{"id":73375,"date":"2018-07-09T17:47:29","date_gmt":"2018-07-09T14:47:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wall\/wall-1093\/"},"modified":"2023-11-17T15:09:39","modified_gmt":"2023-11-17T13:09:39","slug":"wall-1093","status":"publish","type":"wall","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wall\/wall-1093\/","title":{"rendered":"weekend-from-20231112-to-20231118"},"parent":0,"template":"","acf":{"type":"weekend","wall_id":"1093","date_from":"20231112","date_to":"20231118","book":"Ezekiel","books_group":"Prophets","posts":[{"order":1,"id":"102804","color":"#effaea","size":"1","name":"Trading Food For Love? ","post_title":"Trading Food For Love?","slug":"trading-food-for-love","old_id":"102804","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":41916,"post_title":"Sandra E. Rapoport","slug":"sandra-e-rapoport","old_id":"41916","first_name":"Sandra E. ","last_name":"Rapoport ","description":"Sandra E. Rapoport is an attorney, Bible teacher, and award-winning author whose books give voice to the women of the Bible. Her third book, Biblical Seductions, was a National Jewish Book Awards Finalist and a Boston Globe Top-Ten Bestseller. Her fourth and most recent book, The Queen & The Spymaster, is a novel based on the story of Esther.","short_description":"Sandra E. Rapoport is an attorney, Bible teacher, and award-winning author of four books on Bible and Midrash.\r\n\r\n","credit":"","image_url":"","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":41917,"alt":"","title":"sandra rapoport","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/sandra-rapoport.jpg","width":150,"height":175,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/sandra-rapoport-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/sandra-rapoport.jpg","medium-width":150,"medium-height":175,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/sandra-rapoport.jpg","medium_large-width":150,"medium_large-height":175,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/sandra-rapoport.jpg","large-width":150,"large-height":175,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/sandra-rapoport.jpg","1536x1536-width":150,"1536x1536-height":175,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/sandra-rapoport.jpg","2048x2048-width":150,"2048x2048-height":175,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/sandra-rapoport.jpg","post_full_size-width":150,"post_full_size-height":175,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/sandra-rapoport.jpg","home_baner-width":150,"home_baner-height":175}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"25","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"False identity, false food, false love\r\n\r\n","post_main_content_content":"

Our lives are a series of barters. We exchange sums of money (or bitcoin) for food, clothing, a home, our labor. The world is a giant bourse.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

In Genesis 25-27 we witness two barters that affect the course of biblical history.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

The first is in Gen.25:27-34. There, Esau, fifteen-year-old firstborn son of Isaac and Rebecca, returning weary and famished after a day of hunting, trades his birthright to his younger twin brother Jacob for a bowl of red lentil stew. The birthright\u2014the right of a firstborn son to a special blessing and a double portion on his father\u2019s death\u2014isn\u2019t important to Esau. He says, \u201cWhy do I need the future birthright when I am dying of hunger right now?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n

So he trades the birthright for a hot meal.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

This trade is especially poignant in light of the Torah saying, four verses earlier, that each parent prefers a different twin: \u201cIsaac loved Esau, on account of the tasty venison Esau put in his mouth, and Rebecca loves Jacob.\u201d Why is this important?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Decades later we have an answer. In Gen.27, we witness another barter. Isaac\u2014old, blind and fearing death\u2014seeks to bestow important blessings on his sons. Beforehand, Isaac asks Esau to hunt venison, and to cook it the way he loves to eat it. \u201cBring it to me, and I will eat it, and bless you before I die.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Blessing and food will commingle on Isaac\u2019s tongue.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

We begin to see the connection. Jacob, a homebody, brings his father no tasty venison he has killed and prepared especially for him. While Jacob\u2019s mother Rebecca loves him unconditionally, it is his father\u2019s love he craves (see Shmuel Klitsner, Wrestling Jacob)<\/em>. For years Jacob watches anxiously while his father bestows love on the twin who feeds him delicacies. Twice we see the rare appearance of the Hebrew verb for \u201clove,\u201d\u00a0 'a-h-v,<\/em><\/span>\u00a0Gen.25:28, 27:4. Both times, Isaac does the loving; once for Esau, the son who puts tasty game in his mouth, and once for the food itself. Jacob is left out.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

The critical barter here is food for love. Because the only way to acquire the latter is by providing the former, Jacob impersonates his brother, tricks his father, and feeds him ersatz \u201cvenison\u201d his mother prepares. False identity, false food, false love. The deception is sufficient to acquire the firstborn\u2019s blessing, but it initiates years of enmity between brothers.<\/span><\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":75124,"alt":"","title":"ez35-jacob esau tissot","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/ez35-jacob-esau-tissot.jpg","width":756,"height":600,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/ez35-jacob-esau-tissot-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/ez35-jacob-esau-tissot-300x238.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":238,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/ez35-jacob-esau-tissot.jpg","medium_large-width":756,"medium_large-height":600,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/ez35-jacob-esau-tissot.jpg","large-width":756,"large-height":600,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/ez35-jacob-esau-tissot.jpg","1536x1536-width":756,"1536x1536-height":600,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/ez35-jacob-esau-tissot.jpg","2048x2048-width":756,"2048x2048-height":600,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/ez35-jacob-esau-tissot.jpg","post_full_size-width":756,"post_full_size-height":600,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/ez35-jacob-esau-tissot-529x420.jpg","home_baner-width":529,"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":"Trading Food For Love?","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"False identity, false food, false love","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":75124,"alt":"","title":"ez35-jacob esau tissot","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/ez35-jacob-esau-tissot.jpg","width":756,"height":600,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/ez35-jacob-esau-tissot-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/ez35-jacob-esau-tissot-300x238.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":238,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/ez35-jacob-esau-tissot.jpg","medium_large-width":756,"medium_large-height":600,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/ez35-jacob-esau-tissot.jpg","large-width":756,"large-height":600,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/ez35-jacob-esau-tissot.jpg","1536x1536-width":756,"1536x1536-height":600,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/ez35-jacob-esau-tissot.jpg","2048x2048-width":756,"2048x2048-height":600,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/ez35-jacob-esau-tissot.jpg","post_full_size-width":756,"post_full_size-height":600,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/ez35-jacob-esau-tissot-529x420.jpg","home_baner-width":529,"home_baner-height":420}},"tile_preview_video":"","tile_external_link":"","tile_link_for_pay":"0","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,"send_noty":false,"chapter_info":{"books_group":"Torah","book":"Genesis","chapter":"25","chapter_main_number":"25","date":"20251002","wall_id":"25"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":[{"term_id":"381","name":"love","old_id":"781"},{"term_id":"415","name":"food","old_id":"815"},{"term_id":"485","name":"Isaac","old_id":"885"},{"term_id":"486","name":"Esau","old_id":"886"}]},{"order":2,"id":"37917","color":"#effaea","size":"1","name":"Inquiring of the Lord: From Rebekah\u2019s Time to Ours ","post_title":"Inquiring of the Lord: From Rebekah\u2019s Time to Ours","slug":"inquiring-of-the-lord-from-rebekahs-time-to-ours","old_id":"37917","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":37918,"post_title":"Shai Held","slug":"shai-held","old_id":"37918","first_name":" Shai ","last_name":"Held","description":"Rabbi Shai Held, theologian, scholar, and educator, is President, Dean, and Chair in Jewish Thought at Hadar, where he also directs the Center for Jewish Leadership and Ideas. A 2011 recipient of the prestigious Covenant Award for excellence in Jewish education, Rabbi Held has been named multiple times to Newsweek\u2019s list of the 50 most influential rabbis in America. He holds a doctorate in religion from Harvard; Rabbi Held's first book, Abraham Joshua Heschel: The Call of Transcendence, was published by Indiana University Press in 2013; The Heart of Torah, a collection of essays on the Torah in two volumes, was published by JPS in 2017.","short_description":"Rabbi Shai Held is President, Dean, and Chair in Jewish Thought at Hadar,","credit":"","image_url":"","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":37919,"alt":"","title":"shai held","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/shai-held.jpg","width":150,"height":186,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/shai-held-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/shai-held.jpg","medium-width":150,"medium-height":186,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/shai-held.jpg","medium_large-width":150,"medium_large-height":186,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/shai-held.jpg","large-width":150,"large-height":186,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/shai-held.jpg","1536x1536-width":150,"1536x1536-height":186,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/shai-held.jpg","2048x2048-width":150,"2048x2048-height":186,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/shai-held.jpg","post_full_size-width":150,"post_full_size-height":186,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/shai-held.jpg","home_baner-width":150,"home_baner-height":186}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"25","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"The textual cord uniting heaven and earth is precious, but we run the risk of being text-worshipers rather than God-worshipers","post_main_content_content":"

As Rebekah struggles with the twins who are \u201ccrushing one another in her womb,\u201d she goes off to \u201cinquire of the Lord\u201d (<\/span>lidrosh et Hashem<\/span><\/em>)<\/span><\/i> (Gen 25:22). This is one of our early models of a Biblical figure going to commune with God, and many scholars are struck that Rebekah seems to go at it alone, without any oracle or diviner. <\/span><\/p>\r\n

By the time of the prophet Ezra, the meaning of <\/span>lidrosh<\/span><\/em> shifted significantly: Unlike Rebekah, who seeks God directly, Ezra dedicated himself \u201cto study (<\/span>lidrosh<\/span><\/em>) the Teaching of the Lord\u201d (Ezra 7:10).<\/span><\/p>\r\n

The root <\/span>d-r-sh<\/span><\/em> began as an act of seeking out God\u2019s will through speaking to God, but over time, it shifts to communicating with God through God\u2019s Torah. This transformation is seen in other places: in Psalm 119, the Psalmist begs God \u201cDo not hide Your commandments from me,\u201d (119:19) a play on the classic \u201cDo not hide Your face from me\u201d (Deut. 31:17, 32:20, etc.). This wordplay\u2014from God to Torah\u2014continues through the psalm. <\/span><\/p>\r\n

In many ways, the Torah serves as an awesome, tangible manifestation of God, and that textual cord uniting heaven and earth can be the most precious thing in the world. The beauty of Judaism\u2019s text-centeredness renders our connection to God portable; we can have access to God in every conceivable circumstance. But sometimes, we can become so focused on Torah that we lose any sense of the reality of God, and we run the risk of being text-worshipers rather than God-worshipers. <\/span><\/p>\r\n

If we interpret Torah without a sense that we are serving a God of love and kindness, our Torah may become stale at best and cruel at worst. Torah is (supposed to be) a bridge connecting us to a compassionate God, but we can become so focused on the bridge itself that we simply forget about what (or Who) stands on the other side. <\/span><\/p>\r\n

The transformation of the word <\/span>lidrosh<\/span><\/em>, from Rebekah\u2019s time to Ezra\u2019s to ours, speaks to the transformation of communication with God. Rebekah went herself to inquire of God; for our inquiry we go to God's book. What our forefathers heard from God, we hear from the Torah. In both cases, we must remember, it is God\u2019s closeness and guidance for which we yearn. <\/span><\/p>\r\n

 <\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":52081,"alt":"","title":"dt30-torah+study","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/dt30-torahstudy.jpg","width":258,"height":196,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/dt30-torahstudy-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/dt30-torahstudy.jpg","medium-width":258,"medium-height":196,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/dt30-torahstudy.jpg","medium_large-width":258,"medium_large-height":196,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/dt30-torahstudy.jpg","large-width":258,"large-height":196,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/dt30-torahstudy.jpg","1536x1536-width":258,"1536x1536-height":196,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/dt30-torahstudy.jpg","2048x2048-width":258,"2048x2048-height":196,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/dt30-torahstudy.jpg","post_full_size-width":258,"post_full_size-height":196,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/dt30-torahstudy.jpg","home_baner-width":258,"home_baner-height":196}},"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":"Inquiring of the Lord: From Rebekah\u2019s Time to Ours","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"The textual cord uniting heaven and earth is precious, but we run the risk of being text-worshipers rather than God-worshipers","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":52081,"alt":"","title":"dt30-torah+study","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/dt30-torahstudy.jpg","width":258,"height":196,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/dt30-torahstudy-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/dt30-torahstudy.jpg","medium-width":258,"medium-height":196,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/dt30-torahstudy.jpg","medium_large-width":258,"medium_large-height":196,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/dt30-torahstudy.jpg","large-width":258,"large-height":196,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/dt30-torahstudy.jpg","1536x1536-width":258,"1536x1536-height":196,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/dt30-torahstudy.jpg","2048x2048-width":258,"2048x2048-height":196,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/dt30-torahstudy.jpg","post_full_size-width":258,"post_full_size-height":196,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/dt30-torahstudy.jpg","home_baner-width":258,"home_baner-height":196}},"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":"","old_create_date":"","tile_link_for_pay":"0","links":false,"send_noty":false,"chapter_info":{"books_group":"Torah","book":"Genesis","chapter":"25","chapter_main_number":"25","date":"20251002","wall_id":"25"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":[{"term_id":"363","name":"Midrash","old_id":"763"},{"term_id":"370","name":"Divine\/human","old_id":"770"}]},{"order":3,"id":"38086","color":"#effaea","size":"1","name":"Isaac: \u00a0The Absent Present One ","post_title":"Isaac: \u00a0The Absent Present One","slug":"isaac-the-absent-present-one","old_id":"38086","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":38011,"post_title":"Avi Dabush","slug":"avi-dabush","old_id":"38011","first_name":"Avi ","last_name":"Dabush","description":"Avi Dabush is an environmental, social and political Israeli activist, and organizational consultant by profession. He ran for the 20th Knesset in the eighth place on the Meretz list and has devoted much of his efforts to campaigning for better economic and social conditions for those residents who live in the Negev.","short_description":"Avi Dabush is an Israeli environmental, social and political Israeli activist, and member of the Meretz party.","credit":"","image_url":"","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":38012,"alt":"","title":"avi dabush","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/avi-dabush-e1534409844829.jpg","width":179,"height":167,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/avi-dabush-e1534409844829-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/avi-dabush-300x166.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":166,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/avi-dabush-e1534409844829.jpg","medium_large-width":179,"medium_large-height":167,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/avi-dabush-e1534409844829.jpg","large-width":179,"large-height":167,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/avi-dabush-e1534409844829.jpg","1536x1536-width":179,"1536x1536-height":167,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/avi-dabush-e1534409844829.jpg","2048x2048-width":179,"2048x2048-height":167,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/avi-dabush-e1534409844829.jpg","post_full_size-width":179,"post_full_size-height":167,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/avi-dabush-e1534409844829.jpg","home_baner-width":179,"home_baner-height":167}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"26","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"Quietly, but with the success of a Texas oil magnate, he plumbs the depths","post_main_content_content":"

Isaac is the forgotten forefather, the one that is pushed to the side. Between Abraham our Hebrew forefather, the founder of a new culture and religion, and between Jacob, who founded the Hebrew nation, Isaac is the absent present one in the Bible.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

It could be that this is the trauma of the founding event of the Akedah, or it could be that we are talking about what defines Isaac\u2019s strength. \u00a0The overriding strength of Isaac our forefather was his depth. In building an infrastructure. In the steadfastness of his position. Thus, he was the only one of our forefathers who never left Canaan. Likewise, he was the one who discovered and dug wells of water with the success of a Texas oil magnate. \u00a0He walks throughout the Negev and digs well after well, wells that turned him into a wealthy man and that drove the Philistines crazy. In the course of his travels, Isaac discovers the well around which the city of Beer Sheva will be built. It would appear that he also realized that prosperity and the test of the family and the nation would \u00a0emerge, strangely enough, from the Negev.<\/span><\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":102899,"alt":"","title":"-622b3f91a06c1--622b3f91a06c2gen26-oil 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\u00a0The Absent Present One","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"Quietly, but with the success of a Texas oil magnate, he plumbs the depths","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":102899,"alt":"","title":"-622b3f91a06c1--622b3f91a06c2gen26-oil 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- The Hebrew Corner - Gen 26 ","post_title":"MiliMiliM - The Hebrew Corner - Gen 26","slug":"milimilim-the-hebrew-corner-gen-26","old_id":"38070","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":34011,"post_title":"Jeremy Benstein","slug":"dr-jeremy-benstein","old_id":"34011","first_name":"Jeremy","last_name":"Benstein","description":"Dr. Jeremy Benstein is the managing editor of 929-English. He is one of the founders of the Heschel Center for Sustainability. He writes the MiliMiliM - Hebrew Corner on the site, and is the author of a book about the Hebrew language, \"Hebrew Roots, Jewish Routes: A Tribal Language in a Global World\" (Behrman House, 2019). ","credit":"","image_url":"","hide_writer":false,"short_description":"Dr. Jeremy Benstein is the managing editor of 929-English, and is the author of a book about the Hebrew language, \"Hebrew Roots, Jewish Routes: A Tribal Language in a Global World\" (Behrman House, 2019). ","link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":34232,"alt":"","title":"Jeremy Benstein","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Presentation1.jpg","width":1280,"height":720,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Presentation1-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Presentation1-300x169.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":169,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Presentation1-768x432.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":432,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Presentation1-1024x576.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":576,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Presentation1.jpg","1536x1536-width":1280,"1536x1536-height":720,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Presentation1.jpg","2048x2048-width":1280,"2048x2048-height":720,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Presentation1-1200x675.jpg","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":675,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Presentation1-747x420.jpg","home_baner-width":747,"home_baner-height":420}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"26","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"\u05e9\u05e2\u05e8 - Sha'ar - Rate\/Gate\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n","post_main_content_content":"

26:12 - \u201cIsaac sowed in that land and reaped <\/span>meah she\u2019arim<\/span><\/em>,<\/span><\/i> a hundredfold the same year. The LORD blessed him...\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n

When I first came to Israel, I was eager to explore Jerusalem. The Old City is bounded by a wall, and while there aren\u2019t 12 Gates like in the song (\u201cOh what a beautiful city\u2026 12 Gates to Jerusalem\u2026\u201d), the only way you can get from the New City to the Old \u00a0is through one of these storied openings with the picturesque names: <\/span>sha\u2019ar ashpot,<\/span><\/em> Dung Gate, <\/span>sha\u2019ar arayot<\/span><\/em>, <\/span><\/i>the Gate of the Lions, <\/span>sha\u2019ar haperachim<\/span><\/em>,<\/em> the Gate of the Flowers, etc.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

So when I came to the ultra-Orthodox neighborhood of Meah She\u2019arim, and knowing some Hebrew, I began to look for the hundred gates (<\/span>meah<\/em> <\/span>= \u201c100;\u201d <\/span>she\u2019arim<\/span><\/em> = \u201cgates\u201d) through which to enter. <\/span><\/p>\r\n

Alas, a little learning is a dangerous thing. <\/span><\/p>\r\n

The name of that neighborhood does not mean 100 gates, it comes from the verse above and means \u201ca hundred-fold.\u201d That neighborhood was founded the week that this chapter was read, and they too hoped for a good return on their labors. In contemporary Hebrew, <\/span>sha\u2019ar<\/em> <\/span>indeed also means \u201crate\u201d as in <\/span>sha\u2019ar hadolar<\/span><\/em>, <\/span><\/i>the exchange rate of the dollar.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

There is another Israeli city mentioned in this chapter. It too has a meaning that one who has only a partial knowledge of Hebrew might misunderstand. The name is Rechovot <\/em>(Rehoboth is how it\u2019s spelled in Massachusetts, Delaware, New Mexico and Ohio), which sounds like it comes from <\/span>rechov<\/span><\/em>, <\/span><\/i>which means \u201cstreet,\u201d (<\/span>rechovot <\/span><\/em>= <\/span><\/i>\u201cstreets\u201d) but is actually from the word <\/span>rachav<\/span><\/em>, which means \u201cwide\u201d or \u201cspacious,\u201d as in: \u201cHe moved from there and dug yet another well, and they did not quarrel over it; so he called it Rehoboth, saying, \u201cNow at last the LORD has granted us ample space to increase in the land\u201d (26:22).<\/span><\/p>\r\n

It\u2019s an interesting detail that this parashah gives us the names of towns that run the gamut from Meah She\u2019arim, the bastion of Ultra-Orthodox Judaism, to Rechovot, the seat of the renowned Weizmann Institute of Science.<\/span><\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":102891,"alt":"","title":"-622b3b716d3f9--622b3b716d3fbgen26-milim shaar gate.jpg","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2018\/08\/622b3b716d3f9-622b3b716d3fbgen26-milim-shaar-gate.jpg.jpg","width":960,"height":720,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2018\/08\/622b3b716d3f9-622b3b716d3fbgen26-milim-shaar-gate.jpg-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2018\/08\/622b3b716d3f9-622b3b716d3fbgen26-milim-shaar-gate.jpg-300x225.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":225,"medium_large":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2018\/08\/622b3b716d3f9-622b3b716d3fbgen26-milim-shaar-gate.jpg-768x576.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":576,"large":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2018\/08\/622b3b716d3f9-622b3b716d3fbgen26-milim-shaar-gate.jpg.jpg","large-width":960,"large-height":720,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2018\/08\/622b3b716d3f9-622b3b716d3fbgen26-milim-shaar-gate.jpg.jpg","1536x1536-width":960,"1536x1536-height":720,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2018\/08\/622b3b716d3f9-622b3b716d3fbgen26-milim-shaar-gate.jpg.jpg","2048x2048-width":960,"2048x2048-height":720,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2018\/08\/622b3b716d3f9-622b3b716d3fbgen26-milim-shaar-gate.jpg.jpg","post_full_size-width":960,"post_full_size-height":720,"home_baner":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2018\/08\/622b3b716d3f9-622b3b716d3fbgen26-milim-shaar-gate.jpg-560x420.jpg","home_baner-width":560,"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":"

Artwork by: Ben Schachter<\/p>","tile_top_caption":"MiliMiliM - The Hebrew Corner","tile_main_caption":"Chapter 26: \u05e9\u05e2\u05e8 - Sha'ar - Rate\/Gate","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"... a word from the daily chapter...","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":102891,"alt":"","title":"-622b3b716d3f9--622b3b716d3fbgen26-milim shaar gate.jpg","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2018\/08\/622b3b716d3f9-622b3b716d3fbgen26-milim-shaar-gate.jpg.jpg","width":960,"height":720,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2018\/08\/622b3b716d3f9-622b3b716d3fbgen26-milim-shaar-gate.jpg-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2018\/08\/622b3b716d3f9-622b3b716d3fbgen26-milim-shaar-gate.jpg-300x225.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":225,"medium_large":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2018\/08\/622b3b716d3f9-622b3b716d3fbgen26-milim-shaar-gate.jpg-768x576.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":576,"large":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2018\/08\/622b3b716d3f9-622b3b716d3fbgen26-milim-shaar-gate.jpg.jpg","large-width":960,"large-height":720,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2018\/08\/622b3b716d3f9-622b3b716d3fbgen26-milim-shaar-gate.jpg.jpg","1536x1536-width":960,"1536x1536-height":720,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2018\/08\/622b3b716d3f9-622b3b716d3fbgen26-milim-shaar-gate.jpg.jpg","2048x2048-width":960,"2048x2048-height":720,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2018\/08\/622b3b716d3f9-622b3b716d3fbgen26-milim-shaar-gate.jpg.jpg","post_full_size-width":960,"post_full_size-height":720,"home_baner":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2018\/08\/622b3b716d3f9-622b3b716d3fbgen26-milim-shaar-gate.jpg-560x420.jpg","home_baner-width":560,"home_baner-height":420}},"tile_preview_video":"","tile_external_link":"","tile_tile_gallery_items":"","tile_credits":"Robert Kneschke (shutterstock 161025986)","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":"","tile_link_for_pay":"0","links":false,"send_noty":false,"chapter_info":{"books_group":"Torah","book":"Genesis","chapter":"26","chapter_main_number":"26","date":"20251005","wall_id":"26"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":[{"term_id":"361","name":"Hebrew language","old_id":"761"}]},{"order":5,"id":"38122","color":"#effaea","size":"1","name":"Who Was Gaming Whom? ","post_title":"Who Was Gaming Whom?","slug":"who-was-gaming-whom","old_id":"38122","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":33956,"post_title":"Noya Sagiv","slug":"noya-sagiv","old_id":"33956","first_name":"Noya","last_name":"Sagiv ","description":"Noya Sagiv is a lecturer in Bible and content and curriculum developer for the study of Bible and member of the staff at 929.\r\n","credit":"","image_url":"","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":33957,"alt":"","title":"\u05e0\u05d5\u05d9\u05d4 \u05e9\u05d2\u05d9\u05d1","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/\u05e0\u05d5\u05d9\u05d4-\u05e9\u05d2\u05d9\u05d1.jpg","width":528,"height":720,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/\u05e0\u05d5\u05d9\u05d4-\u05e9\u05d2\u05d9\u05d1-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/\u05e0\u05d5\u05d9\u05d4-\u05e9\u05d2\u05d9\u05d1-220x300.jpg","medium-width":220,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/\u05e0\u05d5\u05d9\u05d4-\u05e9\u05d2\u05d9\u05d1.jpg","medium_large-width":528,"medium_large-height":720,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/\u05e0\u05d5\u05d9\u05d4-\u05e9\u05d2\u05d9\u05d1.jpg","large-width":528,"large-height":720,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/\u05e0\u05d5\u05d9\u05d4-\u05e9\u05d2\u05d9\u05d1.jpg","1536x1536-width":528,"1536x1536-height":720,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/\u05e0\u05d5\u05d9\u05d4-\u05e9\u05d2\u05d9\u05d1.jpg","2048x2048-width":528,"2048x2048-height":720,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/\u05e0\u05d5\u05d9\u05d4-\u05e9\u05d2\u05d9\u05d1.jpg","post_full_size-width":528,"post_full_size-height":720,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/\u05e0\u05d5\u05d9\u05d4-\u05e9\u05d2\u05d9\u05d1-308x420.jpg","home_baner-width":308,"home_baner-height":420}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"27","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"Hints in the text that show that things are not as they see(m)...","post_main_content_content":"

At the center of Chapter 27 is a strange scene: While Esau was in the field hunting for food for his father, Jacob stands before his blind father, dressed in goatskins, trying to convince him that he is Esau, in order to steal the blessing as his mother had told him.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Did Isaac know or did he not know that they were gaming him?<\/span><\/p>\r\n

At first Isaac asks a reasonable question for a blind father to his twins: \"Which of my sons are you?\" (27:18), and when Jacob lies to him in his face and answers: \"I am Esau, your first-born\" (27:19), it seems that Isaac believes him and continues.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Then the questions begin. \u201cWhy did you hurry?\u201d \u201cThe voice is the voice of Jacob, yet the hands are the hands of Esau.\u201d \u201cGet closer so I can smell you.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n

All the senses of the blind are marshalled to understand what is happening. He is suspicious, but he nevertheless gives a blessing:<\/span><\/p>\r\n

\u201cMay God give you Of the dew of heaven and the fat of the earth, Abundance of new grain and wine. \u00a0Let peoples serve you, And nations bow to you; Be master over your brothers, And let your mother\u2019s sons bow to you. Cursed be they who curse you, Blessed they who bless you\" (Genesis 27:28-29).<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Did he know that he blessed Jacob rather than Esau? After all, he was suspicious the whole time ...<\/span><\/p>\r\n

You can try to figure out if he knew by his reaction when Esau returns:<\/span><\/p>\r\n

\"Isaac was seized with very violent trembling. \u2018Who was it then,\u2019 he demanded, \u2018that hunted game and brought it to me? Moreover, I ate of it before you came, and I blessed him; now he must remain blessed!\u2019\u201d(Genesis 27:33).<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Apparently, Isaac \u201csuddenly\u201d realized what had happened and was horrified.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

But I want to give some more credit to Isaac. He may be blind, but he knows very well who is standing before him. And he knows his sons, and his wife, and he too knows how to play along. He knew that he was giving Jacob the appropriate blessing for a leader, and knew that for Esau he was saving an appropriate blessing for a hunter.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

There are commentators who support this hypothesis. But even the plain sense of the text helps: One can see that Isaac not only does not invalidate the blessing to Jacob, and not only blesses Esau with a blessing that suits him, but in chapter 28 (spoiler alert<\/em>!) Isaac is not angry, does not curse, but offers a blessing to Jacob explicitly with the blessing of a son who is the heir to the blessing of our forefathers: \"May He grant the blessing of Abraham to you and your offspring, that you may possess the land where you are sojourning, which God assigned to Abraham\" (28:4).<\/span><\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":96096,"alt":"","title":"ruth3-boaz blesses ruth","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/ruth3-boaz-blesses-ruth.jpg","width":1920,"height":1280,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/ruth3-boaz-blesses-ruth-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/ruth3-boaz-blesses-ruth-300x200.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":200,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/ruth3-boaz-blesses-ruth-768x512.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":512,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/ruth3-boaz-blesses-ruth-1024x683.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":683,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/ruth3-boaz-blesses-ruth.jpg","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":1024,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/ruth3-boaz-blesses-ruth.jpg","2048x2048-width":1920,"2048x2048-height":1280,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/ruth3-boaz-blesses-ruth-1200x800.jpg","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":800,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/ruth3-boaz-blesses-ruth-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":"Who Was Gaming Whom?","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"Hints in the text that show that things are not as they see(m)...","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":96096,"alt":"","title":"ruth3-boaz blesses ruth","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/ruth3-boaz-blesses-ruth.jpg","width":1920,"height":1280,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/ruth3-boaz-blesses-ruth-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/ruth3-boaz-blesses-ruth-300x200.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":200,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/ruth3-boaz-blesses-ruth-768x512.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":512,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/ruth3-boaz-blesses-ruth-1024x683.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":683,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/ruth3-boaz-blesses-ruth.jpg","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":1024,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/ruth3-boaz-blesses-ruth.jpg","2048x2048-width":1920,"2048x2048-height":1280,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/ruth3-boaz-blesses-ruth-1200x800.jpg","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":800,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/ruth3-boaz-blesses-ruth-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":"","old_create_date":"","tile_link_for_pay":"0","links":false,"send_noty":false,"chapter_info":{"books_group":"Torah","book":"Genesis","chapter":"27","chapter_main_number":"27","date":"20251006","wall_id":"27"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":[{"term_id":"485","name":"Isaac","old_id":"885"},{"term_id":"486","name":"Esau","old_id":"886"},{"term_id":"490","name":"Jacob","old_id":"890"},{"term_id":"501","name":"Deception","old_id":"901"}]},{"order":6,"id":"38118","color":"#effaea","size":"1","name":"What Was Going Through Isaac\u2019s Head? ","post_title":"What Was Going Through Isaac\u2019s Head?","slug":"what-was-going-through-isaacs-head","old_id":"38118","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":37130,"post_title":"Lauren Tuchman","slug":"lauren-tuchman","old_id":"37130","first_name":"Lauren ","last_name":"Tuchman ","description":"Rabbi Lauren Tuchman received rabbinic ordination from the Jewish Theological Seminary in 2018 and is, as far as she is aware, the first blind woman in the world to enter the rabbinate. A sought after speaker, spiritual leader and educator, Rabbi Tuchman has taught at numerous synagogues and other Jewish venues throughout North America and was named to the Jewish Week's 36 under 36 for her innovative leadership concerning inclusion of Jews with disabilities in all aspects of Jewish life.","short_description":"Rabbi Lauren Tuchman is a Jewish educator based in the Washington, DC area.","credit":"","image_url":"","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":37131,"alt":"","title":"Lauren Tuchman","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Lauren-Tuchman-e1533662722150.jpg","width":1728,"height":2494,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Lauren-Tuchman-e1533662722150-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Lauren-Tuchman-e1533662722150-208x300.jpg","medium-width":208,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Lauren-Tuchman-e1533662722150-709x1024.jpg","medium_large-width":709,"medium_large-height":1024,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Lauren-Tuchman-e1533662722150-709x1024.jpg","large-width":709,"large-height":1024,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Lauren-Tuchman-e1533662722150.jpg","1536x1536-width":1064,"1536x1536-height":1536,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Lauren-Tuchman-e1533662722150.jpg","2048x2048-width":1419,"2048x2048-height":2048,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Lauren-Tuchman-e1533662722150-831x1200.jpg","post_full_size-width":831,"post_full_size-height":1200,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Lauren-Tuchman-e1533662722150-291x420.jpg","home_baner-width":291,"home_baner-height":420}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"27","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"Why do people think seeing-impaired people are incompetent?","post_main_content_content":"

A modern Midrash:<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Life has not been kind to me. I am old in years and nearly blind. I have two very different sons, Jacob and Esau, who are constantly at odds. Discord between brothers is prevalent in my family, and I fear that I am going to play that out again. I love Esau dearly and there\u2019s but one blessing to give.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

I am blind. I know my two children in ways sighted parents cannot imagine. They have not walked a moment in my shoes. Is it the fear of overwhelming narrowness and constriction that blocks them?<\/span><\/p>\r\n

I am sensing that Rebecca is plotting. She believes I love Esau and not Jacob. And truthfully, I do love Esau more. I yearn for that which Esau has - strength, and his sense of self. But, I\u2019ve been around long enough to know that Esau cannot move his family in the necessary direction.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

I will use my blindness as a cover. Make it appear that I have no idea what is going on when Jacob disguises himself.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

I call Esau into my tent and ask him to prepare game. Rebecca, overhearing, devises the elaborate disguise, despite Jacob\u2019s protestations, to mask his smooth-skin.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

I will make it appear as if I am confused. I ask which son is here? The voice is the voice of Jacob but the hands are the hands of Esau. He doesn\u2019t try to disguise his voice. The blind are often teased, taunted by people disguising their voices, knowing that they are embarrassing and humiliating the visually impaired. Our tradition would later teach that to embarrass someone in public is akin to bloodshed.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

I ask him to approach so I can feel him, there\u2019s always that lingering feeling\u2014am I being given all of the information? I believe it\u2019s Jacob and not Esau. I am using all of the tools at my disposal, I know Jacob must ultimately be blessed. It is Jacob who is in front of me, he will receive the blessing, just as I secretly planned. And yet, I come off looking foolish, and incompetent.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Will everyone think that blind people are foolish? Blind does mean foolish, after all. How much pain have people endured because that word, blind, is thrown around so casually to mean stupid, ignorant? What a horrible spiritual and emotional burden to carry. Did my actions and the way I am portrayed contribute to that? What consequences have my choices created?<\/span><\/p>\r\n

image: Isaac Blessing Jacob, Nicolas-Guy Brenet (France, 1768) \/ 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Was Going Through Isaac\u2019s Head?","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"Why do people think seeing-impaired people are 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Political Meaning of Esau ","post_title":"The Political Meaning of Esau","slug":"the-political-meaning-of-esau","old_id":"38112","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":38025,"post_title":"Alicia Suskin Ostriker","slug":"alicia-suskin-ostriker","old_id":"38025","first_name":"Alicia Suskin ","last_name":"Ostriker","description":"Alicia Suskin Ostriker is New York State's Poet Laureate, and a Chancellor of the Academy of American Poets. She is the author of numerous books of poetry and criticism, including: Feminist Revision and the Bible: the Bucknell Lectures on Literary Theory (1993); The Nakedness of the Fathers: Biblical Visions and Revisions (1997), and For the Love of God: the Bible as an Open Book (2007).\r\n","short_description":"Alicia Suskin Ostriker is poet and a critic and is currently New York State's Poet Laureate.","credit":"","image_url":"","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":38026,"alt":"","title":"Alicia Ostriker","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Alicia-Ostriker.jpg","width":165,"height":110,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Alicia-Ostriker-150x110.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":110,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Alicia-Ostriker.jpg","medium-width":165,"medium-height":110,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Alicia-Ostriker.jpg","medium_large-width":165,"medium_large-height":110,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Alicia-Ostriker.jpg","large-width":165,"large-height":110,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Alicia-Ostriker.jpg","1536x1536-width":165,"1536x1536-height":110,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Alicia-Ostriker.jpg","2048x2048-width":165,"2048x2048-height":110,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Alicia-Ostriker.jpg","post_full_size-width":165,"post_full_size-height":110,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Alicia-Ostriker.jpg","home_baner-width":165,"home_baner-height":110}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"27","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"Feeling for the persecuted Other - even a rival - is the ethical basis of being Jewish","post_main_content_content":"

As literature, the Sarah-Hagar story is extraordinary\u2026 It encourages us to feel relief when [Hagar] and her child are saved from dying of thirst in the wilderness. It tells us, most emphatically, that God is \"with\" Ishmael.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

What is the effect of this passage in political terms? The long shadow of the enmity between the women reaches to this moment\u2026 We may both recoil from Sarah's cruelty, and feel for her. Yet the narrative, far from encouraging us to gloat over the expulsion of Hagar, also forces us to feel for her and with <\/span>her<\/span><\/i>. This is what is truly uncanny.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Why does the Torah engage in this digression? Aren't we supposed to be the chosen ones? Why are we made to pity the enemy, the rival, to care about the survival of the other, the stranger, the non-chosen? Why is there a similar pattern [to the one of Sarah and Hagar] in the narrative of Jacob and Esau, when we see Esau weeping and begging his father for a blessing equal to Jacob's stolen one? The name Esau in Jewish tradition is virtually synonymous with \"enemy,\" yet his repeated \"great and exceeding cry\u2026 Bless me, me also, O my father\u2026 Have you only one blessing? Bless me, me also my father\" (Gen 27:34-38) is the quintessence of pathos. And why is this pattern later made into a commandment, repeated a dozen times in Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy, where we are told never to oppress the stranger, but always to care for the stranger as ourselves, because we know the heart of the stranger, because we were strangers in Egypt?<\/span><\/p>\r\n

For me, this commandment marks the core of what it means, ethically, to be a Jew. Not that it is easy to follow such a commandment. On the contrary, it seems insuperably difficult. But one thing is clear. In any situation of relative power and powerlessness, it behooves the one with more power to <\/span>care for<\/span><\/i> the one with less. Whoever is the more powerful should do the more listening, the more caring, the more giving\u2026 The simplest way of putting this is what Deuteronomy 16:20 requires in God's name: \"Justice, justice shalt thou pursue.\"<\/span><\/p>\r\n

(Excerpted and reprinted with permission from the essay \"The Face of the Other: Sarah-Hagar Then and Now\" in:<\/span> Reading Genesis Beginnings<\/span><\/i><\/a>, Beth Kissileff, editor, Bloomsbury, 2016, p. 119-20).<\/span><\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":102959,"alt":"","title":"-622e038209334--622e038209335gen27-powerlessness-desperate.png","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/png","url":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2018\/08\/622e038209334-622e038209335gen27-powerlessness-desperate.png.png","width":1228,"height":1280,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2018\/08\/622e038209334-622e038209335gen27-powerlessness-desperate.png-150x150.png","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2018\/08\/622e038209334-622e038209335gen27-powerlessness-desperate.png-288x300.png","medium-width":288,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2018\/08\/622e038209334-622e038209335gen27-powerlessness-desperate.png-768x801.png","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":801,"large":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2018\/08\/622e038209334-622e038209335gen27-powerlessness-desperate.png-982x1024.png","large-width":982,"large-height":1024,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2018\/08\/622e038209334-622e038209335gen27-powerlessness-desperate.png.png","1536x1536-width":1228,"1536x1536-height":1280,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2018\/08\/622e038209334-622e038209335gen27-powerlessness-desperate.png.png","2048x2048-width":1228,"2048x2048-height":1280,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2018\/08\/622e038209334-622e038209335gen27-powerlessness-desperate.png-1151x1200.png","post_full_size-width":1151,"post_full_size-height":1200,"home_baner":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2018\/08\/622e038209334-622e038209335gen27-powerlessness-desperate.png-403x420.png","home_baner-width":403,"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":"The Political Meaning of Esau","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"Feeling for the persecuted Other - even a rival - is the ethical basis of being Jewish","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":102959,"alt":"","title":"-622e038209334--622e038209335gen27-powerlessness-desperate.png","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/png","url":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2018\/08\/622e038209334-622e038209335gen27-powerlessness-desperate.png.png","width":1228,"height":1280,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2018\/08\/622e038209334-622e038209335gen27-powerlessness-desperate.png-150x150.png","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2018\/08\/622e038209334-622e038209335gen27-powerlessness-desperate.png-288x300.png","medium-width":288,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2018\/08\/622e038209334-622e038209335gen27-powerlessness-desperate.png-768x801.png","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":801,"large":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2018\/08\/622e038209334-622e038209335gen27-powerlessness-desperate.png-982x1024.png","large-width":982,"large-height":1024,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2018\/08\/622e038209334-622e038209335gen27-powerlessness-desperate.png.png","1536x1536-width":1228,"1536x1536-height":1280,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2018\/08\/622e038209334-622e038209335gen27-powerlessness-desperate.png.png","2048x2048-width":1228,"2048x2048-height":1280,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2018\/08\/622e038209334-622e038209335gen27-powerlessness-desperate.png-1151x1200.png","post_full_size-width":1151,"post_full_size-height":1200,"home_baner":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2018\/08\/622e038209334-622e038209335gen27-powerlessness-desperate.png-403x420.png","home_baner-width":403,"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":"","old_create_date":"","tile_link_for_pay":"0","links":false,"send_noty":false,"chapter_info":{"books_group":"Torah","book":"Genesis","chapter":"27","chapter_main_number":"27","date":"20251006","wall_id":"27"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":[{"term_id":"391","name":"In\/Justice","old_id":"791"},{"term_id":"433","name":"Other","old_id":"833"},{"term_id":"436","name":"Morality","old_id":"836"},{"term_id":"486","name":"Esau","old_id":"886"},{"term_id":"503","name":"Power","old_id":"903"}]},{"order":8,"id":"73417","color":"#f2e9df","size":"1","name":"God Begins A Long Drawn-Out Retreat ","post_title":"God Begins A Long Drawn-Out Retreat","slug":"god-begins-a-long-drawn-out-retreat","old_id":"73417","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":"461","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"Furious justice amidst hints of divine pain at the destruction\r\n\r\n","post_main_content_content":"

This chapter is short but powerful in its portrayal of divine retribution. The story begins in chapter 8 with the prophet\u2019s tour (\u201cin visions of God\u201d \u2013 verse 3) of the people\u2019s sins \u2013 <\/span>Look over here, son of Man! And here! Do you see their abominations? Oh, if you could only see what they do in private!<\/span><\/i> \u2013 a tour that culminates in 8:18 with a vengeful, unforgiving declaration: \u201cI also will act with fury; I will show no pity or compassion; though they call in My ears with a great voice, I will not listen to them.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Metzudat David offers a fairly shocking paraphrase: \u201cJust as they behave improperly, thus I will behave with anger, improperly, for I will show no pity.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n

God himself will behave improperly? As if we didn\u2019t already think the situation was harsh.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

However, after thus resolving to ignore the \u2018loud cries in His ears,\u2019 God Himself \u201ccalled in my [Ezekiel\u2019s] ears with a great voice\u201d (9:1). He directs this call towards His agents of destruction, but ensures Ezekiel hears it as an echo of the previous verse; the similarity in wording between the verses seems too much to be coincidental.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Perhaps the underlying message to His prophet is that even as God proclaims the harshest of divine retributions, even improper in its unabated wrath \u2013 His own cries echo those of His people.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Perhaps when He declares He will not listen to their cries, He is (in anthropomorphic terms) \u2018steeling\u2019 Himself against His own cries as well.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

For though He has committed to the destruction of His city, His Temple, and many of His people \u2013 the Tanach never portrays Him as happy about it.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

As those agents of destruction are told to wipe out all inhabitants of the city (except those marked as having expressed distress over their fellows\u2019 sins), the divine Presence retreats, moving \u201cfrom the cherub on which it had rested to the platform of the House\u201d (9:3). According to Lamentations Rabbah (Petichta 25), this was actually the second step; the first is described in chapter 10, along with several others, and other steps may be found elsewhere in Scripture \u2013 totaling ten stages of divine retreat.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Why so many? Why does it take God so long to leave His Temple? Naturally, because He\u2019s not happy about it.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

The midrash points out that God\u2019s third step, described in 10:18, mixes up directions: the verse says the divine presence \u201cwent out from the threshold of the house\u201d to the cherubs \u2013 but from threshold to cherubs is inward! Rabbi Acha explains with an analogy to a human king who leaves his palace in anger \u2013 but is immediately drawn back, kissing the walls and pillars, crying and wishing his beloved palace well.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Beneath the improperly vengeful surface in chapter 9, the midrash sees hints of divine pain at the destruction justice requires. He\u2019ll do it, but He\u2019s not happy about it.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

image: The Siege and Destruction of Jerusalem, David Roberts ()1796-1894), Williamson Art Gallery, under CC BY-NC-ND.<\/a><\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":73420,"alt":"","title":"ez9-siege","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez9-siege.jpg","width":960,"height":540,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez9-siege-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez9-siege-300x169.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":169,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez9-siege-768x432.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":432,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez9-siege.jpg","large-width":960,"large-height":540,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez9-siege.jpg","1536x1536-width":960,"1536x1536-height":540,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez9-siege.jpg","2048x2048-width":960,"2048x2048-height":540,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez9-siege.jpg","post_full_size-width":960,"post_full_size-height":540,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez9-siege-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":"","tile_main_caption":"God Begins A Long Drawn-Out Retreat","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"Furious justice amidst hints of divine pain at the destruction","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":73420,"alt":"","title":"ez9-siege","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez9-siege.jpg","width":960,"height":540,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez9-siege-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez9-siege-300x169.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":169,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez9-siege-768x432.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":432,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez9-siege.jpg","large-width":960,"large-height":540,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez9-siege.jpg","1536x1536-width":960,"1536x1536-height":540,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez9-siege.jpg","2048x2048-width":960,"2048x2048-height":540,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez9-siege.jpg","post_full_size-width":960,"post_full_size-height":540,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez9-siege-747x420.jpg","home_baner-width":747,"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,"chapter_info":{"books_group":"Prophets","book":"Ezekiel","chapter":"9","chapter_main_number":"461","date":"20270606","wall_id":"461"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":false},{"order":9,"id":"73414","color":"#f6edf6","size":"1","name":"Righteous And Evil - The Dividing Line ","post_title":"Righteous And Evil - The Dividing Line","slug":"righteous-and-evil-the-dividing-line","old_id":"73414","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":37561,"post_title":"Deena Cowans","slug":"deena-cowans","old_id":"37561","first_name":"Deena ","last_name":"Cowans","description":"Deena Cowans is a rabbinical student at JTS and alumnus of the Master's in Public Administration- Development Practice at Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA). \r\nDeena is the Director of Education (Rosh Chinuch) at Camp Ramah in the Rockies since January 2016, and was the Youth and Family Programs at Congregation Ansche Chesed in 2016-2017.","short_description":"Deena Cowans is a rabbinical student at JTS, and the Director of Education at Camp Ramah in the Rockies","credit":"","image_url":"","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":37562,"alt":"","title":"deena cowans","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/deena-cowans-e1534076835642.jpg","width":181,"height":207,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/deena-cowans-e1534076835642-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/deena-cowans-e1534076835642.jpg","medium-width":181,"medium-height":207,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/deena-cowans-e1534076835642.jpg","medium_large-width":181,"medium_large-height":207,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/deena-cowans-e1534076835642.jpg","large-width":181,"large-height":207,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/deena-cowans-e1534076835642.jpg","1536x1536-width":181,"1536x1536-height":207,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/deena-cowans-e1534076835642.jpg","2048x2048-width":181,"2048x2048-height":207,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/deena-cowans-e1534076835642.jpg","post_full_size-width":181,"post_full_size-height":207,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/deena-cowans-e1534076835642.jpg","home_baner-width":181,"home_baner-height":207}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"461","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"Are good people who don\u2019t protest wrongdoing- still good?\r\n\r\n","post_main_content_content":"

The chapter contains an alarming story, in which God musters a small force to kill all those who disobey God, young and old alike. Only a few will survive, marked on their foreheads by a mysterious man with a writing case. They are singled out because they have \u201cmoaned and groaned\u201d about the sins of the Israelites, voicing their dissatisfaction or opposition to the actions of the many. But how many people were killed who did not engage in the actions that enraged God, but also did not speak out?<\/span><\/p>\r\n

The Talmud asks this very question. In the tractate Shabbat, Rabbi Aha imagines that originally, God had instructed the man with the writing case to mark on the foreheads of all the righteous in the city, so that they would be spared. But the Angel of Justice spoke up, claiming to God \u201cThese righteous people did not try to stop the wicked from their deeds!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n

\u201cBut I know even if they tried, they would never have succeeded in changing the behavior of the wicked,\u201d God claims.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

\u201cStill, they could not have known if they would succeed or not, and they didn\u2019t even try,\u201d argues Justice.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

So God retracted God\u2019s protection of the righteous, and allowed the Angel of Destruction to take those righteous people who did not protest the actions of the evil. Only those who spoke out against the wickedness in their midst were saved.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

For anyone who has ever let something slide, who has kept their mouth shut when they saw injustice because they didn\u2019t feel they could change it, this is a chilling story. We may not be able to change anyone, and indeed we might do damage to ourselves by speaking out. But when it comes time to reckon for our actions, we will be marked by our actions, not our impact. We should strive not for persuasion, or even fortitude to resist temptation; we should strive for bravery, to speak truth to power even when power will not hear us.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

image:\u00a0Ezekiel's Vision of the Sign \"Tau\" (Ezekiel IX:2-7), anonymous (Flemish - Mosan Region), mid 12th C., champlev\u00e9 enamel, copper gilt, Walters Art Museum \/ wikimedia<\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":73415,"alt":"","title":"ez9-mark","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez9-mark.jpg","width":600,"height":826,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez9-mark-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez9-mark-218x300.jpg","medium-width":218,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez9-mark.jpg","medium_large-width":600,"medium_large-height":826,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez9-mark.jpg","large-width":600,"large-height":826,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez9-mark.jpg","1536x1536-width":600,"1536x1536-height":826,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez9-mark.jpg","2048x2048-width":600,"2048x2048-height":826,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez9-mark.jpg","post_full_size-width":600,"post_full_size-height":826,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez9-mark-305x420.jpg","home_baner-width":305,"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":"Righteous And Evil - The Dividing Line","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"Are good people who don\u2019t protest wrongdoing - still good?","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":73415,"alt":"","title":"ez9-mark","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez9-mark.jpg","width":600,"height":826,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez9-mark-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez9-mark-218x300.jpg","medium-width":218,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez9-mark.jpg","medium_large-width":600,"medium_large-height":826,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez9-mark.jpg","large-width":600,"large-height":826,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez9-mark.jpg","1536x1536-width":600,"1536x1536-height":826,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez9-mark.jpg","2048x2048-width":600,"2048x2048-height":826,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez9-mark.jpg","post_full_size-width":600,"post_full_size-height":826,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez9-mark-305x420.jpg","home_baner-width":305,"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,"chapter_info":{"books_group":"Prophets","book":"Ezekiel","chapter":"9","chapter_main_number":"461","date":"20270606","wall_id":"461"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":false},{"order":10,"id":"73470","color":"#e0e9ef","size":"1","name":"A Blessing In Disguise? ","post_title":"A Blessing In Disguise?","slug":"a-blessing-in-disguise","old_id":"73470","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":64450,"post_title":"David Curwin","slug":"david-curwin","old_id":"64450","first_name":"David ","last_name":"Curwin ","description":"David Curwin is a writer living in Efrat, and the author of the Balashon blog www.balashon.com","short_description":"David Curwin is a writer living in Efrat, and the author of the Balashon blog www.balashon.com","credit":"","image_url":"","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":64452,"alt":"","title":"david curwin","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/png","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/david-curwin.png","width":427,"height":464,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/david-curwin-150x150.png","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/david-curwin-276x300.png","medium-width":276,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/david-curwin.png","medium_large-width":427,"medium_large-height":464,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/david-curwin.png","large-width":427,"large-height":464,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/david-curwin.png","1536x1536-width":427,"1536x1536-height":464,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/david-curwin.png","2048x2048-width":427,"2048x2048-height":464,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/david-curwin.png","post_full_size-width":427,"post_full_size-height":464,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/david-curwin-387x420.png","home_baner-width":387,"home_baner-height":420}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"462","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"And the name of a favorite muppet\r\n\r\n","post_main_content_content":"

In chapter 10, Ezekiel has visions of the heavenly cherubs:<\/span><\/p>\r\n

\u201cI looked, and on the expanse over the heads of the cherubs, there was something like a sapphire stone; an appearance resembling a throne could be seen over them. He spoke to the man clothed in linen and said, \u201cStep inside the wheelwork, under the cherubs, and fill your hands with glowing coals from among the cherubs, and scatter them over the city.\u201d And he went in as I looked on. Now the cherubs were standing on the south side of the House when the man entered, and the cloud filled the inner court. But when the Presence of the LORD moved from the cherubs to the platform of the House, the House was filled with the cloud, and the court was filled with the radiance of the Presence of the LORD\u2026The cherubs appeared to have the form of a man\u2019s hand under their wings. I could see that there were four wheels beside the cherubs, one wheel beside each of the cherubs; as for the appearance of the wheels, they gleamed like the beryl stone\u2026 Each one had four faces: One was a cherub\u2019s face, the second a human face, the third a lion\u2019s face, and the fourth an eagle\u2019s face.\u201d (Ezekiel 10:1-14)<\/span><\/p>\r\n

These cherubs \u2013 <\/span>keruvim<\/span><\/em>\u00a0in Hebrew \u2013 appear in a few other locations in the Bible. Most notably, after Adam and Eve are expelled from the Garden of Eden, God stations cherubs to prevent humans from returning (Genesis 3:24), and they were placed over the Ark in the Tabernacle (Exodus 25:18-22).<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Their exact nature is unclear. In the Tabernacle the cherubs had one face and two wings, but in our chapter, they have four faces and four wings. While we can\u2019t determine precisely what Ezekiel saw, we can look into the etymology of the word.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Linguistic scholars note that <\/span>keruv<\/span><\/em>\u00a0is related to the Akkadian <\/span>karabu<\/span><\/em>\u00ad <\/span><\/i>\u2013 \u201cto bless,\u201d and theorize that it may be related to the Hebrew <\/span>barech<\/span><\/em>\u00a0<\/span><\/i>\u2013 \u201cto bless\u201d (with the letters transposed.) This would indicate the cherubs were a \u201cprotective spirit\u201d \u2013 which could explain both their position in the Garden and in the Tabernacle.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Keruv\u00a0<\/span><\/em>has another meaning in Hebrew: cabbage. They are not related etymologically, however. Cabbage does not appear in the Bible. It is first recorded in the Mishnah, having arrived in the Land of Israel around 275 BCE during the Greek conquest. The Greeks called cabbage <\/span>krambe<\/span><\/em>\u00a0<\/span><\/i>(from a related Greek word meaning \u201cdry shriveling\u201d) and this eventually became <\/span>keruv<\/span><\/em>\u00a0in Hebrew.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Later, the father of modern Hebrew, Eliezer Ben-Yehuda coined the word <\/span>keruvit<\/span><\/em>\u00a0<\/span><\/i>\u2013 for the botanically related \u201ccauliflower.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n

While there is no linguistic connection between cherubs and cabbage, there is one open question that involves both. In the Hebrew version of Sesame Street, <\/span>Rechov Sumsum<\/span><\/em>, the Grover character is called \u201cKruvi.\u201d The etymology isn\u2019t clear. Some say it comes from \u201csmall cabbage\u201d, while others posit it means \u201clittle angel\u201d\u2026<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Image: Screenshot of Grover (\u201cKruvi\u201d) - 2007 \/ wikipedia<\/span><\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":73479,"alt":"","title":"ez10-grover","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez10-grover.jpg","width":360,"height":240,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez10-grover-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez10-grover-300x200.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":200,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez10-grover.jpg","medium_large-width":360,"medium_large-height":240,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez10-grover.jpg","large-width":360,"large-height":240,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez10-grover.jpg","1536x1536-width":360,"1536x1536-height":240,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez10-grover.jpg","2048x2048-width":360,"2048x2048-height":240,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez10-grover.jpg","post_full_size-width":360,"post_full_size-height":240,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez10-grover.jpg","home_baner-width":360,"home_baner-height":240}},"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":"Cherubim - Take 1","tile_main_caption":"A Blessing In Disguise?","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"And the name of a favorite muppet","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":73479,"alt":"","title":"ez10-grover","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez10-grover.jpg","width":360,"height":240,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez10-grover-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez10-grover-300x200.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":200,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez10-grover.jpg","medium_large-width":360,"medium_large-height":240,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez10-grover.jpg","large-width":360,"large-height":240,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez10-grover.jpg","1536x1536-width":360,"1536x1536-height":240,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez10-grover.jpg","2048x2048-width":360,"2048x2048-height":240,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez10-grover.jpg","post_full_size-width":360,"post_full_size-height":240,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez10-grover.jpg","home_baner-width":360,"home_baner-height":240}},"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,"chapter_info":{"books_group":"Prophets","book":"Ezekiel","chapter":"10","chapter_main_number":"462","date":"20270607","wall_id":"462"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":false},{"order":11,"id":"73481","color":"#faeed8","size":"1","name":"Face-off: From Ox to Cherub ","post_title":"Face-off: From Ox to Cherub","slug":"face-off-from-ox-to-cherub","old_id":"73481","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":"462","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"Not your familiar baby-face\r\n\r\n","post_main_content_content":"

In Chapter One, Ezekiel described a four-sided creature with the faces of a man, a lion, an eagle, and an ox (1:10), that the Sages named the Merkabah (divine chariot). In this chapter, he repeated most of that description save that the ox was replaced by a cherub (14). Just what was a cherub, and why did it replace the ox?<\/span><\/p>\r\n

In Genesis (3:24), we encounter cherubs holding a \u201cfiery ever-turning sword,\u201d who were guarding the path to the tree of life. We next encounter them as objects that reposed atop the Ark of the Covenant, with the additional notation that they had outspread wings (Exodus 25:20), whose dimensions are given\u2014at the time of the construction of the Temple\u2014as a 10 cubits wingspan (1 Kings 6:24) and 10 cubits in height (6:26). The Israelites, on their way to battle the Philistines, took along the \u201cArk of the Covenant of the Lord of Hosts enthroned on the Cherubim\u201d (1 Samuel 4:4), an epithet that recurs in 2 Kings (19:15) and Isaiah (37:16), as well as in Psalms (80:2, 99:1). The pictorial representation of cherubs as children and the adjective cherubic meaning childish innocence seem to derive from the Ammora R. Abbahu\u2019s specious identification (or folk etymology) of the Hebrew <\/span>keruv<\/span><\/em> with the Aramaic <\/span>ke-ravya<\/span><\/em> - \u201clike a youth\u201d (Hagigah 13b).<\/span><\/p>\r\n

As for the substitution of a cherub for the ox, Radak related the Talmudic interpretation (Hagigah, op. cit.) that Ezekiel prayed for the removal of the bovine face because it was too reminiscent of the golden calf and contravened the rabbinic dictum that \u201ca prosecutor cannot become a defender.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

*See also Raanan Eichler\u2019s essay: <\/span>What Kind Of Creatures Are The Cherubim?<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/a><\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":73482,"alt":"","title":"ez10-cherub","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez10-cherub.jpg","width":535,"height":681,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez10-cherub-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez10-cherub-236x300.jpg","medium-width":236,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez10-cherub.jpg","medium_large-width":535,"medium_large-height":681,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez10-cherub.jpg","large-width":535,"large-height":681,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez10-cherub.jpg","1536x1536-width":535,"1536x1536-height":681,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez10-cherub.jpg","2048x2048-width":535,"2048x2048-height":681,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez10-cherub.jpg","post_full_size-width":535,"post_full_size-height":681,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez10-cherub-330x420.jpg","home_baner-width":330,"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":"Cherubim - Take 2","tile_main_caption":"Face-off: From Ox to Cherub","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"Not your familiar baby-face","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":73482,"alt":"","title":"ez10-cherub","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez10-cherub.jpg","width":535,"height":681,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez10-cherub-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez10-cherub-236x300.jpg","medium-width":236,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez10-cherub.jpg","medium_large-width":535,"medium_large-height":681,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez10-cherub.jpg","large-width":535,"large-height":681,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez10-cherub.jpg","1536x1536-width":535,"1536x1536-height":681,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez10-cherub.jpg","2048x2048-width":535,"2048x2048-height":681,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez10-cherub.jpg","post_full_size-width":535,"post_full_size-height":681,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez10-cherub-330x420.jpg","home_baner-width":330,"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,"chapter_info":{"books_group":"Prophets","book":"Ezekiel","chapter":"10","chapter_main_number":"462","date":"20270607","wall_id":"462"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":false},{"order":12,"id":"73506","color":"#e8ecf6","size":"1","name":"One Heart ","post_title":"One Heart","slug":"one-heart","old_id":"73506","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":"463","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"A heart of flesh to replace the heart of stone\r\n\r\n\u00a0","post_main_content_content":"

Our chapter begins with Ezekiel being lifted up by \u201cthe Spirit\u201d and transported in visionary experiences from Babylonia to Jerusalem (11:1) and then ends with him returned to Babylonia (verse 24) where this set of visions concludes. In the first part of our chapter, Ezekiel prophesies against the wicked counselors in Jerusalem predicting their doom. As Ezekiel is prophesying, one of these wicked counselors, Pelatiah son of Benaiah, suddenly drops dead. Immediately, Ezekiel falls on his face and asks God if He intends to wipe out what remains of the people of Israel (verses 4-13). God reassures Ezekiel: \u201cI will gather you from the peoples and assemble you out of the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you the Land of Israel. And they shall return there\u2026I will give them one heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove the heart of stone from their bodies and give them a heart of flesh, that they may follow My laws and faithfully observe My rules. Then they shall be My people and I will be their God\u201d (verses 17-20).\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Later, God repeats this promise: \u201cAnd I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit into you: I will remove the heart of stone from your body and give you a heart of flesh; and I will put My spirit into you. Thus, I will cause you to follow My laws and faithfully to observe My rules. Then you shall dwell in the land which I gave to your fathers, and you shall be My people and I will be your God\u201d (Ezekiel 36:26-28).<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Here, we may hear an echo of the Flood Narrative (Genesis Chapters 6-8), in which lawlessness and moral corruption leads to doom and destruction, followed by purification of the Land and a new beginning of lawfulness by Noah and those with him who survived the Deluge in the Ark.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Note that the \u201cone heart \u2013 lev eha<\/span>d<\/span>\u201d mentioned in our chapter, in the early Jewish Septuagint Greek translation is replaced by the graphically similar \u201cother heart \u2013 lev ahe<\/span>r<\/span>\u201d. \u201cOther heart\u201d does seem a more suitable parallel to \u201cnew spirit\u201d in our chapter and in chapter 36. But the description of all those returning from Exile to the Land of Israel as having \u201cone heart\u201d (i.e. being of one mind) provides a powerful metaphor for spiritual and political unity.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

The prophetic promise of national unity finds memorable expression in Psalm 133: \u201cHow good and how pleasant it is that brothers dwell together in unity (gam yahad) \u2026 upon the mountains of Zion. There the Lord ordained blessing, everlasting life\u201d. <\/span>Rav Benny Lau recently<\/span><\/a> called attention to the \u201cradical\u201d comment of Rashi who understands \u201cdwell together in unity\u201d as referring to a much hoped for time \u201cwhen the Holy One, blessed be He, will dwell in the Temple with Israel, who are called \u2018brothers and friends.\u2019 And He too shall be together with them.\u201d<\/span><\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":73507,"alt":"","title":"ez11-heart","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez11-heart.jpg","width":728,"height":410,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez11-heart-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez11-heart-300x169.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":169,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez11-heart.jpg","medium_large-width":728,"medium_large-height":410,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez11-heart.jpg","large-width":728,"large-height":410,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez11-heart.jpg","1536x1536-width":728,"1536x1536-height":410,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez11-heart.jpg","2048x2048-width":728,"2048x2048-height":410,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez11-heart.jpg","post_full_size-width":728,"post_full_size-height":410,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez11-heart.jpg","home_baner-width":728,"home_baner-height":410}},"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":"One Heart","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"A heart of flesh to replace the heart of stone 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Secret of Whole-Heartedness ","post_title":"The Secret of Whole-Heartedness","slug":"the-secret-of-whole-heartedness","old_id":"73512","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":37561,"post_title":"Deena Cowans","slug":"deena-cowans","old_id":"37561","first_name":"Deena ","last_name":"Cowans","description":"Deena Cowans is a rabbinical student at JTS and alumnus of the Master's in Public Administration- Development Practice at Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA). \r\nDeena is the Director of Education (Rosh Chinuch) at Camp Ramah in the Rockies since January 2016, and was the Youth and Family Programs at Congregation Ansche Chesed in 2016-2017.","short_description":"Deena Cowans is a rabbinical student at JTS, and the Director of Education at Camp Ramah in the Rockies","credit":"","image_url":"","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":37562,"alt":"","title":"deena 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our impervious hearts of stone for a vulnerable heart of flesh\u00a0\r\n\r\n","post_main_content_content":"

Imagine a time when you were devastated, consumed by grief- when you might have described yourself as \u201cbroken-hearted\u201d. In that moment, what would you have given to take away your pain? Would you have been willing to forgo your ability to feel, in order to not feel this pain?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Once we know how much it hurts to grieve or suffer shame and loss, we might be willing to give away our hearts, to close ourselves to all emotion, rather than risk feeling heartbreak again. A<\/span>s researcher Brene Brown says<\/span><\/a>, \u201cwhen you ask people about love, they\u2019ll tell you about heartbreak.\u201d We cannot escape the fact that sometimes love leads to heartbreak and loss. One of the ways we deal with this vulnerability is that we numb it. In Ezekiel\u2019s language, we try to trade our vulnerable hearts of flesh for a heart of stone, hard and unbreakable. If our heart cannot be hurt, we cannot be hurt. Stone is impervious, much harder to break than flesh, so we try to numb or harden our hearts to mitigate our risk.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

But, as Brown cautions, we cannot selectively numb emotion. When we try to hide ourselves from pain and loss and shame, we also numb our ability to feel joy and love. The hard-heartedness of this chapter of Ezekiel is born of the Israelites\u2019 unwillingness to be vulnerable enough to risk suffering. They try to convince themselves of their own security, to tell themselves that they have what they need. But in doing so, they harden their hearts and turn a blind eye to suffering\u2026 and they lose out on the opportunity to experience redemption. The sinners of Israel are the ones who cannot allow themselves to be brave and vulnerable. They eschew temporary pain, but it will only bring them long term suffering.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

When we allow ourselves to be vulnerable, we fulfill the vision of Ezekiel\u2019s prophecy in verse 19, and we swap our hearts of stone for hearts of flesh. It is an act of tremendous courage, and in Brown\u2019s words, courage means to tell the story of who you are with your whole heart, to be willing to be imperfect and to suffer. The replacement of our heart of stone with a heart of flesh does not pretend to protect us. We will not be safer, or necessarily even happier if we allow ourselves to be vulnerable.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Instead, we will be more human. We will become, in Brown\u2019s words, \u201cwhole-hearted people\u201d, living with a deep sense of worthiness, and the resilience to weather our sufferings.<\/span><\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":73514,"alt":"","title":"ez11-stone heart","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez11-stone-heart.jpg","width":1920,"height":1280,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez11-stone-heart-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez11-stone-heart-300x200.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":200,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez11-stone-heart-768x512.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":512,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez11-stone-heart-1024x683.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":683,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez11-stone-heart.jpg","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":1024,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez11-stone-heart.jpg","2048x2048-width":1920,"2048x2048-height":1280,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez11-stone-heart-1200x800.jpg","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":800,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez11-stone-heart-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":"The Secret of Whole-Heartedness","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"Trading our impervious hearts of stone for a vulnerable heart of flesh\u00a0","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":73514,"alt":"","title":"ez11-stone heart","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez11-stone-heart.jpg","width":1920,"height":1280,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez11-stone-heart-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez11-stone-heart-300x200.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":200,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez11-stone-heart-768x512.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":512,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez11-stone-heart-1024x683.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":683,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez11-stone-heart.jpg","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":1024,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez11-stone-heart.jpg","2048x2048-width":1920,"2048x2048-height":1280,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez11-stone-heart-1200x800.jpg","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":800,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez11-stone-heart-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,"chapter_info":{"books_group":"Prophets","book":"Ezekiel","chapter":"11","chapter_main_number":"463","date":"20270608","wall_id":"463"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":false},{"order":14,"id":"73491","color":"#f7f7f5","size":"1","name":"Distancing From Kith And Kin ","post_title":"Distancing From Kith And Kin","slug":"distancing-from-kith-and-kin","old_id":"73491","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":54356,"post_title":"Robert Alter","slug":"robert-alter","old_id":"54356","first_name":"Robert ","last_name":"Alter","description":"Robert Alter is the Class of 1937 Professor of Hebrew and Comparative Literature at the University of California at Berkeley, where he has taught since 1967. He has written over twenty books, focusing on such topics as the European novel from the 18th century to the present, contemporary American fiction, and modern Hebrew literature. He has also written extensively on the literary aspects of the Bible. His most recent work is his monumental three volume translation of the entire Hebrew Bible - The Hebrew Bible, W. W. Norton & Co., 2019 - from which the selections in 929 are taken. ","short_description":"Robert Alter is the Class of 1937 Professor of Hebrew and Comparative Literature at the University of California at Berkeley, and author of the three-volume translation of the entire Hebrew Bible - The Hebrew Bible, W. W. Norton & Co., 2019.","credit":"","image_url":"","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":54357,"alt":"","title":"robert alter","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/robert-alter.jpg","width":184,"height":275,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/robert-alter-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/robert-alter.jpg","medium-width":184,"medium-height":275,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/robert-alter.jpg","medium_large-width":184,"medium_large-height":275,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/robert-alter.jpg","large-width":184,"large-height":275,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/robert-alter.jpg","1536x1536-width":184,"1536x1536-height":275,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/robert-alter.jpg","2048x2048-width":184,"2048x2048-height":275,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/robert-alter.jpg","post_full_size-width":184,"post_full_size-height":275,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/robert-alter.jpg","home_baner-width":184,"home_baner-height":275}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"463","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"Go away from the Lord, go away from the land\r\n\r\n","post_main_content_content":"

11:15 \u201c\u2018Man, your brothers, your next of kin, and all the house of Israel to whom the dwellers of Jerusalem have said, \u2018Go away from the LORD. To us the land has been given as an inheritance.\u2019\u2019\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n

The designation \u201cnext of kin\u201d is adopted from Greenberg. The literal sense is \u201cyour redemption people,\u201d that is, the people who because of their kinship are legally obliged to redeem property that has been somehow alienated from a person. (Compare the \u201credeeming kin\u201d in the Book of Ruth). The mention in the next verse of God\u2019s having \u201ctaken them far away among the nations\u201d indicates that these are the exiles. The self-satisfied residents of Jerusalem want to dissociate themselves from their exiled brothers, claiming exclusive rights to the land: \u201cGo away from the land. To us the land has been given as an inheritance.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

From: Robert Alter, The Hebrew Bible<\/em>, vol. 2: Prophets, W. W. Norton & Co., 2019, ad loc. By permission of the author.<\/span><\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":54890,"alt":"","title":"Alter-Cover","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Alter-Cover.jpg","width":1200,"height":693,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Alter-Cover-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Alter-Cover-300x173.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":173,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Alter-Cover-768x444.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":444,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Alter-Cover-1024x591.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":591,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Alter-Cover.jpg","1536x1536-width":1200,"1536x1536-height":693,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Alter-Cover.jpg","2048x2048-width":1200,"2048x2048-height":693,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Alter-Cover-1200x693.jpg","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":693,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Alter-Cover-727x420.jpg","home_baner-width":727,"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":"From Robert Alter's Bible Translation and Commentary","tile_main_caption":"Distancing From Kith And Kin","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"Go away from the Lord, go away from the land","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":54890,"alt":"","title":"Alter-Cover","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Alter-Cover.jpg","width":1200,"height":693,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Alter-Cover-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Alter-Cover-300x173.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":173,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Alter-Cover-768x444.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":444,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Alter-Cover-1024x591.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":591,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Alter-Cover.jpg","1536x1536-width":1200,"1536x1536-height":693,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Alter-Cover.jpg","2048x2048-width":1200,"2048x2048-height":693,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Alter-Cover-1200x693.jpg","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":693,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Alter-Cover-727x420.jpg","home_baner-width":727,"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,"chapter_info":{"books_group":"Prophets","book":"Ezekiel","chapter":"11","chapter_main_number":"463","date":"20270608","wall_id":"463"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":false},{"order":15,"id":"73575","color":"#effaea","size":"1","name":"Symbolic Exile For A Real King ","post_title":"Symbolic Exile For A Real King","slug":"symbolic-exile-for-a-real-king","old_id":"73575","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":72948,"post_title":"Tova Ganzel","slug":"tova-ganzel","old_id":"72948","first_name":"Tova ","last_name":"Ganzel ","description":"Dr. Tova Ganzel is the Director of the Midrasha at Bar-Ilan University, and is one the first trained women\u2019s halakhic advisors (Yoatzot Halacha). She received her PhD from Bar-Ilan\u2019s Department of Bible Studies, and teaches at the Institute for Advanced Torah Studies at Bar-Ilan University. Her work is mainly on the Hebrew Bible in the context of the larger ancient Near Eastern world. \r\n","short_description":"Dr. Tova Ganzel is the Director of the Midrasha at Bar-Ilan University, and is one the first trained women\u2019s halakhic advisors (Yoatzot Halacha).","credit":"","image_url":"","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":72949,"alt":"","title":"tova ganzel","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/tova-ganzel.jpg","width":892,"height":1000,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/tova-ganzel-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/tova-ganzel-268x300.jpg","medium-width":268,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/tova-ganzel-768x861.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":861,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/tova-ganzel.jpg","large-width":892,"large-height":1000,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/tova-ganzel.jpg","1536x1536-width":892,"1536x1536-height":1000,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/tova-ganzel.jpg","2048x2048-width":892,"2048x2048-height":1000,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/tova-ganzel.jpg","post_full_size-width":892,"post_full_size-height":1000,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/tova-ganzel-375x420.jpg","home_baner-width":375,"home_baner-height":420}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"464","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"But Zedekiah\u2019s name cannot be mentioned\r\n\r\n","post_main_content_content":"

Zedekiah is not mentioned by name in the book of Ezekiel. The kingdom of Babylonia is likewise only mentioned in these chapters indirectly and there is no prophecy that deals with the future of Babylonia and its destruction in the upcoming group of chapters that offer prophecies to the nations. Because Ezekiel is based in Babylonia, he is unable to denounce the empire in which he dwells. For the kings of Babylonia, the coronation of Zedekiah in Jerusalem had the effect of creating an artificial quiet, while in effect discontinuing the monarchy of the dynasty of David in Jerusalem. Therefore, paying explicit attention to Zedekiah as king may have aroused the ire of the Babylonians.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Through a symbolic act, Ezekiel is commanded to \u201cexile\u201d himself, carry his \u201cgear for exile.\u201d The departure into exile is undertaken in the evening, in the dark, with his face covered, through a hole he digs in the wall. This prophecy is God\u2019s response to Zedekiah\u2019s rebellion against Babylonia, which contravenes God\u2019s order conveyed to him by the prophet. The descriptions in Kings and in Jeremiah of Zedekiah\u2019s exile match the details of Ezekiel\u2019s prophecy: the capture of the king, bringing him to Babylon, his judgement, blindness and the fate of his company.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Posted in conjunction with hatanach.com. For the full article, <\/span>see here<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Image: Guillaume Rouille, Zedekiah,<\/span> Promptuarii Iconum Insigniorum, 1553 \/ wikipedia<\/span><\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":73576,"alt":"","title":"ez12-Zedekiah","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/png","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez12-Zedekiah.png","width":388,"height":388,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez12-Zedekiah-150x150.png","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez12-Zedekiah-300x300.png","medium-width":300,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez12-Zedekiah.png","medium_large-width":388,"medium_large-height":388,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez12-Zedekiah.png","large-width":388,"large-height":388,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez12-Zedekiah.png","1536x1536-width":388,"1536x1536-height":388,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez12-Zedekiah.png","2048x2048-width":388,"2048x2048-height":388,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez12-Zedekiah.png","post_full_size-width":388,"post_full_size-height":388,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez12-Zedekiah.png","home_baner-width":388,"home_baner-height":388}},"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":"Symbolic Exile For A Real King","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"But Zedekiah\u2019s name cannot be mentioned","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":73576,"alt":"","title":"ez12-Zedekiah","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/png","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez12-Zedekiah.png","width":388,"height":388,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez12-Zedekiah-150x150.png","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez12-Zedekiah-300x300.png","medium-width":300,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez12-Zedekiah.png","medium_large-width":388,"medium_large-height":388,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez12-Zedekiah.png","large-width":388,"large-height":388,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez12-Zedekiah.png","1536x1536-width":388,"1536x1536-height":388,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez12-Zedekiah.png","2048x2048-width":388,"2048x2048-height":388,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez12-Zedekiah.png","post_full_size-width":388,"post_full_size-height":388,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez12-Zedekiah.png","home_baner-width":388,"home_baner-height":388}},"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,"chapter_info":{"books_group":"Prophets","book":"Ezekiel","chapter":"12","chapter_main_number":"464","date":"20270609","wall_id":"464"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":false},{"order":16,"id":"73648","color":"#eceffa","size":"1","name":"False Prophets And Flimsy Walls ","post_title":"False Prophets And Flimsy Walls","slug":"false-prophets-and-flimsy-walls","old_id":"73648","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. 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Ezekiel is commanded to prophecy about the false prophets who \u201cfollow their own spirit\u201d (3), \u201cspoke worthless words\u201d (8), and \u201cbuilt a wall and smeared it with plaster\u201d (10).<\/span><\/p>\r\n

That God intends to punish these false prophets can\u2019t be a surprise to anyone. When God first introduced the concept of prophecy to Moses, He stipulated, <\/span>\u201cthe prophet that shall speak a word presumptuously in My name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall die\u201d (Deut. 18:20).<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Our sages posit two interpretations for what constitutes a false prophet. In one instance, it is someone who knowingly makes up prophecies and offers them as the word of God or manipulates the word of God to fit their own agenda. That is characterized as insidious behavior. The other is that a false prophet arises when someone\u2019s imagination deludes them into believing that they have the gift of prophecy and hear the word of God. But either way, the punishment for being a false prophet is the same. Why? Isn\u2019t the latter case a mistake?<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Rabbi Dr. Gidon Rothstein offers this explanation. Even if a false prophet was mistaken about a seemingly prophetic experience, if they were a good person, they would use whatever they thought they heard for good. But these false prophets took whatever they mistakenly heard or intentionally invented and used it to create \u201ca flimsy wall \u201c(v. 10). God points specifically to the false prophets\u2019 attempts to exploit the people\u2019s vulnerabilities and undermine the efforts of the true prophets whose intent was to elicit repentance. The false prophets tried to convince the people that there would be peace, and all would be well. That would certainly be the preferable message to hear when in dire straits, and thus the preferable prophet to follow. By intentionally creating divisiveness among the nation and preventing repentance among those who fell into their camp, they deserve the full punishment God intends.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

This episode concludes with God commanding Ezekiel to tell these false prophets that their flimsy wall is going to fall apart, and the nation will understand that it had no foundation to begin with. That is a lesson for all ages: the literal and figurative walls we erect for nefarious purposes with no foundation are bound to crumble.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":73649,"alt":"","title":"ez13-wall","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez13-wall.jpg","width":960,"height":678,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez13-wall-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez13-wall-300x212.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":212,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez13-wall-768x542.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":542,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez13-wall.jpg","large-width":960,"large-height":678,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez13-wall.jpg","1536x1536-width":960,"1536x1536-height":678,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez13-wall.jpg","2048x2048-width":960,"2048x2048-height":678,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez13-wall.jpg","post_full_size-width":960,"post_full_size-height":678,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez13-wall-595x420.jpg","home_baner-width":595,"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":"False Prophets And Flimsy Walls","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"Structures without a true foundation are bound to crumble","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":73649,"alt":"","title":"ez13-wall","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez13-wall.jpg","width":960,"height":678,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez13-wall-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez13-wall-300x212.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":212,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez13-wall-768x542.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":542,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez13-wall.jpg","large-width":960,"large-height":678,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez13-wall.jpg","1536x1536-width":960,"1536x1536-height":678,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez13-wall.jpg","2048x2048-width":960,"2048x2048-height":678,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez13-wall.jpg","post_full_size-width":960,"post_full_size-height":678,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez13-wall-595x420.jpg","home_baner-width":595,"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,"chapter_info":{"books_group":"Prophets","book":"Ezekiel","chapter":"13","chapter_main_number":"465","date":"20270610","wall_id":"465"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":false},{"order":17,"id":"73663","color":"#f8ebe3","size":"1","name":"Who\u2019s To Blame? ","post_title":"Who\u2019s To Blame?","slug":"whos-to-blame","old_id":"73663","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":62571,"post_title":"Yaakov Bieler","slug":"yaakov-bieler","old_id":"62571","first_name":"Yaakov ","last_name":"Bieler ","description":"Rabbi Yaakov Bieler has been involved in Jewish education and the synagogue Rabbinate in New York, NY and Silver Spring, MD since being ordained by Yeshiva University in 1974. He has lectured and written extensively on Modern Orthodoxy, and blogs daily at https:\/\/yaakovbieler.wordpress.com ","short_description":"Rabbi Yaakov Bieler has been involved in Jewish education and the synagogue Rabbinate in New York, NY and Silver Spring, MD since being ordained by Yeshiva University. ","credit":"","image_url":"","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":62572,"alt":"","title":"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/yaakov-bieler.jpg","width":141,"height":180,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/yaakov-bieler-141x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":141,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/yaakov-bieler.jpg","medium-width":141,"medium-height":180,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/yaakov-bieler.jpg","medium_large-width":141,"medium_large-height":180,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/yaakov-bieler.jpg","large-width":141,"large-height":180,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/yaakov-bieler.jpg","1536x1536-width":141,"1536x1536-height":180,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/yaakov-bieler.jpg","2048x2048-width":141,"2048x2048-height":180,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/yaakov-bieler.jpg","post_full_size-width":141,"post_full_size-height":180,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/yaakov-bieler.jpg","home_baner-width":141,"home_baner-height":180}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"465","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"The liars for lying, or the listeners for listening?\r\n","post_main_content_content":"

Ezekiel 13 is dedicated to warning false prophets of the impending punishments for their grave transgressions. These individuals, instead of reinforcing God\u2019s word that significant changes are required in order to mitigate the impending divine decrees, reassure everyone that all is well, and everyone can continue with \u201cbusiness as usual.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Ezekiel employs two metaphors for what the false prophets are perpetrating by claiming to speak in God\u2019s name. First, he describes their fallacious presentations as comparable to shoddy workmanship provided by someone who has been hired to repair one\u2019s home, and who can\u2019t offer a legitimate explanation when what he has done is shown to be sub-standard:<\/span><\/p>\r\n

\u201cInasmuch as they have misled My People, saying, \u201cIt is well,\u201d when nothing is well, daubing with plaster the flimsy wall which the people were building. Say to those daubers of plaster: It shall collapse; a driving rain shall descend\u2014and you, O great hailstones, shall fall\u2014and a hurricane wind shall rend it. Then, when the wall collapses, you will be asked, \u201cWhat became of the plaster you daubed on?\u201d (10-12).<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Then, addressing specifically female false prophets, Ezekiel charges that they have created an erroneous impression among their followers by \u201cfabricating attractive garments\u201d in exchange for food, thereby lulling their audiences into a false sense of security:<\/span><\/p>\r\n

\u201cAnd say: Thus Said the Lord GOD: Woe to those who sew pads on all arm-joints and make bonnets for the head of every person, in order to entrap! Can you hunt down lives among My People, while you preserve your own lives? You have profaned My Name among My People in return for handfuls of barley and morsels of bread; you have announced the death of persons who will not die and the survival of persons who will not live\u2014lying to My People, who listen to your lies\u201d (18-19).<\/span><\/p>\r\n

While in both contexts, the ultimate blame must lie with those falsely claiming to be presenting the word of God when they speak \u201c\u2026out of their own imagination,\u201d (2 and 17), one cannot simply exonerate the listeners. They are eagerly giving ear to what they want to hear. It is clearly more difficult to accept substantive criticism and censure, than glad-handing and \u201csimple fixes.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n

One midrash suggests that the practice to derisively treat prophets delivering difficult messages already began with how Joseph\u2019s brothers responded to his dreams, if we choose to understand his visions as pleas for his older siblings to become more spiritual and ethical (see Genesis 37:6-9; 20).<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Unfortunately, it becomes clear which prophets were telling the truth and which were not, only after \u201cthe fact.\u201d If we could acquire for ourselves the prescience of the people of Nineveh (Jonah 3:5), we would be so much better 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is the Tanach's middlest chapter","post_main_content_content":"

Does it feel like a long time since July 15, 2018? That's when we started this journey, with Genesis Chapter 1: reading the Tanach a chapter a day, every day, five chapters a week.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n

Well, we've reached the midway point. The hump. However long it has felt, or been since that fateful summer day (OK, 93 weeks - but who's counting?) - that's how long we have left till we reach the very end - 2 Chronicles chapter 36 - The End.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n

And then of course - begin again...<\/p>\r\n

Welcome to the middle.\u00a0<\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":73635,"alt":"","title":"ez13-camel2","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez13-camel2.jpg","width":960,"height":720,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez13-camel2-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez13-camel2-300x225.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":225,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez13-camel2-768x576.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":576,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez13-camel2.jpg","large-width":960,"large-height":720,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez13-camel2.jpg","1536x1536-width":960,"1536x1536-height":720,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez13-camel2.jpg","2048x2048-width":960,"2048x2048-height":720,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez13-camel2.jpg","post_full_size-width":960,"post_full_size-height":720,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez13-camel2-560x420.jpg","home_baner-width":560,"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":"Today is the day!","tile_main_caption":"929's Hump Day","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"The Tanach's middlest chapter","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":73666,"alt":"","title":"ez13-Humpday","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez13-Humpday.jpg","width":1300,"height":967,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez13-Humpday-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez13-Humpday-300x223.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":223,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez13-Humpday-768x571.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":571,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez13-Humpday-1024x762.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":762,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez13-Humpday.jpg","1536x1536-width":1300,"1536x1536-height":967,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez13-Humpday.jpg","2048x2048-width":1300,"2048x2048-height":967,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez13-Humpday-1200x893.jpg","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":893,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez13-Humpday-565x420.jpg","home_baner-width":565,"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,"chapter_info":{"books_group":"Prophets","book":"Ezekiel","chapter":"13","chapter_main_number":"465","date":"20270610","wall_id":"465"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":false}],"hide_acf":true,"home_image":false,"home_posts":false,"home_posts_title":"","posts_home":[],"static_cube_title":"","static_cube_brief":"","static_cube_color":"","link_teaser":"","listen_link":"","other_title":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/wall\/73375"}],"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=73375"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}