{"id":76942,"date":"2020-07-05T18:55:37","date_gmt":"2020-07-05T15:55:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/?p=76942"},"modified":"2020-07-05T18:55:37","modified_gmt":"2020-07-05T15:55:37","slug":"calling-and-called","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/calling-and-called\/","title":{"rendered":"Calling and Called"},"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":"76942","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":38047,"related_cahpter":"517","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content":{"description":"Or:\u00a0 how to avert a catastrophe, with mercy and grace, kindness and generosity\r\n\r\n","content":"

The prophetic books often present a stark portrayal of reward and punishment: if Israel is faithful to God and obeys the commandments, all will be well, but if not, horrible things will happen. Many of those terrifying threats occupy the first chapter and half of the Book of Joel, while the second half of chapter 2 prescribes demonstrative fasting, prayer and shofar-blowing as a way of returning to God, avoiding a terrible fate and even meriting reward.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Chapter 3 begins with a climactic vision that goes far beyond physical bounty to prophesy a future in which God\u2019s spirit will rest on the entire people regardless of age, gender or socioeconomic status (verses 1-2).<\/span><\/p>\n

But that vision does not cancel the horrors, \u201cthe great and terrible day of the ETERNAL\u201d with blood, fire, pillars of smoke, a darkened sun and bloody moon (verses 3-4) isn\u2019t cancelled \u201cBut everyone who calls on the name of the ETERNAL shall escape… will be among the survivors\u201d (verse 5).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It all sounds so simple. Scary, but simple.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Scary, simple and unrealistic. Although Joel is prophesying about the End of Days, of which we have no knowledge, his vision rings untrue. Calling out in prayer rarely guarantees an escape route from natural disaster.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Could that be what caused the anonymous rabbi speaking in midrash Sifrei Devarim<\/em> 49:1 to radically reread Joel 3:5? \u201cAnd it is written, \u2018All who will be called by the name of the ETERNAL shall escape.\u2019 How is it possible for a person to be called by the name of the Holy Blessed One? Rather just as the ETERNAL is called \u2018merciful and gracious,\u2019 you, too, be merciful and gracious, and give gratuitously to all\u2026.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The switch from \u201ccall on\u201d to \u201ccall by\u201d is accomplished by adjusting the vowel points added to the consonants of the basic Hebrew text. Beyond the local point the midrash is making about how to live a good human life, this emendation adds a level to the Biblical text, too.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What if the prophet meant to say: \u201cBut everyone who is called by the name of the ETERNAL, who is merciful, gracious and generous shall escape\u2026\u201d In that case, even if a miracle doesn\u2019t save them from impending doom, the merciful and gracious might save others and (hopefully) themselves with their kindness and generosity.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

And if there are enough such people, perhaps the crisis could be avoided altogether.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","image":{"ID":76947,"id":76947,"title":"joel3-generosity","filename":"joel3-generosity.jpg","filesize":0,"url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/joel3-generosity.jpg","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/calling-and-called\/joel3-generosity\/","alt":"","author":"7","description":"","caption":"","name":"joel3-generosity","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":76942,"date":"2020-07-05 15:55:08","modified":"2021-04-26 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