Thoughts on Parashah Noach

8 Cheshvan, 5774

Thoughts on Parashah Noach:

-          Unlike Abraham and Moses, Noah utters not a single word in Humankind’s defense, nor does he even attempt to try to negotiate for Humankind’s redemption. And this is the figure that both The Torah and God see as the epitome of righteous during Biblical time? If so, what does this say about righteousness? That it does not include empathy or sympathy?

-          "What’s a cubit?"

-          It is interesting to note how the ancient Israelites (and other first readers of The Torah) imagined an ELE (Extinction-Level Event)…not by plague or invasion or assimilation or even Sarah Palin but by flood.

-          Gen. 7:8: “God then remembered Noah…” If we’re not indulging in anthropomorphism, then God does not forget (like I do every morning when searching for my keys). If God does not forget, what is God really doing when “God remembers” (which God will famously do with the pleading Israelites enslaved in Egypt.) Perhaps ‘remembering means acknowledging (which in of itself does not hinge on forgetting?) (Although it does carry its own value-laden meaning.)

-          Gen: 8:20: What is the significance of the animals in the Ark being pure at this point of The Torah? After all, there has been no mention of Kashrut Laws yet (which are derived from Leviticus and Deuteronomy) nor have there been any instructions regarding the individual’s or community’s state of purity/impurity (i.e. – handling a corpse).

-          Gen. 8: 21: God notes Human’s continued reverence even after surviving an apocalyptic event of God’s making…and through this revelation believes Humans transcend their own innate and inevitable “evil inclination”. (Yes, I will probably ponder this. For. The. Rest. Of My. Life.)

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The Babel Story

-          I love reading this tale as an anthropologic look at how the ancients struggled to understand diversity. 

-          I think The Women’s Commentary is spot-on in noting that, as per The Torah, God sees a danger in  cultural/societal homogeneity and does not condemn diversity as its remedy. (Although I am amused by the story’s implication that God understands Humankind will see Diversity and Homogeneity in the exact reverse.)

-          I think one cannot overemphasize God’s role as instructor here, for like any good professors, God pushes God’s students beyond the borders of their comfort zones, knowing this is the only lasting way they will learn. Welcome to The Struggle.

A New Spiritual Comfort Zone: Reflecting on the Pew Study

A New Spiritual Comfort Zone: Reflecting on the Pew Study

Thoughts on Parashah B'reishit

1 Cheshvan, 5774

And so the joyous music of Simchat Torah calls us Torah studiers back out onto the hardwood floor where we will be rendered near absolute-beginners for another (Jewish) calendar year. Let the dance (and the struggle) begin!

5774 starts my 4th go-around with the five Books of Moses and in acknowledging and celebrating that I have decided to spend the new year not just with The Torah but with “The Torah: A Women’s Commentary”. Sadly, we do not use this book during Torah Study, instead defaulting to either The Tanakh or the Modern Commentary/Plaut version. These are fine but honestly, their obvious male-centric narrative and lack of both a female perspective and feminist examination reveal (sometimes painfully) how deeply immersed in (sometimes oppressive) patriarchy these foundational books are. While this does not escape the attention of the rabbis who lead my Torah study it is not always their weekly focus either (although they would be the first to encourage introducing them relevantly into the discussions). 

Whether it is because of my renewed academic focus on feminism through my MA courses this semester or a need to find a new analytic lens for my Torah study, I am eager to listen and read the Torah through new voices and eyes. (Not only does the Women’s Commentary offer these via its fresh ideas and arguments, it also includes poetic interpretations and inspirations of the text which are for me are just as provocative, and ultimately moving as the editorials themselves.)

With this new directive I have just completed Parshah B’reishit. (Yes, I know I am a week behind, indicative of the amount of reading my MA program leaves on my desk) and am left with these observations and questions in its wake:

-          After eating the apple Adam and Eve’s eyes were opened, yet it does not say they incurred shame from their nakedness (Genesis 3:7) – if I am reading the Hebrew correctly. Then by default is not what they are feeling by realizing their nakedness – which is really just the result of eating the forbidden fruit, the real transgression here – guilt? I think this is critical since guilt attaches itself to action (eating the apple) as opposed to shame, which clings to the person instead.

-          Genesis 3:6 – Wait – Adam was with Eve when the snake suggested a little consciousness-raising for dessert? Whoa, that little detail was de-emphasized in other retellings of the Creation Story I have come across.

-          Genesis 3:9 – God asks Adam - and through him, acknowledging the rest of humanity’s raised awareness – “Where ya at?” And my/your/our answer is…? (From a great Torah lesson with Rabbi Matt Soffer).

-          Genesis 3:16: Ah, so the hetero-normativity begins. (Not surprising given the historical and cultural contect of The Torah.)

-          Genesis 3:22: So God exiled Eve and Adam, not because they had eaten from The Tree of Knowledge but out of fear that because they had they might (inevitably) eat from The Tree of Life next? Which implies…?

-          P. 18’s commentary: “The gateway to the garden is closed, but the world has opened up.” And Eve says, “You’re welcome.”

-          Genesis 5: 1-27: How are we judging the length of time here? Genesis emphasizes the importance of a seven-day week but are we assuming a day is 24 hours? A year cannot be calculated as 365 days (the length of a Gregorian year) yet.

-          Genesis 6:1-4: Um, er, whaaaa….? Not sure if I am reading a Greek myth now, half-expecting Zeus to pop out from behind the curtains and wink at the audience. Of course, the placement of this passage informs the verses that follow – well, kinda maybe, but then, maybe not - but couldn’t that proceeding passage also stand alone?

And so the joyous music of Simchat Torah calls us Torah studiers back out onto the hardwood floor where we will be rendered near absolute-beginners for another (Jewish) calendar year. Let the dance (and the struggle) begin!