The Covenant - survival – and the role of the women

Genesis 17:1 – 9

v2 “I will establish my covenant with you”

Samson R. Hirsch - “I will give...” make the decision to enter this on your own accord.
The destiny of a Jew – no pragmatic history!

Isaac – the archetype of the Jewish “phenomenon” - an unlikely or improbable set of circumstances!

It is extraordinary that the Jews survived and continued – this is due to an element of divine (or is it)

Jun 4, 2010 ... Chosen, but Not Special. By MICHAEL CHABON :

Hirsch says – Jews ARE special!

Jeffrey Goldberg – on Sechel – Wisdom and more
Clever Jewish ‘head’
Not some type of super intelligence
No miracle that Jews survived.

Hisrch – links survival to divine.

Paul Johnson – History of Jews (book) - refers to a formula for Jewish sustainability.

* A POEM by Jacob Gladstein, YANKEV GLATSHTEYN, "Without Jews", was most moving:
Without Jews
...
Who will dream You?
Remember You?
Deny You?
Yearn after You?
Who will flee You,
Only to return
Over a bridge of longing?

Link to the whole thing:
See Feb 19 entry.

Philip Roth: “look there are stupid Jews” ( referred to in the Chabon article NY TIMES)

On to the question of Women and the Covenant:

Link to a related poem – found by Amy Asin:

My brother and I were at Sinai
He kept a journal
of what he saw
of what he heard
of what it all meant to him

I wish I had such a record
of what happened to me there
It seems like every time I want to write
I can’t
I’m always holding a baby... (more on the link)

Judith Plaskow, Standing Again at Sinai (book) link about it:
In the 1980’s women were locked out – a lot has changed – position that women were always part of the covenant.

Controversy about the way Ex 19:15 reads and it seems definitely to exclude the women.
Rachel Adler - challenge to ‘re-covenant’

Shabbat is another sign of the covenant – women are included.

Henrietta Szold – story of when a man offered to say kaddish for her father and she held that she wanted to do it herself.


(Some people link feminism among Jews with the Christian focus on the Virgin Mary)

Avram “fell on his face” - prostrated himself
An act of gratitude and humility

Rashi – a sign of physical weakness

Some will do this at Yom Kippur – based on this passage.
A sign of listening and focus on the words of God – not seeing
Linked to the reason we close our eyes when saying the Shema.

Name Change to Abraham...
Abraham – multitude of nations – the promise.
Eli Munk – Abraham is afraid of the isolation / barrier between him and others.

Abraham’s work is to bring God to the people – how will this effect his work?

The act of naming adds a deeper dimension to the personal relationship/

Eli Munk – the Goal of the Covenant is Mutual Love – a Covenant of Love
Song of Solomon:
“I am my beloved, my beloved is mine”