{"id":71533,"date":"2020-03-11T10:54:19","date_gmt":"2020-03-11T08:54:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/?p=71533"},"modified":"2020-03-11T11:13:26","modified_gmt":"2020-03-11T09:13:26","slug":"why-cant-you-be-more-like-jonadabs-kids","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/why-cant-you-be-more-like-jonadabs-kids\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cWhy Can\u2019t You Be More Like Jonadab\u2019s Kids!\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[281],"tags":[],"acf":{"old_id":"71533","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":34250,"related_cahpter":"435","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content":{"description":"Why a life in tents is - less intense","content":"

Modern wisdom generally frowns on this sort of motivational tactic; there\u2019s a delicate balance between pointing out positive examples and disparaging those whom we\u2019d like to emulate those role models.<\/span><\/p>\n

But an ancient prophet\u2019s job is to rebuke, not to mince words or worry about hurt feelings. And so God instructs Jeremiah to first provide an opportunity for the Rechabites, descendants of Jonadab, to show off their dutiful teetotalling by refusing an offer of wine \u2013 and second, to rub his people\u2019s collective face in it:<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe commands of Jonadab son of Rechab have been fulfilled: he charged his children not to drink wine, and to this day they have not drunk, in obedience to the charge of their ancestor. But I spoke to you persistently, and you did not listen to Me\u201d (35:14).<\/span><\/p>\n

(One wonders whether the persistence might itself have contributed to the people turning a deaf ear, a theory supported by parental experience.)<\/span><\/p>\n

In the course of this display, we discover that Jonadab instilled another value in his descendants too, to which they\u2019ve similarly adhered: Not only do they not drink wine, but they are not to plant vineyards \u2013 or build houses, or do anything else that might attach them to a particular location. Instead, \u201cyou shall live in tents all your days, so that you may live long upon the land\u2026\u201d (7).<\/span><\/p>\n

How does a nomadic existence bring long life?<\/span><\/p>\n

Radak offers a logical, pragmatic explanation: \u201cBecause houses and fields and vineyards hold a person back in his place, in the event of famine or sword; and he will die after a shortened span because of worry\u2026\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Having lots of stuff can be stressful (as in Avot 2:7), and stress can affect health (as we well know). And as Radak also points out, abstaining from wine is valuable because wine \u201cconfuses the mind\u201d; perhaps he\u2019s referring to the impact alcohol can have on making safe decisions (in addition to its other effects on health). Good advice, Jonadab!<\/span><\/p>\n

On the other hand, Chomat Anach (commentary of Haim Yosef David Azulai, the Chida) suggests a more philosophical angle on the nomadic lifestyle: \u201cThey would always be humbled and know that a person is like a fleeting shadow, so why weary himself building wealth and houses?… resulting in contemplating service of God\u2026\u201d Here, too, the mental confusion that results from wine might be relevant, as impairing not just practical decisions but more general thought processes \u2013 including the philosophical and religious.<\/span><\/p>\n

While this looks like a prophecy about blind obedience, maybe there\u2019s something deeper, a message about perspective and priorities. The Rechabites wouldn\u2019t be commended for listening to bad or destructive advice; they serve as valuable role models because they obeyed good advice, and the prophet wants his people to hear that too.<\/span><\/p>\n

Maybe if Jeremiah\u2019s people would lay off the wine and wealth a little, their heads would clear and they\u2019d realize the value of what he and his predecessors have been preaching so persistently, and start listening too.<\/span><\/p>\n","image":{"ID":71534,"id":71534,"title":"jer35-nomads","filename":"jer35-nomads.jpg","filesize":0,"url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/jer35-nomads.jpg","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/why-cant-you-be-more-like-jonadabs-kids\/jer35-nomads\/","alt":"","author":"7","description":"","caption":"","name":"jer35-nomads","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":71533,"date":"2020-03-11 08:54:07","modified":"2020-03-11 08:54:17","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":1920,"height":1079,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/jer35-nomads-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/jer35-nomads-300x169.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":169,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/jer35-nomads-768x432.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":432,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/jer35-nomads-1024x575.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":575,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/jer35-nomads.jpg","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":863,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/jer35-nomads.jpg","2048x2048-width":1920,"2048x2048-height":1079,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/jer35-nomads-1200x674.jpg","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":674,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/jer35-nomads-747x420.jpg","home_baner-width":747,"home_baner-height":420}},"embedded_video":"","video_duration":"","show_fb_comments":true,"credit_media":""},"tile":{"top_caption":"","main_caption":"\u201cWhy Can\u2019t You Be More Like Jonadab\u2019s Kids!\u201d","main_caption_size":"1","sub_caption":"Why a life in tents is - less intense","preview_embedded":"","preview_image":{"ID":71534,"id":71534,"title":"jer35-nomads","filename":"jer35-nomads.jpg","filesize":0,"url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/jer35-nomads.jpg","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/why-cant-you-be-more-like-jonadabs-kids\/jer35-nomads\/","alt":"","author":"7","description":"","caption":"","name":"jer35-nomads","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":71533,"date":"2020-03-11 08:54:07","modified":"2020-03-11 08:54:17","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":1920,"height":1079,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/jer35-nomads-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/jer35-nomads-300x169.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":169,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/jer35-nomads-768x432.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":432,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/jer35-nomads-1024x575.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":575,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/jer35-nomads.jpg","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":863,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/jer35-nomads.jpg","2048x2048-width":1920,"2048x2048-height":1079,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/jer35-nomads-1200x674.jpg","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":674,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/jer35-nomads-747x420.jpg","home_baner-width":747,"home_baner-height":420}},"preview_video":"","external_link":"","link_for_pay":false,"tile_gallery_items":false,"credits":""},"alternate_tile":{"top_caption":"","main_caption":"","main_caption_size":"1","sub_caption":"","hide_media":false},"tile_group":{"preview_image_url":false,"main_caption":"","sub_caption":"","":null,"popup_package_extra_content":"","read_time":""},"home_color":"","home_gallery_top":"","home_gallery_middle":"","home_gallery_book":"","home_gallery_bottom":"","seo":{"seo_title":"","seo_description":"","seo_default_title":"","seo_default_description":""},"links":false},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/71533"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=71533"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/71533\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":71540,"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/71533\/revisions\/71540"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=71533"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=71533"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=71533"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}