Jewish Musings Thursday, September 1

[hollygail]

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:
Holly
Lee
Louise
Lynne
Peachy

And for those of you who stop by to read this thread without posting — you are welcome to, but you are also welcome to chime in. Don’t be shy!

[hollygail]

The haftarah for this week's Torah portion is from Isaiah, chapter 60 verses 1 through 22. You may know that scholars have divided the Book of Isaiah into three sections; Isaiah 56–66 is generally identified as the work of anonymous prophets, known collectively as Third or Trito-Isaiah, from the early Persian period of Judean restoration (c. 520–400 BCE). All the haftarot between Tisha b'Av and Rosh haShanah are about consolation. And it sort of seems like the farther from Tisha b'Av, the "lighter" the message. This week, it seems even more likely that God will keep the divine promise to restore the Jewish people to their homeland. It has the feeling of triumph, filled with images of light. "Light" in Judaism is usually synonymous with Torah, God and hope. And not only will the Jews be brought back to the land, but other nations will come to serve us (and those that refuse will vanish). Even nature will be helpful so the people will no longer need the light of either the sun or the moon.

Consider for a moment the words of the Friday evening song, L'cha Dodi. It came from the city of S'fat in the 16th century, where many mystics lived, many of whom from Spain, and for the most part followed Rabbi Isaac Luria, a charismatic teacher. One of them wrote L'cha Dodi. (If you look carefully, you'll see that the first letter of each stanza spell out his name, Shlomo ha-Levi.) The first line of L'cha Dodi is "Come, my friend, let's greet the bride, the Sabbath presence bring inside" and the first line of this week's haftarah is "Arise, shine, for your light has dawned; The Presence of God has shone upon you!" While the words are different, the implication is that the author of L'cha Dodi based his on the opening line of this week's haftarah. Luria, whom he looked up to, wrote: "I sing in hymns to enter the gates of the field of apples of holy ones. A new table we lay for her, a beautiful candelabrum sheds its light upon us. Between right and left the bride approaches in holy jewels and festive garments... Torment and cries are past. Now there are new faces and souls and spirits."

What's the connection between the haftarah's vision of redemption and Shabbat? Trito-Isaiah seems obsessed with the Jews' return to the Land of Israel, and in particular, Jerusalem. For Jews, historically Jerusalem is the holiest place in the world and Shabbat is the holiest time in the week. Time and place. It fits. Two "Shabbats" coming together. The Talmud also teaches "If only Israel would observe two Shabbatot (presumably in a row), then they would immediately be redeemed." For the past six weeks, the haftarot have been urging us to "stop mourning for Jerusalem and the Land of Israel" because "it's almost time to come home!" Hope. That's a one-word description of this week's haftarah (and indeed, a description of all seven weeks' of haftarot we're finishing. (Yes, I'm into haftarot. Is it that obvious?)

What brings you hope?

[lee058]

Good morning everybody. Hope you are all well and SAFE!

Re today's topic: I get hope from my friends and family caring about me, from nature, from prayer, from good things happening in the world, and from thinking about these good things.

I feel kind of sick today, so I will keep this short. I may have to go out anyway, because my new sunglasses may finally arrive at the shop. I will manage if necessary.

Have a peaceful day, Lee

[peachymom1]

Holly, I'm glad you're into haftarot, because I learn a lot from you! Thank you for a great week.

What gives me hope? Judaism is a great source of hope. No matter how bad things get, there's always something to hope for, something to work toward, some way of contributing to the world so we can try to make a difference, even if it's just small differences. My son is doing research on gene therapies - that gives me hope. My other son has become an engaging soul, no longer afraid of his own shadow. And DD34 is responding very well to the infusions she does twice a year for her MS. All these things give me hope.

Everyone have a great holiday weekend! Shabbat shalom!

[louise]

I don't seem to have the bndwidth today. Trying to do just keep moving. Doing okay.
Shabbat shalom.