Japheth ‘cover’ him up – most scholars do interpret it as literally without clothes. But there are some other midrash that go to all types of extremes – such as Ham castrated his father – Noah didn’t have other children after this.

Samson Raphael Hirsch reflects on the sin of children against their fathers also applies to generations: “cover the weakness of the former generation..”
The future has a bond to the past.
- sons who mock the traditions of the past will be mocked themselves.
- take what is good from the past rather than what is distasteful

Rashi – the Sin of Ham – his son Canaan was punished for the sin of his father
Possibly it was Canaan who ‘saw’ Noah
Explores options of other abhorrent sexual practices. Look for the sin because of the curse that follows

Leon Kass – Returns to the literal interpretation of nakedness.
The curse of the son leads to consequences to the son and future generations of alcoholism.

It effects the attitude toward parental authority.
Shame (derived from two terms in Greek)
Ham seeing his father is ‘metaphorical castration’
Dethrones the father – Ham lacks the awe and reverence for his father
Ham - the father of Canaan – later the source of abhorrent behavior.

Action of the two brothers to cover their father without looking.

Kass – deliberate cover up / Loyalty / correct the problem and protect the dignity of their father.There are some things the child should not know about their father.

After this incident Ham is not mentioned again.

Two views of the other brothers ‘cover up’

• See a problem and do something about it
• Cover up the problem to avoid dealing with it

Thoughts from this – thinking of the motivation for doing things.

More next week…

Sons and Wine

Torah Study 7/4 with Rabbi Marder

- Rainbow Additions –
Native American tradition regarding the rainbow – The rainbow is a reminder to keep the earth safe.

Jewish Contemporary perspective - Jeremy Benstein – The Way into Judaism and the Environment - the interpretation of Heschel – the view from the perspective of a child of the promise – the other view it is the symbol to remind one of the carnage of destruction and the rebuilding.

Ecocide – Interdependence of humans and the earth.

- - - - Genesis 9:18-27

• Noah’s sons
• Vineyard
• Drink
• Nakedness
• Covered
• Slaves to each other…

A fragmented story of powerful events. Much debated.

Etymology of the Names:

Shem – means “name”– Semites descend from Shem
Renown, respect, high stature, a link to God

Ham – means “to be hot” to enflame.
Connected to Egypt. Ham’s descendents connected to Egypt and Canaan
Links throughout the Tanach – Psalms 78:51, 105 and 106
Biblical Parallelism – connect to Mitzrayim and Tents of Ham “Land of Ham”

Japheth – open and expansive, beautiful – associated with Greeks.

Alcohol and Sex
Political reading vs Psychological reading of the text

Leon Kass –
Paternal authority and filial piety
Relations between sons and parents
Father and sons ambitions
Tensions between glory in the world vs attention to family
Education of fathers as moral educators for their children.
Troublesome aspect of relation between fathers and sons.
A paternal figure of authority was essential. A balance between fear, awe, shame.
Relations between sons and fathers have always been difficult.
A father has a power over their sons.

Parallel to Death of A Salesman – exposure to the shame of the father transmits a devastating effect.

Freud – father is a figure of dignity and how this effects the son.

Comparisons
Noah - Ish Ha Adama - Man of God to Man of the earth
Contrast to
Moses Ish Elokim – Man of Egypt to Man of God


Review of the sequence of events.

There is a large time lapse within the fragments of the story. As if it was a well known story and this is just a ‘summary’ version.

Ham is mentioned twice.
V19 – all people branch from the sons
V20 – a vineyard is planted
Debate over “he began” could be read differently.
Possible – forbidden fruit in Eden was the grape.
Should this have been Noah’s first act or not?
Was his first thought to taste the earth’s pleasure.

Eli Munk & Rashi – criticize Noah for planting the vineyard

Most commentators are relatively neutral about the vineyard. There is the debate between the ‘evils of drunkenness’ vs ‘wine is essential to traditions of our faith’

V21 Drunkenness and ‘Uncovered’ – they are linked to each other – Alcohol & Sex

Habakkuk

“Woe unto him that maketh his companion drink, and also maketh him drunken, in order to look upon their nakednesses” (Habakkuk 2:15).

On shame…

Samson Raphael Hirsch – Noah didn’t intend to get drunk. When he discovered he was drunk he withdrew to the ‘inner’ tent in an effort to maintain dignity.

Eli Munk – quotes Talmud story that Satan came and offered to help Noah

Satan was a bit more successful with Noah. According to the Midrash (Midrash Tanchuma Genesis: Noah 13), Satan was a partner of Noah in the planting of the first post-Flood vineyard. Satan’s contribution was the addition of the blood of a sheep, a lion, a pig, and a monkey. This is the Talmudic way of explaining the effect alcohol has on people. The drinker, initially as innocent as a sheep, after a few drinks becomes as bold as a lion. Eventually, as the drinks flow, the person becomes as filthy as a pig and acts like a monkey. Indeed, the Bible relates how Noah debased himself when he became intoxicated (Genesis 9:20-28).

Etimology
Vav – repeated 13 times in this portion. – the 13 steps downward.
Stumbling on a downhill path.

Savri Maranan said in kiddush before the blessing on the wine:
Before the Kiddish is said – ‘ attention, with your permission…’
We say LeChiam – as an answer to the unspoken question:
“is this the wine of life or the wine of death?”

The Bow in the Cloud

Congregation Beth Am Torah Study 6/27/2009 –R.Janet Marder

Genesis 9:16 – 21

The traditional and contemporary views about the 'Rainbow as a Sign'.

God sees the ‘bow in the cloud’ whether man sees it or not.
Rabbi Abraham Iben (Ibn) Ezra – “God makes the rainbow appear in the sky even though it is not really there....” It is created by man’s eye – how we perceive the light through moisture. But Ben Ezra says the rainbow is always there. Always visible to God.

In Warsaw Ghetto on the walls – “ I believe in the sun even when it is not shining…”

Contemporary
Leon Kass – Rainbow is a symbol of reassurance to humans. Asks why is this reassurance needed while they are rebuilding a life? People require hope and posterity to be a reason to rebuild. There would be no reason to follow the laws if there was no hope for a better future. Needs hope for a motivation to build the world and have an obligation for justice. A purpose to life. The sign is required forever when despair threatens us.

Prometheus – gave ‘blind hope’ in Greek mythology.

Ephemeral Nature of the Rainbow – Hope is also ephemeral. Natural hope fades. Cosmic order is finally not inhospitable of human dreams & aspirations (the foundation of Mordichai Kaplan’s theology.)

Remember the covenant for the future is the motivation for rebuilding. The cosmos is benevolent to humans.

Reminded of the work of Ann Frank –

"I can’t build hope on foundation of confusion misery and death. . . . Look to heavens and think it will all come right this cruelty too will end. Peace and tranquility will return.” (1944)

Derive a sense of order from looking at the cosmos.

Not apply to other forms of natural destruction.

Rabbi Marder quote: “It is a human story. You need to look for the ethical and spiritual teaching of what the word is trying to convey. They are teaching that our efforts have meaning now. It is less about the future”

Words are about nature. God will not destroy the world again. Not about humans. We need reminders that things will get better when there is despair.

Like a parent who has the potential for anger but learns to control the anger. Sometimes they need a reminder of that.

Contemporary interpretation of the rainbow:

1. Gilgamesh epoch flood Narative different: Ishtar necklace in the sky becomes the rainbow as a reminder. In this story it is not related in any way to a covenant or any moral dimension.


2. Kabalistic interpretation – Eli Munk – continuous spectrum of colors reflect devine attributes. Ezikiel vision of God – like the bow of God. 7 fold goodness radiating from God’s presence.

Sim Shalom prayer in morning liturgy. Light of Peace – 7 gifts to come to us through the light of God’s face:

Life
Kindness
Righteousness
Blessing
Mercy
Peace
Love

7 colors represent the projection of attributes of God’s – symbols in 7 colors of rainbow.


Today symbol of diversity and inclusiveness – R. Brad Artson – Am Jewish Univ. LA
Multicolored symbol of peace. Reminder of our need to build coalitions with others. Our of flood is a new commitment to life and to peace. Now a symbol to us multicolored spectrum of human understanding. Symbol of all people unifying.


Rainbow Flag – designed in San Francisco – Freedom Flag – red always on top :

Red – Life
Orange – Healing
Yellow – Sunlight
Green – Nature
Blue – Harmony
Violet - Spirit

Link about rainbow from Science to Literature to art

Poetry & Song:
Rainbow Connection – Muppet Movie - by Kenny Loggins

Someday we will find it
the Rainbow connection
the Lovers Dreamers and me.

Wordsworth Poem – 1802 – My Heart Leaps Up

My heart leaps up when I behold
A rainbow in the sky:
So was it when my life began;
So is it now I am a man;
So be it when I shall grow old,
Or let me die!
The Child is father of the Man;
And I could wish my days to be
Bound each to each by natural piety.

Intimations of Immortality - Children closer to nature and to God than adults.

“the child is father of the man…”
“Splendor in the grass”
– the whole poem.

Whitman poem:

I heard the learn'd astronomer;
When the proofs, the figures, were ranged in columns before me;
When I was shown the charts and the diagrams, to add, divide, and
measure them;
When I, sitting, heard the astronomer, where he lectured with much
applause in the lecture-room,
How soon, unaccountable, I became tired and sick;
Till rising and gliding out, I wander'd off by myself,
In the mystical moist night-air, and from time to time,
Look'd up in perfect silence at the stars.

v. 18 New Narrative – a time lapse - list of the sons of Noah
Plant a vineyard – make wine – grandchildren… at least 2 years after the flood.

The order that the sons are listed not by age but possibly by level of wisdom!
Shem, the youngest, - ancestor of Shemites / Semites – Know the order from Genesis 11:10 Shem was 100 years old – in Ch 7 Noah was 500 when he had children and 600 when flood came.
Political significance.

Samson R Hirsch – what do we learn: all 3 sons of Noah are survivors – represent different types of people but worthy of saving have equal responsibility to become good humans.

Mention of sons by name after the flood – now revert to pre-flood behavior. Eldest learned nothing although older.

Ham – only one to cohabit on the Ark & fathered a son. (men and women separate on ark) Effected the listing of the names in the story.

Ham will have a more prominent place in the story later.

(some commentaries change it to Ham being the youngest son)

V.19 “Branch out over the world”

Hirsch – from this they spread out –
3 sons of righteous man, Noah – 3 different in character sons can come from the same father
Word ‘branch out’ from same word ‘hammer’ that shatter things. This is the origin for all human cultures and behaviors.

“It is an obscure story”
This is the “cliff notes” version of the story – not the WHOLE story!

Rainbows - Signs and Promises

Genesis 9:8 – 17 R. Jennifer Clayman

Never Again..
Covenants…
Rainbows…
Signs…

Hebrew words
Keshet – Bow – Rainbow – קֶשֶת
Ot – Sign -

Other Signs of the Covenant
Exodus 12:13 – blood on houses a sign – relating to the plagues –
Gen 7:11 – circumcision as a sign of covenant of the people –
Deut 6:8 – bind the words as a sign on hand and a symbol before eyes

Rainbow
Nacham Sarna - JPS Commentary on Rashi pg 62 – “My Bow” existing natural phenomenon and now becomes a symbol. No other celestial body is similarly endowed as a symbol in the Bible ….
It is the only time that anything in nature becomes a sign of a Biblical event or a covenant.

Ezekiel – mentioned. – radiance about God like the rainbow equivalent to God’s presence.

But is in mythological reference to a bow and Babylonian Astronomy bow plays a role.

Significance of the rainbow is significant as a symbol of reconciliation. A bow / symbol of war transformed to a symbol of piece.

Blessing on Rainbow emphasizes the point of remembering the covenant and God keeping promises.

Cant touch rainbow because it is a one sided covenant – in this case it is God’s promise – God is the only one who has to do anything in this particular covenant. It is an unconditional promise.

Can never approach a rainbow. As a covenant you can’t fully approach it as well. It is part of the difficulty of approaching God as well.

Kabalah – reference to the colors of the rainbow – 7 colors – 7 attributes and 7 spherot.

J version and P version of the stories may have different facts – contrasting versions within the text – J version perspective from the ‘other kingdom of Judah’ - this text
P version more interested in using God as transcendent and less involved with people’s lives. (not sure about this particular text)

Link to Global Warming as the other side of this covenant when floods may return.
- another view that this is not linked – it is assurance that you can have children and not fear that they will be lost to another flood.

Not a promise of no punishment – just not to destroy the world again.

v17 Hebrew See Keshet and Remember – remember responsibility as well as the promise.

Artist perspective: What does the shape and colors of the rainbow mean? A symbol/sign of life.
Psychologist interpretation: colors vs darkness of depression. Uplifting after darkness.
Political use: Rainbow flag sign of the Gay Pride movement – 1978 – Baker – inspired by song Over the Rainbow (written by Jews) – became popular after Harvey Milk Assassination – represents the diversity. Rainbow Coalition – is a symbol of diversity.

Value of Life

Torah Study 6/13 led by Rabbi Janet Marder

Source text dealing with the topic of suicide. Genesis 9:5
“ And for your lifeblood I will require a reckoning: from every beast I will require it and from man. From his fellow man I will require a reckoning for the life of man.”
9:6 “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image.

Focus on Humans made in the ‘image of God’

God recognized human propensity for aggression and forbid the taking of human life.

It is a Talmudic interpretation that forbids ‘harming oneself’ and a prohibition of suicide.

Tractate Semahot is the source for practices on death and mourning. Gives specific instructions on what cannot be done in the case of suicide.
Not to tear the clothing or the crea ribbon. No eulogy. But you do recite the blessing for those who mourn because that is about the family and not the person who died. They wanted to avoid giving honor to one who committed suicide as to suggest that this was honorable or hold this as an example to the community.

Later suicide was justified based on extreme distress.

Masada – a question of the justification in this case. And was it suicide or martyrdom?

CCR – the reform response is to focus on the objective give comfort to the family and those who mourn and follow their wishes.

Focus on the value of life.
“Put life ahead of faith.”
“Heroic death is now less glamorized.”
“Your life is not your own”


Verse 5 – on suicide Verse 6 – on capital punishment

A look at the literary structure of the verses.

‘dam’ and ‘ha adam’ - adama – connection blood – human - earth
Similar sounds.

Kiasmos (Kosmos) - a symmetrical literary style (from Greek letter shape like X)
Literal: “Sheds blood of man by man his blood shall be shed” - bookended
Structure reflects meaning – talionic punishment “in kind”

The verse gives a clear prescription for capital punishment. However interpretations in Talmud make it very difficult to implement.
Makes it very difficult - Akiva and Tarfon – strongly opposed to capital punishment.
Rabbi Shimon ben Gamaliel responds, “[to Rabbi Tarfon and Rabbi Akiva] would have been increasing the murderers in Israel.” – held a different view that capital punishment should be an option.

There is clear text and interpretations to deal with issues like accidental killing, killing in war, killing to protect others and other situations. The need for witnesses are mandatory to result in capital punishment.

Source for the laws for humans to establish a judicial system to deal with issues of human aggression.

Eli Munk: Attributes the absolute value of all people. This extends to those who are punished for crimes.

The question is: What gives the ‘state’ the right to execute a person? ‘if all people

Excellent web references on this:

Rabbeinu Gershom (French rabbi 14th century) When one murders the image of God is expunged from a person by his act of murder.
R. Kunei (?) ( late 13th century) The judge is made in the image of God – vested by God with the task of seeking out the blood of the murder. Judge is the agent of God and takes the responsibility.

Wrestling with the contradiction in this issue.

Verse 7 – Be fertile and increase...

Rashi – a disturbing Talmudic interpretation –
Previously this text was given it was a blessing. Now it is a mitzvah.

Compares those who do not have children is equivalent to ‘shedding blood’
Having children is a mitzvah – a law.

Hekdesh – Talmudic interpretation based on the juxtaposition of verses in the text.

A definite challenge to modern thinking and choices to have children or not.

Jana points out that it is positioned next to ‘humans in God’s image’ and therfore allows for a more positive interpretation using this same method.

On Suicide - Source Text Genesis 9:5

Torah Study 6/6 led by Rabbi Sarah Wolf

Source text dealing with the topic of suicide.
Genesis 9:5

"And for your lifeblood I will require a reckoning: from every beast I will require it and from man. From his fellow man I will require a reckoning for the life of man.”
9:6 “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image.

Rashi – clarifies this to include all forms of suicide including those that do not shed blood.
There is no prohibition of suicide in Talmud.

Exceptions in the Bible: Saul ‘falls on his sword’ before he could be killed by others. In Daniel - Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego throw themselves into the fire to avoid profanation of God’s name.

This is the start of setting up the Noahkite laws of basic human behavior.
It is a human job to set up a system of justice to control their behavior.

Talmudic commentary there is a conflict of opinions – but clearly there is a worry about people harming themselves.

Three ‘sins’ where you can break halacha ‘law’ to save a life: Idolatry, Rape, Murder

Questions: IF one takes their own life – How does God get satisfaction?

What does it mean? What is the punishment? The harm is to the family and community not to the person who commits suicide.

Definition of suicide: Rambam and Schulchan Aruch - make it difficult to rule almost anything a suicide – this is for the sake of the living to allow the Jewish rituals of mourning.

Difference between Suicide and Martyrdom.

Traifa - Person who has an organ failing - “on death’s door” - in Sanhedrin has discussion on when a person is dying – you are not allowed to help this person die. However, a person who is ‘traifa’ is not liable for crimes no longer fully living – not fully there.

Talmudic story: Rabbi who was on his death bed but cannot die because his students were praying for him to live. The Rabbi’s Servant broke a pot to distract them from their prayer. In that moment the Rabbi dies.

Assisted Suicide – modern interpretation – after end of verse – R. Yakov Metlinburg: 2 words for person ‘Adam’ Kills with knowledge vs ‘Ish’ with mercy - 2 different terms – for vengeance to the victim vs for good of victim. There is a difference based on the motivation.

Story: If a King says kill that person or you will be killed. - Can’t decide whose life is more important.
Another story: 2 people in desert with only enough water for one – the decision is to save one life.
Should take care of self and not let both die.

Prolonging Life – there are also arguments against undue prolonging of life.

Case of when Animals kill people – the animal is to be put to death and no one is to eat the meat.

Rambam – beast that kills a man – flesh cannot be used as a punishment to the owner. It is not punishment to the animal.
He interprets verse – from the hand of animal require reckoning – when a person uses an animal to kill a person.

Summary: - about the preservation of life and reminding us of how precious life is. A reminder that our life is not entirely ours.

D. Saperstein on Jewish Social Justice and Political Decisions

David Saperstein speaks to Beth Am on 5/30/2009
on
The Jewish Social Justice Agenda

How the Jewish tradition should be use in contemporary political debates?

What is proper or improper within political debate?

What does our tradition tell us?

Jacob Neusner (the Isaac Asimov of Jewish scholars) books on Jewish scholarship. Prolific writer - bibliography.

Neusner is critical of reform movement’s claim regarding the position on Rowe v Wade ( and other positions on Jewish tradition ) Do not claim that the Jewish tradition justifies the position on abortion. It is okay for it to be your position but don’t claim that the “Jewish tradition” is the basis of that position. Similar relating to the position on gay marriage.

Must study what the texts say about an issue and see if there are any specific commentaries on the issue.
If you can’t find anything relating to the issue then don’t claim it is the “Jewish” position. Don’t claim that it is within the interpretation of Jewish law.

Problematic with what he says because it doesn’t recognize any official evolution of the Jewish position or further interpretation. There are limits to how you interpret the official position of Judaism from the texts.

Jewish tradition can support different views. Minority opinions are recorded and CAN become an official position. Problem in interpretation and varying opinions in religion and in law as well.

Neusner is critical that the reform and conservative movement are making statements that are not based on text.

When leaders claim this do they say it is “the Jewish position” or “a Jewish position”. Using “a” makes it a weaker argument but more accurate. Different positions can be represented by the actual Jewish position so there are really multiple positions on any issue.

When making our mind on an issue want to be able to say that they go to the text to make decisions. Do they really do this? Try to be intellectually open and honest, but it is influenced by experiences. We can’t base opinions strictly on one source. It is based on all range of experiences including our Jewish study and experience. (Can find justification for a wide range of positions within Jewish traditions in different sides of issues.)

“never lie or distort a position in testimony before a congressional office… if you do they will never trust you again…”

Another approach that is sometimes used is to decide what you want and then find the text to back it up. Not suggested as a proper method - totally biased.

Proper method is to go with an open mind (blank slate) and then go to the text and look at the responsa literature and all the interpretations and then make decisions. But it really doesn’t happen this way. “Blank Slate” methodology is very difficult.

Hard not to influence your decisions from all factors of your background and identity, both Jewish and not Jewish.

Important to go to the texts, but you CAN find justification of almost anything in the text.
So it is difficult to use this as a method.

Abortion issues: both sides use the same text to justify their position: “Choose life…”

Right methodology:
Jewish law comes from Torah, from God, a covenant, a contract. A contract binding only when people agree and when it is enforceable. Those Jews at Sinai agreed. Jews are born into the covenant and must reaffirm when they reach majority. (Bnai Mitzvah – they officially accept the commandments) Who wasn’t at Sinai? Everyone else.

What does it mean to become Bar or Bat Mitzvah? That they agree to accept the laws.

Big problem with limiting it to Jewish law:

• No concept that the covenant is binding on non-Jews.
• No universal norms in Torah.
• Noahkite covenant – 7 moral laws binding on all people. What applies to everyone.
• Rule for the sake of “peace in the community” is another law that applies to all people. Community relations – started over 2000 years ago.
• Universal law comes from interpretation –

1. dignity of humans
2. equality of all people
3. belief in perfectibility – we can make it better (not perfect but working toward that)
Normative Christianity vs Normative Judaism - different views - we believe in our obligation as humans to work toward a better world.
4. Trust relation with God. Share God’s love with others. Tzedakkah to all people.
5. Rule of Law – all people are accountable. – Universal Law.
6. Pursuit of Peace
7. Pursuit of Justice
8. Belief in freedom of choice. Freedom of thought. Ability to understand the difference in good and evil in the choices we make.

God is not ordained for the human invention.
Need to evaluate issues by these universal laws that help direct our actions to do the best we can.

Look at Jewish tradition and lift those values up to offer to all people. Not that it is binding on non- Jews, rather that it offers guidelines based on universal laws as well. The Jewish arguments should be heard as an inspiration or as a ‘prophetic voice’ and a ‘moral voice’ to add to and influence the opinions and decisions that are made.

R. Thal on Canonization of Hebrew Bible

R. Lenny Thal - 5/30 Torah Study – Beth Am

“Whenever you study Torah you have to have a good time!”

Canonization of the Hebrew Bible

Documentary hypothesis - the Bible was codified either in 450 or 444 BCE
Ezra and his disciples collated the narratives from approximately 4 to 500 years.
There were four major documents: JEP&D

web reference:

* J: a writer who used JHWH as the "unpronounceable name of God." It is often translated as Jehovah.
* E: a writer who used Elohim as the divine name
* D: the author of the book of Deuteronomy
* P: a writer who added material of major interest to the priesthood
* R: a redactor who shaped the contributions of J, E, P and D together in the present Torah.

Canon – Why Canon? What does it mean? literal meaning – Measure Rod / Reed

Exodus 24:3-7: Follow Moses’ return from Mt Sinai – people hear and agree to the terms. Reflection on what Moses learned.

620 BCE. – Deuteronomy Dated
2nd Kings 23:1-3 ‘what needed to be accepted’ The scroll found by Jeremiah in the Temple and read at just the time when reform needed! Began a major period of reform. However it was just 30 years later that the Temple was destroyed.

Ezra decided that the people needed “a constitution” which was created at the Watergate ( this one created one the modern one destroyed one)

Nehemiah 8:1-8 – Another documentation of when the people gathered and heard Torah and accepted it. It was read and translated and explained (“by people with teeth breaking names!”) by Ezra and his scribes.

Apocrypha (difference between Hebrew Apocrypha and Catholics’ Apocrypha – Hebrew it is separate from Bible / Catholic is it part of the Bible)

(word apocrypha means hidden or secret)

It includes such books as Judith, Macabees, Susannah …
If it is ‘apocryphal’ then it may not have happened but it does tell a truth!

Pseudepigraphia – a collection of writings by unknowns – but had some influence.
Includes the Life of Adam & Eve, Apocalypse of Moses - other documents
Prophetic section: No real historical record of when it was canonized.
Clues: 300-275 BCE OR 175 BCE – based on the end of the ‘minor prophets’ (minor because short not unimportant) Known from Talmud reference that there are no more prophets after Zechariah.

Malachi reports that Elijah will come at end of days.
Ecclesiastes – documented by the grandson of Ben Sirach

The Writings section: Again not certain of timing when the writings were collected and codified.
Prologue – 125BCE – 1st century BCE Philo – study of laws and the psalms
Ref: “Knowledge and piety increased”
Other clues from the New Testament – Matthew and Luke reference to the psalms.
Josephus 90-95 BCE wrote 22 books in the Bible – now there are 24 (or 39 depending on how you count) a clue that this was canonized later.

Song of Songs was included after the destruction of the 2nd Temple.

Historically the end of the 1st century was not a good time for the Jews. Mishnah and Midrashim were being written. Time of the Macabee and Barkova revolts had a huge impact on the way Judaism would evolve. Pharacies – the antecedents of modern Judaism attempted to democratize Judaism.

Interpretations were documented and ‘legal fictions’ created to help with this interpretation.

Book of Susannah: story of 2 elders who are infatuated with Susannah and are voyeurs watching her bathe in the garden. They are caught and put on trial and the both tell different version. They are put to death for perjury as their stories didn’t match.

Book of Tobit: Story of a pious Jew and marriage (Shtar). The Saducies reject it and the Katubbah is created as a marriage contract.

Ecclesiastes: Greek in tone. Included by the Saducies as they highlight the last passage that emphasizes that ‘this is the whole matter’ and seize the importance of this verse and attribute it to Solomon.

Esther: Problematic – no mention of God, Esther does many things not in line with the law… but included based on public pressure – the feast already celebrated at that time.

Contrast book of Esther to book of Judith – Judith was the opposite of Esther – completely loyal and brave – Why Judith not included may be based on a small detail which was not in line with the Saducies doctrine!

Not sure when completed – probably after 200 CE and before 300 CE.

We are what we eat?

Torah Study 5/23
Rabbi Marder

Genesis 9:1

Renewal of Life after the flood.

On the ark the animals living together and being cared for made them tame. Man did not fear animals and animals did not fear man.

There was a rupture in the relation between man and animals.

Rashi points out the natural fear that animals have of man. ( mice will not attack a live person / baby only one who is dead )

There is the notion the man came from animals but there was a separation and change.

Now animals can be food for humans. A major change from vegetarians they were.

Reasons for the change –

Animals survived because of humans.
Human care of animals as payment
All plants were destroyed also and there was fewer other food sources
Terms with the nature of humans were compromised.

The case of the Vegetarian vs the Omnivore

Kashrut is a reminder that we started as vegetarians and were allowed to eat meat. Kashrut gives limits to what and how to eat as a reminder.

Rav Kook believes that the permission to eat meat was only a temporary concession; he feels that a God who is merciful to his creatures would not institute an everlasting law permitting the killing of animals for food.

Eating meat was related to man’s aggressive impulses. Allowing to eat meat was a transitional dispensation.

Samson Raphael Hirsch: Different opinion on eating meat.
the attachment between people and animals was broken which initiated a change in the relationship of people to the world. [14]

The permission given to Noah to eat meat was not unconditional. There was
an immediate prohibition against eating blood.

There was fierce debate among rabbis on this issue.
Note: Life span of humans was much longer before the flood.

Eli Munk: Mystical interpretation.
Diet did not effect man’s nature or aggression. It was simply a new era marking the end of strict vegetarianism.

Cordavera – Hierarchy of nature. Goal to come closer to the divine. “you are what you eat” type concept and as you get higher on the food chain what you eat gets closer to the divine.

This new approach is God’s attempt to set a new system of discipline relating to eating habits (pre Kasrut laws)

Hassidic interpretations continue to analyze why we eat. We eat to stay alive. Don’t eat with gluttony, eat with appreciation and respect for it’s purpose.

Excess is not good.

Wine as example: It not only includes quantity but also HOW you consume it that makes a difference. Wine in a beautiful Kiddish cup drank with ceremony and celebration is much more beautiful and proper. Same with sexuality that is more meaningful when ‘put in a container of love and caring’.

NO BLOOD – next verse:
In no other religion is there a prohibition of consuming blood. Blood is thought of as the life source.

Do not eat the limb torn from a living animal. This law is given 10 times in Tanach.
Flesh with life still in it is like eating part of the soul. Meat to be consumed must be slaughtered properly. This teaches compassion rather than cruelty.

(Eli Munk) A method of teaching self discipline - Points

Sanctity of Human Life
Moral Freedom
Decision Making
Control of Instincts
Maintain Dignity

7 Noahite Laws for all humans :
The Talmud and Midrash canonized this notion in lists of commandments believed to have been given to Adam and supplemented in a new revelation to Noah. The generally accepted list consists of seven items, with respect to: 1) idolatry; 2) blasphemy; 3) homicide; 4) incest and adultery; 5) robbery; 6) eating the flesh of a live creature; 7) establishing a system of justice.

God Cares. Nature and Nurture.

Genesis 8: 21 – 22 (notes from the podcast)

Yetzer – Good and Bad Instincts and direction needed for self improvement

Jewish tradition is to learn to direct our instincts – not to beat it out – but to identify and nourish the goodness in children. - emphasize the good.
Man’s potential to do good and evil.

Entire story that God cares about us.

God recognizes that there is a ‘job’ to educate and discipline people!

Need to bring God’s presence to earth!

Noah’s Sacrifice – God’s reaction.
Leon Kass: the sacrifice says more about Noah than about God and his desire for meat / animal sacrifice.

Humans have animal nature, also have spark of divine and also they are free...

Devine Realism. - God’s growing awareness of the nature of man.

Hasidic reading:
“In uncertain times the order of nature changes. Summer in winter, winter in summer...”

Shin Bet Tav ( root for stopping ) - nature changes its ways.

Global Warming – if you meddle with order of nature – nature will ‘fight back’. (lesson from 18th century)

Paradise (not perfect leisure) - study of Torah.

New Order – Life is harder – Life span is shorter

Eli Munk: Evil influence has a barrier from the shorter life span – humans can open the road to hope for young people – children the continual infusion of potential for good in the world.

Decisions After The Flood

Genesis 8: 21-22

“God said to himself...”

A contrasting view of scholars.

Eli Munk: Danger in thinking of the corporality of God... But not as dangerous as not comprehending God at all... - stresses a more personal God.

As compared to Maimonodes view that stresses a completely abstract God.

Literal Hebrew: “He said TO his heart”

The discussion continued with questions: “Is God perfect?” “What is perfect?” and do we have a “learning God”? Has God’s opinion of mankind changed?

God promises never to destroy the earth again as done with the flood.

And gives the reason because ‘yetzer’ of man’s heart is evil from his youth.

It is a vow that there will not be ‘collective punishment’ ever again.

Is man inclined to bad behavior?

Is God giving up any dreams of perfection? Deciding to go forward differently?

The discussion of “yetzer” with two yuds: a Kabalistic story

The Hebrew word for fashioned is vayeetzer (וייצר).] The word is written with two yuds ,3 which [our Sages say] indicates that man was born with two yitzrin, inclinations, one for good (the yetzer tov), and the other for evil (the yetzer hora).4

But at the age of Bar Mitzvah one should be able to control this.

Samson Raphael Hirsch – on Youth and Evil

Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch explains the verse, "for the impulse of man's heart is evil from his youth":

Now, as far as we can see, the following, "for the impulse of man's heart is evil from his youth," has been completely erroneously taken to be the cause of this new determination of destiny… The words, "for the impulse, etc.," are in parenthesis: If the impulse of the heart of man should be evil again, and even in his youth, so that the only way of saving it would be the destruction of the generation, nevertheless I will not again, as I did… Youths are neither righteous nor evil. Woe unto them that take the average of child and adolescent nature to be evil! Who has really observed children say, No, it is not true that youth is bad, the impulse of man's heart is not evil from his youth, it is not in his youth that man names evil his ideal. In normal times one finds a much greater number of adults than of adolescents whose hearts and minds are directed to evil. (Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch, commentary to Bereishit 8:21)

Rabbi Hirsch understands that the verse is not making an assertion, but rather setting a condition: even if the heart of man will be evil from his youth, even then I shall not destroy mankind. Under normal circumstances, argues Rabbi Hirsch, the heart of youth is not evil. And indeed, the question of man's basic nature has been the subject of dispute among Jewish Sages as well as gentile thinkers. This is one of the most important and decisive issues in our spiritual world.

God decides to ‘work with what He has’...

The Raven and The Dove

Genesis 8: 6-12

Summary of Topics:

It is all about The Raven.... And the Dove

The raven returns and redeems his reputation later when he feeds Elijah

Noah holds the dove in his hand – a bond of closeness

Book ref: A Pigeon an A Boy

Olive branch a cultural symbol linked to peace

Trees as a symbol of vitality, fertility and resilience

Rabbi Marder Quote: To best understand the conflicts in this story (and others) you need to “accept the reality of views of plurality”

Why the Dove brings back a bitter leaf from the Olive tree

Sermons on Ravens and Doves

(details to fill in later)

Hametz is Matzo 'Puffed up'

Exodus 33 - 34 - A Parasha about Pesach
34:18 - "You shall observe the feast of unleavened bread for 7 days..."

A commandment.

What does it mean to eat unleavened bread?

What is Hametz? Yeast. The thing that makes the bubbles and adds air to the bread. A fermenting process.

Meaning of Matzoh? Bread of affliction, bread of suffering, poverty and also the bread of freedom.

Ancient world Hametz not allowed in sacrifices - a symbol of decay or impurity, symbol of the evil inclination. "Stirs you up to do wrong"

Process to search for Hametz - and then to burn it. Then you say a prayer that you have gotten it out of your home and if there is any more it is like dust and not really there. It is a symbolic purification.

Hametz also has an image of puffed up by ego, pride. Why eat it at all? Not that we want to get rid of ego but we want to control them. So doing without for a week symbolizes our being able to discipline our behavior over our impulses.

Also custom of 'selling' the Hametz. They sell it to someone who is not Jewish. This is partly for economic reasons. For the merchant who deals in products with Hametz and also to donate to charity.

Relation of the word Hametz and Matzo - in Hebrew uses the same letters except for one:
Matzo - Mem Tzadi Hey and Hametz - Het Mem Tzadi. Only a tiny mark can change the hey to het .
Scientific difference: Matzo is made in 18 minutes - even one second more changes it to Hametz.

Teaching that Hametz is puffed up Matzo - Hametz is made from the same thing that Matzo. Hametz represents the ego that is puffed up. Not necessarily a bad thing but it is maybe "too much of a good thing". It is a balance between the soul and the ego.

The goal is to be able to control our ego and desires to make it serve for good.

The Blessing of the Sun April 8th 2009

Birkat HaChammah or Birkat haHammah

“Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate day from night; they shall serve as signs for the set times—the days and the years; and they shall serve as lights in the expanse of the sky to shine upon the earth.”

This is a very unusual observance that only happens once every 28 years.... so at first it seemed a bit 'pagan' in nature as you say blessings for the Sun... but it took a bunch of Jewish scholars countless hours to figure it out - so I guess it warrants an entry in this blog and a few links with information:

Every 10,227 days the sun returns to its position at Creation

Bless the Sun

A good time though to think of ways to use the attributes of the sun to help heal the earth!

It is a coincidence that the very evening of this special occasion begins the Passover week... they will find many midrashim to make this significant!

Remembering Noah

Torah Study with Rabbi Sarah Wolf
3.28.09

Noah is in the ark with all those animals and it says in Chapter 8:1 that God remembered them.

This sparked a rather lengthy discussion on what this could mean.

Remember as in ‘take notice’ or ‘pay attention’.
Does this imply that God might have forgotten about them during those months they were afloat in the ark?

There are other times in Torah when “God remembers…” like Rachel when she wanted a child, Abraham when his nephew would have been caught in the destruction of Sodom, or in Exodus when “God remembered the Hebrews and His covenant with Abraham…”

Some say that God ‘closed His eyes’ or ‘hid His face’ during the Holocaust.

Then the discussion turned to the fact that God is referred to as Elohim in this part.
Elohim is often used to reference the God of Justice in contrast to Adonai – the God of Mercy. In the case of remembering Noah – it relates to the actions of the righteous.

But memory is an act of both justice and mercy. It is noted that they must balance each other in application.

Memory of a Righteous Person = Blessing
Memory of Justice = Accountability or Revenge

The influence of Justice or Mercy does influence how you view an event in memory.

We are commanded to remember.

We make remembering a ritual . NOTED Passover especially.

Joseph Yerushalmi, who wrote a book called Zakhor: Jewish History and Jewish Memory

NEXT: God caused a wind to blow so the waters would receed

Ruach of Elohim – Spirit of God

There are several connections between ‘breath’ or ‘ruach’ to ‘life’ and now it is a connection to the ‘rebirth’ of life again as the ark holds the animals and people who will start the next ‘beginning’.

What to think of Lot & Family!

Dr. Dvora Weisberg from Hebrew Union College -
Los Angeles
A visiting scholar to Congregation Beth Am



An exploration of the story of Lot and his daughters and the rollercoaster of opinions about him and the situation. Was Lot saved because he really was righteous or was it because he is related to Abraham?

To decide if Lot is “righteous” or “wicked” takes exploring what we know about him from his traveling with Abraham and their split to different directions. The choice he makes of where to settle and also the choice he makes when guests arrive in Soddom.

As we reviewed the scenes we are not sure whether to be outraged or to think of Lot as a truly honorable person who protects his guests at a terrible cost.

And as the story progresses to the scene of Lot’s incest with his daughters, it becomes even more of a dichotomy. There is a blur between right and wrong here. Did the daughters truly think that they were alone in the world and the only option to have children was to lie with their father? And in that situation and in their time, was that an ethical choice?

And then what to make of their descendents, the Ammonites and the Moabites, who were later the enemies of the Israelites. However it again becomes blurry when you continue to focus on the genealogy to discover that Ruth and thus David fall in this lineage. And according to the teachings this is the same genealogy that will lead to the Messiah.

What does this tell us about ourselves and what happens in in genealogy. Do the children truly reflect the parents?

An excellent session with a wonderful scholar!

Was Esther Really a Blonde?

Francesco Caucig (Austro-Hungarian, 1755–1828)
Queen Esther Before King Ahasuerus, ca. 1815

Article by Howard Selznick ( thanks for the notes )
Based on Study Session with Rabbi Janet Marder 3.9.09

“Therrrrre she is, Miss Shoooo-shan!”

Contrary to the sanitized Sunday School Purim stories, the choice of Esther as Ah-hash-vey-rosh’s queen was not the result of a beauty contest. Esther’s ascension to the Persian throne is not exactly the Cinderella tale that we once learned.

In fact (actually in Midrash and commentary), Esther’s story in the Megillah is much more complex. The Purim tale for adults is more sinister and full of court intrigue, according to Rabbi Janet Marder’s study session on March 9, 2009.

After Queen Vashti was exiled for the unforgivable crime of disobeying Ah-hash-vay-rosh’s drunken order to appear before him (he was one party animal!), the king was angry for nearly four years; compare Esther 1:3 and 2:16 and do the math. When he began to question his banishment decision, his servants quickly suggested a nationwide search for a new queen.

Here’s where you send the kids to another room. The search was really about finding virgin concubines for the king. These would be women who were less reluctant than Vashti about presenting or submitting (you should excuse the expression) to the king on his command.

At the palace harem, these women underwent twelve months of “treatment” with fragrant oils and perfumes. Once prepared, each was taken to the king in the evening along with anything she wished from the harem; use your imagination of what these women took. The next morning, she would be relegated to a second harem. Implication: the king raped her and sent her to the “discard” harem.

Esther apparently received the same treatment, but a different verb is used to describe how she came to the harem: “taken” instead of “assembled.” “Taken” implies that women selected had little choice. Yet, Esther quickly won the admiration of the Heggei, the king’s guardian of the harem, who gave her special cosmetics and treated her kindly.

When it was Esther’s turn to appear, on the advice of Heggai, she took nothing from the Harem. She got the king’s favor not only by her beauty, but also by being plain, wholesome, honest, modest, and naturally beautiful. She follows a line of other biblical characters whose success is (at least) partially determined by good looks, such as Rachael, Joseph, and Abigail.

However, Esther was no dumb blonde. Her preparations to appear before the king showed her wile and shrewd character. She clearly took Heggai’s advice on how to please the king. And it worked. She became queen to replace Vashti.

The rest of the story is not really history but a continuation of this marvelous fictional tale of Persian court intrigue. Esther rose from obscurity to fame while Haman did just the opposite. The Jews survived and today, we party on.

Seven and Forty and Floods

Torah Study 3/7/09– with Rabbi Janet Marder

Genesis 7 – The Whole Thing! (almost)

So much to cover in one hour... Wow.

The focus on SEVEN is interesting because it is the 7th chapter and there is a lot to say about 7

This led to a full discussion about the number 7 and it’s significance... (not a product or factor of other numbers)

They enter the ark – the family and all the animals
Reference to Noah as Tzedek (leaving out the Tamim from previous) we learn that you don’t ‘over-praise’ a person when speaking directly to them.

v2: Review of pure animals (7) vs not pure (2) – the animals that might be used for sacrifice. Not referring to kosher / ‘ritually pure’

Numbers – 7 and 40 are numbers repeated in the story. Shevah - (masculine and feminine versions) - a special number in many traditions
symbolism – in Jewish tradition – 49 important 7’s - listed -

shabbat, 7 wks betw Passover and Shavuot, 7 year fallow, Shivah year, shivah of mourning period, Moses born died on 7 of Adar, Menorah, 7 major holidays, 7 blessings at a wedding, 7 alliyot to Torah each week, 7 words in the first verse of Torah, Rosh Hashanah in 7th month, seven species in Israel, ... And more... 392 (sum of square and cube of 7) times in Tanach and in 343 (7x7x7) verses verses in Torah use the word ‘seven’ - sevenfold occurs 7 times – 595 times in any form in Torah (in new Testament it is 105 times that adds to 700) - the numerology significance continued to be discussed.

Seven is symbol for completeness and wholeness.

In this chapter of Genesis the word ‘seven’ occurs seven times
- - -
v4: There is a 7 day warning before the rain starts to fall... Shivah period for Methuselah - one last chance after this great man dies.
also anticipatory mourning for those who will die in the flood.

40 days / 40 nights

like Moses on Saini, in desert, 40 days in supplication, Elijah 40 days in wilderness, Ezekiel 40 days on his side.
“Number 40 is Associated with Sin Atonement and Purification.”
Rashi says it is the # days to form a fetus in the womb – flood is like a rebirth.

40 years – a person reached the age of understanding.

v9: Animals come to the Ark voluntarily

v11: Time: There are 2 systems for time

1. Interval between events
2. This day of this month (but not tell which month)
Two possible conclusions – could be Spring or Fall – Spring is the time of new agriculture and Fall is the time of rain.

Cosmology of this – Water surge from below AND the Floodgates of the sky surge down from above.

Book : Richard Friedman Commentary on the Torah

World returns to primal chaos.

v12: Much Repetition in this verse

v13: Noah mentioned 3 times. - seems excessive! Sign of God’s affection.

v15: Animals come to the Ark – Samuel Raphael Hirsch – “Humanity in its most noble aspect” he saves and protects the animals - Miraculous part of the story! (the value of animals – midrash – even included the insects – all species have value)

v16: “God closed the door to the Ark” Friedman’s book points out that this is a point of intimacy with the people but all after that God recedes from connection with people.

Picture what it is like when they are closed in and other people realized what is happening!
The crowds might have begged to be saved at that time. But it was too late.

A dramatic scene...

Time on the Ark...

Genesis 6:19-21 – with Rabbi Sarah Wolf

Summary of topics covered Torah Study 2.28.09

• “Ark” also means “Word”
• The moral question of the story of the flood
• Questions and possibilities regarding the animals
• A little on the sex angle and who was saved
• When and why humans were allowed to eat meat
• Teva – the etymology of the word ‘ark’
• ‘Noah studied Torah’ - how they know that.
• Repetition in verse 21
• Food on the Ark
• The “Lion and the Lamb” moment on the ark
• The ‘miraculous’ aspects of the story
• Humans must start the effort but God can add the ‘miracle’ that leads to success!

The Agreement

Genesis 6:18-22

There is an agreement between God and Noah!

A detailed discussion on a “covenant” as it is used here and elsewhere in the TANAK

Avram – Genesis 14:13 – when he was a military hero – reference to a military partnership

David - 2nd Samuel 5:3 – between the ruler and his people – constitutional monarchy

Jeramiah – Between the King and the people

David and Jonathan – 1st Samuel 18 – private pact of loyalty

Marriage – Proverbs 2: the covenant between partners in a marriage.

We were introduced to the concept of Covenant Marriage: http://www.covenantmarriage.com/
Which takes the legal contract of marriage to a new level of commitment
Marriage is a “gift from God”

R. Marder said “I am not an Evangelical Christian by a long shot... Nevertheless, their position on covenant marriage is worth looking at to add another level to the commitment.”

The term ‘brit’ takes on a different dynamic through the TANAK

AND

Sex was forbidden on the ark – how do they know that?

Rashi provides the answer – as usual
When they enter the ark they are listed separately (men first then women) – when they leave the art they are listed together.
It is all in the details of the words.

Eli Munk adds that this is also as respect for those who die in the flood.

(Talmud notes that there are three exceptions to this ‘no sex’ on the ark concept – Ham and the Ravin and the Dog could not control themselves)

And it also relates to times of famine when it is a time to refrain from sex while so many are starving.

This is not so in the time of the Holocaust when the thought was more toward continuation of the people.

Verse 19 – Two of each
The Ark is a matrix of regeneration of life.
This too is problematic in some ways – there are 2 versions of the story in Chapter 7 it is a bit different – in these two versions God is referenced as Adonai in one and Elohim in the other which may indicate a merging of two different versions.
Adonai = God of Compassion
Elohim = God of Devine Justice

The ‘priestly’ source was concerned that if there were only 2 of each animal then there would not be enough for sacrifices – thus it is interpreted as two or more of each.

Another question is whether Noah had to go get the animals or if they came on their own. (thus the Disney reference) but is a good question as in one verse it refers to ‘collecting’ the animals and in v20 it indicates that the animals ‘ will come to you’.

- Fantasia 2000 - Noah
There's another, stranger one, from the 50s that seems very un-Disney
(Part 1)
(Part 2)

(Thanks Robert Swirsky for this link)

What IS an Ark

Genesis 6: 14-22

Details Details Details – building the Ark, Getting the people and animals and even a bit of discussion on the smells!

There was comparisons between the ark of Noah and the ark of Moses (when he was a baby)

How is an ark different from a boat? - no propulsion...

This is a miraculous tale. A story of mercy and compassion.

There was much discussion about the ‘windows’ and the ‘light’ in the ark.
And the requirement of light in the synagogue as well was noted.

Water is a significant topic as well and it parallels the earlier creation story.

Then a reflection on death and the term ‘perish’ and how it is interpreted here.

Motivation makes a difference...

Genesis 6: 15-18

First we review the debate about how Noah was like a “tzedek en peltz” - a righteous person in a fur coat.

Rabbi Brad Artson: on God’s intolerance of evil
Rashi: about indiscriminate punishment

Violence – escalates out of control
a lesson on the need for peaceful resolution of conflict.

Then the ARK!
What is a cubit? And other Biblical measurements based on the human body!
And questions that people ask about the Ark.....
Yes it is an ‘astonishing tale’

But one of our resident engineers gave us a vivid description of how he would have had to build the ark!

A possible link of the art to Haman and the gallows.

Eli Munk on the miracle of the ark!

S. R. Hirsch – on looking at the detail instructions to Noah.

Then the big discussion: The value of a ‘good deed’ based on the motivation.

Is it better to do a mitzvah based on God’s command than spontaneously without thought or reference to this?

A look at the motivations of FREE WILL vs OBLIGATION

Howard's Notes Detail - What Evil?

24 January 2009 – Genesis 6:11:13
• 6:11, ארץ(ה) typically means the land or the earth. In this context, the word applies to the land, not the sea. Consequently, the upcoming flood will destroy the only land animals and sea animals will not be affected.
• In 6:11-13, ת-ח-שׁ (sin, corruption, evil) repeats in various forms in these verses. The root also connotes decadence, perversion, destruction, and damage. What exactly was the “sin?”
- According to Rashi, וַתִּשָׁחֵת is an expression of [sexual] immorality and idolatry (other editions add immorality, “for all flesh had corrupted (הִשְׁחִית) its way,” and idolatry), as in (Deut. 4:16):“Lest you deal corruptly (תַּשְׁחִיתוּן).” - [Sanhedrin 56b, 57a] [underlining is mine based on what Rabbi Marder said]
- The extent of evil was so widespread that God’s actions were justified. Further use of inclusive terms such as שרבּ כל, all flesh, illustrates the worldwide totality of the sin. Fox, using the translation “ruin,” writes that repetition of the word suggests not only the “sorry state of society,” but the justification for appropriate and just punishment, i.e., “bring ruin” on the earth (6:13).
- Sin progressed from private acts to accepted public practices, beginning with covert immorality and idolatry and progressing to accepted norms. While in the private, covert phase, people still had a sense of right and wrong. Once people became accustomed and habituated to this behavior, it eventually became publicly accepted.
- There are many answers to the question of what was the sin. Some say the sin was miscegenation between sons of God and Daughters of humans (6:1-4). For others, it was the refusal to have children until late in life (see Sefer Ha-Yachar below); Noah was 500 before his first son was born. Regardless of what the actual sins were, the flood’s purpose was to “cleanse Creation of the flaw that led to its corruption.”
- The “sin” of not bearing children is derived from Sefer Ha-Yachar, an 11th or 12th century work of mythic history. Sefer Ha-Yachar suggests that the flood occurred because people did not “value children” and in effect contradicted the first mitzvoth of procreation. Furthermore, the Torah’s bias in favor of bearing and raising children actually defines happiness. Drawing parallels with today’s society, not everyone wants to bear and raise children, but that is no excuse for not supporting institutions that nurture children such as schools and synagogues. Noah supposedly refrained from having children so as not to bring them into a cruel, sinful world that might be destroyed. Noah’s world was violent, depraved, without role models, and likely without such nurturing institutions.
- See further discussion of חמס below.
• In 6:11, האלהים לפני, before God, refers to the fact that the sin of people mistreating people (as opposed to sinning against God) was an affront to God. God was offended by human immorality. In other ancient epics, no reason for the flood was given. God took responsibility for His creations and punishes them for their sins.
- God was the “ultimate arbiter of human conduct.” Before, “willful self-interest” determined human conduct. Presumably, such “willful self-interest” brought about the sinful behavior and the flood.
- The behavior could also have been in open flagrant defiance of God.
- God’s is typically seen as “slow to anger and abounding in kindness.” In this case, “humanity exhausted God’s limitless patience.” The corruption was so great that God became thoroughly disgusted.
• “חמס“


- Sarna’s definition: a flagrant subversion of law; an arrogant disregard and indifference to human life; a breakdown of society. Sarna’s actual words are “this term … is a synonym of ‘falsehood,’ ‘deceit,’ or ‘bloodshed.’ In means in general, the flagrant subversion of the ordered process of law [and] refers to the arrogant disregard for the sanctity and inviolability of human life.
- To Rashi, it’s robbery, based on Jonah 3:8 [above] and “dishonest gain … which is in their hands.”) - [Sanhedrin. 108a]. See Zornberg below.
- According to S R Hirsch, corruption was flaunted so much that no human institution was able to deal with it. Only the human consciousness could control the crimes that were committed. Such conditions led to disrespect of the law and norms and eventual breakdown of society. A modern-day analogy is that the IRS or California Franchise Tax Board cannot audit every tax return. Governments rely on honesty and voluntary enforcement in tax paying. If not, governments’ revenue would be severely affected and they would be unable to fund services.
• Hirsch also points out that חמס is related to חמץ, vinegar, in that crimes and sins not caught by the human justice system will continue and lead to the ruin of mankind over time, just as turning of wine into vinegar occurs step by step.
• Hirsch’s steps to death of the human conscience and the burial of human society.
o Corruption of morals through sins that no one believes would affect society as a whole and could not prevent continued commerce and business dealings.
o Human institutions’ could deal with robbery through penal codes and prisons. However, once cunning is added to the picture, i.e., sins that can be controlled only by human conscience and moral scruples (not by human institutions), the foundation for destruction of society is laid.

Rabbi Marder carefully pointed out carefully that חמס, pronounced “Khamas,” has no relation to the similarly pronounced Arabic acronym for Islamic Resistance Movement.

• Rav Abraham Isaac Kook [1865–1935], the first Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of Palestine [under the British Mandate], attempted to bridge the gap between secular and religious Zionists, arguing that he could discern the religious yearnings and sparks of holiness in the work of the young socialist Zionist pioneers. His underlying philosophy was one of "fusion," attempting to heal the rift between heaven and earth, between the sacred and the profane.
Kook applied his view of the secular-religious split in the British Mandate in Palestine to comment on the Noach story. Kook perceived a split between heaven and earth, sacred and secular/profane. He saw it in his own time, he saw it in the behavior of the flood generation, and he believed that the supreme religious effort was to work to mend that split.
In his discussion of the Noah story, Rav Kook argued that this rift originated when Cain slew Abel, and became worse in the generations preceding the flood. The men and women of this era were sexually promiscuous and obliterated all standards and boundaries. In support of this idea, he quoted the midrash in Genesis Rabbah stating that men were married to men and even to animals, and that beasts of different species mated with one another. Rav Kook also citeed another midrash in Genesis Rabbah (and quoted by Rashi) that says: When sexual immorality runs rampant, the innocent were punished along with the guilty. He argued that sexuality is a divine gift, with the potential to bring us closer to other people and also to God. The generation of the flood misused this precious gift, exploiting and harming one another, which led also to their estrangement from God.

• Aviva Zornberg speaks of the “pathology of the flood generation.” This generation’s communication among each other “degenerated into a babble of indiscriminate voices.” If sexuality is a means of communication, then a “sexual pandemonium” reigned in which humans lost the ability to openly communicate their sexual differences. Hence, there were perverse relations between man and beast and between men (Sanhedrin 108b). Humans lost the ability to distinguish among themselves, animals, nature, and God. Passing swept away all boundaries.The sin that resulted in the flood, according to Rashi, was sexual sin and idolatry, but what set the process in motion was robbery. This sounds similar to a court conviction for sexual behavior and idolatry followed by a judge’s discretionary sentence based on the seriousness of the crime -- robbing a rape victim of her identity. In other words, the verdict was sealed with a flood.
Robbery is related to these sexual sins through the theft of a victim’s identity. Zornberg called this sexuality “rapacious egotism” based on divine beings taking daughters that pleased them and on Rashi’s observation of the Lord of the Manor taking brides just before their wedding day. This was robbery of the bride’s sense of self that could not be reconstituted. The divine being or noble waited at the bride’s threshold and snatched her away in a fit of arrogant passion and need to master his world. Instead of erotic love, the incident became robbery, barbarism, and sexual cruelty, characterized by “lack of curiosity.” The perpetrator denied the existence of anything beyond his obsession.

• Other observations:
- Lawlessness was no pervasive and taken for granted that God washed away the deadwood after humans destroyed themselves. In other words, mankind effectively destroyed itself with rampant sexual perversion; all God did was wash away the detritus.
- “Curiosity” as defined above seems to be how you treat others, i.e., one way to learn about the world is to ask questions; if not you are lowered to animalistic behavior: eat, drink, sex and little else.

References
Artson, Bradley Shavit. The Bedside Torah. Weekly Reflections and Inspirations. McGraw-Hill, 2001.
Artson, Bradley Shavit. The Everyday Torah. Wisdom, Visions, and Dreams. McGraw-Hill, 2008.
Berlin, Adele and Mark Zvi Brettler, eds. The Jewish Study Bible. Oxford University Press, 2004.
Eskenazi, Dr Tamara Cohn, ed. The Torah. A Women’s Commentary. URJ Press and Women of Reform Judasim. 2008
Fox, Everett. The Five Books of Moses. Shocken Books, New York. 1995.
Friedman, Richard Elliot. Commentary on the Torah. Harper San Francisco. 2001.
Hertz, J. H., ed. The Pentateuch and Haftorahs. Second Edition. London: Soncino Press, 1965.
Hirsch, Samson Raphael. The Pentateuch, ed by Ephraim Oratz. Judaica Press, Inc., New York, 1997.
Holladay, William L. A Concise Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament. E. J. Brill [Leiden, Netherlands]. 1988.
Kaplan, Rabbi Aryeh. The Living Torah. Manzanim Publishing Corporation. Brooklyn 1981.
Sarna, Nahum M. The JPS Commentary. Genesis. Jewish Publication Society. 1989.
Scherman, Nosson. The Chumash. Artscroll. 2003
Zornberg, Aviva Gottlieb. Genesis. The Beginning of Desire. Jewish Publication Society. 5755/1995.

Howard's Notes 1/24/09

Here is a summary of topics covered in Genesis 6:11-13 – notes by Howard!

The word for sin, corruption, evil (root shin, khet, taf) appears many times
these verses. What was the sin that prompted the flood? According to Rashi,
it was sexual immorality and idolatry.

In 6:11, the phrase "before God" refers to the sin of people mistreating
people (as opposed to sinning against God). This was an affront to God; God
was offended by human immorality.

The word "chamas" in 6:11 and 6:13 is typically translated as injustice, lying
in court, evil ways, corruption, violence or lawlessness. According to S R
Hirsch, such corruption was flaunted so much that no human institution was
able to deal with it. Only the human consciousness could control the crimes
that were committed. Such conditions led to disrespect of the law and norms
and eventual breakdown of society.

Rashi further states that it was the sin of robbery, stealing a woman's
identity and sense of self through sexual abuse, that actually got the flood
started. This theme is further elaborated by Rav Abraham Isaac Kook
[1865–1935, the first Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of Palestine under the British
Mandate), and Aviva Gottlieb Zornberg in her Genesis. Beginning of Desire
(available in Bet Am library as soon as Howard returns it).

detailed notes posted soon...

Did Noah "Walk" with anyone else?

Summary of Topics: Genesis 6: 9 - 13
(will fill in details soon)

Focus on Noah:

3 Sons: Shem, Ham, Japheth ( youngest listed first )

He walked with God. But did he walk with anyone else?

What did it mean to focus on Noah’s righteousness?

Was it Noah’s ability to maintain his moral standing while surrounded by corruption?

Or was he missing the compassion for others shown by the fact that he didn’t intercede on their behalf?

Contrasting Noah to Abraham and Moses. There is a moral evolution shown in the Bible between these leaders.

“God is learning on the job!”

Next time: what were they were doing that was so bad? Is there absolute evil?

Rabbi Marder Quote of the day: “A flood sweeps away both good and bad indiscriminately. A disturbing story.”

They were erased!

Summary of Topics: Genesis 6: 5 - 13
(will fill in details soon)

V 5-7 – there are bleak prospects for humans

Book ref: Genesis, the Beginning of Desire, Aviva Zornberg
“Failure of the Divine Project”

Etymology: ‘erase’ ‘blot out’

The word for Noah and for ‘grace’ is a palindrome

“Genesis begins with the light of creation and ends with the light of Hope in Noah” (R. Marder)

Comparison between Noah and Abraham

Floods in different cultures

Description of how Noah was ‘the one’:
Tzedek and Tamim – Tzedek= from the holy realm and Tamim= from the ritual realm
Combines justice and integrity

But we also looked at the flaw in this – Noah didn’t seem to teach others around him to follow the right direction.

Rashi – explains why “generations” used here is plural.

What does “walked with God” mean

Next time: What is missing in Noah’s character!

God "Saw"...

Torah Study 1/3 - Dedicated to the Memory of : David Malnick

R. Janet Marder

Genesis 6:5-8

Vayar Adonai - "God saw" - (similar to the 7 times in Genesis 1 - BUT)
This time it wasn't so "good"
What God "saw" this time was corruption.

"saw" is more of a judicial reference rather than a physical one - as 'insight' and 'investigation'

Some see this as problematic:
God should just 'know' God doesn't need to investigate
God doesn't have eyes

Talmudic answers include the concept that the Torah is written in human terms to speak the language that will be understood.
Rambam - Torah is written in metaphor to grasp the intellect. (Guide for the Perplexed - the first part is all about language)
Yochanan Muffs - The Personhood of God - Celebrates the personality of God. God learns and is a 'model for man'. The human qualities attributed to God helps to teach us how to be better.


Word: Rabah - to increase - same word used in the begining of the chapter - population increased and wickedness increased.

Key phrase (6:5): "And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time."

Yitzer - the two inclinations to goood or evil:

The Evil Inclination

Evil Tendencies

Evil Impulse

All phrases linked to this verse.

The use of the word "heart" here is a reference to 'intelligence' - the heart is seen as the 'cognitive organ' in this reference.

SR Hirsch - on 'yetzer' - derived from the word for 'create'. It is not 'evil' as a force or overwhelming power that makes one do wrong. The term is connected to 'creativity' and implies 'forming' an impulse. His argument is that all energy and drive has potential for either good or evil. (this is an argument against the Christian teachings)

This is not a reference to a judgment of all humans always, only of those at the time before the flood and the time of Noah.

Rabbinic theory: When man was made God gave them two servants - one for good and one for evil. The goal is to strengthen the good and control the evil.

It is all about 'justice' - God has a 'case' against humanity and is implementing the tools of justice.

Life is about learning and channeling our energies in the right direction.

Q: Asked about the timing - people had not been given the commandments and may not have known better...
A: Torah teaches that there are elemental laws of society even before the commandments were given at Sinai.

There is accountability for our actions. Therefore it is important to channel and control what we do.

When people behave badly there is always collateral damage - this is why some innocents may have died in the flood as well.

God admits mistakes?
This is problematic as well.

Rashi ( nun het mem) means 'comfort' but also means 'reversed' - from mercy to justice
6 places where the term is used - "God changes his mind" (Rashi could do this without a computer!)

Can God have regrets?

midrash:

A gentile asked Rabbi Joshua - Holy one sees the future? Why create man in the first place? How can God have regrets?
Rabbi Joshua answers: "did you ever have children? You know that your child will die and yet you give him life. At the time of joy, experience joy. At the time of mourning, mourn."

God experiments with different strategies.

Transcendent vs Eminent God

God is Sad not Angry.

There is a danger in making God too abstract - it deprives God of a personality!

Our Gift

"The Torah is a present from God."

"A present is best when unwrapped"

~ Rabbi Janet Marder ~