Seeking God Through Jewish Biblical Interpretation

David Shasha, the director of the Center for Sephardic Heritage, wrote an excellent essay called "Understanding Midrash," referring to the rabbinic genre of literary commentary, which appeared in the Huffington Post. Here's the full article:

While the Halakhah, Jewish civil and ritual law, is the stern discipline of Jewish life, the Aggadic Midrash is its fountain of creativity. The word Midrash comes from the Hebrew root D-R-SH meaning "to inquire" or "to seek." The word Aggadah comes from the Hebrew root N-G-D meaning "to tell" or "to narrate." Midrash is the mechanism that permits Jews to generate new and multiple meanings from the Sacred Scriptures.

The tradition of Midrash as interpretation can be found in the strikingly odd tale of Ezra the Scribe in Nehemiah 8:8, where Ezra stood before a gathering of the people and presented to them the text of the Law, "translating it and giving the sense so they understood the reading." Ezra -- the "Bookman" -- transformed Judaism into a text-centered religion which promoted study and critical investigation of its traditions.

In the period of the classical Sages, Midrash became a discipline unto itself, and many collections of Rabbinical Midrashim, most prominently the canonical Midrash Rabbah, were generated and later collected into books.

In her classic 1981 study of Rabbinic interpretation in the context of contemporary thought, The Slayers of Moses: The Emergence of Rabbinic Interpretation in Modern Literary Theory, Susan Handelman contrasts Midrashic hermeneutics to the Greek philosophical tradition:

The infinity of meaning and plurality of interpretation are as much as the cardinal virtues, even divine imperatives, for Rabbinic thought as they are the cardinal sins for Greek thought. The movement of Rabbinic interpretation is not from one opposing sphere to another, from the sensible to the nonsensible, but rather from "sense to sense," a movement into the text, not out of it.

Rabbinic Midrash begins with the text of Scripture in order to spin out infinities of new meaning through the agency of stories, interpretations, and exegetical acts. While the ethical aims of both the Greeks and Jews sought an ideality, the methods that the two groups used were quite different.

The great scholar Max Kadushin, in his seminal 1952 work The Rabbinic Mind, sees the Midrashic method of narrative expansion that he views in "organic" terms:

The organismic principle of integration is an all-embracing principle, taking in all the value-concepts in the complex and relating every concept to every other concept in an identical manner. Within this general, all-inclusive type of integration or relationship, however, there is room also for additional forms of integration having to do not with the complex as a whole but with numerous specific concepts.

Kadushin illuminates for us the ethical elements that drive Rabbinic thinking, elements that emerge from a kaleidoscopic reading of Scripture.

In Medieval times Rabbinic sermons centered around the rhetorical aspect called Melitzah. Melitzah is the Hebrew term signifying rhetorical ornamentation and poetical values. The expert Derashah was one in which, as Jose Faur has written in an article on Rabbi Joseph Dana and Jewish oratory, the eloquence and erudition of the rabbi were central:

In our hands has been preserved a unique and quite singular art whose entire substance has been refined from a definitively Jewish source: the derasha or the "rabbinical oratorical art." It would be germane to mention here that the Tanakh functioned within the Sephardic rabbinical tradition as a fully formed model of "rhetoric." In this tradition, "rhetoric" is not considered an ornamental setting devoid of substance, but a Jewish aesthetic that shapes "truth/beauty" into a single unity: a truth that is inimitably beautiful is inimitably true, and the reverse [...]. From the aesthetic standpoint, the accomplished Darshan is no less an artist than the poet, painter or composer.

The art of Derashah thus comprises the scholarly-intellectual, the ethical, the exegetical, the aesthetic, and the poetical. Its aim is to expound Scripture by means of narrative expansion, thus allowing the Darshan, the one making the Derashah, to formulate new and often innovative ideas that can encapsulate cultural, historical, scientific, and philosophical values that are seen as "emerging" from the ancient Biblical texts.

As the scholar James Kugel states so eloquently in his landmark 1983 article "Two Introductions to Midrash":

Here then is the crucial factor in the mentality of all early exegesis: for when what then happened in Scripture happens again and again, unfolds over and over, it is because the Bible is not "the past" at all. For it to be the past, its sense of time would necessarily need to be continuous with our own, and we would have to live amid a series of similarly God-dominated events, so that the whole flow of time from Abraham to now could make for one simple, consequential, story. Once this is no longer the case, biblical time becomes "other," a world wholly apart from ours, yet one which is constantly intersecting our own.

In the end, Midrash is a means to affirm the sanctity of the Hebrew Bible as Scripture, yet it permits us to engage in a meaningful dialogue with the text in order to evolve as mature human beings. The Biblical text thus takes on a dual aspect: the ancient stories are told and retold while our current concerns are addressed.

The Midrashic method contrasts with static historicism, known alternatively as "originalism" or as "fundamentalism," in its ability to adopt multiple perspectives and a pluralistic stance towards meaning in our lives. Rather than assume that the truth is a singular, univocal idea, the attitude found in the Platonic philosophy and adopted by Western civilization, Jewish tradition leaves room for multiple truths and a seemingly infinite chain of meaning that is exemplified in the use of the Midrashic method.

Bibliographical note: For those wishing to learn more about Midrash, I would like to recommend the many books of James Kugel, particularly In Potiphar's House (1990), The Bible As It Was (1997), and The Ladder of Jacob (2006). Another wonderful writer on Midrash is Avivah Gottlieb Zornberg whose three books also make Midrash accessible to the general reader.

Derusha Update: "Violence, Power, and Freedom"

The Derusha Update 2.02

"VIOLENCE, POWER, AND FREEDOM"

24 October 2009

Noah

29 Tishri 5770

Please consider forwarding this newsletter to friends, family, and others whom you feel will enjoy reading it.

=============================================

"Every book shares with its readers a glimpse at what once was, what now is, and what - eventually - could be."

=============================================

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!

=== Divine Dual Intent (Leibtag)

=== The Effect Of Violence (Talmud)

=== Violence With Words (Kagan)

=== Trapping The Masses With Charisma (Faur)

=== Illiberal Democracies And War (Zakaria)

=== Responsibility Vs Tyranny (Sacks)

=== The Violation Of The Individual (Haddad)

=== The Hebrew Bill Of Rights (Faur)

=== Accountability And Safeguarding Our Freedom (Shasha)

=============================================

Looking for Something Good to Read?

=============================================

* "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.

http://www.TheNakedCrowd.com

* "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?"

http://www.ThisIsNotTheMeaningOfLife.com

* "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*

http://www.WeAreAllGodsChildren.com

* "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.

http://www.GoyLikeMe.com

[Derusha's books and authors are changing our world]

http://www.derushapublishing.com/derusha-books.shtml

=============================================

Divine Dual Intent

=============================================

In Bereishith 6:5-8, God declares His intention to destroy all of mankind, and provides a reason for this decision (note also how these psukim form an independent 'parshia'). Then, in 6:11-13 we find yet another declaration of God's intent to destroy the world, but phrased somewhat differently.

Compare the reasons given for the planned destruction in these two parallel 'parshiot'. Are they the same or different? If they are the same, explain the reason for the repetition. If they are different, explain the primary differences between them.

Is there any apparent thematic need for these two parallel passages?

[From "Questions for Preparation and Self Study: Parshat Noach" by Menachem Leibtag]

http://www.tanach.org/breishit/noachq.txt

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The Effect of Violence

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"God said to Noah, 'The end of all flesh has come before Me.' [Bereishith 6:13]

R. Yohanan said: Come and see how tremendous is the effect of violence; for the people of the generation of the flood trespassed upon everything, and yet the decree of their judgment was only sealed because they went out of the way to commit acts of violent robbery, as was said, "The world is filled with violence through them. I will therefore destroy them with the earth." And it is written, "Violence has stood as the staff [of authority] of a wicked person - not of themselves, nor of their masses, nor of all they have amassed, there is not one among them who yearns [for Me]" [Yehezqel 7:11].

[From Talmud Bavli, tracate "Sanhedrin"]

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Violence with Words

=============================================

The Tora condemns shedding "the blood of human in human" (see Bereishith 9:6). God will require the penalty also of one who publicly humiliates another person, whose blood is "shed" when made to blush in shame.

[Adapted from comments of Yisrael Kagan (the "Haphets Hayyim") in "Itturei Tora"]

=============================================

Trapping the Masses with Charisma

=============================================

The Rabbis also believed that Nimrod was the first man to establish a government whose main agenda "was to incite the entire world to rebel against God." At a certain stage of human development, many people believe that following God's Law equals bondage. In order to escape the rule of God, people chose to live under the tyranny of Nimrod. The building of the Tower of Babel, so tells us Josephus, was part of a plan to take "revenge on God if He wished to inundate the earth again." It is important to note that the Hebrew Scriptures describe Nimrod as "a mighty hunter before the Lord" (Gen 10:9) - because, the Rabbis explained, "he hunted people with his words." In this context, 'hunting' refers to the skills required to trap a victim and give it the fatal blow. The one who is most-skilled in the craft of hunting is the tyrant. Unlike a dictator, a tyrant does not impose his authority on the people by force - the people choose him, adore him, and are willing to die for him. The tyrant's main weapon is charismatic speech, the ability to manipulate and charm the public and (as if by magic) render it vulnerable to his schemes. The Biblical Esau, representing the ancestor of Rome in rabbinic tradition, was not only a master hunter (see Gen 25:27) but a master of oratory and theatrics as well (see Gen 26:38).

[From "The Naked Crowd: The Jewish Alternative to Cunning Humanity" by José Faur]

http://www.TheNakedCrowd.com

=============================================

Illiberal Democracies and War

=============================================

The distinction between liberal and illiberal democracies sheds light on another striking statistical correlation. Political scientists Jack Snyder and Edward Mansfield contend, using an impressive data set, that over the past 200 years democratizing states went to war significantly more often than either stable autocracies or liberal democracies. In countries not grounded in constitutional liberalism, the rise of democracy often brings with it hypernationalism and war-mongering. When the political system is opened up, diverse groups with incompatible interests gain access to power and press their demands. Political and military leaders, who are often embattled remnants of the old authoritarian order, realize that to succeed they must rally the masses behind a national cause. The result is invariably aggressive rhetoric and policies, which often drag countries into confrontation and war. Noteworthy examples range from Napoleon III's France, Wilhelmine Germany, and Taisho Japan to the more recent Armenia and Azerbaijan and the former Yugoslavia. The democratic peace is real, but it turns out to have little to do with democracy.

[From "The Future of Freedom: Illiberal Democracy at Home and Abroad" by Fareed Zakaria]

=============================================

Responsibility vs. Tyranny

=============================================

Babel represents the failure of ontological responsibility, the idea that we are accountable to something or someone beyond ourselves. Fired by their technological breakthrough, the discovery of man-made building materials that made tall, multi-storeyed buildings possible, the men on the plain of Shinar attempted to construct a self-sufficient universe (an artificial holy mountain) in which man is accountable to himself. There is no Other beyond nature to whom we are answerable and by whom we are judged. Writing of a later city-state, the Athens of Socrates and Plato, Lord Acton described the inevitable self-destruction that follows in the wake of such an undertaking:

"[T]hey became the only people of antiquity that grew great by democratic institutions. But the possession of unlimited power, which corrodes the conscience, hardens the heart, and confounds the understanding of monarchs, exercised its demoralising influence on the illustrious democracy of Athens. It is bad to be oppressed by a minority, but it is worse to be oppressed by a majority...The philosophy that was then in the ascendant taught them that there is no law superior to that of the State - the lawgiver is above the law. It followed that the sovereign people had a right to do whatever was within its power, and was bound by no rule of right or wrong but its own judgment of expediency."

The result was that 'the emancipated people of Athens became a tyrant.' Responsibility is response-ability: accountability to an authority beyond us, in the here-and-now. The alternative, from Babel to Nazi Germany and Soviet communism, is a story of human blood shed on the altar dedicated to the greater glory of humankind.

[From "To Heal a Fractured World: The Ethics of Responsibility" by Jonathan Sacks]

=============================================

The Violation of the Individual

=============================================

In this...narrative...mankind is united in a perverse unity. Man bands together in challenging God, intending to build a tower "whose tops shall reach the sky" (Genesis 11:5). In a massive biblical understatement, the text does not explain the exact nature of the sin of this generation. It does not have to. This perverse project of Man's self aggrandizement needs no further elaboration. The society that arose in Shinar resembled Communism, though predating it by thousands of years. "Man" collectively became the object of self-worship. Each individual had no value; only the "project" mattered. Traditional biblical commentators, in describing the building of the tower, relate that if a single brick fell, the workers would lament the loss of time and productivity. However, if a worker fell to his death, no one would care. The individual man was irrelevant and worthless compared to the deified collective Man.

Though unity is important and can be positive, it is only so if the individuals who comprise that unity are respected. Without respect for the individual, unity for its own sake becomes a form of idolatry, turning Man into a god. Single-minded opinion, expressed through a single solitary language, forces conformity, perverting the original meaning of what it is that makes us created in God's image. That Godly image implies the diversity and unique makeup of each and every individual. In seeking to supplant God, Man forfeits the essence of his own humanity - that unique part of each and every individual that defines us as being created in God's image. As a result, mankind is dispersed to the four corners of the earth. God confounds Man's ability to communicate by forcing upon him multiple languages. He will have to very slowly learn how to reunite with his fellow.

[From "We Are All God's Children" by Joseph Haddad]

http://www.WeAreAllGodsChildren.com

=============================================

The Hebrew Bill of Rights

=============================================

In the Hebrew economy of ideas the individual creates the family that eventually would create the state. Prior to the foundation of state, man was not a forsaken creature left alone in a hostile environment, as per pagan wisdom. Rather, he was placed in an environment that "was very good" (Bereishith 1:31), and was endowed with the faculty to "rule" over other animals (Bereishith 1:28-30; 9:1-7). Before there was a national government in Israel, a young shepherd who would become king proclaimed that God had put all of His creations "under his [man's] feet" (Tehillim 8:7). As can be gathered from Genesis and Exodus, basic human rights, such as property, life, freedom from bondage, as well as the institute of marriage, were a given, anteceding the state. In actuality, properly read, the first two Books of the Tora constitute the Hebrew 'bill of rights' establishing the rights and institutions fundamental to humankind, prior to government, and therefore immune from government. Thus, according to the rabbis, every human (and not only a Jew) is a "complete and total universe" (Mishna Sanhedrin 4:5).

[From "The Horizontal Society: Understanding the Covenant and Alphabetic Judaism" by José Faur]

http://www.JoseFaurStudies.org/#horizontal

=============================================

Accountability and Safeguarding Our Freedom

=============================================

The Covenant of Noah to this very day signifies the Jewish concept of the interrelatedness of all humanity under the Law of God. It is for this reason that rabbis insist that God made His own promise to Noah not to destroy the world ever again. Even taking into account the fact that the Law may theoretically and practically be violated by man, we must keep in mind that its very foundationalism serves to safeguard the God/Man dialectic; both Man and God are accountable to the terms of the same Covenant and may thus freely encounter one another.

[From "Representing the Human Family: Essays on the Book of Genesis" by David Shasha]

=============================================

Have a question? Contact us!

=============================================

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

=============================================

About Derusha Publishing LLC

=============================================

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.

Derusha Publishing is working with readers everywhere to make the world a better place, one word at a time. Publishing is more than just our business - it's our vision.

Derusha Publishing LLC

407 Jane St

2nd Floor

Fort Lee, NJ 07024

contact@derushapublishing.com

Please feel free to forward this newsletter in its entirety to friends, family, and others whom you feel it will benefit.

To sign up for this newsletter, please visit http://www.derushapublishing.com/signup1.shtml

Thank you and Shabbath Shalom!

Derusha Update: "Words, Dreams and Gifts"

The Derusha Update 2.01

"WORDS, DREAMS, AND GIFTS"

17 October 2009

Bereishith

29 Tishri 5770

Please consider forwarding this newsletter to friends, family, and others whom you feel will enjoy reading it.

=============================================

"Every book shares with its readers a glimpse at what once was, what now is, and what - eventually - could be."

=============================================

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)

=============================================

Looking for Something Good to Read?

=============================================

* "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.

http://www.TheNakedCrowd.com

* "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?"

http://www.ThisIsNotTheMeaningOfLife.com

* "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*

http://www.WeAreAllGodsChildren.com

* "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.

http://www.GoyLikeMe.com

[Derusha's books and authors are changing our world]

http://www.derushapublishing.com/derusha-books.shtml

=============================================

God, Creator?

=============================================

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

=============================================

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]

=============================================

Memory and Language

=============================================

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

=============================================

"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]

http://www.JoseFaurStudies.org/#horizontal

=============================================

A Daughter of Israel Defends God's Gift

=============================================

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"]

=============================================

Estrangement and Resolution

=============================================

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]

http://www.WeAreAllGodsChildren.com

=============================================

Have a question? Contact us!

=============================================

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

=============================================

About Derusha Publishing LLC

=============================================

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.

Derusha Publishing is working with readers everywhere to make the world a better place, one word at a time. Publishing is more than just our business - it's our vision.

Derusha Publishing LLC

407 Jane St

2nd Floor

Fort Lee, NJ 07024

contact@derushapublishing.com

Please feel free to forward this newsletter in its entirety to friends, family, and others whom you feel it will benefit.

To sign up for this newsletter, please visit http://www.derushapublishing.com/signup1.shtml

Thank you and Shabbath Shalom!

Derusha Update: "Rejoice, Rejoice"

The Derusha Update 1.08

"REJOICE, REJOICE"

10 October 2009

Shabbath / Shemini 'Asereth

25 Tishri 5770

Please consider forwarding this newsletter to friends, family, and others whom you feel will enjoy reading it.

=============================================

"Every book shares with its readers a glimpse at what once was, what now is, and what - eventually - could be."

=============================================

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!

=== Nothing But Joy (Vilna)
=== Sharing And Celebrating As A Community (Sacks)
=== Holding On To Our Happiness Together (Faur)
=== The Holistic Nature Of Tora (Faur)
=== The Tora Aims For The Well-Being Of Body And Soul (RaMBaM)
=== Unity Through The Torah (Reisel)


=============================================
Looking for Something Good to Read?
=============================================

* "The Naked Crowd: The Jewish Alternative To Cunning Humanity" [ISBN 978-1-935104-02-5]

by José Faur

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.

http://www.TheNakedCrowd.com

* "What Is the Meaning of Life" [ISBN 978-1-935104-00-1]

by Marino

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?"

http://www.ThisIsNotTheMeaningOfLife.com

* "We Are All God's Children" [ISBN 978-1-935104-01-8]

by Joseph Haddad

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*

http://www.WeAreAllGodsChildren.com

* "Goy" [forthcoming].

by Ranjit Chatterjee

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.

http://www.GoyLikeMe.com

[Derusha's books and authors are changing our world]
http://www.derushapublishing.com/derusha-books.shtml


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Nothing But Joy
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The expression "nothing but" (akh) is a "diminishing" term, and here it means: On the first day we are instructed to take a lolav, build a sukka, and to rejoice; for six days to have a sukka and joy, and on the eighth day "nothing but joy."

[Adapted from commentary of Vilna Gaon on Devarim 16:15]


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Sharing And Celebrating As A Community
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...[The] ethical life is a form of celebration. Doing good is not painful, a matter of dour duty and a chastising conscience. There is a Hebrew word, a key term of the Bible, for which there is no precise English translation: 'simhah,' usually translated as 'joy.' What it really means is 'the happiness we share,' or better still, 'the happiness we make by sharing.' One of the great statements of individual dignity and responsibility, Judaism is also an intensely communal faith, not simply a matter of the lonely soul in search of God, Plotinus' 'the flight of the alone to the Alone.' It is about sharing what we have, seeing possessions less as things we own than things we hold in trust, one of the conditions of which is that we use part of what we have to help others. That is not self-sacrifice. If there is one thing I have heard more often than any other from those who spend part of their time in service to others, it is that they gain more than they give. They do not want to be thanked; they want to thank. Lifting others, they find that they themselves have been lifted.

[From "To Heal a Fractured World: The Ethics of Responsibility" by Jonathan Sacks]


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Holding On To Our Happiness Together
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For the Hebrews, happiness is experienced collectively, in the density of human fellowship, never in seclusion....The three Holidays celebrate the density generated by the "assembly" of Israel. The last day of Passover, when it is no longer incumbent upon the individual to perform any ritual, is designated ('aseret) "assembly" (Dt 16:8). The same is true of the last day of Sukkoth (Lev 23:36; Nu 29:35; Neh 8:18). Coming at the end of a week-long celebration, 'aseret (root 'ASR, connoting 'restraining,' 'stopping,' and 'holding back'; see Gn 20:18; Dt 11:17, etc.), is a call to the public to 'hold back' from returning home, and 'stop' in order to 'assemble' and enjoy the bliss of their mutual fellowship, before going back to their respective quarters.

[From "The Naked Crowd: The Jewish Alternative to Cunning Humanity" by José Faur]
http://www.TheNakedCrowd.com


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The Holistic Nature Of Tora
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"The words of the Tora are life for this world and for the next" - taught the rabbis. From the perspective of the ketab and mikhtab, 'perfection' means also that the Tora is a holistic, two-dimensional system. One, which for lack of a better term we may call 'spiritual,' embracing the institutions, doctrines, and precepts intended to develop the mind and spirit of the individual. And a second dimension, political,' consisting of the institutions, doctrines, and rules needed for the administration of national and social life. Both dimensions are indispensible. Access to only one of these systems would hinder personal autonomy.

[From "The Horizontal Society: Understanding the Covenant and Alphabetic Judaism" by José Faur]
http://faur.derushapublishing.com/#horizontal


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The Tora Aims For The Well-Being Of Body And Soul
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The general object of the Law is twofold: the well-being of the soul and the well-being of the body. The well-being of the soul is promoted by correct opinions communicated to the people according to their capacity. Some of these opinions are therefore imparted in a conventional expression, others allegorically; because certain opinions are (in their conventional expression) too strong for the capacity of the masses. The well-being of the body is established by a proper management of the relations in which we live one to another. This we can attain in two ways: first, by removing all violence from our midst - that is to say, that each of us does not do as he pleases, desires, and is able to do, but each of us does that which contributes towards the common welfare. Secondly, by teaching every one of us the good values that are necessary to produce a good social state.

[From "More Nevukhim" (III:27) by RaMBaM]


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Unity Through the Torah
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In effect, the acknowledgment of human reason is the foundation of the democratic approach of the Torah, since it allows every Jew to understand the basic principles of Judaism according to their ability. Even a secular world view does not contradict the biblical approach as strongly as both religious and non-religious people consider. Both sides acknowledge the fact that within the natural framework of existence, an individual's life and destiny are contingent upon reason, on one hand, and powers beyond their control, on the other, including education, heredity, social-historical processes and scientific progress. As we have indicated, while they are unable to deny the influence of these factors, each group defines its moral attitude towards them according to its own lights. But all streams of Judaism are united by the belief that they can somehow influence the destiny of humankind.

[From "Modern Jewish Identity: A Rationalistic Motivation For Remaining Jewish" by Ester and Rudi Reisel]



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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.

Derusha Publishing is working with readers everywhere to make the world a better place, one word at a time. Publishing is more than just our business - it's our vision.

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