The Derusha Update 2.01
"WORDS, DREAMS, AND GIFTS"
17 October 2009
Bereishith
29 Tishri 5770
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"Every book shares with its readers a glimpse at what once was, what now is, and what - eventually - could be."
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Below are selected clippings from various sources that have been hand-picked to add some spice to your Shabbath reading. We hope you find these selections interesting and informative. Remember, there's always more to learn and another page to turn!
=== God, Creator? (Drazin)
=== Creation Through Dialogue (Shasha)
=== Memory And Language (Sa'adia)
=== A Dream Of Paradise (Faur)
=== A Daughter Of Israel Defends God's Gift (Talmud)
=== Estrangement And Resolution (Haddad)
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Looking for Something Good to Read?
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* "The Naked Crowd: The Jewish Alternative To Cunning Humanity" by José Faur [ISBN 978-1-935104-02-5]
Thousands of years ago, the Jewish nation became what Nobel laureate Elias Canetti called a "naked crowd"; a society built on transparency and inclusiveness, impervious to the attempts of would-be tyrants to control the "crowd" through mind-games, linguistic manipulation, and mass hysteria. While the Jewish people have, over the course of history, occasionally lost touch with this foundation of their society, they have never lost the dream of a truly free society for all. In this book, José Faur articulates the essence of the Jewish alternative to the cunning societies of world history.
* "What Is the Meaning of Life" by Marino [ISBN 978-1-935104-00-1]
Evocative of the Beat generation's cry for the victims of an empty and self-destructive culture, the pages of this book deliver the next generation's answer to that howl. Combining breathtaking and provocative poetry with a piercing social commentary penned by a prodigal teenage artist, this book is a must-read for all who are troubled by the slow decay of American society. Features the acclaimed "Allen Ginsberg, Are You Lonely? / Where Have You Gone, Friedrich Nietzsche?"
* "We Are All God's Children" by Joseph Haddad [ISBN 978-1-935104-01-8]
In a world riddled with xenophobia, materialism, and cynicism, many people are searching for the solution to the ills of modernity. This book proposes an "unorthodox" answer - a return to the ancient narratives and core values of the Jewish Bible may be the key to restoring harmony and fellowship to the human race. In this open and insightful introduction to the Hebrew Bible in its most universal aspects, the author uncovers the basic messages and themes that are truly relevant to all of humanity. *Featuring an epilogue on the current financial crisis*
* "Goy" by Ranjit Chatterjee [forthcoming].
This captivating autobiography explores one man's international search for a religious identity. Every step along this spiritual-cultural journey is redolent with existential metaphor and meaning; as the author is slowly drawn to the hidden Judaism of the post-modern philosophers and linguists, his relationship with God unfolds in an unexpected pattern.
[Derusha's books and authors are changing our world]
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God, Creator?
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What insights and responsibilities flow from our acknowledgement of God as the Creator? Discuss the following suggestions: (1) We are custodians of a world which humankind was given to manage in a proper manner, and violation of this trust may cause civilization to revert to chaos. (2) Existence has meaning and purpose, and life has to be approached optimistically. (3) The Creator is concerned with His creation and is intimately and dynamicaly involved in the universal drama.
[From "Onkelos on the Torah: Understanding the Bible Text" by Israel Drazin (possibly the best Humash in print)]
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Creation Through Dialogue
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In the Ugaritic materials we witness a seamless transition from the natural world into the divine world, a sort-of reverse-engineering. Creation is exemplified in materialist terms....In the Genesis text we have the absolute sundering of that experience by portraying Elohim as wholly Other....Elohim in the Hebrew text uses His speech, speech here being the point of contact between man and God. Rather than establishing an intrinsic relation with mankind through the material modality, Elohim of Genesis 1 creates a new and profound: This relation is now based on the mutual dialogue that is enacted through words and signs.
[From "Representing the Human Family: Essays on the Book of Genesis" by David Shasha]
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Memory and Language
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With "To see what he will call them," it intends that the human being itself should commit their names to memory. The meaning is: "for the human being, to see what he will call it," and that he will be deligent over them so that today he will not call a load-carrier a "horse" and tomorrow an "ox" and that today he should not call a pomegranate a "pomegranate" and tomorrow a "fig."
[Adapted from commentary of Sa'adia Gaon on Bereishith 2:19]
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A Dream of Paradise
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"If a man could pass through Paradise in a dream," wrote Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772-1834), "and have a flower presented to him as a pledge that his soul had really been there, and if he found that flower in his hand when he awoke - Ay! - and what then?" The first man to have dreamt, so the Hebrew Scriptures tell us, was Adam. Sometime after discovering that he was unlike any other animal, God put him in "a deep sleep" (tirdema) and Adam dreamt that Eve was made "bone of his bones and flesh of his flesh." He also dreamt that he had welcomed her and loved her and God blessed them both, and they were "one flesh," and for her sake he sinned and lost Paradise. Later, when he awoke, he opened his hand and - lo and behold! - there it was: the flower that God presented to him in Paradise! And Adam "knew" (wa-yada') - in the sense of 'recognizing' - "his wife, Eve" for what she really was: the pledge of having been in the presence of God and visited Paradise! [See Bereishith 2:19-4:1]. To commemorate this primordial dream the rabbis instituted seven blessings at the wedding ceremony, evoking the joy shared by the first parents of humanity. Praying that God should "bring forth happiness to this loving pair, as Thou have brought happiness formerly to Thy creatures in Paradise." That primordial joy is in fact the matrix, not only to human faith in "God, ruler of the Universe and Creator of humans in His image," but also of "bliss and happiness, bridegroom and bridge, love, brotherhood, elation and jubilation, peace and fellowship." In a word, of all those basic feelings that make an individual a part of humanity.
[From "The Horizontal Society: Understanding the Covenant and Alphabetic Judaism" by José Faur]
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A Daughter of Israel Defends God's Gift
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The Roman emperor once said to Rabban Gamliel, "Your God is a thief. For it says, 'God cast a deep sleep upon the man...and He took one of his ribs' [Bereishith 2:21]." Rabban Gamliel's daughter said to her father, 'Let me answer him." Turning to the emperor, she said, 'Give me a judge!" "What do you need a judge for?" asked the emperor. "Thieves broke into our house last night and stole a silver pitcher; however, they left a golden one in its place." The emperor shot back, "I wish that such thieves would come to us every day!" Rabban Gamliel's daughter said to the emperor, "Was it not better for Adam that God took one rib and gave him a wife who helps him?"
[From Talmud Bavli, tracate "Sanhedrin"]
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Estrangement and Resolution
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Man, curious create that he is, is tempted by his desires. He rationalizes his actions and seeks to justify himself at the expense of others. Placing himself as the center of authority, he sins. Through sinning against GOd, Man also distances himself from his fellow. The act of sin creates a chasm between Man and those closest to him, Eve, whom Adam knew to be the "bone from my bones and flesh from my flesh" (Bereishith 2:23). The resolution of estrangement, between man and his fellow, and man and God, is the Bible's objective, its hope for humanity.
[From "We Are All God's Children" by Joseph Haddad]
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Have a question? Contact us!
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As always, we are eager to hear from you. Please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions, comments, or suggestions.
Regards and best wishes for a meaningful week,
Gil Amminadav
gil.a@derushapublishing.com
Elana Amminadav
elana.a@derushapublishing.com
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About Derusha Publishing LLC
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Derusha Publishing is a dynamic and versatile company that prints poetry and philosophy, history books and prayerbooks, translations of traditional texts and post-modern commentaries on our common culture.
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