Clearly I need to make some resolutions, like getting through the whole year on here…oh well, maybe after I finish coursework (this year!) you’ll see some improvements. But really – can you believe it’s my last year of Ph.D. coursework?! I’m not sure that I can…
What’s happened since March? A lot – travel (NYC for Pesach, then a family adventure this summer; Kansas City for a wedding; Virginia and West Virginia for a graduation and road trip; Michigan to see many friends), work at the American Jewish Archives, dinner parties, books read, and a couple seasons!
This week, though, we once again took time out to consider the birth of the world, G!d’s gift to us of life, time, faith, and forgiveness, and the sweetness of our relationship with our creator. We’ve enjoyed time off, renewed focus, and meals and conversations with friends, family, and acquaintances. The elevated liturgy has offered deep prayer and exalted G!d for his mercy toward us.
Besides the new year, this week I’ve had conversations reminding me of companionship, support, like-mindedness…and challenges presented that have caused me to stop and consider my life and practice. In the midst of this reflective period, my friends and family have certainly come through with excellent words of wisdom and prompted me to delve into my relationship with G!d with a renewed energy. For these moments and their impact, I am thankful – and I am looking forward to Yom Kippur and the remainder of the holidays as I take these lessons into 5778!
In our times, we often (rightly) become distracted with the noises that surround us – including sounds, publications, technology, opinions…the list is seemingly ceaseless.
Parashat Ha’Azinu (
Deuteronomy 32) gets it, as we read in the first verse:
“Give ear, O heavens, and let me speak; and let the earth hear the words of my mouth.”
Moses calls out to be heard – a sign of the declaration he’s bringing to the people from G!d. Perhaps the world wasn’t distracted, but Moses still calls attention to his speech, and reading his words remind me that sometimes I don’t listen enough. As this new year begins, I hope we’re listening more often than last year.
Another striking feature of this parsha is its poetic layout: in the Hebrew, this is clear, while in the English translation we read the words more flatly. One of ten songs recounted in the midrash Mekhilta de Rabbi Ishmael, Deuteronomy 32 has carried great traditional signifcance. The Gemara also details the instruction to copy this song in its poetic layout each time a new scroll is written. This elevated literary genre fits the tone of the Yamim Noraim as we search for language which can communicate to G!d our thanks, repentance, and praise.
Additionally, Deuteronomy 32:8 contains an interesting textual variant which can render the boundaries according to the sons of G!d rather than the sons of Israel (see the research of Michael Heiser). This research contributes to the discussion of the Divine Council (in the Psalms) and the nehilim in Noah’s time, to name a couple examples of its impact. Beyond the textual implications, we may think about how scriptural writers used certain phrases to refer to the people of G!d.
As I continue through this year, I pray to be more aware of G!d’s word, more discerning of the textual tradition, and more careful in my interpretation and teaching (meaning that I will ask more questions!).
שנה טובה ומתוקה!!
