We all know the story of the Jew's exodus from Egypt - and if you don't rent the movie! The old one which Charlton Heston as Moses, and Yul Brynner as the DEFINITIVE Pharaoh. It's worth it just to hear him bark 'So it said, so shall it be!'
So anyway, the Jews were to place blood from their Pascal sacrifice on their door posts - so G*d would know which homes are Jewish, and which weren't as he flew overhead slaying the firstborn.
Firstly - does G*d really needs some handy sign to remember who not to slay? One of the perks of being G*d is that he's, well….he's G*D - He's FREAKIN' omnipotent ! He knows where you are sleeping - he knows when you've been naughty and nice! (so, hey, you better watch out and better beware).
Also, we know that Egyptians first borns in Jewish homes weren't spared (which would be what I would do to avoid being slew - just hide out in one of the houses with blood on the door posts - to even go crazy and put some blood on my own door post). And Jewish firstborns in Egyptian homes weren't killed either.
What does it mean that G*d passed over us - and keep in mind that this was the definitive act that started the Exodus, which thereby created the Jewish nation.
It means that G*d allowed us to literally pass over reality. Jewish history makes little sense - we should have been wiped out dozens of times. Israeli battles aren't taught at West Point military academy, because they just shouldn't work.
When G*d passed over use he enabled us to pass over reality - to pass over the constraints of the rules of this world. The more one believes this reality is real, the more one is bound by it. The more one understands that it's an illusion, the more one is able to pop the hood on the universe and hot wire reality.
This is the cornerstone understanding that is the Jewish mission: to transmit to the world throughout the rest of time the world simply isn't real.
It's a conjuring trick, an illusion - and it's function is to provide us with the challenge of seeing through that - to seeing truth, to seeing REAL reality.
And that's all - no need to stand on a street corner screaming about it. Just live in this world understanding that what you see on the surface is just the tip of the iceberg, and in the final analysis usually quite irrelevant.
Live our lives with that understanding as constant reality, and just our existence will influence the world to change for the good.
G*d passed over us, so we might pass over the constraints of the physical universe, so that the peoples of the world can in turn reach that enlightenment.
So they too can pass over.
So we all can pass out to the days of the Moshiach, bim'hara, b'yomainu.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Sisters are doing it for themselves
Sisters are doing it for themselves
B"H we had wonderful guests stay by us for Shabbos - and I hope they return to stay with us again.
An interesting topic of conversation came up, that I've never really considered before, and brought me to think deeply about the subject.
That is the differing approaches to spiritual fulfillment for men and women. Our guest was of the opinion that women were uneducated throughout the ages and deliberately kept in an unenlightened state by the Rabbis so to limit them to homemaking and other traditional feminine roles/values.
Now, I'm not a historian at all - but I found this an unlikely model to have occurred. For this to have happened it would mean the Jewish women were stupid and weak, Jewish men were evil and abusive and that G*d was uncaring.
As luck would have it I'm doing a website right now for a prominent Jewish historian who I've since talked to about this subject, and thankfully he gave many examples country to the opinion that women were subjugated, and told me that he has never researched any evidence that would suggest women were deliberately left uneducated for any reason, and found it to be accurate, but rather it’s a theory put forth for another agenda.
So, here's what I think is going on. Our guest was clearly an intelligent woman, and as such she was probably raised by intelligent women, or at the very least had intelligent women as role models.
Now we all know that women have spent much of the 20th century being emancipated from a 2nd class status - just have a look at the show Mad Men to see how the late 50s and early 60s were a different universe for women.
It seems to me that a central trait of modern feminism is throwing off the limitations that society had placed upon them, and an unfortunate side effect was that the idea of homemaking became massively devalued, and that devaluation has entered into the western group psyche as a core belief.
So when an intelligent woman seeks spiritual self-actualization, they can face a problem. Traditional Jewish feminine values come into clash with that core feeling that a woman who chooses to make a home, and raise children within it (obviously the husband has a crucial role in raising children as well) to be a lesser person as one who doesn't, as they've thrown away they're opportunity to do all the other things that are now open for her to do.
The idea of becoming a homemaker seems to be repellent on many levels - which has led to this philosophy that masculine roads to spiritual self fulfillment are just as good as a route as feminine. If women were only prohibited from these masculine approaches as a result of men wanting to keep women in a 2nd class state, then there would be no good reason for the modern enlightened wom×İn to follow those paths if she so chooses.
Except according to my source that wasn't the case. Yes, of course the rest of the world's attitude to women would have some influence, but surprisingly little it would seem. I would say it's analogous to the Jews surviving the black death, because they had the simple practice of washing one's hands before they eat.
In the texts time and time again they have been the savior of the Jewish people. Tanach clearly does not favor one sex over another.
What I'm saying is that Jewish women don't take crap. They don't take it now, and don't think they ever took it.
I would wager if any women of the same point of view as our guest would just TRY traditional Jewish feminine values as a conduit to connecting to G*d (making Challah, or a Shabbos meal for example - with the intention they are doing it as a spiritual experience rather than just a practical matter) then two things would happen:
1) They would find that it gives them a greater spiritual connection than wearing a tallies, learning Talmud or whatever masculine path to G*d they normally favor.
2) They would be initially really embarrassed by the above (due to the above mentioned devaluation of home making and so on)
Again - this is all just my theory, and would love someone to experiment with it to see if it's actually the case.
And while I'm theorizing, what's wrong with women learning Talmud anyway?
Answer : Nothing at all WRONG with it, but think I can put forward an answer as to why it's not initially encouraged in orthodox Jewish women's learning.
It obvious that men and women are different on many levels (just about anyone who’s been married or has children can see that clearly) and it seems to me that as an extension on that, that men and women have different ways of thinking ;
Women in general are better at processing multiple streams simultaneously, whilst men have a much more linear, cause and effect approach.
Not to say one is better than the other, or the one is incapable of the other.
The function of learning Talmud is not just to acquire the knowledge within, but it is much more of a mental work out to tone one's mind in (what I'm calling) masculine thought patterns.
Which leads me to what I feel is the real tragedy of feminism - Yes they've thrown off the 2nd class citizen oppression, but in doing so they've also made it so that the only real pursuits of value are traditional masculine ones.
For me I feel that real equality is respecting women for being women, and not for being a woman who has taken on a masculine role.
Which leads me to the great scene at the beginning of the G*dfather where Johnny Fontain is crying, asking for the Marlon Brando's help, leading him to slap him and shout: YOU CAN ACT LIKE A MAN! (what are you some Hollywood fanook?).
My son and I quote that to each other quite frequently.
Great advise, but not universally helpful!
B"H we had wonderful guests stay by us for Shabbos - and I hope they return to stay with us again.
An interesting topic of conversation came up, that I've never really considered before, and brought me to think deeply about the subject.
That is the differing approaches to spiritual fulfillment for men and women. Our guest was of the opinion that women were uneducated throughout the ages and deliberately kept in an unenlightened state by the Rabbis so to limit them to homemaking and other traditional feminine roles/values.
Now, I'm not a historian at all - but I found this an unlikely model to have occurred. For this to have happened it would mean the Jewish women were stupid and weak, Jewish men were evil and abusive and that G*d was uncaring.
As luck would have it I'm doing a website right now for a prominent Jewish historian who I've since talked to about this subject, and thankfully he gave many examples country to the opinion that women were subjugated, and told me that he has never researched any evidence that would suggest women were deliberately left uneducated for any reason, and found it to be accurate, but rather it’s a theory put forth for another agenda.
So, here's what I think is going on. Our guest was clearly an intelligent woman, and as such she was probably raised by intelligent women, or at the very least had intelligent women as role models.
Now we all know that women have spent much of the 20th century being emancipated from a 2nd class status - just have a look at the show Mad Men to see how the late 50s and early 60s were a different universe for women.
It seems to me that a central trait of modern feminism is throwing off the limitations that society had placed upon them, and an unfortunate side effect was that the idea of homemaking became massively devalued, and that devaluation has entered into the western group psyche as a core belief.
So when an intelligent woman seeks spiritual self-actualization, they can face a problem. Traditional Jewish feminine values come into clash with that core feeling that a woman who chooses to make a home, and raise children within it (obviously the husband has a crucial role in raising children as well) to be a lesser person as one who doesn't, as they've thrown away they're opportunity to do all the other things that are now open for her to do.
The idea of becoming a homemaker seems to be repellent on many levels - which has led to this philosophy that masculine roads to spiritual self fulfillment are just as good as a route as feminine. If women were only prohibited from these masculine approaches as a result of men wanting to keep women in a 2nd class state, then there would be no good reason for the modern enlightened wom×İn to follow those paths if she so chooses.
Except according to my source that wasn't the case. Yes, of course the rest of the world's attitude to women would have some influence, but surprisingly little it would seem. I would say it's analogous to the Jews surviving the black death, because they had the simple practice of washing one's hands before they eat.
In the texts time and time again they have been the savior of the Jewish people. Tanach clearly does not favor one sex over another.
What I'm saying is that Jewish women don't take crap. They don't take it now, and don't think they ever took it.
I would wager if any women of the same point of view as our guest would just TRY traditional Jewish feminine values as a conduit to connecting to G*d (making Challah, or a Shabbos meal for example - with the intention they are doing it as a spiritual experience rather than just a practical matter) then two things would happen:
1) They would find that it gives them a greater spiritual connection than wearing a tallies, learning Talmud or whatever masculine path to G*d they normally favor.
2) They would be initially really embarrassed by the above (due to the above mentioned devaluation of home making and so on)
Again - this is all just my theory, and would love someone to experiment with it to see if it's actually the case.
And while I'm theorizing, what's wrong with women learning Talmud anyway?
Answer : Nothing at all WRONG with it, but think I can put forward an answer as to why it's not initially encouraged in orthodox Jewish women's learning.
It obvious that men and women are different on many levels (just about anyone who’s been married or has children can see that clearly) and it seems to me that as an extension on that, that men and women have different ways of thinking ;
Women in general are better at processing multiple streams simultaneously, whilst men have a much more linear, cause and effect approach.
Not to say one is better than the other, or the one is incapable of the other.
The function of learning Talmud is not just to acquire the knowledge within, but it is much more of a mental work out to tone one's mind in (what I'm calling) masculine thought patterns.
Which leads me to what I feel is the real tragedy of feminism - Yes they've thrown off the 2nd class citizen oppression, but in doing so they've also made it so that the only real pursuits of value are traditional masculine ones.
For me I feel that real equality is respecting women for being women, and not for being a woman who has taken on a masculine role.
Which leads me to the great scene at the beginning of the G*dfather where Johnny Fontain is crying, asking for the Marlon Brando's help, leading him to slap him and shout: YOU CAN ACT LIKE A MAN! (what are you some Hollywood fanook?).
My son and I quote that to each other quite frequently.
Great advise, but not universally helpful!
Sunday, January 10, 2010
A Hope In Hell!
I'm a reasonably shallow person, and one thing I don't enjoy is suffering. Many times in my life I've found myself wading into a river of excrement, and when it get's completely unbearable, I looked up to the good lord above, and say, 'c'mon big guy - give lo' Tzvi a break there'
And then when it seems it can't get any worse - it does!
This is a series of events that has always puzzled me - why do we need suffering? Yeah, I know all the star trek/pseudo spiritual ball crap - what is happiness without darkness.
I'll tell you what it is - IT'S FRAKKIN' HAPPINESS!
Disneyland is none the worse by not having a crappy ride!
So imaging my surprise this morning when I stumbled onto Rav Shimson Hircsh's commentary on this week's parsha talk at length about this - and it made sense at long last.
Last week it got pretty bad for the Jews, and then it got worse, and then worse and then worse.
The G*d comes to Moshe, and gives him the mission to redeem the Jews…
And waddya know - it gets worse once again!
At this point the Jewish people seem a bit miffed, and with good reason.
So what was the point of G*d squeezing and squeezing and squeezing and squeezing Am Yisroel.
Hirsch says it's like this - That the Jewish people need to live outside of the normal perceptions of reality or perform their function - they must understand the world is a facade and illusion. They must understand there is only G*d.
The only thing we have any control over is our desire. The outcome of that desire is completely out of our hands - no matter what that desire is. It could be turning on a light bulb or becoming president of the United States - any and all results in this world is dependent upon the blessing of Hashem.
G*d made it that there was no possible way the Jews in Egypt would survive - the situation went from bad to worse. It became untenable and should have been our annihilation.
And then the pain turned to smoke and wafted away as if it was never there.
G*d saved us, like he always does.
The Jewish people needs to understand that there is nothing but G*d, and that can only happen if everything is removed - even hope!
But the paradox is that one can always have hope in G*d - and assurance that is all is as it should it be. All is right, even in the worst of times.
Now, I hope to NEVER see the worst of times again. I hope I got the message.
But all I have is hope.
And then when it seems it can't get any worse - it does!
This is a series of events that has always puzzled me - why do we need suffering? Yeah, I know all the star trek/pseudo spiritual ball crap - what is happiness without darkness.
I'll tell you what it is - IT'S FRAKKIN' HAPPINESS!
Disneyland is none the worse by not having a crappy ride!
So imaging my surprise this morning when I stumbled onto Rav Shimson Hircsh's commentary on this week's parsha talk at length about this - and it made sense at long last.
Last week it got pretty bad for the Jews, and then it got worse, and then worse and then worse.
The G*d comes to Moshe, and gives him the mission to redeem the Jews…
And waddya know - it gets worse once again!
At this point the Jewish people seem a bit miffed, and with good reason.
So what was the point of G*d squeezing and squeezing and squeezing and squeezing Am Yisroel.
Hirsch says it's like this - That the Jewish people need to live outside of the normal perceptions of reality or perform their function - they must understand the world is a facade and illusion. They must understand there is only G*d.
The only thing we have any control over is our desire. The outcome of that desire is completely out of our hands - no matter what that desire is. It could be turning on a light bulb or becoming president of the United States - any and all results in this world is dependent upon the blessing of Hashem.
G*d made it that there was no possible way the Jews in Egypt would survive - the situation went from bad to worse. It became untenable and should have been our annihilation.
And then the pain turned to smoke and wafted away as if it was never there.
G*d saved us, like he always does.
The Jewish people needs to understand that there is nothing but G*d, and that can only happen if everything is removed - even hope!
But the paradox is that one can always have hope in G*d - and assurance that is all is as it should it be. All is right, even in the worst of times.
Now, I hope to NEVER see the worst of times again. I hope I got the message.
But all I have is hope.
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