Jewish Musings, Sunday,April 7

[louise]

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 (hopefully)?
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!

[louise]

From my rabbi’s d’var this past shabbat:

“Only one Torah portion of the year has a name that makes reference to a number: Parashat Shemini, meaning “eighth.” Last week’s Torah portion concluded with a reference to the “seven days of ordination,” a seven-day period during the dedication of the Tabernacle during which the Kohanim were not to exit the Tent of Meeting. This week’s Torah portion begins with a reference to “yom hashmini,” “the eighth day,” after this seclusion period is complete.
‘Torah commentators connect this “eighth day” to other examples of special eighth days in the Torah. For example, the day following the Shabbat of Creation is also regarded as an “eighth day,” in that it is the day when the weekly seven-day cycle begins again and when human beings begin to co-create in the world together with God.

“A perceptive midrash (Bereishit Rabbah 11:2) imagines Adam, the first human being, at nightfall at the conclusion of the first Shabbat, seeing the sun descend and fearing that the world would devolve into darkness. Instead of solving his problem for him, God gives him tools so that he can solve his problem himself. God gives Adam two flint stones, which he then bangs together to create sparks of light and then to create fire….it is the weekly anniversary of the first day of creation, when God created light. The eighth day, then, is in parallel with the first day, but operating at a different level: for the first seven days, God is in total control of the progress of creation, but on the eighth day, God shares the work of creation with humanity. God creates light on the first day, and human beings, in our own way, create light on the eighth day.”

I have to say I never thought about Adam and Eve being afraid when it got dark that first night – I mean it’s Eden after all – but I think it’s a realistic possibility. I very much like the idea that on the 8th day we begin to be cocreators with God and that God gave us that ability. My rabbi ends with:
“Ever since the seven days of creation concluded, we have been living in the Eighth Day world, with its blessings and its dangers, its uncertainties and its opportunities. Emerging from the seven days of seclusion and preparation entails a reduction of divine protection, but our tradition is confident that living as God’s partners is in fact a higher level of life.”

[hollygail]

Loving the drash! And it reminded me of another, considerably more recent, one. Here's one by Rabbi Marc Gellman from 1989. The name of the book is Does God Have a Big Toe? / Stories About Stories in the Bible published by HarperCollins. (And as a teacher, I have permission to share it, as long as I give credit to the author and publisher, which I just did.)

- - - - -
Partners

Before there was anything, there was God, a few angels, and a huge swirling glob of rocks and water with no place to go. The angels asked God, "Why don't you clean up this mess?

So God collected rocks from the huge swirling glob and put them together in clumps and said, "Some of these clumps of rocks will be planets, and some will be stars, and some of these rocks will be ... just rocks."

Then God collected water from the huge swirling glob and put it together in pools of water and said, "Some of these pools of water will be oceans, and some will become clouds, and some of this water will be ... just water."

Then the angels said, "Well, God, it's neater now, but is it finished?" And God answered ...

NOPE!"

On some of the rocks God placed growing things, and creeping things, and things that only God knows what they are, and when God had done all this, the angels asked God, "Is the world finished now? And God answered:

"NOPE!

God made a man and a woman from some of the water and dust and said to them, "I am tired now. Please finish up the world for me ... really it's almost done." But the man and woman said, "We can't finish the world alone! You have the plans and we are too little."

"You are big enough," God answered them. "But I agree to this. If you keep trying to finish the world, I will be your partner."

The man and the woman asked, "What a partner?" and God answered, "A partner is someone you work with on a big thing that neither of you can do alone. If you have a partner, it means that you can never give up, because your partner is depending on you. On the days you think I am not doing enough and on the days I think you are not doing enough, even on those days we are still partners and we must not stop trying to finish the world. That's the deal." And they all agreed to that deal.

Then the angels asked God, "Is the world finished yet?" and God answered, "I don't know. Go ask my partners."
- - - - -

[lee058]

Good morning everybody. Hope you are all well and SAFE! Please pray for Israel.

Re today's topic: louise, and hollygail, I really liked your posts!!

Have a peaceful day, Lee

[peachymom1]

I love these drashes. Rabbi Gellman's book is one of my favorites - I've given it as a gift many times, and I pull it out and reread it from time to time.

I'm busy with Passover cleaning today - DH is watching one of his pre-Passover movies and will take a turn with the cleaning after lunch, so I can go study my Torah readings for next Shabbat. I'm reading the first six aliyot. It sounds like a lot, but I've done them all many times before, so it's just a brush-up to make sure I remember everything.

It's chilly here but clear and sunny, so it's kind of cheery outside. DS33 is helping me with Passover prep this morning, then he's going to our bffs' house this afternoon to help them with some computer issues. I'm thinking a snuggly nap with DH this afternoon will be a nice reward for all our hard work. :+)

[gazelle18]

Love all of this. Thanks Holly and Louise!