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!
