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Post by louise on Oct 17, 2023 22:42:29 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:
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 louise on Oct 17, 2023 22:48:06 GMT -5
Still working this out, but here goes.
I have been in discussions about the phrase “Oseh shalom bimromav” over the last week or so which as many of you know is very common in our songs and liturgy. It is part of the last line of the kaddish which, in a traditional worship service, is used to conclude different sections of the prayer service and as a memorial prayer and so is said numerous times in the course of a service. It is commonly translated as “May the one (God) who makes peace in the high heavens”. For the sake of context, the full line translates as “May the one who makes peace in the high heavens, make peace upon us, for all of Israel (in my congregation we add “and for all who inhabit the earth). What I want to focus on here are those first words though, about peace in heaven. What does that mean? Is heaven not peaceful? It came up recently in a context about fire and water existing together in the heavens – fire and water which cannot exist together here on earth – so if God can cause those elements to exist in peace together – well the steps/hope from there is to apply that to what is happening in Israel now. I like that but went looking further for sources about the fire and water for a more complete explanation (the principle, no worries, I get!). Didn't exactly find what I was looking for but did come across some other interesting things.
I found that the phrase comes from Job (25:2). My Jewish Learning teaches it is a line about God’s might — so awesome that God can actually quell warring angels and impose peace on them. The Jewish prayer adds on to the line: hu ya’aseh shalom aleinu — “May he bring peace to us.” The prayer takes on a sense of request and yearning for peace.
I have also read stories about jealousy between the sun and the moon. And others about the stars each knowing their place in the heavens. Interested to know what you might make of “God making peace in heaven”.
For the sake of completion I will include:
Oseh shalom bimromav
Hu ya’aseh shalom aleinu
V’al kol Yisrael [v’al kol yosh’vei tevel]
V’imru Amen.
He who makes peace in high places,
He will make peace for us
And for all Israel {and all who dwell on earth)
And let us say, Amen.
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lee058
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Posts: 23,286 
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Post by lee058 on Oct 18, 2023 6:00:38 GMT -5
Good morning everybody. Hope you are all well and SAFE! Please continue to pray for Israel.
Re today's topic: Considering this morning's news about the Gaza hospital bombing, and (of course) it being blamed on Israel, I think prayers need to be doubled and redoubled. I hope they do some good.
I am grateful to my family for having come to the USA.
Have a peaceful day. We can't take it for granted.
Lee
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Post by hollygail on Oct 18, 2023 7:21:32 GMT -5
My congregation also adds "v'al kol yoshvei teivel" ("and for all who dwell on earth") at the end of the line. I never considered whether heaven didn't have peace, nor about fire and water "dwelling" together. I'll have to give that some thought... And yesterday afternoon (I teach Vav and B. Mitzvah class on Tuesday afternoons on Zoom as well as Sunday mornings in person) I started teaching chatzi kaddish which is said more often than other versions of kaddish and which my students are supposed to know well enough to lead at their respective b. mitzvah weekend (both Friday evening as well as Saturday, whether morning or afternoon, and yes, we offer that choice to parents). I've always taken for granted that, because we pray for peace on earth, we address God as the One who makes peace in heaven. So I've never really taken the kaddish apart to study its parts. I'll add it to my list of things to look into.
The sun and moon stories I've read are mostly about Rosh Chodesh (the "new moon" [literally, the "head" of the "month"] which is the first day of the month on the Jewish/Hebrew calendar each and every month of the solar-lunar year; that is, the months are lunar and the year is solar, which is why there's an extra month during leap years on our calendar). We just entered the month of Cheshvan (and Rosh Chodesh Cheshvan was Sunday/Monday, Oct. 15 and 16, and yes, sometimes there are two full days of Rosh Chodesh). And, in case anyone's wondering, this year, 5784, is a leap year.
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Post by hollygail on Oct 18, 2023 8:00:38 GMT -5
Guess what! Today is
National Chocolate Cupcake Day
What will you do to celebrate?
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Post by gazelle18 on Oct 18, 2023 8:59:23 GMT -5
You guys! It’s my bday today! Would love a “HB”! Will bbl to post.
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Post by peachymom1 on Oct 18, 2023 9:05:35 GMT -5
Happy birthday to you!
Happy birthday to you!
Happy birthday, dear Lynne
Happy birthday to you!
And many, many more! I hope it's a fabulous day for you!
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Post by peachymom1 on Oct 18, 2023 9:13:12 GMT -5
I've never thought of Oseh Shalom in this way, and I find it very interesting and fascinating. I always thought of it metaphorically - I don't believe in the God-sitting-in-the-clouds-on-high image, so I always just latched onto the importance of peace, wherever it might be needed.
My mind is going in kind of a scientific direction. I remember when I took astronomy in college, learning about the cosmos made me feel much more comfortable in it, like I do really belong here, and that it's important to learn about it. There are all kinds of chemical things going on in the universe all the time, which I suppose could be considered conflict that might need peaceful resolution. I think of God as the Source of Life - maybe bringing peace to the heavens means creating life and providing the tools to enable that life to continue and hopefully flourish.
I think I'm going to be singing every version of Oseh Shalom I know today, at least when I'm not on conference calls. :+)
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brgmsn
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Posts: 14,232
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Post by brgmsn on Oct 18, 2023 12:32:50 GMT -5
HAPPY BIRTHDAY LYNNE!! Many more in good health, love, and peace
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Post by hollygail on Oct 18, 2023 12:43:28 GMT -5
♩♪♫♩♪♫♩♪♫♩♪♫♩♪♫♩♪♫♩♪♫♩♪♫♩♪♫♩♪♫♩♪♪♫♩
♩♪♫♩♪♫ Happy birthday to you ♩♪♫♩♪♫♩♫♩♪
♩♪♫♩♪♫ Happy birthday to you ♩♪♫♩♪♫♩♫♩♪
♩♪♫♩♪♫ Happy birthday dear Lynne ♫♩♪♫♩♪
♩♪♫♩♪♫ Happy birthday to you ♩♪♫♩♪♫♩♫♩♪
♩♪♫♩♪♫♩♪♫♩♪♫♩♪♫♩♪♫♩♪♫♩♪♫♩♪♫♩♪♫♩♪♪♫♩
Hope it’s a GREAT one!
Holly
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Post by louise on Oct 18, 2023 14:36:28 GMT -5
Happy Birthday Lynne! And tidal is National Chocolate Cupcake Day. Handy!
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Post by louise on Oct 18, 2023 14:37:07 GMT -5
Duh today not tidal
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Post by happysavta on Oct 18, 2023 20:59:10 GMT -5
Shalom, chaverot,
I saw the radiation oncologist today, and he says I don't need radiation for the breast cancer. Yay!
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lee058
This space for rent
Posts: 23,286
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Post by lee058 on Oct 19, 2023 8:21:15 GMT -5
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