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Post by hollygail on Jul 27, 2023 8:05:12 GMT -5
What’s on your mind — how to make kugel? This week’s Torah reading? Life goals? Prayer? We are all engaged in weight loss/weight maintenance journeys and we are all Jewish or at least interested in Judaism. We like to eat, we like to discuss. It is our goal here to provide each other support on our journeys, to share experiences, to call on our rich cultural heritage and texts, and to help each other grow spiritually.
Some of us take weekly turns starting the thread:
Frieda
Holly
Lee
Louise
Lynne
Peachy
And for those of you that stop by to read this thread without posting — you are welcome to, but you are also welcome to chime in. Don’t be shy!
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Post by hollygail on Jul 27, 2023 8:21:40 GMT -5
Just FYI (I checked this morning) Almost all of the Torah and haftarah readings are chanted in the same melodies as used in Lamentations. I belong to a congregation where I am one of very few people who can step in to read Torah and/or haftarah and so I made it my business not to learn melodies other than "regular" Shabbat ones.
We could spend time today discussing whatever we want to about Tisha b'Av.
Or we could continue with the week's Torah portion.
If we choose the former, please ask and/or tell us whatever you want.
If the latter, here's what I'd planned before noticing the presence of Tisha b'Av in the middle of the week... Immediately after Deuteronomy 6:4 (the sh'ma) we see verses 5 through 9:
You shall love Adonai your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your might. Take to heart these instructions, which I charge you this day. Impress them upon your children. Recite them when you stay at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you get up. Bind them as a sign on your hand and let them serve as a symbol on your forehead; inscribe them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
In a manner of speaking, the first four words in Hebrew, v'ahavta et Adonai elohecha, and its translation into English ([And] you shall love Adonai your God), is a command. How can a person be commanded to "love"? I can't tell you how much has been written about this question (or this command). Perhaps this compilation is closer than some others: Love doesn’t necessarily mean affection. It means a deep, powerful connection that binds Jews to God through the mitzvot.
What's your take on either the entire paragraph that begins with "you shall love" or on only the meaning of the first words? (And it doesn't matter at this moment whether you do or do not believe in a single diety that Jews in general refer to as Adonai.)
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Post by gazelle18 on Jul 27, 2023 8:34:49 GMT -5
Maybe it’s not our modern definition of love, which connotes affection, hearts and flowers. Maybe it is “love” as an act; in other words, you shall act in a way that demonstrates your devotion to God.
Re:Tisha b’Av, I have a story. My oldest grandchild was about to be born in NYC. DH and I flew up to NYC, and my ex daughter in law was still in labor when we got there. My son was pacing the halls. As you will recall, our son became Orthodox while in college. Anyway, he said to us, “You know, at sundown , it is Tisha b’Av.” Like all good reform Jews, DH and I nodded, but had no idea what was coming next. Our son said, “So: if a male child is born on Tisha b’Av, he COULD be the messiah.”
Alas, our beloved grandson was born before sundown. But for a few glorious moments, I thought I just might be the bubbe of the Messiah.
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lee058
This space for rent
Posts: 23,299 
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Post by lee058 on Jul 27, 2023 8:35:36 GMT -5
Good morning everybody. Hope you are all well and SAFE!
Re today's topic: I am very ignorant about many things. Re loving God: Sometimes, while in any sort of pain, this can be hard to do. I think that's why it's so important to be reminded to do so. I find that my concept of God is that God helps me; when I am reminded to love God, it's like saying "Thank you."
Have a peaceful day, Lee
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Post by peachymom1 on Jul 27, 2023 8:48:43 GMT -5
"Maybe it’s not our modern definition of love, which connotes affection, hearts and flowers. Maybe it is “love” as an act; in other words, you shall act in a way that demonstrates your devotion to God."
I love this (pun intended). Thank you, Lynne, I think you hit it right on the head.
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Post by louise on Jul 27, 2023 16:14:52 GMT -5
I like what Peachy and Lynne said as well. Also, some words maybe have changed. It seems to me loving God, fearing God, and obeying God often amount to the same thing or are used in texts in the same way though to my mind they are very different things. We hear so and so "feared God" meaning, as far as I can tell, obeyed God. Just as respecting someone, fearing them, and loving them are all very different they can have a thread of overlap that I think was more so in the older language and understanding.
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