Solitude

BySefaria Education

Sara Wolkenfeld, Sefaria, in Collaboration with Zion Ozeri

The Jewish Lens: The Museum of the Jewish People at Beit Hatfutsot Museum

The Covenant Foundation

Hesger, Milan, NY 2020

Photograph, Zion Ozeri

What do you notice about the photograph?

How do you think it might feel to be the person in this image?

What does quarantine or solitude look like in your life? What would you want to capture to express to others the essential quality of this time?

Experiment on your own: Add an image below, and write a caption to provide essential information about the image.

To add to this sheet, log in to your Sefaria account. Instructions are here.

Then, open the sheet in edit mode by clicking the small down arrow next to the title, and click "edit"

Then, scroll to the bottom of this page and click on the plus button, or use the "insert" menu in the upper left. Use "media" and "upload" to upload a photo, and use "comment" and "add to sheet" to add your caption.

Below are two sections from the Torah that deal with the idea of being alone. As you read each one, think about how the source relates to being by yourself. What is positive about being alone? What is negative? What are the opportunities presented by being with other people, and what opportunities might we have in solitude?

בראשית ב׳:י״ח

וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהִ֔ים לֹא־ט֛וֹב הֱי֥וֹת הָֽאָדָ֖ם לְבַדּ֑וֹ אֶֽעֱשֶׂהּ־לּ֥וֹ עֵ֖זֶר כְּנֶגְדּֽוֹ׃

Genesis 2:18

The LORD God said, “It is not good for man to be alone; I will make a fitting helper for him.”

At the beginning of the book of Genesis, God creates human beings. Adam is created alone, and these words present God's rationale for creating another person to inhabit the world.

Discuss:

What is the perspective on solitude offered by this verse?

Is there anything about the image above that is reflected here?

Does this text resonate with you? Why or why not?

שמות ל״ד:כ״ח

וַֽיְהִי־שָׁ֣ם עִם־יְהוָ֗ה אַרְבָּעִ֥ים יוֹם֙ וְאַרְבָּעִ֣ים לַ֔יְלָה לֶ֚חֶם לֹ֣א אָכַ֔ל וּמַ֖יִם לֹ֣א שָׁתָ֑ה וַיִּכְתֹּ֣ב עַל־הַלֻּחֹ֗ת אֵ֚ת דִּבְרֵ֣י הַבְּרִ֔ית עֲשֶׂ֖רֶת הַדְּבָרִֽים׃

Exodus 34:28

And he was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights; he ate no bread and drank no water; and he wrote down on the tablets the terms of the covenant, the Ten Commandments.

Moses climbs Mt. Sinai to receive the second set of tablets, and he remains without human contact for forty days and forty nights. The result is that he is able to bring the Divine word to the people. The story then continues:

שמות ל״ד:כ״ט-ל״ג

(כט) וַיְהִ֗י בְּרֶ֤דֶת מֹשֶׁה֙ מֵהַ֣ר סִינַ֔י וּשְׁנֵ֨י לֻחֹ֤ת הָֽעֵדֻת֙ בְּיַד־מֹשֶׁ֔ה בְּרִדְתּ֖וֹ מִן־הָהָ֑ר וּמֹשֶׁ֣ה לֹֽא־יָדַ֗ע כִּ֥י קָרַ֛ן ע֥וֹר פָּנָ֖יו בְּדַבְּר֥וֹ אִתּֽוֹ׃ (ל) וַיַּ֨רְא אַהֲרֹ֜ן וְכָל־בְּנֵ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ אֶת־מֹשֶׁ֔ה וְהִנֵּ֥ה קָרַ֖ן ע֣וֹר פָּנָ֑יו וַיִּֽירְא֖וּ מִגֶּ֥שֶׁת אֵלָֽיו׃ (לא) וַיִּקְרָ֤א אֲלֵהֶם֙ מֹשֶׁ֔ה וַיָּשֻׁ֧בוּ אֵלָ֛יו...לב) וְאַחֲרֵי־כֵ֥ן נִגְּשׁ֖וּ כָּל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וַיְצַוֵּ֕ם אֵת֩ כָּל־אֲשֶׁ֨ר דִּבֶּ֧ר יְהוָ֛ה אִתּ֖וֹ בְּהַ֥ר סִינָֽי׃ (לג) וַיְכַ֣ל מֹשֶׁ֔ה מִדַּבֵּ֖ר אִתָּ֑ם וַיִּתֵּ֥ן עַל־פָּנָ֖יו מַסְוֶֽה׃

Exodus 34:29-33

(29) So Moses came down from Mount Sinai. And as Moses came down from the mountain bearing the two tablets of the Pact, Moses was not aware that the skin of his face was radiant, since he had spoken with Him. (30) Aaron and all the Israelites saw that the skin of Moses’ face was radiant; and they shrank from coming near him. (31) But Moses called to them, and Aaron and all the chieftains in the assembly returned to him...(32) Afterward all the Israelites came near, and he instructed them concerning all that the LORD had imparted to him on Mount Sinai. (33) And when Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil over his face.

Discuss:

What is the perspective on solitude offered by this story?

Is there anything about the image above that is reflected here?

Does this text resonate with you? Why or why not?