{"id":67759,"date":"2018-07-09T17:45:40","date_gmt":"2018-07-09T14:45:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wall\/wall-1077\/"},"modified":"2023-07-28T12:00:01","modified_gmt":"2023-07-28T09:00:01","slug":"wall-1077","status":"publish","type":"wall","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wall\/wall-1077\/","title":{"rendered":"weekend-from-20230723-to-20230729"},"parent":0,"template":"","acf":{"type":"weekend","wall_id":"1077","date_from":"20230723","date_to":"20230729","book":"Isaiah","books_group":"Prophets","posts":[{"order":1,"id":"49590","color":"#effaea","size":"1","name":"Devekut \u2013 \u201cSticking to God\u201d \u2013 Then and Now ","post_title":"Devekut \u2013 \u201cSticking to God\u201d \u2013 Then and Now","slug":"devekut-sticking-to-god-then-and-now","old_id":"49590","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":33877,"post_title":"Marc Bregman","slug":"marc-bregman","old_id":"33877","first_name":"Marc","last_name":"Bregman","description":"Marc Bregman received his Ph.D. from The Hebrew University in Jerusalem in 1991. He taught at the Hebrew Union College (Jerusalem), The Hebrew University in Jerusalem, the Schechter Institute for Judaic Studies in Jerusalem, and at the Ben-Gurion University in Beer Sheba, Israel. During 1993 he was Visiting Associate Professor at Yale University, and during 1996 he was the Stroum Professor of Jewish Studies and Visiting Research Fellow at the University of Washington in Seattle. During 2005, Bregman served as the Harry Starr Fellow in Judaica at Harvard University and was awarded a Teaching Fellowship at the Center for Advanced Judaic Studies at the University of Pennsylvania. He also has served as Forchheimer Visiting Professor in the Faculty of Humanities at The Hebrew University in Jerusalem. He is the author of The Tanhuma-Yelammedenu Literature: Studies in the Evolution of the Versions (Gorgias Press, 2003). In 2006, Bregman was appointed the Herman and Zelda Bernard Distinguished Professor of Jewish Studies at the University of North Carolina in Greensboro, where he also headed the program in Jewish Studies, until 2013. Bregman retired from UNCG as of July 31, 2017. He has now returned to Jerusalem where he is continuing his research and teaching activities.","credit":"","image_url":"","short_description":"Marc Bregman is the Herman and Zelda Bernard Distinguished Professor of Jewish Studies emeritus, at the University of North Carolina in Greensboro.","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":33878,"alt":"Marc Bregman","title":"Marc Bregman","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Marc-Bregman.jpg","width":361,"height":488,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Marc-Bregman-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Marc-Bregman-222x300.jpg","medium-width":222,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Marc-Bregman.jpg","medium_large-width":361,"medium_large-height":488,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Marc-Bregman.jpg","large-width":361,"large-height":488,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Marc-Bregman.jpg","1536x1536-width":361,"1536x1536-height":488,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Marc-Bregman.jpg","2048x2048-width":361,"2048x2048-height":488,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Marc-Bregman.jpg","post_full_size-width":361,"post_full_size-height":488,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Marc-Bregman-311x420.jpg","home_baner-width":311,"home_baner-height":420}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"157","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"The ingredients of a sticky theology","post_main_content_content":"

Our chapter, in which Moses continues his farewell oration to Israel, has been described as a \u201cGuide to Right Behavior\u201d. In celebrating one parade example of right behavior, Moses says to those assembled before him: \u201c\u2026 you, who held fast [ha-DeVeKim] to the Lord your God, are all alive today\u201d (verse 4, see also Deut. 2:22, 10:20, 11:22, 13:5, 30:20). Etymologically, the Hebrew three letter verbal root d-v-k has the core meaning of \u201cto stick\u201d. So, we English speakers might say -- using a rather colloquial expression -- that Moses is blessing Israel for their \u201cstick-to-itness\u201d in obeying the commands of God. <\/span><\/p>\r\n

Indeed, the Talmud (Sanhedrin 64a) relates to the core meaning of the Hebrew root D-V-K in a veritably palpable interpretation of our verse: \u201cyou, who \u2018stick to\u2019 the Lord your God\u201d are like two dates stuck to each other. It should be noted that dates are not only sticky but, being the source of what Israelis call \u201csilan\u201d (date-honey), are also intensely sweet! <\/span><\/p>\r\n

The consuming intensity of \u201csticking to God\u201d is illustrated by the depiction of Rabbi Akiva, who when praying alone would begin in one corner of his room and end in the opposite corner, apparently oblivious of his own ecstatic bows and prostrations (Berakhot 34a). <\/span><\/p>\r\n

The Talmud (Ketubot 111b), in another interpretation of our verse, ponders the theological question: How is it possible for a human being to \u201cstick to\u201d God and live? For, elsewhere in the same chapter it is said that \u201cGod is a devouring fire\u201d (verse 24)! In answer to this question, we are told to support Torah-worthy causes. And in answer to a similar question, we are told (Sotah 14a) to \u201cwalk after the Lord, your God\u201d (Deuteronomy 13:5), by emulating His \u201chumane\u201d behavior in clothing the naked (see Genesis \u00a03:21), visiting the sick (see Genesis 18:1), comforting mourners (see Genesis 25:11) and burying the dead (see Deuteronomy 34:6). <\/span><\/p>\r\n

Despite the possible risk of \u201csticking (devekim<\/em>) to God\u201d, there evolved in later Judaism the variously interpreted concept of devekut<\/em>, surveyed in the classic essay by Gershom Scholem, \u201cDevekut<\/em> or Communion with God\u201d <\/span>(<\/span>Review of Religion<\/span><\/i> 14, 1949-1950, pp. 115-139). Whatever the complicated intellectual ramifications of our verse, when it is recited as part of the Torah service, we may still proudly hear ourselves -- together with our biblical forebears -- being blessed by Moses: \u201c\u2026you, who \u201cstick to\u201d God, are all alive today\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Image by: <\/span>\u00a0Africa Studio<\/span> \/ Shutterstock.com<\/span><\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":49597,"alt":"","title":"Dt4-sticky_169710254","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Dt4-sticky_169710254.jpg","width":1000,"height":704,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Dt4-sticky_169710254-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Dt4-sticky_169710254-300x211.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":211,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Dt4-sticky_169710254-768x541.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":541,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Dt4-sticky_169710254.jpg","large-width":1000,"large-height":704,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Dt4-sticky_169710254.jpg","1536x1536-width":1000,"1536x1536-height":704,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Dt4-sticky_169710254.jpg","2048x2048-width":1000,"2048x2048-height":704,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Dt4-sticky_169710254.jpg","post_full_size-width":1000,"post_full_size-height":704,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Dt4-sticky_169710254-597x420.jpg","home_baner-width":597,"home_baner-height":420}},"post_main_content_embedded_video":"","post_main_content_video_duration":"","post_main_content_show_fb_comments":"1","post_main_content_credit_media":"","tile_top_caption":"","tile_main_caption":"Devekut \u2013 \u201cSticking to God\u201d \u2013 Then and Now","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"The ingredients of a sticky theology","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":49597,"alt":"","title":"Dt4-sticky_169710254","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Dt4-sticky_169710254.jpg","width":1000,"height":704,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Dt4-sticky_169710254-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Dt4-sticky_169710254-300x211.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":211,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Dt4-sticky_169710254-768x541.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":541,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Dt4-sticky_169710254.jpg","large-width":1000,"large-height":704,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Dt4-sticky_169710254.jpg","1536x1536-width":1000,"1536x1536-height":704,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Dt4-sticky_169710254.jpg","2048x2048-width":1000,"2048x2048-height":704,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Dt4-sticky_169710254.jpg","post_full_size-width":1000,"post_full_size-height":704,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Dt4-sticky_169710254-597x420.jpg","home_baner-width":597,"home_baner-height":420}},"tile_preview_video":"","tile_external_link":"","tile_tile_gallery_items":"","tile_credits":"","alternate_tile_top_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption_size":"1","alternate_tile_sub_caption":"","alternate_tile_hide_media":"0","tile_group_preview_image_url":"","tile_group_main_caption":"","tile_group_sub_caption":"","tile_group_popup_package_extra_content":"","tile_group_read_time":"","home_color":"","home_gallery_top":"","home_gallery_middle":"","home_gallery_book":"","home_gallery_bottom":"","seo_seo_title":"","seo_seo_description":"","seo_seo_default_title":"","seo_seo_default_description":"","links":false,"tile_link_for_pay":"0","send_noty":false,"chapter_info":{"books_group":"Torah","book":"Deuteronomy","chapter":"4","chapter_main_number":"157","date":"20260406","wall_id":"157"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":[{"term_id":"384","name":"God","old_id":"784"},{"term_id":"832","name":"Theology","old_id":"1232"}]},{"order":2,"id":"49684","color":"#effaea","size":"1","name":"Deuteronomy\u2019s Women ","post_title":"Deuteronomy\u2019s Women","slug":"deuteronomys-women","old_id":"49684","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":46994,"post_title":"Sarit Kattan Gribetz","slug":"sarit-kattan-gribetz","old_id":"46994","first_name":"Sarit Kattan ","last_name":"Gribetz ","description":"Sarit Kattan Gribetz is an assistant professor in the Theology Department at Fordham University and a core faculty member for the Drisha Institute for Jewish Education. She received her Ph.D. from Princeton University. She teaches and publishes about Jews in the Roman Empire, the history of time and time-keeping, gender and sexuality, Jewish-Christian relations, and the history of Jerusalem. Her book, Time and Difference in Rabbinic Judaism, is under contract with Princeton University Press.","short_description":"Sarit Kattan Gribetz is an assistant professor in the Theology Department at Fordham University and a core faculty member for the Drisha Institute for Jewish Education. ","credit":"","image_url":"","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":46995,"alt":"","title":"sarit gribetz","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/sarit-gribetz-e1546786449124.jpg","width":2471,"height":2709,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/sarit-gribetz-e1546786449124-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/sarit-gribetz-e1546786449124-274x300.jpg","medium-width":274,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/sarit-gribetz-e1546786449124-768x842.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":842,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/sarit-gribetz-e1546786449124-934x1024.jpg","large-width":934,"large-height":1024,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/sarit-gribetz-e1546786449124.jpg","1536x1536-width":1401,"1536x1536-height":1536,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/sarit-gribetz-e1546786449124.jpg","2048x2048-width":1868,"2048x2048-height":2048,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/sarit-gribetz-e1546786449124-1095x1200.jpg","post_full_size-width":1095,"post_full_size-height":1200,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/sarit-gribetz-e1546786449124-383x420.jpg","home_baner-width":383,"home_baner-height":420}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"158","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"The women in the text aren\u2019t named, but they are there if we choose to see them","post_main_content_content":"

Are there women in the book of Deuteronomy? <\/span><\/p>\r\n

At first glance, they don\u2019t seem to exist, but if we look closely we realize that they appear in unexpected contexts.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

The first reference to women appears at the end of chapter 3 (verse 19), when the inheritance of land given to the tribes of Reuven, Gad, and half of Menasheh is explained. \u00a0These tribes have been given a portion of land on the east of the Jordan, but before they are allowed to settle it they are commanded to help the rest of the tribes conquer the land on the western side of the Jordan. Their wives, young children, and livestock, however, can settle into the cities while the men go to war. This command explains why women don\u2019t appear frequently in the first few chapters of Deuteronomy: it\u2019s not that there weren\u2019t women among the Israelites, it\u2019s that the beginning of the book is directed at Israelite men, outlining their roles as judges, scouts, and soldiers. <\/span><\/p>\r\n

There is a shift in the narrative at the beginning of chapter 5. Suddenly, Moses turns to \u201c<\/span>all of Israel<\/span><\/em>\u201d<\/span> (5:1). \u00a0Moses shares the ten commandments with all members of the nation, including the women. They are commanded to listen to them (<\/span>shema yisrael<\/span><\/em>), to learn them, to keep them, and to fulfill them (5:2). They are all identified as those with whom God seals the covenant, \u201cwe who are here, all of us alive today\u201d (5:3). The text concludes: \u201cThese are the words that God spoke to <\/span>your entire congregation<\/span><\/em> at the mountain\u201d (5:19). Here, again, the biblical language is inclusive, it emphasizes that God\u2019s laws are for the entire congregation, not only the men to whom the first chapters of Deuteronomy were addressed.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

The opening passage of the next chapter retains this inclusive voice: \u201cThis is the commandment, the decrees, and the ordinances that God commands you (plural) to teach you (plural)\u2026\u201d (6:1). The same phrase, <\/span>shema yisrael<\/span><\/em>, appears again a few verses later (6:4). The phrase <\/span>shema yisrael<\/span><\/em>, which appears in 5:2 and 6:4, is a call to \u201c<\/span>all of Israel<\/span><\/em>,\u201d the \u201c<\/span>entire congregation<\/span><\/em>.\u201d Read in the context of the previous chapter, the command in 6:4-9 can be understood as addressed to all of Israel, including women. Each individual must love God with all their heart, soul, and means; teach them to one\u2019s children; recite them at all times and places; wrap themselves and their homes in them. <\/span><\/p>\r\n

This intertextual reading makes the exclusion of women, enslaved people, and children from the commands of Deuteronomy 6:7 all the more scandalous. When we read Deuteronomy 6 in light of Deuteronomy 5, we see that there is a possibility for understanding the commandment more inclusively. <\/span>All of Israel<\/span><\/em>, the <\/span>entire congregation<\/span><\/em>, ought to participate in this all-encompassing worship. <\/span><\/p>\r\n

The women in the text aren\u2019t named, but they are there if we choose to see them.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Image: Gustave Dore, \u00a0https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/w\/index.php?curid=1609945<\/span><\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":49688,"alt":"","title":"dt5-biblical woman","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/dt5-biblical-woman.jpg","width":328,"height":414,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/dt5-biblical-woman-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/dt5-biblical-woman-238x300.jpg","medium-width":238,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/dt5-biblical-woman.jpg","medium_large-width":328,"medium_large-height":414,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/dt5-biblical-woman.jpg","large-width":328,"large-height":414,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/dt5-biblical-woman.jpg","1536x1536-width":328,"1536x1536-height":414,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/dt5-biblical-woman.jpg","2048x2048-width":328,"2048x2048-height":414,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/dt5-biblical-woman.jpg","post_full_size-width":328,"post_full_size-height":414,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/dt5-biblical-woman.jpg","home_baner-width":328,"home_baner-height":414}},"post_main_content_embedded_video":"","post_main_content_video_duration":"","post_main_content_show_fb_comments":"1","post_main_content_credit_media":"","tile_top_caption":"","tile_main_caption":"Deuteronomy\u2019s Women","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"The women in the text aren\u2019t named, but they are there if we choose to see them","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":49688,"alt":"","title":"dt5-biblical woman","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/dt5-biblical-woman.jpg","width":328,"height":414,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/dt5-biblical-woman-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/dt5-biblical-woman-238x300.jpg","medium-width":238,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/dt5-biblical-woman.jpg","medium_large-width":328,"medium_large-height":414,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/dt5-biblical-woman.jpg","large-width":328,"large-height":414,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/dt5-biblical-woman.jpg","1536x1536-width":328,"1536x1536-height":414,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/dt5-biblical-woman.jpg","2048x2048-width":328,"2048x2048-height":414,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/dt5-biblical-woman.jpg","post_full_size-width":328,"post_full_size-height":414,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/dt5-biblical-woman.jpg","home_baner-width":328,"home_baner-height":414}},"tile_preview_video":"","tile_external_link":"","tile_tile_gallery_items":"","tile_credits":"","alternate_tile_top_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption_size":"1","alternate_tile_sub_caption":"","alternate_tile_hide_media":"0","tile_group_preview_image_url":"","tile_group_main_caption":"","tile_group_sub_caption":"","tile_group_popup_package_extra_content":"","tile_group_read_time":"","home_color":"","home_gallery_top":"","home_gallery_middle":"","home_gallery_book":"","home_gallery_bottom":"","seo_seo_title":"","seo_seo_description":"","seo_seo_default_title":"","seo_seo_default_description":"","links":false,"tile_link_for_pay":"0","send_noty":false,"chapter_info":{"books_group":"Torah","book":"Deuteronomy","chapter":"5","chapter_main_number":"158","date":"20260407","wall_id":"158"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":[{"term_id":"421","name":"Peoplehood","old_id":"821"},{"term_id":"600","name":"Women","old_id":"1000"}]},{"order":3,"id":"49690","color":"#effaea","size":"1","name":"The Political Vision Of Shabbat ","post_title":"The Political Vision Of Shabbat","slug":"the-political-vision-of-shabbat","old_id":"49690","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":33923,"post_title":"Jonathan Sacks","slug":"rabbi-lord-jonathan-sacks","old_id":"33923","first_name":"Jonathan ","last_name":"Sacks","description":"An international religious leader, philosopher, and award-winning author of over 35 books, Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks served as the International President of 929.\r\nRabbi Sacks served as the Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth years between 1991 and 2013, and was knighted by Her Majesty The Queen in 2005 and made a Life Peer. Rabbi Sacks passed away on 7th November 2020, aged 72. He was one of the greatest Jewish thinkers of the 20th century, who bridged the religious and secular world through his ground-breaking canon of work.","credit":"","image_url":"","hide_writer":false,"short_description":"Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks z\"k (1948-2020) was the former Chief Rabbi of the Commonwealth, and the International 929 president.","link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":36222,"alt":"","title":"JSacks","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/JSacks-e1532858712594.jpg","width":437,"height":548,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/JSacks-e1532858712594-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/JSacks-e1532858712594-239x300.jpg","medium-width":239,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/JSacks-768x448.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":448,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/JSacks-1024x597.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":597,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/JSacks-e1532858712594.jpg","1536x1536-width":437,"1536x1536-height":548,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/JSacks-e1532858712594.jpg","2048x2048-width":437,"2048x2048-height":548,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/JSacks-e1532858712594.jpg","post_full_size-width":437,"post_full_size-height":548,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/JSacks-e1532858712594-335x420.jpg","home_baner-width":335,"home_baner-height":420}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"158","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"Passover tells us how the Israelites won their freedom; Shabbat tells us how they kept it","post_main_content_content":"

The Sabbath (in Hebrew, <\/span>Shabbat<\/span><\/em>) is a religious institution, a memorial to creation, the day on which God Himself rested. But it is also and essentially a political institution. Shabbat is the greatest tutorial in liberty ever devised. Passover tells us how the Israelites won their freedom. Shabbat tells us how they kept it. One day in seven, Jews create a messianic society. It is the day on which everyone, master and slave, employer and employee, even animals, experience unconditional freedom. We neither work nor get others to work, manipulate nor allow ourselves to be manipulated. We may neither buy nor be bought. It is the day on which all hierarchies, all relationships of power are suspended.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Shabbat was, of course, the antithesis of Egypt \u2013 the free society as opposed to a society of slaves. Slaves work without rest at the will of their masters. So the first mark of the Israelites\u2019 freedom was a day of rest for everyone:<\/span><\/p>\r\n

On it you shall do no work, neither you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your ox or donkey or any of your animals, nor the stranger within your gates, so that your manservant and maidservant may rest as you do. Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and the Lord your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the Lord your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day. (Deuteronomy 5:14-15)<\/span><\/p>\r\n

But Shabbat was also a way of enacting, while on the way, the journey\u2019s end, the destination. Slavery was not immediately abolished; it existed in most parts of the world until the nineteenth century. Even today there are lesser forms of servitude \u2013 insecurity, workaholism, the hundred stresses and anxieties of everyday life. And as Marx never tired of telling us, slaves get used to their chains. So, within time itself, everyone had to experience unconditioned freedom so as never to lose the love of liberty, even though as yet it lasts only one day in seven. Jews never lost those two memories: the taste of affliction on Pesach, the taste of freedom on Shabbat.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Shabbat is also a way of living out another idea, the concept of possession without ownership which is at the heart of Judaism\u2019s social and environmental ethic. Every week, for a day, Jews live not as creators but creations. On Shabbat the world belongs to God, not us. We renounce our mastery over nature and the animals. We see the earth as a thing of independent dignity and integrity. We become God\u2019s guests, as Judah Halevi put it, recognizing the limits of human striving. But above all else, Shabbat is covenantal time, the working out of Judaism\u2019s vision of a society of equal dignity and hope.<\/span>
\r\n
\r\n<\/span><\/p>\r\n

A Letter in the Scroll, p.131-132<\/em><\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":104813,"alt":"","title":"-62801b9ce191a--62801b9ce191cex21-slavery 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Political Vision of Shabbat","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"Passover tells us how the Israelites won their freedom; Shabbat tells us how they kept it","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":104813,"alt":"","title":"-62801b9ce191a--62801b9ce191cex21-slavery 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kurshan","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/ilana-kurshan-e1536180264919.jpg","width":652,"height":715,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/ilana-kurshan-e1536180264919-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/ilana-kurshan-e1536180264919-274x300.jpg","medium-width":274,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/ilana-kurshan-768x679.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":679,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/ilana-kurshan-1024x905.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":905,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/ilana-kurshan-e1536180264919.jpg","1536x1536-width":652,"1536x1536-height":715,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/ilana-kurshan-e1536180264919.jpg","2048x2048-width":652,"2048x2048-height":715,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/ilana-kurshan-e1536180264919.jpg","post_full_size-width":652,"post_full_size-height":715,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/ilana-kurshan-e1536180264919-383x420.jpg","home_baner-width":383,"home_baner-height":420}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"158","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"The Decalogue - in rhyme","post_main_content_content":"

I am your God! And you should have no more<\/span>
\r\n<\/span>Don\u2019t make a sculpture that looks just like Me<\/span>
\r\n<\/span>Don\u2019t bow to other gods, for I deplore<\/span>
\r\n<\/span>All worship that smacks of idolatry. <\/span><\/p>\r\n

And God almighty, don\u2019t swear in my name<\/span>
\r\n<\/span>I will not cleanse you if you swear in vain<\/span>
\r\n<\/span>Observe the Sabbath, so it\u2019s not the same<\/span>
\r\n<\/span>As weekdays. From all work you must abstain. <\/span><\/p>\r\n

Give honor to your parents \u2013 mom and dad.<\/span>
\r\n<\/span>For if you do, you\u2019ll live long and fare well<\/span>
\r\n<\/span>Don\u2019t murder. Don\u2019t be an adulterous cad<\/span>
\r\n<\/span>Don\u2019t steal, don\u2019t come to court and untruths tell. <\/span><\/p>\r\n

Your neighbor\u2019s wife may be a pretty lass<\/span>
\r\n<\/span>Don\u2019t covet her, his oxen, or his ass.<\/span><\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":107798,"alt":"","title":"-6318b2146c87f--6318b2146c880Deut1-sonnet deut.jpg","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2019\/02\/6318b2146c87f-6318b2146c880Deut1-sonnet-deut.jpg.jpg","width":1280,"height":720,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2019\/02\/6318b2146c87f-6318b2146c880Deut1-sonnet-deut.jpg-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2019\/02\/6318b2146c87f-6318b2146c880Deut1-sonnet-deut.jpg-300x169.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":169,"medium_large":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2019\/02\/6318b2146c87f-6318b2146c880Deut1-sonnet-deut.jpg-768x432.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":432,"large":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2019\/02\/6318b2146c87f-6318b2146c880Deut1-sonnet-deut.jpg-1024x576.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":576,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2019\/02\/6318b2146c87f-6318b2146c880Deut1-sonnet-deut.jpg.jpg","1536x1536-width":1280,"1536x1536-height":720,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2019\/02\/6318b2146c87f-6318b2146c880Deut1-sonnet-deut.jpg.jpg","2048x2048-width":1280,"2048x2048-height":720,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2019\/02\/6318b2146c87f-6318b2146c880Deut1-sonnet-deut.jpg-1200x675.jpg","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":675,"home_baner":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2019\/02\/6318b2146c87f-6318b2146c880Deut1-sonnet-deut.jpg-747x420.jpg","home_baner-width":747,"home_baner-height":420}},"post_main_content_embedded_video":"","post_main_content_video_duration":"","post_main_content_show_fb_comments":"1","post_main_content_credit_media":"","tile_top_caption":"929 Poetry Corner","tile_main_caption":"Sonnet: Deuteronomy 5","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"The Decalogue - 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","post_title":"Can We Please Stop Desecrating And Start Sanctifying?","slug":"can-we-please-stop-desecrating-and-start-sanctifying","old_id":"49848","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":33859,"post_title":"Avidan Freedman","slug":"avidan-freedman","old_id":"33859","first_name":"Avidan","last_name":"Freedman","description":"Rabbi Avidan Freedman is the Rabbi of Hevruta, the Shalom Hartman Institute's post high school program for Israelis and North Americans, and an educator in the institute's high school. He is an activist advocating for moral limits on Israeli arms exports, and on behalf of African refugees, and a proud husband and father of 5. He received his rabbinical ordination from Yeshivat Chovevei Torah in New York, and from the Israeli chief rabbinate.","credit":"","image_url":"","short_description":"Rabbi Avidan Freedman is the Rabbi of Hevruta, the Shalom Hartman Institute's post high school program for Israelis and North Americans, and an educator in the institute's high school. ","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":33860,"alt":"Avidan Freedman","title":"Avidan Freedman","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Avidan-Freedman-e1532029306365.jpg","width":856,"height":1024,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Avidan-Freedman-e1532029306365-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Avidan-Freedman-e1532029306365-251x300.jpg","medium-width":251,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Avidan-Freedman-e1532029306365-768x919.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":919,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Avidan-Freedman-e1532029306365-856x1024.jpg","large-width":856,"large-height":1024,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Avidan-Freedman-e1532029306365.jpg","1536x1536-width":856,"1536x1536-height":1024,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Avidan-Freedman-e1532029306365.jpg","2048x2048-width":856,"2048x2048-height":1024,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Avidan-Freedman-800x1200.jpg","post_full_size-width":800,"post_full_size-height":1200,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Avidan-Freedman-e1532029306365-351x420.jpg","home_baner-width":351,"home_baner-height":420}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"159","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"Instructions for living a life of righteousness, not becoming a martyr","post_main_content_content":"

Throughout history, the traditional last words of Jews who have been killed <\/span>al kiddush Hashem<\/span><\/em>, <\/span><\/i>sanctifying God's name, are the 6 words of the Shema found in chapter 6. The power of that statement takes on deeper meaning in light of Rashi's elucidation of the phrase. For Rashi, this is not a declaration of faith as much as it is a prayer, a hope.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

\"God, who is our Lord (<\/span>Elohei<\/span><\/i>nu<\/span><\/i>) <\/span><\/i>now, and not the God of the nations, in the future will be one God, as it says 'For then will I turn the nations language clear, to all call in the name of God' and it says 'On that day will God be one, and His name will be one.\"<\/span><\/p>\r\n

The Jew being killed because he is a Jew spends his last words, his last breath, expressing the hope for the day that no nation will lift sword against nation, because all nations will accept upon themselves the majesty of God. To hold onto this hope in the face of evil is to die sanctifying God's name.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

But, the Rambam points out, our first responsibility is not to die <\/span>al kiddush Hashem<\/span><\/em>, <\/span><\/i>but to live that way. And that is precisely what the next verse directs us to do.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

\"And you shall love Hashem your God.\" What does it mean to love God? The Talmud gives an answer that needs to be read and reread, taught and re-taught. We dare not skip a single word.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

\"'And you shall love Hashem your God'- that the name of Heaven should become beloved because of you, that you should study, learn, and serve Torah scholars, and conduct your business pleasantly with people. What will people say about such a person? 'Fortunate is his father who taught him Torah, fortunate is his rabbi who taught him Torah, woe to those who don't learn Torah. This one who learned, see how pleasant are his paths, how proper are his actions.' About him the verse says 'And He said 'You are my servant, Israel in whom I glory.' But- he who studies, learns and serves Torah scholars but whose business dealings are not faithful and who doesn't speak pleasantly with people, what do people say about him: 'Woe to him who learned Torah, woe to his father, to his rabbi who taught him. This man who learned Torah, look how corrupt his actions are, how ugly his ways are.' About him the verse says 'As they say- this is God's nation, who left his land'\"<\/span><\/p>\r\n

The rest, as they, is commentary. If we want to sanctify God's name, we need to start internalizing these words.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

 <\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":92186,"alt":"","title":"pro3-tree of 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We Please Stop Desecrating And Start Sanctifying?","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"Instructions for living a life of righteousness, not becoming a martyr","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":92186,"alt":"","title":"pro3-tree of 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Homilies: Be Comforted!","tile_main_caption":"Isaiah Chapter 40","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"with Reuben Ebrahimoff (Haftorah Man)","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":"","tile_preview_video":"https:\/\/youtu.be\/yWV693onj6A","tile_external_link":"","tile_tile_gallery_items":"","tile_credits":"","alternate_tile_top_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption_size":"1","alternate_tile_sub_caption":"","alternate_tile_hide_media":"0","tile_group_preview_image_url":"","tile_group_main_caption":"","tile_group_sub_caption":"","tile_group_popup_package_extra_content":"","tile_group_read_time":"","home_color":"","home_gallery_top":"","home_gallery_middle":"","home_gallery_book":"","home_gallery_bottom":"","seo_seo_title":"","seo_seo_description":"","seo_seo_default_title":"","seo_seo_default_description":"","old_create_date":"","links":false,"tile_link_for_pay":"0","send_noty":false,"chapter_info":{"books_group":"Prophets","book":"Isaiah","chapter":"40","chapter_main_number":"374","date":"20270203","wall_id":"374"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":[{"term_id":"589","name":"audio","old_id":"989"},{"term_id":"951","name":"Haftarah","old_id":"1351"}]},{"order":7,"id":"67147","color":"#effaea","size":"1","name":"Comfort For The Suffering ","post_title":"Comfort For The Suffering","slug":"comfort-for-the-suffering","old_id":"67147","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":55057,"post_title":"Robin Nafshi","slug":"robin-nafshi","old_id":"55057","first_name":"Robin ","last_name":"Nafshi ","description":"Rabbi Robin Nafshi (also known as Rabbi Robin) was ordained by Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in 2005. She joined Temple Beth Jacob in July of 2010. Rabbi Robin is a graduate of both New York University and Cornell Law School. Rabbi Robin shares her life with her partner, Cantor Shira Nafshi, who serves as TBJ\u2019s part-time cantor. They are the delighted parents of Liba, who joined their family in January of 2014. \r\n","short_description":"Rabbi Robin Nafshi (also known as Rabbi Robin) is rabbi at Temple Beth Jacob in Concord, NH.","credit":"","image_url":"","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":55058,"alt":"","title":"robin-nafshi","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/robin-nafshi.jpg","width":453,"height":302,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/robin-nafshi-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/robin-nafshi-300x200.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":200,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/robin-nafshi.jpg","medium_large-width":453,"medium_large-height":302,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/robin-nafshi.jpg","large-width":453,"large-height":302,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/robin-nafshi.jpg","1536x1536-width":453,"1536x1536-height":302,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/robin-nafshi.jpg","2048x2048-width":453,"2048x2048-height":302,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/robin-nafshi.jpg","post_full_size-width":453,"post_full_size-height":302,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/robin-nafshi.jpg","home_baner-width":453,"home_baner-height":302}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"374","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"To live is to know pain\u00a0","post_main_content_content":"

Too many people I know are suffering, and I mean really suffering. One friend recently had a miscarriage. Another\u2019s father died way too young, less than a year after he was diagnosed with lung cancer. A third friend experienced the death of her parents and an in-law in a twenty-two month period. Still another is the victim of a blogging neo-Nazi, whose actions leave terror in her heart. Another faces cancer surgery.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

All of these friends, to some extent or another, seek help from God. A few are quite religious; others are not. But they all have turned to God \u2013 the Divine, the Source, the Creator (ironically, not the <\/span>rofeh<\/span><\/em>, the healer) \u2013 whether extensively or as a small part of their overall healing, to help them cope with their pain.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Isaiah Chapter 40, verse 1, is one of the most well-known passages that suffering people turn to when they seek God\u2019s presence: <\/span>Nachamu nachamu ami yomar eloheichem<\/span><\/em>: <\/span><\/i>\u201cComfort, comfort My people, says your God.\u201d Many contemporary Jewish musicians have composed melodies for this verse, including Safam, Elana Arian, and Nashamah Carlebach. Music can stir the soul and open its many passages to allow in God\u2019s presence.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Historically, in Isaiah Chapter 40, the Israelites have been exiled to Babylonia after the destruction of the First Temple. Their beloved city of Jerusalem has been leveled, and the holy place where they\u2019d felt a connection to the Divine is gone. En masse, they have been relocated to a foreign city in a foreign land among people who speak a foreign language and worship a foreign god. And so, Isaiah implores God to bring them comfort.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Isaiah continues his words to God in verse 2, \u201cSpeak tenderly to Jerusalem (the Israelites). Declare to her that her term of service [in exile] is over, that her sins have been pardoned.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n

The language is powerful, and yet it connects the pain of suffering with the commission of sin. This is a very difficult theology for most modern people, Jew or not, religious or not. The Lisbon earthquake of 1755, in which many children died when their school collapsed, challenged the theology that suffering is punishment from God for sin.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

As we read further into Chapter 40, Isaiah declares in verse 7, \u201cGrass withers, flowers fade when the breath of the Eternal blows on them. Indeed, the human is but grass.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n

How can this provide comfort to the suffering? Perhaps the assertion of our universal humanity and frailty reminds us that we have not been singled out in our suffering. It is the way of all people. To live is to know pain. Not all the time, but in all life.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":67148,"alt":"","title":"is40-pain","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/is40-pain.jpg","width":1920,"height":1280,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/is40-pain-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/is40-pain-300x200.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":200,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/is40-pain-768x512.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":512,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/is40-pain-1024x683.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":683,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/is40-pain.jpg","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":1024,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/is40-pain.jpg","2048x2048-width":1920,"2048x2048-height":1280,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/is40-pain-1200x800.jpg","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":800,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/is40-pain-630x420.jpg","home_baner-width":630,"home_baner-height":420}},"post_main_content_embedded_video":"","post_main_content_video_duration":"","post_main_content_show_fb_comments":"1","post_main_content_credit_media":"","tile_top_caption":"","tile_main_caption":"Comfort For The Suffering","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"To live is to know pain\u00a0","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":67148,"alt":"","title":"is40-pain","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/is40-pain.jpg","width":1920,"height":1280,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/is40-pain-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/is40-pain-300x200.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":200,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/is40-pain-768x512.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":512,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/is40-pain-1024x683.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":683,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/is40-pain.jpg","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":1024,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/is40-pain.jpg","2048x2048-width":1920,"2048x2048-height":1280,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/is40-pain-1200x800.jpg","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":800,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/is40-pain-630x420.jpg","home_baner-width":630,"home_baner-height":420}},"tile_preview_video":"","tile_external_link":"","tile_tile_gallery_items":"","tile_credits":"","alternate_tile_top_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption_size":"1","alternate_tile_sub_caption":"","alternate_tile_hide_media":"0","tile_group_preview_image_url":"","tile_group_main_caption":"","tile_group_sub_caption":"","tile_group_popup_package_extra_content":"","tile_group_read_time":"","home_color":"","home_gallery_top":"","home_gallery_middle":"","home_gallery_book":"","home_gallery_bottom":"","seo_seo_title":"","seo_seo_description":"","seo_seo_default_title":"","seo_seo_default_description":"","links":false,"tile_link_for_pay":"0","send_noty":false,"chapter_info":{"books_group":"Prophets","book":"Isaiah","chapter":"40","chapter_main_number":"374","date":"20270203","wall_id":"374"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":[{"term_id":"374","name":"Humanity","old_id":"774"},{"term_id":"384","name":"God","old_id":"784"},{"term_id":"401","name":"Life","old_id":"801"},{"term_id":"491","name":"Suffering","old_id":"891"},{"term_id":"606","name":"Pain","old_id":"1006"},{"term_id":"607","name":"Comfort","old_id":"1007"}]},{"order":8,"id":"67108","color":"#effaea","size":"1","name":"A Field Trip With Prophet Isaiah ","post_title":"A Field Trip With Prophet Isaiah","slug":"a-field-trip-with-prophet-isaiah","old_id":"67108","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":64462,"post_title":"Analia Bortz","slug":"analia-bortz","old_id":"64462","first_name":"Analia ","last_name":"Bortz ","description":"Rabbi Dr. Analia Bortz is a medical doctor with postdoctoral studies in Bioethics. She is the first female Latin American rabbi, and is a AJWS Global Justice Fellow in 2019-2020 She and her husband Rabbi Mario Karpuj founded Congregation Or Hadash in Sandy Springs, Georgia. She is the author of The Voice of Silence: A Rabbi's Journey into a Trappist Monastery and Other Contemplation (2017)","short_description":"Rabbi Dr. Analia Bortz is a medical doctor and with her husband Rabbi Mario Karpuj founded Congregation Or Hadash in Sandy Springs, Georgia. ","credit":"","image_url":"","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":64463,"alt":"","title":"analia bortz","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/analia-bortz.jpg","width":225,"height":225,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/analia-bortz-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/analia-bortz.jpg","medium-width":225,"medium-height":225,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/analia-bortz.jpg","medium_large-width":225,"medium_large-height":225,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/analia-bortz.jpg","large-width":225,"large-height":225,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/analia-bortz.jpg","1536x1536-width":225,"1536x1536-height":225,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/analia-bortz.jpg","2048x2048-width":225,"2048x2048-height":225,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/analia-bortz.jpg","post_full_size-width":225,"post_full_size-height":225,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/analia-bortz.jpg","home_baner-width":225,"home_baner-height":225}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"374","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"Tell us, how do we transform 'Ir Shalem,' a complete place, into 'Ir Shalom,' a city of peace?","post_main_content_content":"

\u201c<\/span><\/i>Jerusalem is a port city on the shore of eternity<\/span><\/em>\u201d <\/span><\/i>writes the Israeli poet Yehuda Amichai.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Jerusalem, the city of wholeness and holiness, is like the tank of\u00a0 oxygen for a scuba diver. Isaiah brings consolation to the broken spirit of the destroyed city with words of comfort. \u201c<\/span>Nachamu Nachamu Ami<\/span><\/em>, <\/span><\/i>Comfort oh comfort My people\u201d.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Let me take you, Mr. Isaiah, for a walk through the cobblestones of this magical city that wakes up every morning to the sounds of many languages, to the prayers of many rituals and to the smells of many spices. Come with me, my ancient prophet, for a field trip. I will show you Jerusalem. You were right!\u00a0 Look at your city. Rewind, reverse your engineered tears of sorrow, of the Temple destroyed and celebrate life in the modern capital of the Jewish people.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

I promise you we still sit on Tisha b\u2019Av and cry through the book of Lamentations that your colleague, Jeremiah, wrote. Now, though, we have a different perspective.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

The <\/span>Yerushalaim shel maalah<\/em> <\/span>and the <\/span>Yerushalaim shel maatah<\/span><\/em>, <\/span><\/i>the celestial Jerusalem and the earthly Jerusalem, meet in a luminal area of a miracle come true. We came back to her.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

The new Temple is Machane Yehuda, the magnificent market in the core of the city, which becomes sacred as it thrives with perfumes, spices, sounds, languages, people coming from all over, young and old. They come to celebrate Jerusalem, your city, Mr. Prophet. Secular and religious bring their utensils to make them kosher for Passover in the streets of Rehaviah, and the young Muslim woman at the pharmacy in the Mamilah mall takes care of the nun from the old city convent and the orthodox mother from <\/span>Meah Shearim<\/span><\/i> who juggles with eight children holding on to her long skirt.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Thanks for consoling your people, Isaiah, you have surfed the waves of catastrophe and now thousands of years later, we can dive with this oxygen-filled tank.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Your vision, Mr. Prophet, has inspired many generations. It has not been easy but it was worth it. Your vision created a sense of purpose beyond ritual. It also inspired those who sacrificed their lives for the wellbeing of this city. How to bring normalcy to this ancient place that whispers history and sense of belonging? How to celebrate normalcy as an extraordinary achievement of the everyday life in this <\/span>Ir Shalem, Yerushalaim?<\/span><\/i><\/p>\r\n

Now, Mr. Isaiah, since you have called us back with your words of wisdom, could you please advise how can we live in peace? How can we transform <\/span>Ir Shalem<\/span><\/i>, a perfect complete place, into <\/span>Ir Shalom, <\/span><\/i>a city of peace?<\/span><\/p>\r\n

I\u2019m waiting for you to wipe the tears of the parents who lost their children and the children who lost their parents, the Muslim, the Christian, the Jew. We are all created in the image of God, your Friend, so please, bring us comfort and the right recipe to celebrate Your city, our city, in her splendor.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

image: Ben Schachter<\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":67109,"alt":"","title":"Is40-ABortz","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Is40-ABortz.jpg","width":757,"height":440,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Is40-ABortz-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Is40-ABortz-300x174.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":174,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Is40-ABortz.jpg","medium_large-width":757,"medium_large-height":440,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Is40-ABortz.jpg","large-width":757,"large-height":440,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Is40-ABortz.jpg","1536x1536-width":757,"1536x1536-height":440,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Is40-ABortz.jpg","2048x2048-width":757,"2048x2048-height":440,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Is40-ABortz.jpg","post_full_size-width":757,"post_full_size-height":440,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Is40-ABortz-723x420.jpg","home_baner-width":723,"home_baner-height":420}},"post_main_content_embedded_video":"","post_main_content_video_duration":"","post_main_content_show_fb_comments":"1","post_main_content_credit_media":"","tile_top_caption":"","tile_main_caption":"A Field Trip With Prophet Isaiah","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"Tell us, how do we transform 'Ir Shalem,' a complete place, into 'Ir Shalom,' a city of peace?","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":67109,"alt":"","title":"Is40-ABortz","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Is40-ABortz.jpg","width":757,"height":440,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Is40-ABortz-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Is40-ABortz-300x174.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":174,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Is40-ABortz.jpg","medium_large-width":757,"medium_large-height":440,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Is40-ABortz.jpg","large-width":757,"large-height":440,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Is40-ABortz.jpg","1536x1536-width":757,"1536x1536-height":440,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Is40-ABortz.jpg","2048x2048-width":757,"2048x2048-height":440,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Is40-ABortz.jpg","post_full_size-width":757,"post_full_size-height":440,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Is40-ABortz-723x420.jpg","home_baner-width":723,"home_baner-height":420}},"tile_preview_video":"","tile_external_link":"","tile_tile_gallery_items":"","tile_credits":"","alternate_tile_top_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption_size":"1","alternate_tile_sub_caption":"","alternate_tile_hide_media":"0","tile_group_preview_image_url":"","tile_group_main_caption":"","tile_group_sub_caption":"","tile_group_popup_package_extra_content":"","tile_group_read_time":"","home_color":"","home_gallery_top":"","home_gallery_middle":"","home_gallery_book":"","home_gallery_bottom":"","seo_seo_title":"","seo_seo_description":"","seo_seo_default_title":"","seo_seo_default_description":"","links":false,"tile_link_for_pay":"0","send_noty":false,"chapter_info":{"books_group":"Prophets","book":"Isaiah","chapter":"40","chapter_main_number":"374","date":"20270203","wall_id":"374"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":[{"term_id":"301","name":"Ben 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pride, haughtiness\r\n","post_main_content_content":"

If there is one consistent theme throughout the Bible, it is that God abhors arrogance and perceives it to be the cause of tremendous evil.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

For villains such as Pharaoh and Haman, arrogance is the defining characteristic of their personality. Pharaoh, the god king of Egypt, after witnessing God\u2019s many miracles, still refuses to acknowledge there is a power greater than himself in the world.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

The same is true for Haman. He cannot abide that Mordechai refuses to bow down before him, and in his narcissism, he resolves to destroy the entire Jewish people. However, it is important to note that the arrogance of Pharaoh and Haman is not only the cause of their wickedness but also the source of their undoing, as it says in Proverbs (18:2), \u201cBefore his downfall the heart is proud.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n

The same is true with the evil kingdom of Babylonia, who destroyed the Temple, exiled the Jewish people, and then oppressed them. In this chapter, God speaks directly to their arrogance and states (47:10) \u201c<\/span>You were secure in your wickedness; You thought, \u2018No one can see me.\u2019 It was your skill and your science that led you astray. And you thought to yourself, \u2018I am, and there is none but me.\u2019\u201d The true danger of arrogance, God explains, is that it prevents any kind of critical self-reflection. To be arrogant is to be convinced of one\u2019s rightness even in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

In this specific case, God highlights the \u2018skill and science\u2019 of Babylonia, perhaps the most sophisticated culture of the time. Babylonia believed that it was the peak of civilization and therefore none could truly oppose it. In reality, it was an idolatrous culture destined to fall, and <\/span>they receive their comeuppance when Cyrus, king of Persia, crushes their empire.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

The Talmud (Sotah 5a) states that God cannot dwell in the same world with one who is arrogant, as God makes clear (Psalms101:5) \u2018I cannot endure the haughty and proud man.\u2019 The reason for this is simple. Those who are arrogant, act as if \u201cI am and there is none but me.\u201d They have replaced God with themselves, and as Isaiah ultimately reminds us, ruin and self-destruction is the inevitable outcome.<\/span><\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":67782,"alt":"","title":"is47-stairs","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/is47-stairs.jpg","width":1920,"height":1282,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/is47-stairs-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/is47-stairs-300x200.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":200,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/is47-stairs-768x513.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":513,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/is47-stairs-1024x684.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":684,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/is47-stairs.jpg","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":1026,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/is47-stairs.jpg","2048x2048-width":1920,"2048x2048-height":1282,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/is47-stairs-1200x801.jpg","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":801,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/is47-stairs-629x420.jpg","home_baner-width":629,"home_baner-height":420}},"post_main_content_embedded_video":"","post_main_content_video_duration":"","post_main_content_show_fb_comments":"1","post_main_content_credit_media":"","tile_top_caption":"","tile_main_caption":"What Does God Abhor?\u00a0","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"Arrogance, pride, haughtiness","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":67782,"alt":"","title":"is47-stairs","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/is47-stairs.jpg","width":1920,"height":1282,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/is47-stairs-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/is47-stairs-300x200.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":200,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/is47-stairs-768x513.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":513,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/is47-stairs-1024x684.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":684,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/is47-stairs.jpg","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":1026,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/is47-stairs.jpg","2048x2048-width":1920,"2048x2048-height":1282,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/is47-stairs-1200x801.jpg","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":801,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/is47-stairs-629x420.jpg","home_baner-width":629,"home_baner-height":420}},"tile_preview_video":"","tile_external_link":"","tile_tile_gallery_items":"","tile_credits":"","alternate_tile_top_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption_size":"1","alternate_tile_sub_caption":"","alternate_tile_hide_media":"0","tile_group_preview_image_url":"","tile_group_main_caption":"","tile_group_sub_caption":"","tile_group_popup_package_extra_content":"","tile_group_read_time":"","home_color":"","home_gallery_top":"","home_gallery_middle":"","home_gallery_book":"","home_gallery_bottom":"","seo_seo_title":"","seo_seo_description":"","seo_seo_default_title":"","seo_seo_default_description":"","links":false,"tile_link_for_pay":"0","send_noty":false,"chapter_info":{"books_group":"Prophets","book":"Isaiah","chapter":"47","chapter_main_number":"381","date":"20270214","wall_id":"381"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":[{"term_id":"384","name":"God","old_id":"784"},{"term_id":"460","name":"Evil","old_id":"860"},{"term_id":"952","name":"Pride","old_id":"1352"}]},{"order":10,"id":"67784","color":"#f2e9df","size":"1","name":"Attacked From Both Within And Without ","post_title":"Attacked From Both Within And Without","slug":"attacked-from-both-within-and-without","old_id":"67784","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":34243,"post_title":"Moshe Sokolow","slug":"moshe-sokolow","old_id":"34243","first_name":"Moshe","last_name":"Sokolow","description":"Dr. Moshe Sokolow is Associate Dean of the Azrieli Graduate School of Jewish Education and Administration, Yeshiva University, and teaches a weekly class in parashat hashavu`a at Lincoln Square Synagogue. He is the author of TANAKH: An Owner\u2019s Manual (Jerusalem: Urim\/Ktav, 2015).\r\n\r\n","short_description":"Dr. Moshe Sokolow is Associate Dean of the Azrieli Graduate School of Jewish Education and Administration, Yeshiva University","credit":"","image_url":"","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":34244,"alt":"","title":"sokolow","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/sokolow.jpg","width":302,"height":300,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/sokolow-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/sokolow-300x298.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":298,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/sokolow.jpg","medium_large-width":302,"medium_large-height":300,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/sokolow.jpg","large-width":302,"large-height":300,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/sokolow.jpg","1536x1536-width":302,"1536x1536-height":300,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/sokolow.jpg","2048x2048-width":302,"2048x2048-height":300,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/sokolow.jpg","post_full_size-width":302,"post_full_size-height":300,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/sokolow.jpg","home_baner-width":302,"home_baner-height":300}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"381","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"Two causes of failed states\u00a0","post_main_content_content":"

Malbim\u2019s* secular knowledge included political science (as well as philosophy) and many of his distinctions are drawn in that realm. In this chapter, he distinguished between two causes of failed states, in his commentary on v. 8: \u201cAnd now hear this, O pampered one\u2014 who dwell in security, who think to yourself, I am, and there is none but me; I shall not become a widow or know loss of children.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Termination of sovereignty can occur for two reasons. [It can be] due to a rebellion taking place inside the state against its ruler. This [the prophet] calls \u201ca widow\u201d because the state remains bereft of a ruler. This occurs when the citizens of the state are blood-thirsty and enraged, quick-tempered and wicked, and are looking to throw off their yoke. Alternatively, it can come about on account of an external enemy that slays the citizens and terminates their state. This he called \u201closs of children.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Here, he says to Judah and Jerusalem: You thought that you were safe from these two. You did not fear the widowhood of assassination because you are \u201cpampered and dwell in security\u201d and felt no breach in your statehood. Neither did you fear bereavement from without because you \u201cthink to yourself, I am, and there is none but me.\u201d It never occurred to you that another kingdom would declare war on you, so you thought you \u201cwould not become a widow,\u201d because you dwell in peace, and would not \u201cknow the loss of children\u201d because you thought \u201cthere is none but me.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Given Malbim\u2019s pronounced opposition to the Reform movement and to the Enlightenment (see our closing remarks to the previous chapter), it is not difficult to imagine that he saw the former as the internal rebellion and the latter as the enemy from without.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

*For the significance of Malbim\u2019s commentary to the Book of Isaiah,<\/span> see our introduction to chapter 1.<\/span><\/a><\/p>\r\n

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","post_title":"Why Don\u2019t The Jews Return Right Away?","slug":"why-dont-the-jews-return-right-away","old_id":"67818","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":46656,"post_title":"Molly Morris","slug":"molly-morris","old_id":"46656","first_name":"Molly ","last_name":"Morris ","description":"Molly Morris holds a Masters degree in Leadership and Community Engagement. Her particular area of interest is biblical leadership. Molly participates in the 929 initiative with a dedicated group from the Beth Avraham Yoseph of Toronto congregation. \r\n\r\n","short_description":"Molly Morris holds a Masters degree in Leadership and Community Engagement. Molly participates in the 929 initiative with a dedicated group from the Beth Avraham Yoseph of Toronto congregation. \r\n\r\n","credit":"","image_url":"","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":92561,"alt":"","title":"molly morris","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/molly-morris.jpg","width":2192,"height":2488,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/molly-morris-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/molly-morris-264x300.jpg","medium-width":264,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/molly-morris-768x872.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":872,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/molly-morris-902x1024.jpg","large-width":902,"large-height":1024,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/molly-morris.jpg","1536x1536-width":1353,"1536x1536-height":1536,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/molly-morris.jpg","2048x2048-width":1804,"2048x2048-height":2048,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/molly-morris-1057x1200.jpg","post_full_size-width":1057,"post_full_size-height":1200,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/molly-morris-370x420.jpg","home_baner-width":370,"home_baner-height":420}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"382","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"Was it PTSD, Stockholm syndrome - or something else?\r\n","post_main_content_content":"

With the downfall of the Babylonians in 3392, Cyrus, the conquering Persian king, announced that the Jews could return to their homeland and rebuild their holy Temple. But the Jews hesitated, and in that moment of hesitation the invitation to return was revoked and the Jews found themselves under the rule of Achashverosh and Haman of Purim infamy. It was another 18 years, after the miracle of Purim (3407), that the Jews actually returned en masse to rebuild the Temple.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

God rebukes the Jews for not jumping at the chance to leave Babylonia at their first chance, as prophesied by Isaiah in 48:20: \u201cLeave Babylonia, flee from Chaldea, with the sound of jubilation.\u201d In other words, \u201cwhen the time comes to leave, Cyrus calls you to return, flee as fast as you can (Rav Schwab).\u201d What caused their failure to mobilize? One could imagine that they suffered from some degree of what we now know as post-traumatic stress disorder, resulting in collective feelings of distrust, hopelessness or estrangement. Or perhaps after their lengthy exile, even though, or perhaps because of the fact that in some respects they flourished, there were some twinges of Stockholm syndrome in which the Jews had developed a level of alliance with their captors. Or perhaps they had just lost their ability for self-direction and couldn\u2019t move forward to a new life.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

All of those could be possibilities, but in the very first verse of this chapter we learn that the root cause was far more disturbing, when God admonishes the Jews with:<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Listen to this, O House of Jacob, who bear the name Israel and have issued from the waters of Judah, who swear by the name of the Lord and invoke the God of Israel \u2014 <\/span>though not in truth and sincerity<\/span><\/em>.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Though they may seem connected to God and in fact may truly want to be, they\u2019re not walking the talk. \u201cLo b\u2019emet<\/em> \u201c\u2013 not in truth, and \u201clo b\u2019tzedakah<\/em>\u201d \u2013 not in righteousness.\u00a0 As Ibn Ezra comments, \u201cThey utter with their lips that they are God\u2019s people, but do not think so in their hearts nor show it in their deeds.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n

In the end it wasn\u2019t their hesitation that made them unworthy of returning to their homeland with Cyrus\u2019 invitation, it was their integral unreadiness. When God saw that the time was right, He made it happen.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Image: by Ben Schachter \"Stockholm Syndrome\"<\/span><\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":67821,"alt":"","title":"Is48-MMorris(StockholmSyndrome)Schachter","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Is48-MMorrisStockholmSyndromeSchachter.jpg","width":2239,"height":1274,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Is48-MMorrisStockholmSyndromeSchachter-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Is48-MMorrisStockholmSyndromeSchachter-300x171.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":171,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Is48-MMorrisStockholmSyndromeSchachter-768x437.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":437,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Is48-MMorrisStockholmSyndromeSchachter-1024x583.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":583,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Is48-MMorrisStockholmSyndromeSchachter.jpg","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":874,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Is48-MMorrisStockholmSyndromeSchachter.jpg","2048x2048-width":2048,"2048x2048-height":1165,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Is48-MMorrisStockholmSyndromeSchachter-1200x683.jpg","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":683,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Is48-MMorrisStockholmSyndromeSchachter-738x420.jpg","home_baner-width":738,"home_baner-height":420}},"post_main_content_embedded_video":"","post_main_content_video_duration":"","post_main_content_show_fb_comments":"1","post_main_content_credit_media":"","tile_top_caption":"","tile_main_caption":"Why Don\u2019t The Jews Return Right Away?","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"Was it PTSD, Stockholm syndrome - 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Artson is married to Elana Shavit Artson, and they are the parents of twins, Shira and Jacob.\r\n","credit":"","image_url":"","hide_writer":false,"short_description":"Rabbi Dr Bradley Shavit Artson is the Dean of the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies and is Vice President of American Jewish University in Los Angeles.","link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":33993,"alt":"","title":"Rabbi Dr Bradley Shavit Artson","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/png","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Rabbi-Dr-Bradley-Shavit-Artson-e1532029361140.png","width":204,"height":199,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Rabbi-Dr-Bradley-Shavit-Artson-e1532029361140-150x150.png","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Rabbi-Dr-Bradley-Shavit-Artson-256x300.png","medium-width":256,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Rabbi-Dr-Bradley-Shavit-Artson-e1532029361140.png","medium_large-width":204,"medium_large-height":199,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Rabbi-Dr-Bradley-Shavit-Artson-e1532029361140.png","large-width":204,"large-height":199,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Rabbi-Dr-Bradley-Shavit-Artson-e1532029361140.png","1536x1536-width":204,"1536x1536-height":199,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Rabbi-Dr-Bradley-Shavit-Artson-e1532029361140.png","2048x2048-width":204,"2048x2048-height":199,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Rabbi-Dr-Bradley-Shavit-Artson-e1532029361140.png","post_full_size-width":204,"post_full_size-height":199,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Rabbi-Dr-Bradley-Shavit-Artson-e1532029361140.png","home_baner-width":204,"home_baner-height":199}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"382","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"How to honor the prophetic example, and support our own critics today?\u00a0","post_main_content_content":"

One of the traits that makes the Prophets of Israel unique in the annals of human culture is that they regularly offered stinging criticisms of their own people. Addressing themselves to monarchs, priests, the wealthy and the powerful, they hurled insult and venom at those who oppressed the people, violated the rights of the poor and marginalized. Indeed, they were extraordinary in chastising those whose false theology posited that God would shield them even when they betrayed the moral bedrock on which the Covenant was founded.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

We admire them for those very traits: their uncompromising commitment to moral rigor, their objective application of assessments of right and wrong, even when it meant condemning the behavior of their own people, their own religion, their own rulers.\u00a0 Isaiah doesn\u2019t mince words when he says, <\/span><\/p>\r\n

I know that you are difficult and that your neck is an iron sinew and your forehead is brazen \u2026 For I knew that you would deal very treacherously, and you have been called a rebel from your birth.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Contemporary Jews and Christians hold these Prophets of Israel up as exemplary figures of what real religion means: righteousness applied impartially, justice as the North Star, compassion and mercy as the roadmap.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Or, at least, we hold up these values once their advocates are safely dead. Once their message is relegated to the past.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

But do we honor those who critique our own group today? Do we praise those who are critical of some of our nation\u2019s most oppressive policies, those who protest against abuses aimed at those under our military authority? What about groups that witness against our own acts of coercion or who seek to apply one standard law both to the rich and to the poor, to hold accountable those in high office no less than those who are destitute and despised?<\/span><\/p>\r\n

It turns out that we only like prophets when their message is dusty and safe to read without pricking our own conscience.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Isaiah\u2019s God has something to say about that too: \u201c\u2019There is no peace for the wicked,\u2019 says the 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the price of a smile, you can light up someone\u2019s life","post_main_content_content":"

Now, in the darkest time of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, we could all use a little more light. We need physical light, such as the glow of the Chanukah candles that illuminate the windows of Jewish homes during a dark winter, or the warmth of the sun peeping through the clouds. As we read newspapers full of reports of destruction, violence and political upheaval, we also might be feeling for more metaphorical light and levity.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

This chapter of Isaiah, a soaring prophecy about the restoration of Israel following the destruction of the Temple, contains one of the most famous light metaphors in the Bible. In verse six, God promises to make the tribes of Israel \u201ca light onto the nations.\u201d The metaphor occurs three times in Isaiah, and has become a catchphrase for Jewish communities, for the State of Israel, and for groups who want to add a spiritual element to their work in the field of justice.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

What does it mean to be a light? The verse doesn\u2019t illuminate how we are supposed to fulfill the prophecy, though later commentators have tried to justify or encourage many different behaviors and actions. One modern day campaign, aptly called the \u201cBe the Light\u201d campaign, suggests that each of us should take the prophecy personally, and attempt to bring light to someone\u2019s life. As they say, \u201cWe are a movement of volunteers creating events and random acts of kindness to spread hope, love & compassion. We believe that mental health is just as important as physical health and that a life without hope is not really living.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Can you imagine a world of people dedicated to random acts of kindness that spread hope, compassion and love? It doesn\u2019t need to cost anything; for the price of a smile, you can light up someone\u2019s life.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Perhaps then, when each of us has taken it upon ourselves to bring more good into the world, will Isaiah\u2019s prophecy be fulfilled. Though it may be dark outside, as Dumbledore said in the movie version of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, \u201cHappiness may be found in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light. \"<\/span><\/p>\r\n

For more information about the \"Be the Light\" campaign, which is currently trending in Jewish communities across the country: <\/span>https:\/\/www.bethelightcampaign.org\/<\/span><\/a><\/p>\r\n

Image: by Ben 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","credit":"","image_url":"","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":64463,"alt":"","title":"analia bortz","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/analia-bortz.jpg","width":225,"height":225,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/analia-bortz-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/analia-bortz.jpg","medium-width":225,"medium-height":225,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/analia-bortz.jpg","medium_large-width":225,"medium_large-height":225,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/analia-bortz.jpg","large-width":225,"large-height":225,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/analia-bortz.jpg","1536x1536-width":225,"1536x1536-height":225,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/analia-bortz.jpg","2048x2048-width":225,"2048x2048-height":225,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/analia-bortz.jpg","post_full_size-width":225,"post_full_size-height":225,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/analia-bortz.jpg","home_baner-width":225,"home_baner-height":225}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"383","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"When Ben Sira met Isaiah in Jerusalem\u00a0","post_main_content_content":"

My name is Shim\u2019on ben Yeshua ben El\u2019azar ben Sira, you might have heard of me. In the year 180 BCE I authored a book, I called it (surprisingly) Ben Sira. I wrote my book in Hebrew but the book became a bestseller and was translated into Greek by my grandson who lived in Alexandria, Egypt, he called it Sirach; later translated into Latin, and it was called Ecclesiasticus.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

My book is a collection of proverbs filled with wisdom, teachings embellished with poetry and insightful reflections that fed the judgements of Rabbinic literacy. I was happy to finish the book just in time for it to be selected into the canon of the Bible. With extreme disappointment I must tell my audience, I did not make it. Instead, I was included in the\u00a0 Apocrypha. Others took me into their core body of literature but my people rejected me from the Tanach. I have been wondering for over two thousand years why that happened, so I decided to ask one of my mentors, a well-respected prophet, Isaiah. I founded him strolling the streets of Jerusalem. Isaiah was surprised to see me.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

He was ecstatic to know that some of my parchments were deciphered by Solomon Schechter in the Genizah of Cairo and others in Qumran and Massada.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Isaiah also wondered what had happened to my book, as it could have been the perfect sequel of the book of Proverbs. The prophet then opened chapter 49 of his own book and showed me where he spoke to the people about God, giving them hope after the destruction of their beloved city. The prophet spoke of God\u2019s concrete actions, not just comforting words <\/span>\u201c<\/span><\/i>They shall not hunger or thirst, hot wind and sun shall not strike them. For God who loves them will lead them. God will guide them to springs of water<\/span>\u201d<\/span><\/i> (Isa.49:10)\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

I, Ben Sira, thought about this teaching and realized that Isaiah was the kind of prophet that gave solutions to despair, which is a good tactic. I thanked Isaiah for his inspiring words and happily returned to my book, which in the end became a great source of inspiration for medieval <\/span>piyutim<\/span><\/em>. <\/span><\/i>\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Image: Print introducing Sirach from 17th century Claes Janszoon Visscher Dutch Polyglot Bible<\/span><\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":67846,"alt":"","title":"is49-ben sira","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/is49-ben-sira.jpg","width":600,"height":934,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/is49-ben-sira-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/is49-ben-sira-193x300.jpg","medium-width":193,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/is49-ben-sira.jpg","medium_large-width":600,"medium_large-height":934,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/is49-ben-sira.jpg","large-width":600,"large-height":934,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/is49-ben-sira.jpg","1536x1536-width":600,"1536x1536-height":934,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/is49-ben-sira.jpg","2048x2048-width":600,"2048x2048-height":934,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/is49-ben-sira.jpg","post_full_size-width":600,"post_full_size-height":934,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/is49-ben-sira-270x420.jpg","home_baner-width":270,"home_baner-height":420}},"post_main_content_embedded_video":"","post_main_content_video_duration":"","post_main_content_show_fb_comments":"1","post_main_content_credit_media":"","tile_top_caption":"","tile_main_caption":"Apocryphal Wisdom","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"When Ben Sira met Isaiah in Jerusalem\u00a0","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":67846,"alt":"","title":"is49-ben sira","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/is49-ben-sira.jpg","width":600,"height":934,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/is49-ben-sira-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/is49-ben-sira-193x300.jpg","medium-width":193,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/is49-ben-sira.jpg","medium_large-width":600,"medium_large-height":934,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/is49-ben-sira.jpg","large-width":600,"large-height":934,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/is49-ben-sira.jpg","1536x1536-width":600,"1536x1536-height":934,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/is49-ben-sira.jpg","2048x2048-width":600,"2048x2048-height":934,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/is49-ben-sira.jpg","post_full_size-width":600,"post_full_size-height":934,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/is49-ben-sira-270x420.jpg","home_baner-width":270,"home_baner-height":420}},"tile_preview_video":"","tile_external_link":"","tile_tile_gallery_items":"","tile_credits":"","alternate_tile_top_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption_size":"1","alternate_tile_sub_caption":"","alternate_tile_hide_media":"0","tile_group_preview_image_url":"","tile_group_main_caption":"","tile_group_sub_caption":"","tile_group_popup_package_extra_content":"","tile_group_read_time":"","home_color":"","home_gallery_top":"","home_gallery_middle":"","home_gallery_book":"","home_gallery_bottom":"","seo_seo_title":"","seo_seo_description":"","seo_seo_default_title":"","seo_seo_default_description":"","links":false,"tile_link_for_pay":"0","send_noty":false,"chapter_info":{"books_group":"Prophets","book":"Isaiah","chapter":"49","chapter_main_number":"383","date":"20270216","wall_id":"383"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":[{"term_id":"363","name":"Midrash","old_id":"763"},{"term_id":"899","name":"Proverb","old_id":"1299"},{"term_id":"940","name":"Isaiah","old_id":"1340"}]},{"order":15,"id":"67944","color":"#f7e9e9","size":"1","name":"Light From Darkness ","post_title":"Light From Darkness","slug":"light-from-darkness","old_id":"67944","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":49926,"post_title":"Binyamin Cohen","slug":"binyamin-cohen","old_id":"49926","first_name":"Binyamin ","last_name":"Cohen ","description":"Binyamin Cohen is a Jewish Studies teacher at Rochelle Zell Jewish High School in Deerfield, IL. He completed his Master\u2019s in Jewish Education through Pardes Day School Educators Program in conjunction with Hebrew College. He is originally from Winnipeg, Manitoba, and currently lives in Chicago.","short_description":"Binyamin Cohen is a Jewish Studies teacher at Rochelle Zell Jewish High School in Deerfield, IL. ","credit":"","image_url":"","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":49927,"alt":"","title":"binyamin cohen","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/binyamin-cohen.jpg","width":800,"height":1000,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/binyamin-cohen-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/binyamin-cohen-240x300.jpg","medium-width":240,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/binyamin-cohen-768x960.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":960,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/binyamin-cohen.jpg","large-width":800,"large-height":1000,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/binyamin-cohen.jpg","1536x1536-width":800,"1536x1536-height":1000,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/binyamin-cohen.jpg","2048x2048-width":800,"2048x2048-height":1000,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/binyamin-cohen.jpg","post_full_size-width":800,"post_full_size-height":1000,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/binyamin-cohen-336x420.jpg","home_baner-width":336,"home_baner-height":420}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"384","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"Humanity\u2019s own fires are but a pale flicker in comparison","post_main_content_content":"

This chapter has two distinct parts: a short, violent message from God; and the prophet describing some of the struggles of his mission. The first part, the message from God, is angry, turbulent, and graphic. God expresses feelings of abandonment and rejection by Israel (v.1-2). It closes with images of God\u2019s destructive power, God\u2019s ability to turn the order of nature upside-down (v.2-3).<\/span><\/p>\r\n

In the second part, the prophet paints a picture of his struggle to carry out God\u2019s mission. The prophet tells us that God gave him the necessary skills and abilities to complete his task, specifically \u201ca skilled tongue\u201d (v.4), and the ability to hear. Nevertheless, he is abused by his peers, physically assaulted and downgraded. But his faith that God will help him (v.7, 9), will sustain him. He knows that his prophecies will be proven true, that those who deride him will be punished.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

The prophet concludes with a message to the people that employs an interesting metaphor. He exhorts those who \u201cwalk in darkness\u201d (v.10) to have faith in God, to \u201ctrust in the name of the LORD And rely upon his God\u201d (v.10). in contrast, he describes the nonbelievers as \u201ckindlers of fire\u201d (v.11), who walk by their own light, and whose destiny is pain. The prophet is saying that God and faith are a light in the darkness, but when humans create their own light, trust only in that, and ignore the light that God provides them, they ultimately fail.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

The two parts of this chapter seem somewhat disconnected, but the bridge can be found in this metaphor of light. The first part tells us that God can turn the order of nature on its head. In many ways, light is just such a phenomenon. Most of the universe is darkness. The tiny points of light that seem to fill the heavens really only occupy a tiny fraction of space. Light is the aberration; darkness is the norm. But, says the prophet, God is that light, God fills the darkness for us, if we only put our faith in the right place. The prophet knows this: the light fills him and gives him the skilled tongue. The light shines on\/in him, his ears are opened (v.5) and he can <\/span>hear<\/span><\/i> it.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

The prophet concludes by telling us that humanity\u2019s own fires are a pale flicker compared to the light God provides. But we seem them so brightly, because they are so close and easy to see, that they often lead us astray. We forget that \u201cthis has come to you from My hand\u201d (v.11). It is when we remember that everything in our universe is a blessing from God that we can truly see the light.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":61080,"alt":"","title":"2sam22-divine light","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/2sam22-divine-light.jpg","width":1920,"height":1086,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/2sam22-divine-light-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/2sam22-divine-light-300x170.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":170,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/2sam22-divine-light-768x434.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":434,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/2sam22-divine-light-1024x579.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":579,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/2sam22-divine-light.jpg","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":869,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/2sam22-divine-light.jpg","2048x2048-width":1920,"2048x2048-height":1086,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/2sam22-divine-light-1200x679.jpg","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":679,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/2sam22-divine-light-743x420.jpg","home_baner-width":743,"home_baner-height":420}},"post_main_content_embedded_video":"","post_main_content_video_duration":"","post_main_content_show_fb_comments":"1","post_main_content_credit_media":"","tile_top_caption":"","tile_main_caption":"Light From Darkness","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"Humanity\u2019s own fires are but a pale flicker in comparison","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":61080,"alt":"","title":"2sam22-divine light","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/2sam22-divine-light.jpg","width":1920,"height":1086,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/2sam22-divine-light-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/2sam22-divine-light-300x170.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":170,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/2sam22-divine-light-768x434.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":434,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/2sam22-divine-light-1024x579.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":579,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/2sam22-divine-light.jpg","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":869,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/2sam22-divine-light.jpg","2048x2048-width":1920,"2048x2048-height":1086,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/2sam22-divine-light-1200x679.jpg","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":679,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/2sam22-divine-light-743x420.jpg","home_baner-width":743,"home_baner-height":420}},"tile_preview_video":"","tile_external_link":"","tile_tile_gallery_items":"","tile_credits":"","alternate_tile_top_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption_size":"1","alternate_tile_sub_caption":"","alternate_tile_hide_media":"0","tile_group_preview_image_url":"","tile_group_main_caption":"","tile_group_sub_caption":"","tile_group_popup_package_extra_content":"","tile_group_read_time":"","home_color":"","home_gallery_top":"","home_gallery_middle":"","home_gallery_book":"","home_gallery_bottom":"","seo_seo_title":"","seo_seo_description":"","seo_seo_default_title":"","seo_seo_default_description":"","links":false,"tile_link_for_pay":"0","send_noty":false,"chapter_info":{"books_group":"Prophets","book":"Isaiah","chapter":"50","chapter_main_number":"384","date":"20270217","wall_id":"384"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":[{"term_id":"384","name":"God","old_id":"784"},{"term_id":"629","name":"Light","old_id":"1029"},{"term_id":"854","name":"Metaphor","old_id":"1254"}]},{"order":16,"id":"67907","color":"#f7f7f5","size":"1","name":"Study In The Synagogue ","post_title":"Study In The Synagogue","slug":"study-in-the-synagogue","old_id":"67907","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":33877,"post_title":"Marc Bregman","slug":"marc-bregman","old_id":"33877","first_name":"Marc","last_name":"Bregman","description":"Marc Bregman received his Ph.D. from The Hebrew University in Jerusalem in 1991. He taught at the Hebrew Union College (Jerusalem), The Hebrew University in Jerusalem, the Schechter Institute for Judaic Studies in Jerusalem, and at the Ben-Gurion University in Beer Sheba, Israel. During 1993 he was Visiting Associate Professor at Yale University, and during 1996 he was the Stroum Professor of Jewish Studies and Visiting Research Fellow at the University of Washington in Seattle. During 2005, Bregman served as the Harry Starr Fellow in Judaica at Harvard University and was awarded a Teaching Fellowship at the Center for Advanced Judaic Studies at the University of Pennsylvania. He also has served as Forchheimer Visiting Professor in the Faculty of Humanities at The Hebrew University in Jerusalem. He is the author of The Tanhuma-Yelammedenu Literature: Studies in the Evolution of the Versions (Gorgias Press, 2003). In 2006, Bregman was appointed the Herman and Zelda Bernard Distinguished Professor of Jewish Studies at the University of North Carolina in Greensboro, where he also headed the program in Jewish Studies, until 2013. Bregman retired from UNCG as of July 31, 2017. He has now returned to Jerusalem where he is continuing his research and teaching activities.","credit":"","image_url":"","short_description":"Marc Bregman is the Herman and Zelda Bernard Distinguished Professor of Jewish Studies emeritus, at the University of North Carolina in Greensboro.","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":33878,"alt":"Marc Bregman","title":"Marc Bregman","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Marc-Bregman.jpg","width":361,"height":488,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Marc-Bregman-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Marc-Bregman-222x300.jpg","medium-width":222,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Marc-Bregman.jpg","medium_large-width":361,"medium_large-height":488,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Marc-Bregman.jpg","large-width":361,"large-height":488,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Marc-Bregman.jpg","1536x1536-width":361,"1536x1536-height":488,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Marc-Bregman.jpg","2048x2048-width":361,"2048x2048-height":488,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Marc-Bregman.jpg","post_full_size-width":361,"post_full_size-height":488,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Marc-Bregman-311x420.jpg","home_baner-width":311,"home_baner-height":420}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"384","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"Tongue of teaching, and ears for learning","post_main_content_content":"

In our chapter, Isaiah says: \u201cThe Lord God gave me a tongue of teaching (lashon limudim<\/em>)\u2026The Lord God opened my ears\u201d (50:4-5). The prophet here seems to suggest that the prophetic \u201ctongue of teaching\u201d requires also open ears for learning.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Seder Eliyyahu Rabbah 18 cites these verses to urge the study of Torah in the synagogue: Everyone who sits and occupies himself privately with the mystical mysteries of God, should at least on occasion put aside his individual study and go to the synagogue or the house of study \u2013 indeed, to any place where new insights into Torah are discovered together with others. Because whenever one goes to the synagogue or to the house of study, invariably joy is renewed for him. This is the meaning of the tradition proclaimed by the prophet Isaiah ben Amotz: \u201cThe Lord God gave me a tongue of teaching, to know how to speak timely words to the weary. Each morning\u2026He rouses my ear to hear like those who learn\u201d (50:4) -- these words the Prophet Isaiah spoke referring to one\u2019s going to the House of Study. And about the House of Study and the insights into Torah that one may gain there, Scripture goes on to say: \u201cThey are renewed every morning\u2026\u201d (Lamentations 3:23).<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Seder Eliyyahu Zuta 14 interprets the two parts of the verse \u201cThe Lord God gave me a tongue of teaching\u2026The Lord God opened my ears\u201d to refer first to the exertion and then to the reward for the Study of Torah. There are those who consume themselves with the voracious reading of Scripture and reciting of Mishnah. To such an extent that they may seem like those of whom it is said: \u201cFor guzzlers and gluttons will be wearied. And drowsing will leave you in tatters\u201d (Proverbs 23:21). For this reason, it says: \u201cDo not love sleep\u2026Rather, keep your eyes open and you will have plenty of bread\u201d (Proverbs 20:13). \u201cBread\u201d here means Torah, which proclaims: \u201cCome, eat my bread\u2026 and walk in the way of understanding\u201d (Proverbs 9:5-6).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

And of the teaching and study of the Torah, Isaiah says: \u201cThe Lord God gave me a tongue of teaching, to know how to speak timely words to the weary. Every morning\u2026He rouses my ear to listen like those who learn\u201d (50:4). This suggests that the words of Torah are taken to heart (nivla\u2019im be-lev ha-adam<\/em>) only by those who consume themselves in studying Torah. So, the Holy Spirit announces to the sages: Though I have given you the great good of My Torah in this world, in the world to come I will double your reward. Indeed, it is Isaiah who prophecies: \u201cyou will receive a double portion\u2026and everlasting joy will be yours\u201d (61:7)! Behold, we have learned that we will receive a double portion of Torah with the coming of the Messiah.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Image: Rabbi Joseph Soloveitchik teaching Torah at Stern College<\/span><\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":67908,"alt":"","title":"is50-torah study","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/is50-torah-study.jpg","width":320,"height":234,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/is50-torah-study-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/is50-torah-study-300x219.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":219,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/is50-torah-study.jpg","medium_large-width":320,"medium_large-height":234,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/is50-torah-study.jpg","large-width":320,"large-height":234,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/is50-torah-study.jpg","1536x1536-width":320,"1536x1536-height":234,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/is50-torah-study.jpg","2048x2048-width":320,"2048x2048-height":234,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/is50-torah-study.jpg","post_full_size-width":320,"post_full_size-height":234,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/is50-torah-study.jpg","home_baner-width":320,"home_baner-height":234}},"post_main_content_embedded_video":"","post_main_content_video_duration":"","post_main_content_show_fb_comments":"1","post_main_content_credit_media":"","tile_top_caption":"","tile_main_caption":"Study In The Synagogue","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"Tongue of teaching, and ears for learning","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":67908,"alt":"","title":"is50-torah study","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/is50-torah-study.jpg","width":320,"height":234,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/is50-torah-study-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/is50-torah-study-300x219.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":219,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/is50-torah-study.jpg","medium_large-width":320,"medium_large-height":234,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/is50-torah-study.jpg","large-width":320,"large-height":234,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/is50-torah-study.jpg","1536x1536-width":320,"1536x1536-height":234,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/is50-torah-study.jpg","2048x2048-width":320,"2048x2048-height":234,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/is50-torah-study.jpg","post_full_size-width":320,"post_full_size-height":234,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/is50-torah-study.jpg","home_baner-width":320,"home_baner-height":234}},"tile_preview_video":"","tile_external_link":"","tile_tile_gallery_items":"","tile_credits":"","alternate_tile_top_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption_size":"1","alternate_tile_sub_caption":"","alternate_tile_hide_media":"0","tile_group_preview_image_url":"","tile_group_main_caption":"","tile_group_sub_caption":"","tile_group_popup_package_extra_content":"","tile_group_read_time":"","home_color":"","home_gallery_top":"","home_gallery_middle":"","home_gallery_book":"","home_gallery_bottom":"","seo_seo_title":"","seo_seo_description":"","seo_seo_default_title":"","seo_seo_default_description":"","links":false,"tile_link_for_pay":"0","send_noty":false,"chapter_info":{"books_group":"Prophets","book":"Isaiah","chapter":"50","chapter_main_number":"384","date":"20270217","wall_id":"384"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":[{"term_id":"410","name":"Torah","old_id":"810"},{"term_id":"730","name":"Learning","old_id":"1130"},{"term_id":"775","name":"Study","old_id":"1175"}]},{"order":17,"id":"68039","color":"#effaea","size":"1","name":"In Our Past Lies Our Future ","post_title":"In Our Past Lies Our Future","slug":"in-our-past-lies-our-future","old_id":"68039","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":36147,"post_title":"Aaron Koller","slug":"aaron-koller","old_id":"36147","first_name":"Aaron","last_name":"Koller","description":"Aaron Koller is professor of Near Eastern studies at Yeshiva University, where he is chair of the Beren Department of Jewish Studies. His last book was Esther in Ancient Jewish Thought (Cambridge University Press), and his next is Unbinding Isaac: The Akedah in Jewish Thought (forthcoming from JPS\/University of Nebraska Press in 2020); he is also the author of numerous studies in Semitic philology. Aaron has served as a visiting professor at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem and held research fellowships at the Albright Institute for Archaeological Research and the Hartman Institute. He lives in Queens, NY with his wife, Shira Hecht-Koller, and their children.","short_description":"Aaron Koller is professor of Near Eastern studies at Yeshiva University, and chair of the Department of Jewish Studies there.","credit":"","image_url":"","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":36148,"alt":"","title":"AJ Koller headshot","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/AJ-Koller-headshot.jpg","width":5184,"height":3456,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/AJ-Koller-headshot-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/AJ-Koller-headshot-300x200.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":200,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/AJ-Koller-headshot-768x512.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":512,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/AJ-Koller-headshot-1024x683.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":683,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/AJ-Koller-headshot.jpg","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":1024,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/AJ-Koller-headshot.jpg","2048x2048-width":2048,"2048x2048-height":1365,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/AJ-Koller-headshot-1200x800.jpg","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":800,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/AJ-Koller-headshot-630x420.jpg","home_baner-width":630,"home_baner-height":420}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"385","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"Mythology, history, and future redemption","post_main_content_content":"

In just three verses in our chapter, the prophet weaves together three times: the \u201cdays of old,\u201d when God had to fight to keep the world safe; the ancient times when Israel was liberated by God from Egypt; and the future, when even greater divine acts are in store. Amazingly, this is done seamlessly, as one flows naturally into the other:<\/span><\/p>\r\n

O arm of the Lord! Awake as in days of old, As in former ages! It was you that hacked Rahab in pieces, who pierced the Dragon.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

We readers may plausibly give a start here. Rahab? Dragon? These sound like creatures from some other religious tradition, not Tanakh. But in fact, not only is Rahab mentioned elsewhere in the Bible (Psalms 89:11), the Rabbinic tradition has it that Rahab is the \u201cprince of the sea\u201d (Talmud Bava Batra 74b).<\/span><\/p>\r\n

But the prophet is not interested only in those days long gone. \u201cPiercing the dragon\u201d was an act of creation, but also a foreshadowing of a later, better-known act:<\/span><\/p>\r\n

It was you that dried up the Sea, the waters of the great deep; who made the depth of the Sea a road the redeemed might walk.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

The \u201cSea\u201d may sound at first like a reference to the primordial Sea, the legendary Rahab who needed to be split to create the world, but the second half of this verse clearly has something more concrete in mind: the Sea of Reeds, split so the \u201credeemed ones\u201d \u2013 Israel following the Exodus \u2013 could walk through.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

And this, in turn, lays the groundwork for the next stage:<\/span><\/p>\r\n

So let the redeemed ones of the Lord return, let them come to Zion with shouts. Crowned with joy everlasting, let them attain joy and gladness, while sorrow and sighing flee.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

The Exodus is here, as elsewhere, the precedent for what is yet to come. The future redemption, says the prophet, will be built on mythology and history, and usher in a brand new era.<\/span><\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":68040,"alt":"","title":"is51-wave","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/is51-wave.jpg","width":1920,"height":947,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/is51-wave-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/is51-wave-300x148.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":148,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/is51-wave-768x379.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":379,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/is51-wave-1024x505.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":505,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/is51-wave.jpg","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":758,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/is51-wave.jpg","2048x2048-width":1920,"2048x2048-height":947,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/is51-wave-1200x592.jpg","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":592,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/is51-wave-852x420.jpg","home_baner-width":852,"home_baner-height":420}},"post_main_content_embedded_video":"","post_main_content_video_duration":"","post_main_content_show_fb_comments":"1","post_main_content_credit_media":"","tile_top_caption":"","tile_main_caption":"In Our Past Lies Our Future","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"Mythology, history, and future redemption","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":68040,"alt":"","title":"is51-wave","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/is51-wave.jpg","width":1920,"height":947,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/is51-wave-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/is51-wave-300x148.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":148,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/is51-wave-768x379.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":379,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/is51-wave-1024x505.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":505,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/is51-wave.jpg","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":758,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/is51-wave.jpg","2048x2048-width":1920,"2048x2048-height":947,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/is51-wave-1200x592.jpg","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":592,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/is51-wave-852x420.jpg","home_baner-width":852,"home_baner-height":420}},"tile_preview_video":"","tile_external_link":"","tile_tile_gallery_items":"","tile_credits":"","alternate_tile_top_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption_size":"1","alternate_tile_sub_caption":"","alternate_tile_hide_media":"0","tile_group_preview_image_url":"","tile_group_main_caption":"","tile_group_sub_caption":"","tile_group_popup_package_extra_content":"","tile_group_read_time":"","home_color":"","home_gallery_top":"","home_gallery_middle":"","home_gallery_book":"","home_gallery_bottom":"","seo_seo_title":"","seo_seo_description":"","seo_seo_default_title":"","seo_seo_default_description":"","links":false,"tile_link_for_pay":"0","send_noty":false,"chapter_info":{"books_group":"Prophets","book":"Isaiah","chapter":"51","chapter_main_number":"385","date":"20270218","wall_id":"385"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":[{"term_id":"403","name":"Redemption","old_id":"803"},{"term_id":"404","name":"Myth","old_id":"804"},{"term_id":"601","name":"Exodus","old_id":"1001"}]},{"order":18,"id":"68049","color":"#eceffa","size":"1","name":"Want Some Tips On Connecting With God? ","post_title":"Want Some Tips On Connecting With God?","slug":"want-some-tips-on-connecting-with-god","old_id":"68049","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":34250,"post_title":"Sarah Rudolph","slug":"sarah-rudolph","old_id":"34250","first_name":"Sarah ","last_name":"Rudolph","description":"Sarah Rudolph is a freelance Jewish educator, writer, and editor. She has been sharing her passion for Jewish texts of all kinds for over 15 years, with students of all ages. Sarah\u2019s essays have been published in a variety of internet and print media, including Times of Israel, Kveller, Jewish Action, OU Life, The Lehrhaus, TorahMusings, and more. Sarah lives in Cleveland with her husband and four children, but is privileged to learn online with students all over the world through www.TorahTutors.org and www.WebYeshiva.org. \r\n\r\n","short_description":"Sarah Rudolph is a freelance Jewish educator, writer, and editor.","credit":"","image_url":"","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":34251,"alt":"","title":"Sarah R","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Sarah-R.jpg","width":2824,"height":4246,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Sarah-R-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Sarah-R-200x300.jpg","medium-width":200,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Sarah-R-681x1024.jpg","medium_large-width":681,"medium_large-height":1024,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Sarah-R-681x1024.jpg","large-width":681,"large-height":1024,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Sarah-R.jpg","1536x1536-width":1022,"1536x1536-height":1536,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Sarah-R.jpg","2048x2048-width":1362,"2048x2048-height":2048,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Sarah-R-798x1200.jpg","post_full_size-width":798,"post_full_size-height":1200,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Sarah-R-279x420.jpg","home_baner-width":279,"home_baner-height":420}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"385","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"Go! And don\u2019t be afraid of being \u201cother\u201d\u00a0\r\n","post_main_content_content":"

Listen to Me, you who pursue justice, you who seek the LORD: Look to the rock you were hewn from, to the quarry you were dug from. Look back to Abraham your father and to Sarah who brought you forth. For he was only one when I called him, but I blessed him and made him many (Isaiah 51:1-2).<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Though the preceding prophecy addressed those who are uninterested, here we find that some people are searching for good \u2013 for tzedek<\/em> (justice, or righteousness; an idealized state of interpersonal relationships) and for God (presumably, to strive for an idealized state of spiritual relationship) \u2013 and the prophet tells them where to look.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Look to your origins, \u201cto Abraham your father, and to Sarah who brought you forth.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n

What is it about Abraham and Sarah that can guide their descendants\u2019 quest towards those elusive targets, human righteousness and the divine?<\/span><\/p>\r\n

On one level, they can serve as role models.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

\u201cWant to know how to be righteous?\u201d asks the prophet. \u201cWant some tips on connecting with God? Follow the examples of Abraham and Sarah.\u201d After all, God Himself attests that transmitting the ways of God and tzedek to his children is a defining characteristic of Abraham\u2019s, apparently central to his chosenness: \u201cFor I know him, that he will instruct his children and his house to keep the way of the Lord, to do what is just (tzedakah<\/em>) and right\u201d (Genesis 18:19).<\/span><\/p>\r\n

But there is more. As Isaiah continues in the second half of 51:2, he alludes to the first step in Abraham\u2019s own quest: \u201cfor I called him as one.\u201d God singled Abraham out and called upon him to single himself out, leaving his family and all he\u2019d known to travel to Canaan and become ha\u2019Ivri, the Other.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

The first step in any pursuit, when seeking any object, is to go \u2013 like Abraham and Sarah did.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Even alone, to go. To take that step towards the values one knows to be true and right, though no one else sees it.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Beyond holding up Abraham and Sarah as models of righteous commitment to others and to God, the prophet offers another tip here as well: Look to them as models of maintaining commitment against all odds, a tiny minority outnumbered by a vast majority with completely different ideas.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

If you feel overwhelmed, look to your source, says the prophet. Don\u2019t be afraid of being \u201cother.\u201d See what your ancestors stood for, and how they stood for it. You were hewn from that rock \u2013 a chip off the old block \u2013 and their example tells you it\u2019s possible. Their example says you can do it too.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

And the prophet\u2019s words offer reassurance to his tiny audience that they, too, may yet find blessing through their quest. \u201cAnd I blessed him and made him many.\u201d <\/span><\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":68052,"alt":"","title":"is51-other","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/is51-other.jpg","width":1920,"height":1361,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/is51-other-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/is51-other-300x213.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":213,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/is51-other-768x544.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":544,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/is51-other-1024x726.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":726,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/is51-other.jpg","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":1089,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/is51-other.jpg","2048x2048-width":1920,"2048x2048-height":1361,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/is51-other-1200x851.jpg","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":851,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/is51-other-593x420.jpg","home_baner-width":593,"home_baner-height":420}},"post_main_content_embedded_video":"","post_main_content_video_duration":"","post_main_content_show_fb_comments":"1","post_main_content_credit_media":"","tile_top_caption":"","tile_main_caption":"Want Some Tips On Connecting With God? ","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"Go! And don\u2019t be afraid of being \u201cother\u201d\u00a0","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":68052,"alt":"","title":"is51-other","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/is51-other.jpg","width":1920,"height":1361,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/is51-other-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/is51-other-300x213.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":213,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/is51-other-768x544.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":544,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/is51-other-1024x726.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":726,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/is51-other.jpg","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":1089,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/is51-other.jpg","2048x2048-width":1920,"2048x2048-height":1361,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/is51-other-1200x851.jpg","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":851,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/is51-other-593x420.jpg","home_baner-width":593,"home_baner-height":420}},"tile_preview_video":"","tile_external_link":"","tile_tile_gallery_items":"","tile_credits":"","alternate_tile_top_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption_size":"1","alternate_tile_sub_caption":"","alternate_tile_hide_media":"0","tile_group_preview_image_url":"","tile_group_main_caption":"","tile_group_sub_caption":"","tile_group_popup_package_extra_content":"","tile_group_read_time":"","home_color":"","home_gallery_top":"","home_gallery_middle":"","home_gallery_book":"","home_gallery_bottom":"","seo_seo_title":"","seo_seo_description":"","seo_seo_default_title":"","seo_seo_default_description":"","links":false,"tile_link_for_pay":"0","send_noty":false,"chapter_info":{"books_group":"Prophets","book":"Isaiah","chapter":"51","chapter_main_number":"385","date":"20270218","wall_id":"385"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":[{"term_id":"418","name":"Abraham","old_id":"818"},{"term_id":"427","name":"Sarah","old_id":"827"},{"term_id":"433","name":"Other","old_id":"833"},{"term_id":"573","name":"Righteousness","old_id":"973"}]}],"hide_acf":true,"home_image":false,"home_posts":false,"home_posts_title":"","posts_home":[],"static_cube_title":"","static_cube_brief":"","static_cube_color":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/wall\/67759"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/wall"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/wall"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=67759"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}