Currently Reading Grace (Eventually): Thoughts on Faith By Anne Lamott see related

To Xanga or Not to Xanga

I just don't know about Xanga.  It's hard to remember to come over here and post things.  But, at the same time, it seems wrong to let Xanga terminate my seemingly inactive account, so I'm writing this post.

If you find yourself wanting to follow my random musings, the best place to go is my real blog: http://dreamcrossedtwilight@blogspot.com.  Or you can find me on Facebook if you know me.

Happy days!  I think I'll go paint the town red now....

Currently Reading The Life and Teachings of Hillel By Yitzhak Buxbaum see related

A Time to Dance

Hallowed Be Thy Name

"Rabbi Simeon son of Eleazar taught, 'When the people of Israel do the will of their Father in heaven, then His name is magnified in the world'" (Mekilita de Rabbi Ishmael, on Exodus 15:2, Lauterbach, vol. 2, 28).

I am learning this semester to appreciate the vast depth of Judaic thought, particularly with regard to its influence on Jesus' teachings.  The thing I most appreciate about the Hebrew mindset is that it is very active; it doesn't leave room for metaphysical mind games.  Faith, to the Jews, is directly tied to how you live your life.  It's not so important what's going on in your head; it's what's going on in your actions that defines a person.  This is not to say that a person's internal life is not essential; good Jewish teaching stresses over and over that faith and righteous actions must come from the heart ("heart" and "mind" are almost interchangeable in ancient Hebrew).

"Hallowed be thy name," in the Jewish mindset, isn't just lip service.  It isn't just praising Him in the community of the faithful, though of course that is an element of it.  To truly give laud to the name of Adonai is to live out His will on earth (as in heaven).  It is to do deeds of loving-kindness (chesed), which reflect the kingdom of heaven.

And His kingdom, the malchut shamayim, is two-fold: God's power doing what God wants and God's people doing what God wants.  (That's Dr. Young's definition, and I like it.)  It requires us to take some responsibility for our faith and actually live it.

Thy kingdom come.  On earth . . . as it is in heaven.

Brief Thoughts on Numbers 12

I recently finished a paper exegeting the text of Numbers 12 (which I translated in my last post).  My general thought?  This passage says a lot.  And boy, is it controversial.

Verse 1: The big question is, "What is the issue at hand, really?"  Is the problem the fact that Moses has a Cushite wife?  (Some scholars say "yes" and present rationale for why this passage is really a commentary on interracial relations and how God's punishment of Miriam by making her skin leprous and white is poetic justice for her comments against the unnamed Cushite, or Ethiopian, wife of Moses.)  And I think perhaps there's an element of truth here, but if we limit ourselves to this interpretation, we miss what I think the main point of the passage is.  Other scholars suggest that if this unnamed woman is Zipporah, perhaps Miriam and Aaron were grumbling about the 70 elders that Jethro (Zipporah's father) convinced Moses to take on in order to help him administratively--perhaps complaining that he was losing touch with the people.  Or maybe they're grumbling, not because the decision was bad, but because Zipporah and her father seem to have more clout with Moses than they do.  I mean, hello: they're the high priest and the prophetess.  They're a pretty big deal.

Verse 2: Miriam and Aaron's main complaint is that they hear from God, too, by golly.  What's the deal with Moses being the only person who's right?

Verse 3: Narrator's commentary on Moses.  It's usually translated that Moses was more "humble" or "meek" than anyone else on the earth, which seems kind of...too "pie in the sky" for me.  I read an article by Cleon Rogers in my research, though, arguing that the more appropriate translation is "afflicted" or "bowed down."  I think: weary, heavy laden.  All the burdens of the stiff-necked and rebellious people are crushing him.  Perhaps again this is in reference to his recent administrative decision to take on the 70 elders.  Just thought of that.  Should have mentioned it in my paper...oh well.

Verses 4-8: So Adonai is listening, and boom: He calls them out.  Pretty much tells them, "Look, most of your prophets (including you, you morons) hear from me in dreams and visions.  Sure, they get a piece of me.  But look at Moses.  He's the only one here that I trust enough to let him see me face to face and live.  I don't give him riddles; when I tell him something, I mean for him to act on it."  Seriously, think back to Sinai.  The people were seriously freaking out at all the thunder and lightning and smoke and pretty much begged not to go any closer to the mountain than was absolutely necessary.  (Moses must have been seriously brave.)  You didn't see Miriam and Aaron climbing up after Moses, did you?  As I recall, at least in the case of Aaron, he let the people get so freaked out wondering if Moses was ever coming back that they forged the golden calf and got themselves into all sorts of trouble.

Verses 9-13: So.  Miriam is struck with leprosy.  Nothing happens to Aaron.  We've got...yes, that's right, more controversy!  The rabbis imply that it's because Miriam didn't just sin by speaking ill against Moses; she overstepped the bounds of her gender in assuming that she could fulfill the role of prophetess after the establishment of the Law and covenant at Sinai.  (It was ok to be a prophetess in the transition from Egypt to Sinai, though.)  Well, the feminist critics really aren't a fan of this interpretation.  Neither am I, to be honest.  I think the better explanation is that (1) Miriam was the instigator and Aaron was the follower, which is implied by the 3rd feminine singular verb in verse 1 even though you'd expect a 3rd common plural verb when two people are performing the action and (2) God wasn't going to strike Aaron with leprosy because he'd be quarantined for a week and that would disrupt the worship of the entire community.  At any rate, Aaron admits his stupidity really quickly and begs Moses to intercede; then Moses asks God to heal Miriam.

Verses 14-16: Adonai makes this analogy of a father spitting in his daughter's face, which is a super shameful, disgraceful thing in this culture.  Like, you'd have to do something really bad.  And even for the uncleanness brought about by the spittle, she would have been sent outside the camp.  This skin disease is much worse than that.  So, He's going to heal her, but she's still going to need to go through the process of getting cleansed.  In my opinion, this is both physical and spiritual: she must become clean from her skin condition, but she must also get things right in her heart to remove the disgrace.  Can you imagine all the things she must have thought about during those seven days all alone in the wilderness?  But everyone waited for her (which shows that she was a pretty big deal in the community), and then they set out on their journey again.

I feel like I really relate to this passage.  I chose it because I have been struggling at work (particularly this semester) because someone who is over me is making bad decisions that affect me negatively, and I want to talk bad about him and undermine him and just generally dislike him.  Sometimes it's so hard not to.  But the thing is, that's not what God wants me to do.  To me, the main point of Numbers 12 is that God is going to do what God is going to do.  He chooses the people He speaks through; He chooses the people He places in leadership positions--and if we are placed under them, it's our responsibility to give them our respect and help and not try to undermine them behind their backs.  Sure, we're going to disagree sometimes.  But it's our responsbility to be upfront in a manner that honors and respects the leader.

So...that's my current "fatal flaw" that I'm trying to fix. 

Currently Watching Mr. Holland's Opus By Richard Dreyfuss, Glenne Headly, Jay Thomas, Olympia Dukakis, William H. Macy, Alicia Witt, Terrence Howard, Damon Whitaker, Jean Louisa Kelly, Alexandra Boyd, Nicholas John Renner, Joseph Anderson, Anthony Natale (II), Joanna Gleason, Beth Maitland, Patrick Fong, Benjamin J. Dixon, Kathryn Arnett, Freeman O. Corbin, Moira Feeney see related

Maybe it's silly, but I'm quite proud of my Numbers 12 translation.

I'm exegeting Numbers 12 as the topic for my Hebrew research paper this semester.  You would not believe the controversy this passage has in the eyes of scholars...oy.  More insights to come...but here is the literal translation.  It's not much, but I find that it can be really insightful to reexamine a passage you've always just skimmed over before.

Numbers 12:1-16

1.  And Miriam spoke, and Aaron, against Moses on the cause of the Cushite woman whom he took [in marriage], for a Cushite woman he took [in marriage].

2.  And they said, "Is it only with Moses that Adonai spoke?  Is it not also with us [that] He spoke?"  And Adonai heard.

3.  And the man Moses [was] greatly afflicted [humble] above all the men who [are] upon the face of the earth.

4.  And Adonai said suddenly to Moses and to Aaron and to Miriam, "Come out, the three of you, to the tent of meeting."  And they came out, the three of them.

5.  And Adonai descended in a pillar of cloud, and He took His stand at the opening of the tent, and He called Aaron and Miriam, and they came forth, the two of them.

6.  And he said, "Hear now my words.  If there will be a prophet of Adonai [among] you, in a vision to him I will make myself known; in a dream I will speak with him."

7.  "Not so my servant Moses.  In all my house he [is] faithful."

8.  "Mouth to mouth I will speak with him, and appearance, and not in riddles, and the form [or likeness] of Adonai he will behold.  And wherefore [or on what account] were you not afraid to speak against my servant, against Moses?"

9.  And the anger of Adonai burned against them, and He went.

10.  And the cloud departed from upon the tent, and behold, Miriam, struck with leprosy as snow.  And Aaron turned to Miriam, and behold, she was struck with leprosy.

11.  And Aaron said to Moses, "I pray, my lord, please do not lay upon us sin [in] that we have been foolish, and that is our sin."

12.  "Please do not let her be as one who is dead, who, when he comes out of the womb of his mother, and it has eaten half his flesh."

13.  And Moses cried out to Adonai, saying, "God, please heal her now!"

14.  And Adonai said to Moses, "If her father had but spit in her face, would she not be humiliated seven days?  Let her be shut seven days outside the camp, and after she will be gathered."

15.  And Miriam was shut outside the camp seven days, and the people did not set out until the gathering of Miriam.

16.  And after, the people set out from Hazeroth, and they encamped in the wilderness of Paran.