(ג) וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ אֵלָ֗יו כֹּ֚ה אָמַ֣ר חִזְקִיָּ֔הוּ יוֹם־צָרָ֧ה וְתוֹכֵחָ֛ה וּנְאָצָ֖ה הַיּ֣וֹם הַזֶּ֑ה כִּ֣י בָ֤אוּ בָנִים֙ עַד־מַשְׁבֵּ֔ר וְכֹ֥חַ אַ֖יִן לְלֵדָֽה׃
(3) They said to him, “Thus said Hezekiah: This day is a day of distress, of chastisement, and of disgrace. The babes have reached the birthstool [mashber = crisis], but the strength to give birth is lacking.
עַד מַשְׁבֵּר. עַד צָרָה הַדּוֹמָה לְאִשָּׁה יוֹשֶׁבֶת עַל מַשְׁבֵּר וְאֵין בָּהּ כֹּחַ לֵילֵד.
Unto the breaking/delivery chair [ad mashber]. Crisis that is likened to a woman sitting on the birthstool [mashber], but not having strength to give birth.
Dr Melila Hellner-Eshed points out that the Hebrew word for birthing stool (mashber) is from the root for “to break.”
Questions for Discussion:
- What is being born/ breaking/ breaking open: in this country? In your own life?
- What is your experience of this birthing/breaking, and what is your role in it?
“Resilience only comes from acknowledging that what is broken won’t be repaired. It’s always about knowing how you are going to bring together the shattered pieces of your life to create a stronger story for times of despair. A wonderful word in modern Hebrew is mashber, or crisis. Originally, it meant birthing stool.”
We are in a time of mashber, she said. “It’s a time of anger and hope, death and life. It’s the birthing of something new and no one knows what that’s going to be.” Rabbi Delphine Horvilleur