Rabbi Daniel says:
Apparently there is a form of poverty that is even worse than not having enough money in your pocket; it is the poverty of not having enough in your soul. The pain we experience when we lack that deep, internal happiness can be only temporarily anesthetized by means of chemicals. Unfortunately, the aftermath generally leaves us feeling even more empty and hollow...
There is a better way out of depression, sadness, and self-loathing, and it had to do with growth. A sense of achievement is the natural, organic, nonchemical solution to our spiritual void...
(Buried Treasure, pp 125-126)
Share, if you care to, about your experience with spiritual poverty. What was the way out for you?
Rabbi Daniel continues:
First we should examine the source ... which is SiM-CHa, the Hebrew word for “happiness.” the three root letters shin, mem, and chet mean “happiness.”
We have a general principle in Hebrew that the two letters tzadde and shin enjoy a special relationship. The former stands for righteousness and represents a saintly individual [with its appearance of a kneeling saint (צּ)], while the latter, shin, with its appearance of three tongues of flame leaping upward (שּׂ), represents ultimate attainment of heavenly bliss through closeness with God. The special relationship I alluded to springs from the observation that we would expect the tzadde, the righteous person, to be seeking the shin, or heavenly condition. Thus, when we encounter any word that starts with either of those two letters we should also study its mate, the word that is otherwise identical but for its starting with the other letter...
In our case shin, mem, chet means “happiness.” The word that precedes it or leads us to it is tzadde, mem, chet, which means “growth.” That’s right. Growth leads to happiness! Our souls simply reject stagnation. (p 126)
When have you felt like you were stagnating? How has it related to your spiritual poverty?
Rabbi Daniel concludes:
Think of motion as a metaphor for growth. Our bodies can only sense movement if the velocity of our motion changes. With our eyes shut, we are quite incapable of distinguishing between being stationary and moving smoothly and steadily. Have you ever sat in a railway carriage and been unable to detect whether your own carriage is moving or the adjacent train has started moving? That’s because we cannot feel the difference between no movement and steady movement.
However, we can easily sense any change in our velocity. If our vehicle is picking up speed, even if we are blindfolded we feel ourselves being thrust backward ...The general rule is that we are acutely sensitive to any change in the conditions of our motion.
In similar ways, our spiritual beings are exquisitely attuned to any change in growth. If our condition is stationary and stagnant, we feel nothing. If, however, we experience rapid change in our spiritual condition, we feel it strongly and the sensation is basically pleasant. The problem confronting us is that negative change can masquerade as fun and in the short term can feel even more pleasurable than the early stages of positive change. (p 126, italics mine)
How does this relate to the fundamental human problem that what is bad for us often feels so good?
What Bible verses does this lesson bring to mind?
Closing thought: According to Rabbi Daniel, there is no Hebrew word for fun. Perhaps we have not been created for random fun as much as we have been created for happiness.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Service, But Not Work
Rabbi Daniel tells the story:
Once upon a time, a pair of 19th-century railroad laborers, Bill and Jeb, were laying track in the desolate wilderness of the American West. This is about the hardest work you can imagine, and the two were old-timers. They’d been laying track for decades. One day a surprise visit was made to the work site by no less a dignitary than the president of the railroad himself. While inspecting the work that was going on, the great and august man came upon our pair of dusty laborers. His eyes lit up.
“Well, hello, Jeb!” he said. “You old scoundrel!”
Jeb looked bashful at first, but then the railroad president threw his arms around the exhausted laborer. He asked about Jeb’s wife and family, shook his hand warmly, then finally moved along to complete the inspection.
Bill was amazed. “When did you ever know him?”
Jeb explained that thirty years earlier the two of them had worked together laying track. Needles to say, through the intervening years the other man had enjoyed greater success than had poor Jeb.
“So,” asked Bill, “what company were the two of your working for back then?”
“Well,” Jeb replied, “he was working for the railroad.”
“What do you mean ‘he was working for the railroad’? What about you? What were you working for?”
“Oh,” said Jeb, looking a bit wistful, “I was working for 50¢ a day.” (Buried Treasure, pp 117-118)
Do you know anyone like Jeb? Do you know anyone like the railroad president?
The word in Hebrew for work is AVoDaH. The word means “service”—from either the type of service you get in a restaurant to a worship service. The first and last letters of the root form of the word (ayin, or A, and dalet, or D) form the word for “witness”. Moreover, some of the other words beginning and ending with these letters are the words for “future” (ATiD), stand (AMaD), and bind (AKaD). Rabbi Daniel says:
Confused? Don’t be; another way to put what I’ve just explained is to say that witnessing ... is an activity that somehow forms the common spiritual link between four related themes: doing service or work (AVoDaH), being in the future (ATiD), standing up (AMaD), and binding (AKaD). (p 118)
A witness has to stand up in court. A witness gives binding testimony. How else are these words related?
In Romans 12:1-2 Paul says to the church in Rome:
Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. [i.e. service]
Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
How do witnessing, serving, being in the future, standing up, and binding relate to these verses?
In your Christian walk, do you toil with no view towards the future (like Jeb) or do you serve the boss with a view towards the future (like the railroad president)?
Once upon a time, a pair of 19th-century railroad laborers, Bill and Jeb, were laying track in the desolate wilderness of the American West. This is about the hardest work you can imagine, and the two were old-timers. They’d been laying track for decades. One day a surprise visit was made to the work site by no less a dignitary than the president of the railroad himself. While inspecting the work that was going on, the great and august man came upon our pair of dusty laborers. His eyes lit up.
“Well, hello, Jeb!” he said. “You old scoundrel!”
Jeb looked bashful at first, but then the railroad president threw his arms around the exhausted laborer. He asked about Jeb’s wife and family, shook his hand warmly, then finally moved along to complete the inspection.
Bill was amazed. “When did you ever know him?”
Jeb explained that thirty years earlier the two of them had worked together laying track. Needles to say, through the intervening years the other man had enjoyed greater success than had poor Jeb.
“So,” asked Bill, “what company were the two of your working for back then?”
“Well,” Jeb replied, “he was working for the railroad.”
“What do you mean ‘he was working for the railroad’? What about you? What were you working for?”
“Oh,” said Jeb, looking a bit wistful, “I was working for 50¢ a day.” (Buried Treasure, pp 117-118)
Do you know anyone like Jeb? Do you know anyone like the railroad president?
The word in Hebrew for work is AVoDaH. The word means “service”—from either the type of service you get in a restaurant to a worship service. The first and last letters of the root form of the word (ayin, or A, and dalet, or D) form the word for “witness”. Moreover, some of the other words beginning and ending with these letters are the words for “future” (ATiD), stand (AMaD), and bind (AKaD). Rabbi Daniel says:
Confused? Don’t be; another way to put what I’ve just explained is to say that witnessing ... is an activity that somehow forms the common spiritual link between four related themes: doing service or work (AVoDaH), being in the future (ATiD), standing up (AMaD), and binding (AKaD). (p 118)
A witness has to stand up in court. A witness gives binding testimony. How else are these words related?
In Romans 12:1-2 Paul says to the church in Rome:
Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. [i.e. service]
Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
How do witnessing, serving, being in the future, standing up, and binding relate to these verses?
In your Christian walk, do you toil with no view towards the future (like Jeb) or do you serve the boss with a view towards the future (like the railroad president)?
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Adding to Our Wealth
Q: According to the UK Guardian on Tuesday, January 19, 2010, the United States government ranked 1st in the world among countries pledging aid to Haiti. The $114 million pledged by the US was how much more than the 2nd place nation (United Kingdom)?
A: $85 million. In fact the U.S. government has pledged as much at the next 8 countries combined: U.K., Sweden, Brazil, France, Germany, China, Australia, and Denmark.
The U.S. government has pledged more aid than the World Bank and the United Nations combined. However, the aid by governments is dwarfed by the aid given by individuals and private organizations, which amounts to half of all the aid pledged to Haiti. (Surely a large fraction of the private aid is from Americans as well.)
Are we charitable because we are rich, or are we rich because we are charitable?
Rabbi Daniel says: America is one of the only countries in the world in which charitable contributions are tax deductible. Some people incorrectly assume that Americans are charitable because of the tax rule ... That tax rule is in place to conform to the wishes of American citizens who wish to act charitably and do not wish to be doubly taxed. Large numbers of Americans donate sums that are greater than the levels that would benefit their tax status. The truth is that Americans are in love with the act of giving money away to those who are in need. (Buried Treasure, p 112)
Do you agree, or disagree?
The root of the words rich and tenth is the same Hebrew word: ESeR. Rabbi Daniel concludes that the idea of wealth is linked to the concept of tithing. Speaking of salespeople, Rabbi Daniel says: In essence, they say to a potential employer, “You should hire me because you have nothing to lose. You will pay me only after I have made money for you. I will only take a percentage of what I bring in.” They are among the most important people who keep the wheels of our economy turning, and their magic is the commission system of payment. / The Lord’s language encourages us to view our own means of earning a living as a sort of “commission” arrangement with God. But He offers an incredible payback plan—a 90 percent commission! Instead of keeping only 10 percent of every dollar I produce, as happens when I work for most bosses, my heavenly Boss allows me to keep 90 percent of every dollar. The remaining 10 percent, however, must be passed on the Boss by giving it to His designated assignees: the poor and the needy. That is an authentically American way of viewing our charitable activities. We deserve no medals for giving away 10 percent of our money. It did not belong to us in the first place. We are just passing it through to its rightful owners. (Buried Treasure, pp 112-113)
How does this perspective change your attitude towards tithing and charitable giving?
You are familiar with the story of the feeding of the 5,000. Read it as translated by Eugene Peterson (Mark 6:30-44):
The apostles then rendezvoused with Jesus and reported on all that they had done and taught. Jesus said, "Come off by yourselves; let's take a break and get a little rest." For there was constant coming and going. They didn't even have time to eat.
So they got in the boat and went off to a remote place by themselves. Someone saw them going and the word got around. From the surrounding towns people went out on foot, running, and got there ahead of them. When Jesus arrived, he saw this huge crowd. At the sight of them, his heart broke—like sheep with no shepherd they were. He went right to work teaching them.
When his disciples thought this had gone on long enough—it was now quite late in the day—they interrupted: "We are a long way out in the country, and it's very late. Pronounce a benediction and send these folks off so they can get some supper."
Jesus said, "You do it. Fix supper for them."
They replied, "Are you serious? You want us to go spend a fortune on food for their supper?"
But he was quite serious. "How many loaves of bread do you have? Take an inventory."
That didn't take long. "Five," they said, "plus two fish."
Jesus got them all to sit down in groups of fifty or a hundred—they looked like a patchwork quilt of wildflowers spread out on the green grass! He took the five loaves and two fish, lifted his face to heaven in prayer, blessed, broke, and gave the bread to the disciples, and the disciples in turn gave it to the people. He did the same with the fish. They all ate their fill. The disciples gathered twelve baskets of leftovers. More than 5,000 were at the supper.
Who do you identify with in this story? Why?
What do you think the disciples learned from this experience?
What is your journey in learning to give charitably?
These are tight financial times. How does giving generously fly in the face of common sense, and how do you counter those who say it’s foolish to give generously?
Do you have faith to live on a 90% commission?
Does the church have faith to live on a 90% commission?
What will you do with what you have learned tonight?
Rabbi Daniel says: One thing is sure. Americans have been blessed by their adherence to the strange mathematical model that decrees that if you have ten apples and give one to someone who has none, tomorrow you will have fifteen apples. Have you been missing that blessing? Begin today to give generously and wholeheartedly, and then watch what happens. (p 115)
A: $85 million. In fact the U.S. government has pledged as much at the next 8 countries combined: U.K., Sweden, Brazil, France, Germany, China, Australia, and Denmark.
The U.S. government has pledged more aid than the World Bank and the United Nations combined. However, the aid by governments is dwarfed by the aid given by individuals and private organizations, which amounts to half of all the aid pledged to Haiti. (Surely a large fraction of the private aid is from Americans as well.)
Are we charitable because we are rich, or are we rich because we are charitable?
Rabbi Daniel says: America is one of the only countries in the world in which charitable contributions are tax deductible. Some people incorrectly assume that Americans are charitable because of the tax rule ... That tax rule is in place to conform to the wishes of American citizens who wish to act charitably and do not wish to be doubly taxed. Large numbers of Americans donate sums that are greater than the levels that would benefit their tax status. The truth is that Americans are in love with the act of giving money away to those who are in need. (Buried Treasure, p 112)
Do you agree, or disagree?
The root of the words rich and tenth is the same Hebrew word: ESeR. Rabbi Daniel concludes that the idea of wealth is linked to the concept of tithing. Speaking of salespeople, Rabbi Daniel says: In essence, they say to a potential employer, “You should hire me because you have nothing to lose. You will pay me only after I have made money for you. I will only take a percentage of what I bring in.” They are among the most important people who keep the wheels of our economy turning, and their magic is the commission system of payment. / The Lord’s language encourages us to view our own means of earning a living as a sort of “commission” arrangement with God. But He offers an incredible payback plan—a 90 percent commission! Instead of keeping only 10 percent of every dollar I produce, as happens when I work for most bosses, my heavenly Boss allows me to keep 90 percent of every dollar. The remaining 10 percent, however, must be passed on the Boss by giving it to His designated assignees: the poor and the needy. That is an authentically American way of viewing our charitable activities. We deserve no medals for giving away 10 percent of our money. It did not belong to us in the first place. We are just passing it through to its rightful owners. (Buried Treasure, pp 112-113)
How does this perspective change your attitude towards tithing and charitable giving?
You are familiar with the story of the feeding of the 5,000. Read it as translated by Eugene Peterson (Mark 6:30-44):
The apostles then rendezvoused with Jesus and reported on all that they had done and taught. Jesus said, "Come off by yourselves; let's take a break and get a little rest." For there was constant coming and going. They didn't even have time to eat.
So they got in the boat and went off to a remote place by themselves. Someone saw them going and the word got around. From the surrounding towns people went out on foot, running, and got there ahead of them. When Jesus arrived, he saw this huge crowd. At the sight of them, his heart broke—like sheep with no shepherd they were. He went right to work teaching them.
When his disciples thought this had gone on long enough—it was now quite late in the day—they interrupted: "We are a long way out in the country, and it's very late. Pronounce a benediction and send these folks off so they can get some supper."
Jesus said, "You do it. Fix supper for them."
They replied, "Are you serious? You want us to go spend a fortune on food for their supper?"
But he was quite serious. "How many loaves of bread do you have? Take an inventory."
That didn't take long. "Five," they said, "plus two fish."
Jesus got them all to sit down in groups of fifty or a hundred—they looked like a patchwork quilt of wildflowers spread out on the green grass! He took the five loaves and two fish, lifted his face to heaven in prayer, blessed, broke, and gave the bread to the disciples, and the disciples in turn gave it to the people. He did the same with the fish. They all ate their fill. The disciples gathered twelve baskets of leftovers. More than 5,000 were at the supper.
Who do you identify with in this story? Why?
What do you think the disciples learned from this experience?
What is your journey in learning to give charitably?
These are tight financial times. How does giving generously fly in the face of common sense, and how do you counter those who say it’s foolish to give generously?
Do you have faith to live on a 90% commission?
Does the church have faith to live on a 90% commission?
What will you do with what you have learned tonight?
Rabbi Daniel says: One thing is sure. Americans have been blessed by their adherence to the strange mathematical model that decrees that if you have ten apples and give one to someone who has none, tomorrow you will have fifteen apples. Have you been missing that blessing? Begin today to give generously and wholeheartedly, and then watch what happens. (p 115)
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
The Faith Factor
Q: What is the one word of Hebrew that every Christian knows?
A: Amen.
You use the word all the time. What does it mean?
Rabbi Daniel says:
AMeN, being both the noun faith as well as the verb believe—as in “I believe”—helps us understand this most crucial of lessons regarding economic comfort. A believer might utter “I believe” in the context of worship, while an investor might use exactly the same phrase to explain his choice of investments. (Buried Treasure, p 109-110)
How does economic comfort relate to faith? Consider a baby sitter who gets paid at the end of the night, a minimum wage worker who receives a paycheck once a week, a salesman working on commission, a contractor who gets paid at the end of the job, and a farmer sowing a crop in the spring. What is the expression of faith—if any—for each of these people?
Does faith mean that success will eventually come? Rabbi Daniel says:
No, of course not. However it does mean the without faith, no farmer would plant anything and no investor would ever risk his carefully accumulated capital.
The good Lord appears to have arranged matters so that faith, the ability to clearly see what is still invisible, is rewarded. Why would He do this? Possibly in order to reward Faith in Him. Religious Faith refers to the ability of the faithful to see God clearly. (p 107)
Eugene Peterson puts it this way in the parable he calls “The Story About Investment”:
It's also like a man going off on an extended trip. He called his servants together and delegated responsibilities. To one he gave five thousand dollars, to another two thousand, to a third one thousand, depending on their abilities. Then he left. Right off, the first servant went to work and doubled his master's investment. The second did the same. But the man with the single thousand dug a hole and carefully buried his master's money.
After a long absence, the master of those three servants came back and settled up with them. The one given five thousand dollars showed him how he had doubled his investment. His master commended him: 'Good work! You did your job well. From now on be my partner.'
The servant with the two thousand showed how he also had doubled his master's investment. His master commended him: 'Good work! You did your job well. From now on be my partner.'
The servant given one thousand said, 'Master, I know you have high standards and hate careless ways, that you demand the best and make no allowances for error. I was afraid I might disappoint you, so I found a good hiding place and secured your money. Here it is, safe and sound down to the last cent.'
The master was furious. 'That's a terrible way to live! It's criminal to live cautiously like that! If you knew I was after the best, why did you do less than the least? The least you could have done would have been to invest the sum with the bankers, where at least I would have gotten a little interest.
Take the thousand and give it to the one who risked the most. And get rid of this "play-it-safe" who won't go out on a limb. Throw him out into utter darkness.' (Matthew 25:14-30, The Message)
What roles does faith play in this story?
How does Peterson’s translation change your understanding of the story?
What do you ever risk? Are you a “play-it-safe”?
Closing Thought: Rabbi Daniel concludes:
Needless to say, both Judaism and Christianity place more emphasis on Faith than many other religions and thus benefit distinctively from the strengthening of the national faith muscle. The Bangladeshi peasant may possess some gold, but it is hidden in his mattress. It takes great faith, a practiced faith muscle, to hand that gold and all the time and efforts it represents to a bank or an investment vehicle. With this scene multiplied by millions of peasants, we can see how a country can be impacted by faith of the lack of it. Without faith, that gold remains in the mattress and Bangladesh remains mired in poverty. (p 108)
A: Amen.
You use the word all the time. What does it mean?
Rabbi Daniel says:
AMeN, being both the noun faith as well as the verb believe—as in “I believe”—helps us understand this most crucial of lessons regarding economic comfort. A believer might utter “I believe” in the context of worship, while an investor might use exactly the same phrase to explain his choice of investments. (Buried Treasure, p 109-110)
How does economic comfort relate to faith? Consider a baby sitter who gets paid at the end of the night, a minimum wage worker who receives a paycheck once a week, a salesman working on commission, a contractor who gets paid at the end of the job, and a farmer sowing a crop in the spring. What is the expression of faith—if any—for each of these people?
Does faith mean that success will eventually come? Rabbi Daniel says:
No, of course not. However it does mean the without faith, no farmer would plant anything and no investor would ever risk his carefully accumulated capital.
The good Lord appears to have arranged matters so that faith, the ability to clearly see what is still invisible, is rewarded. Why would He do this? Possibly in order to reward Faith in Him. Religious Faith refers to the ability of the faithful to see God clearly. (p 107)
Eugene Peterson puts it this way in the parable he calls “The Story About Investment”:
It's also like a man going off on an extended trip. He called his servants together and delegated responsibilities. To one he gave five thousand dollars, to another two thousand, to a third one thousand, depending on their abilities. Then he left. Right off, the first servant went to work and doubled his master's investment. The second did the same. But the man with the single thousand dug a hole and carefully buried his master's money.
After a long absence, the master of those three servants came back and settled up with them. The one given five thousand dollars showed him how he had doubled his investment. His master commended him: 'Good work! You did your job well. From now on be my partner.'
The servant with the two thousand showed how he also had doubled his master's investment. His master commended him: 'Good work! You did your job well. From now on be my partner.'
The servant given one thousand said, 'Master, I know you have high standards and hate careless ways, that you demand the best and make no allowances for error. I was afraid I might disappoint you, so I found a good hiding place and secured your money. Here it is, safe and sound down to the last cent.'
The master was furious. 'That's a terrible way to live! It's criminal to live cautiously like that! If you knew I was after the best, why did you do less than the least? The least you could have done would have been to invest the sum with the bankers, where at least I would have gotten a little interest.
Take the thousand and give it to the one who risked the most. And get rid of this "play-it-safe" who won't go out on a limb. Throw him out into utter darkness.' (Matthew 25:14-30, The Message)
What roles does faith play in this story?
How does Peterson’s translation change your understanding of the story?
What do you ever risk? Are you a “play-it-safe”?
Closing Thought: Rabbi Daniel concludes:
Needless to say, both Judaism and Christianity place more emphasis on Faith than many other religions and thus benefit distinctively from the strengthening of the national faith muscle. The Bangladeshi peasant may possess some gold, but it is hidden in his mattress. It takes great faith, a practiced faith muscle, to hand that gold and all the time and efforts it represents to a bank or an investment vehicle. With this scene multiplied by millions of peasants, we can see how a country can be impacted by faith of the lack of it. Without faith, that gold remains in the mattress and Bangladesh remains mired in poverty. (p 108)
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
The Challenge of Kindness
What is kindness? One person’s kindness can be another person’s neurosis, as Rabbi Daniel Lapin tells us:
What would you want to say to this mother?
Rabbi Daniel says of kindness:
What acts of kindness have others done for you? What have you done for others? While showing kindness while expecting no repayment is part of CHeSeD, how do some peoples’ motivation impair acts of CHeSeD?
Consider Psalm 23. Where is CHeSeD in this psalm?
Did you pick “love” in verse 6? Other translations translate CHeSeD there as mercy (KJV), or loving kindness (NASB).
Closing Thought: The CH in CHeSeD is a hard ‘G’ sound—similar to the ‘gh’ in ghetto. Also, the S in the middle of CHeSeD is written in Hebrew as ס, and in Hebrew words that come into English, the S frequently changes into an O. For example, the Hebrew word for a prophetic sign, SiMeN, come into English as OMeN.
So, take CHeSeD, change the CH to G, change the S to O, drop the vowels, and what do you have? GOD. God is the heart of loving-kindness.
Years ago a member of my synagogue who worked as a pediatric nurse told me about a young mother who brought her infant in for the baby’s first immunizations. As the doctor picked up the syringe, the mother began sobbing, grabbed her baby, and fled the room saying, “It’s going to be too painful.” While some parents are rightfully wary of immunizations because of potential side effects, this mother was not making a reasoned and thoughtful decision. She was reacting emotionally and, in her view, with compassion. My guess is that she thought of herself as an extremely kind person, perhaps one who avoided stepping on ants and never passed a beggar without dropping a coin in his lap. Yet, as any parent who is aware of the crippling effect of some dangerous childhood diseases could tell you, she may actually have been acting with great cruelty. She was putting her own emotions ahead of her child’s real needs. (Buried Treasure, pp 93-94)
What would you want to say to this mother?
Rabbi Daniel says of kindness:
The Hebrew word for an act of profound kindness is CHeSeD. Interestingly, God Himself commits both the first and last acts of CHeSeD chronicled in [Torah]. He tailors suits of clothing for Adam and Eve after their fig leaves proved inadequate. Helping people clothe themselves in a dignified fashion is considered to be a greater act of kindness, CHeSeD, than giving them food. This is because the latter alleviates only a physical discomfort while clothing protects human dignity.
Doing someone a kindness while expecting no repayment is also seen as a special act of CHeSeD. At the close of the book of Deuteronomy, God buries Moses. Burying someone is an act of kindness that the recipient will never be able to repay. (p 94)
What acts of kindness have others done for you? What have you done for others? While showing kindness while expecting no repayment is part of CHeSeD, how do some peoples’ motivation impair acts of CHeSeD?
Consider Psalm 23. Where is CHeSeD in this psalm?
1 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters,
3 he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
6 Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
Did you pick “love” in verse 6? Other translations translate CHeSeD there as mercy (KJV), or loving kindness (NASB).
Closing Thought: The CH in CHeSeD is a hard ‘G’ sound—similar to the ‘gh’ in ghetto. Also, the S in the middle of CHeSeD is written in Hebrew as ס, and in Hebrew words that come into English, the S frequently changes into an O. For example, the Hebrew word for a prophetic sign, SiMeN, come into English as OMeN.
So, take CHeSeD, change the CH to G, change the S to O, drop the vowels, and what do you have? GOD. God is the heart of loving-kindness.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Going Door-to-Door (or Dor-to-Dor)
Isaac Newton—physicist, astronomer, “discoverer” of gravity, founder of modern calculus, investigator into optics, and theologian—is reported to have said, “If I have seen further it is only by standing on the shoulders of giants.” Rabbi Daniel Lapin explains it this way:
Rabbi Daniel explains this continuity with those who came before:
Generations are not necessarily bound together by DNA. What have you received or passed on to those to whom you are not related? What are the communities?
The Hebrew letters for the consonants of DOR have a similar shape: ד (for the D) and ר (for the R). The first is often translated as “law” or “structure” and the latter as “mercy” or “flexibility.”
How do you see these meanings in similar, but different, shapes of the letters?
Consider Psalm 32. Where are law & mercy, continuity & generations found in this psalm?
Rabbi Daniel says, “But this is just as it must be. First [structure] and then and only then comes [flexibility]. Future dorot (the plural of dor) will reap the benefits. (p 89)
Closing Thought: Newton actually wrote more about theology than about the science for which he is best remembered.
A potential Einstein who appears on the scene as a young child, but from whom all knowledge of past discoveries in theoretical physics has been withheld, must start from scratch in his scientific inquiries. Under such conditions, he will never become the Einstein familiar to us as the greatest scientific genius of this past century. In fact, he’ll be lucky if he reinvents the wheel. In one person’s lifetime it simply is not possible to progress from the wheel to nuclear power without building on earlier discoveries. (Buried Treasure, p 84)Who have been the “giants” in your life? (i.e. the ones who gave you what you needed to see farther)
Rabbi Daniel explains this continuity with those who came before:
Whether in the workplace or the family, the importance of ensuring continuity from generation to generation lies behind the Hebrew word that means generation: DOR.What has been the continuity, if anything, in your family? (What got handed down from your grandparents to your parents and then to you? What have you handed on to children or grandchildren?)
In Hebrew thought, a DOR is not a number of years, like twenty or twenty-five, but a measure of continuity on which all else depends. It is a spiritual, not biological, measurement. A child, his parent, and grandparent add up to three generations only if we can identify something beyond DNA that has passed down from grandparent to parent to child. (pp 83-84)
Generations are not necessarily bound together by DNA. What have you received or passed on to those to whom you are not related? What are the communities?
The Hebrew letters for the consonants of DOR have a similar shape: ד (for the D) and ר (for the R). The first is often translated as “law” or “structure” and the latter as “mercy” or “flexibility.”
How do you see these meanings in similar, but different, shapes of the letters?
Consider Psalm 32. Where are law & mercy, continuity & generations found in this psalm?
Rabbi Daniel says, “But this is just as it must be. First [structure] and then and only then comes [flexibility]. Future dorot (the plural of dor) will reap the benefits. (p 89)
Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.What will you do with what you have learned?
Blessed is the man whose sin the LORD does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit.
When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long.
For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer.
Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said,
I will confess my transgressions to the LORD "—
and you forgave the guilt of my sin.
Therefore let everyone who is godly pray to you while you may be found; surely when the mighty waters rise, they will not reach him.
You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.
I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you.
Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you.
Many are the woes of the wicked, but the LORD's unfailing love surrounds the man who trusts in him.
Rejoice in the LORD and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart!
Closing Thought: Newton actually wrote more about theology than about the science for which he is best remembered.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Sisters (and Daughters)
We learned last week that there is no word in Hebrew for a single parent. Similarly, there is no word in Hebrew for a single sister! The word for sister, achot, is plural already (in Hebrew, plurals ending in ‘im’ are masculine, those ending in ‘ot’ are feminine). Technically, in Hebrew, if Pam were to introduce Carlene, she would say, “I’d like you to meet my sisters Carlene!”
Rabbi Daniel Lapin suggests that the plurality of sisterhood stems from the changing relationship one has with a sister or daughter before and after she marries. Before marriage, the most important man in a woman’s life is usually her father; after marriage it must be her husband. Rabbi Daniel tells of asking a friend, a successful businessman, if his sons and sons-in-law worked for him in his business. The man replied that only his sons worked for him!
While I am certain my sons-in-law would follow my directives as surely as do my sons ... their wives—my daughters—would respect them just a bit less for being their father’s employees. (Buried Treasure, p 81)
What is your reaction to this story? Do you have a similar story of relationships before/after a woman marries?
Genesis 31 tells of Jacob and his family fleeing from Laban, the father of two of Jacob’s wives, and returning to Canaan.
How do you explain what transpired in this story?
Closing Thought: You may have heard Christians say that the husband is supposed to be the spiritual head of the house. Is that your experience? If it is true, how does that pertain to the changing roles of sisters and daughters?
On the other hand, there is saying, “A son’s a son ‘til he marries a wife, but a daughter’s a daughter the rest of her life.” Which picture of marriage more closely matches how you think marriages tend to work?
Rabbi Daniel Lapin suggests that the plurality of sisterhood stems from the changing relationship one has with a sister or daughter before and after she marries. Before marriage, the most important man in a woman’s life is usually her father; after marriage it must be her husband. Rabbi Daniel tells of asking a friend, a successful businessman, if his sons and sons-in-law worked for him in his business. The man replied that only his sons worked for him!
While I am certain my sons-in-law would follow my directives as surely as do my sons ... their wives—my daughters—would respect them just a bit less for being their father’s employees. (Buried Treasure, p 81)
What is your reaction to this story? Do you have a similar story of relationships before/after a woman marries?
Genesis 31 tells of Jacob and his family fleeing from Laban, the father of two of Jacob’s wives, and returning to Canaan.
Jacob heard that Laban's sons were saying, "Jacob has taken everything our father owned and has gained all this wealth from what belonged to our father." And Jacob noticed that Laban's attitude toward him was not what it had been. Then the LORD said to Jacob, "Go back to the land of your fathers and to your relatives, and I will be with you." So Jacob sent word to Rachel and Leah to come out to the fields where his flocks were. He said to them, "I see that your father's attitude toward me is not what it was before, but the God of my father has been with me ... I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed a pillar and where you made a vow to me. Now leave this land at once and go back to your native land.'"
Then Rachel and Leah replied, "Do we still have any share in the inheritance of our father's estate? Does he not regard us as foreigners? Not only has he sold us, but he has used up what was paid for us. Surely all the wealth that God took away from our father belongs to us and our children. So do whatever God has told you."
Then Jacob put his children and his wives on camels, and he drove all his livestock ahead of him, along with all the goods he had accumulated in Paddan Aram, to go to his father Isaac in the land of Canaan. When Laban had gone to shear his sheep, Rachel stole her father's household gods. Moreover, Jacob deceived Laban the Aramean by not telling him he was running away. So he fled with all he had, and crossing the River, he headed for the hill country of Gilead.
On the third day Laban was told that Jacob had fled. Taking his relatives with him, he pursued Jacob for seven days and caught up with him in the hill country of Gilead ... Then Laban said to Jacob, "What have you done? You've deceived me, and you've carried off my daughters like captives in war. Why did you run off secretly and deceive me? Why didn't you tell me, so I could send you away with joy and singing to the music of tambourines and harps? ou didn't even let me kiss my grandchildren and my daughters good-by. You have done a foolish thing. I have the power to harm you; but last night the God of your father said to me, 'Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.' Now you have gone off because you longed to return to your father's house. But why did you steal my gods?"
Jacob answered Laban, "I was afraid, because I thought you would take your daughters away from me by force. But if you find anyone who has your gods, he shall not live. In the presence of our relatives, see for yourself whether there is anything of yours here with me; and if so, take it." Now Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen the gods.
So Laban went into Jacob's tent and into Leah's tent and into the tent of the two maidservants, but he found nothing. After he came out of Leah's tent, he entered Rachel's tent. Now Rachel had taken the household gods and put them inside her camel's saddle and was sitting on them. Laban searched through everything in the tent but found nothing.
Rachel said to her father, "Don't be angry, my lord, that I cannot stand up in your presence; I'm having my period." So he searched but could not find the household gods ...
Early the next morning Laban kissed his grandchildren and his daughters and blessed them. Then he left and returned home.
How do you explain what transpired in this story?
Closing Thought: You may have heard Christians say that the husband is supposed to be the spiritual head of the house. Is that your experience? If it is true, how does that pertain to the changing roles of sisters and daughters?
On the other hand, there is saying, “A son’s a son ‘til he marries a wife, but a daughter’s a daughter the rest of her life.” Which picture of marriage more closely matches how you think marriages tend to work?
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