{"id":88421,"date":"2021-02-06T22:54:35","date_gmt":"2021-02-06T20:54:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/?p=88421"},"modified":"2021-02-06T22:54:35","modified_gmt":"2021-02-06T20:54:35","slug":"creation-majestic-dynamic-elusive","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/creation-majestic-dynamic-elusive\/","title":{"rendered":"Creation: Majestic, Dynamic, Elusive"},"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":"88421","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":34285,"related_cahpter":"671","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content":{"description":"The radical insights that can come from mere juxtaposition\r\n\r\n","content":"

A student of Midrash, I am drawn to the \u2018<\/em><\/span>petihta<\/span><\/em>,<\/em>\u2019 a literary form that brings verses from different biblical books into conversation with each other. Creating new \u201cneighbors\u201d among verses can often yield surprising new ideas. The mash-up of verses forms a portal, or viewing space, through which to encounter familiar verses in a new light. It\u2019s like what happened to my bookcase when my daughter rearranged the shelves by color. I couldn\u2019t stop staring at Vayikra Rabbah, newly residing beside Judy Klitsner\u2019s <\/span>Subversive Sequels in the Bible<\/span><\/em>. Their very proximity encouraged new questions: what might these books say to each other? How can their ideas refract anew through each other?<\/span><\/p>\n

This strategy — to create insight through juxtaposition — is as true for verses and books as it is for biblical chapters. A startling case in point is Psalms 104 and Genesis 1. To most readers, Genesis 1 is the indisputable account of creation. Its absolute authority stems not just from the fact that we learned it so well as children, but from the chapter\u2019s simplicity, its translatability to crafty pie charts split evenly into six parts. All this makes it challenging to separate the <\/span>idea<\/span><\/em> that God created the world from the way Genesis tells the story.<\/span><\/p>\n

But Genesis 1, of course, is an artful telling, a masterfully sculpted narration. We don\u2019t learn <\/span>how<\/span><\/em> God created the world; we learn what God chooses to share with us. Rather than reveal the mysteries of creation, Genesis teaches us truths about God, our world, ourselves. Some of these truths are apparent on a first read, delivered through the surface content of this rhythmic chapter: God as singular creator, God\u2019s might unfolded through speech and God\u2019s careful, organized plan for the world. But other truths are harder to detect when we hold the chapter in our tight embrace.<\/span><\/p>\n

Enter Psalms 104. By contrast to Genesis 1, Psalms 104 announces its perspective right away (\u201cO Lord, my God, You are very great\u201d), revealing the poet\u2019s hand. The purpose of the piece is clear, too: the poet praises God for His wondrous creation. Stylistically, Psalms 104 draws in the reader with its evocative phrases (\u201cYou made the deep cover it as a garment\u201d) and the connected flow between creations (\u201cYou make springs gush forth in torrents…giving drink to all the wild beasts\u201d). In the psalmist\u2019s vision, the creatures are animated, resisting and submitting to God\u2019s power (\u201cThey fled at Your blast, rushed away at the sound of Your thunder\u201d); there is dynamism and energy and abundant noise. In this glorious world, a person harvests wheat, and from it grinds flour and bakes bread, thus bringing himself back to the core, the point of origin. This is our world.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Up against Psalms, Genesis 1 is suddenly so very quiet and static. God speaks and each separate creature is invested with its purpose. And in the end, the quiet, detachment and simplicity underscore the most critical truth: \u201cCreation\u201d is not a story we can understand. It eludes our grasp.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","image":{"ID":88422,"id":88422,"title":"ps104-creation","filename":"ps104-creation.jpg","filesize":0,"url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/ps104-creation.jpg","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/creation-majestic-dynamic-elusive\/ps104-creation\/","alt":"","author":"7","description":"","caption":"","name":"ps104-creation","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":88421,"date":"2021-02-06 20:53:24","modified":"2021-03-01 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