What's In A Blessing?
Torah Blessing (Having An Aliyah)
Blessed are You, Eternal our God, Sovereign of the universe, Who has chosen us from among all the peoples, and exalted us above other nations, and given us His Torah. Blessed are You, O Eternal our God, who gives the Torah.
Wine Blessing For the Shavuot Holiday
Blessed are You, Eternal our God, Sovereign of the universe, Who has chosen us from among all the peoples, and exalted us above other nations, and sanctified us through the commandments. You, O Eternal our God, have lovingly given us seasons for rejoicing, festivals and fixed times for celebration - and specifically this day of the Festival of Shavuot, the season of receiving of our Torah, a sacred occasion and a remembrance of the exodus from Egypt. You have chosen us from among the peoples, and with great joy You sanctified us to inherit Your holy festival. Blessed are You, Eternal One, Who sanctifies the people Israel and the sacred times.
Torah Blessing (Having An Aliyah)
Blessed are You, Eternal our God, Sovereign of the universe, Who has chosen us from among all the peoples, and exalted us above other nations, and given us His Torah. Blessed are You, O Eternal our God, who gives the Torah.
Wine Blessing For the Shavuot Holiday
Blessed are You, Eternal our God, Sovereign of the universe, Who has chosen us from among all the peoples, and exalted us above other nations, and sanctified us through the commandments. You, O Eternal our God, have lovingly given us seasons for rejoicing, festivals and fixed times for celebration - and specifically this day of the Festival of Shavuot, the season of receiving of our Torah, a sacred occasion and a remembrance of the exodus from Egypt. You have chosen us from among the peoples, and with great joy You sanctified us to inherit Your holy festival. Blessed are You, Eternal One, Who sanctifies the people Israel and the sacred times.
Questions: on Shavuot, we celebrate receiving the Torah. Whose Torah is it? What does receiving this Torah say about us as the Jewish people (if anything?)
Can I Follow The Torah?
(יא) כִּ֚י הַמִּצְוָ֣ה הַזֹּ֔את אֲשֶׁ֛ר אָנֹכִ֥י מְצַוְּךָ֖ הַיּ֑וֹם לֹא־נִפְלֵ֥את הִוא֙ מִמְּךָ֔ וְלֹ֥א רְחֹקָ֖ה הִֽוא׃ (יב) לֹ֥א בַשָּׁמַ֖יִם הִ֑וא לֵאמֹ֗ר מִ֣י יַעֲלֶה־לָּ֤נוּ הַשָּׁמַ֙יְמָה֙ וְיִקָּחֶ֣הָ לָּ֔נוּ וְיַשְׁמִעֵ֥נוּ אֹתָ֖הּ וְנַעֲשֶֽׂנָּה׃ (יג) וְלֹא־מֵעֵ֥בֶר לַיָּ֖ם הִ֑וא לֵאמֹ֗ר מִ֣י יַעֲבׇר־לָ֜נוּ אֶל־עֵ֤בֶר הַיָּם֙ וְיִקָּחֶ֣הָ לָּ֔נוּ וְיַשְׁמִעֵ֥נוּ אֹתָ֖הּ וְנַעֲשֶֽׂנָּה׃ (יד) כִּֽי־קָר֥וֹב אֵלֶ֛יךָ הַדָּבָ֖ר מְאֹ֑ד בְּפִ֥יךָ וּבִֽלְבָבְךָ֖ לַעֲשֹׂתֽוֹ׃ {ס}
(11) Surely, this Instruction which I enjoin upon you this day is not too baffling for you, nor is it beyond reach. (12) It is not in the heavens, that you should say, “Who among us can go up to the heavens and get it for us and impart it to us, that we may observe it?” (13) Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, “Who among us can cross to the other side of the sea and get it for us and impart it to us, that we may observe it?” (14) No, the thing is very close to you, in your mouth and in your heart, to observe it.
Questions: Judaism can seem tough and confusing. What does Moses think about that? What's his perspective on Torah? Think about this story versus Greek and Roman myths. Do you see any differences that are meaningful? (as a clue, look up the story of Prometheus and fire.)
Blurred Lines: Did We Consent To Torah?
ויתיצבו בתחתית ההר אמר רב אבדימי בר חמא בר חסא מלמד שכפה הקדוש ברוך הוא עליהם את ההר כגיגית ואמר להם אם אתם מקבלים התורה מוטב ואם לאו שם תהא קבורתכם אמר רב אחא בר יעקב מכאן מודעא רבה לאורייתא אמר רבא אף על פי כן הדור קבלוה בימי אחשורוש דכתיב קימו וקבלו היהודים קיימו מה שקיבלו כבר
The [commentary] cites additional...interpretations on the topic of the revelation at Sinai. The Torah says, “And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet God; and they stood at the lowermost part of the mount” (Exodus 19:17).
Rabbi Avdimi bar Ḥama bar Ḥasa said: the Jewish people actually stood beneath the mountain, and the verse teaches that the Holy One, Blessed be He, overturned the mountain above the Jews like a tub, and said to them: If you accept the Torah, excellent, and if not, there will be your burial.
Rav Aḥa bar Ya’akov said: From here there is a substantial caveat to the obligation to fulfill the Torah. The Jewish people can claim that they were coerced into accepting the Torah, and it is therefore not binding.
Rava said: Even so, they again accepted it willingly in the time of Ahasuerus, as it is written: “The Jews ordained, and took upon them, and upon their seed, and upon all such as joined themselves unto them” (Esther 9:27), and he taught: The Jews ordained what they had already taken upon themselves through coercion at Sinai.
Questions: did we actually consent to the Torah? Why would we agree to something under duress? What does that say about God and our relationship to God? How do you feel about this?
(טו) וְכׇל־הָעָם֩ רֹאִ֨ים אֶת־הַקּוֹלֹ֜ת וְאֶת־הַלַּפִּידִ֗ם וְאֵת֙ ק֣וֹל הַשֹּׁפָ֔ר וְאֶת־הָהָ֖ר עָשֵׁ֑ן וַיַּ֤רְא הָעָם֙ וַיָּנֻ֔עוּ וַיַּֽעַמְד֖וּ מֵֽרָחֹֽק׃ (טז) וַיֹּֽאמְרוּ֙ אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֔ה דַּבֵּר־אַתָּ֥ה עִמָּ֖נוּ וְנִשְׁמָ֑עָה וְאַל־יְדַבֵּ֥ר עִמָּ֛נוּ אֱלֹהִ֖ים פֶּן־נָמֽוּת׃ (יז) וַיֹּ֨אמֶר מֹשֶׁ֣ה אֶל־הָעָם֮ אַל־תִּירָ֒אוּ֒ כִּ֗י לְבַֽעֲבוּר֙ נַסּ֣וֹת אֶתְכֶ֔ם בָּ֖א הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים וּבַעֲב֗וּר תִּהְיֶ֧ה יִרְאָת֛וֹ עַל־פְּנֵיכֶ֖ם לְבִלְתִּ֥י תֶחֱטָֽאוּ׃
(15) All the people witnessed the thunder and lightning, the blare of the horn and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they fell back and stood at a distance. (16) “You speak to us,” they said to Moses, “and we will obey; but let not God speak to us, lest we die.” (17) Moses answered the people, “Be not afraid; for God has come only in order to test you, and in order that the [awe] of God may be ever with you, so that you do not go astray.”
Questions: how do you feel about these miraculous stories? Why do we not see these things happen today, especially when we could use a few miracles?! What is the author trying to tell us about the nature of God in our lives?
Conservative Judaism: Liberal Supernaturalism
According to this approach, some sort of revelation occurred in the past and is the inspiration for the Torah and what follows. However, there is no way to know what was revealed and what was not. For this reason, each generation must figure out for itself what appear to be divine in the Torah and what is dross. The main focus of this approach is not the contradictions in the Torah but rather the apparent moral failings of the Torah, including massacre of women and children, unfair treatment of the mamzer [an illegitimate child], execution of homosexuals, selling off of young daughters, etc.
Question: How do you feel about this?
Reform Judaism: Aspects Theory
Noting that the Torah writes from a number of perspectives and in a number of voices, this model suggests that the multivocality of the Torah is original, purposeful and divine. This point has been argued both at the literary level as well as the theological level. On the literary level, it has been argued that complexity and multivocality can be understood as a literary style; just because it does not fit well with contemporary notions of consistency and narrative flow does not mean that it doesn’t have a logic of its own. On the theological level, an infinite God may have created a text that reflects more than one authorial voice and more than one perspective on the meaning of revelation and the nature of covenantal law. The stories about the ancestors may also be said to benefit from having been told from multiple perspectives.
Question: How do you feel about this?
Reconstructionist and Humanistic Judaism: Sacred By the Community
According to this approach, the fundamental insights of academic biblical studies are true. The Torah is a composite document that has developed over time; it is not always historically accurate, and indeed should not be taken as a historical or as a scientific treatise. Nevertheless, the historical-critical method and traditional Jewish observance are compatible, as the dogmatic content of Judaism is not binding.
Whether one affirms revelation or not, the Bible remains a sacred work. However, its sacredness is connected to the Jewish community that declares it to be sacred. The earlier Jewish community, the real and spiritual ancestors of the Jews, understood the Bible to be sacred, and we follow their example. The Bible, in this approach, becomes a sourcebook for current Jews, who select, reevaluate and interpret its texts to give meaning and substance to contemporary Judaism.
Question: How do you feel about this? Of the three different ideas, which one resonates with you the most? Can you come up with a DIFFERENT idea? Please share!
According to this approach, some sort of revelation occurred in the past and is the inspiration for the Torah and what follows. However, there is no way to know what was revealed and what was not. For this reason, each generation must figure out for itself what appear to be divine in the Torah and what is dross. The main focus of this approach is not the contradictions in the Torah but rather the apparent moral failings of the Torah, including massacre of women and children, unfair treatment of the mamzer [an illegitimate child], execution of homosexuals, selling off of young daughters, etc.
Question: How do you feel about this?
Reform Judaism: Aspects Theory
Noting that the Torah writes from a number of perspectives and in a number of voices, this model suggests that the multivocality of the Torah is original, purposeful and divine. This point has been argued both at the literary level as well as the theological level. On the literary level, it has been argued that complexity and multivocality can be understood as a literary style; just because it does not fit well with contemporary notions of consistency and narrative flow does not mean that it doesn’t have a logic of its own. On the theological level, an infinite God may have created a text that reflects more than one authorial voice and more than one perspective on the meaning of revelation and the nature of covenantal law. The stories about the ancestors may also be said to benefit from having been told from multiple perspectives.
Question: How do you feel about this?
Reconstructionist and Humanistic Judaism: Sacred By the Community
According to this approach, the fundamental insights of academic biblical studies are true. The Torah is a composite document that has developed over time; it is not always historically accurate, and indeed should not be taken as a historical or as a scientific treatise. Nevertheless, the historical-critical method and traditional Jewish observance are compatible, as the dogmatic content of Judaism is not binding.
Whether one affirms revelation or not, the Bible remains a sacred work. However, its sacredness is connected to the Jewish community that declares it to be sacred. The earlier Jewish community, the real and spiritual ancestors of the Jews, understood the Bible to be sacred, and we follow their example. The Bible, in this approach, becomes a sourcebook for current Jews, who select, reevaluate and interpret its texts to give meaning and substance to contemporary Judaism.
Question: How do you feel about this? Of the three different ideas, which one resonates with you the most? Can you come up with a DIFFERENT idea? Please share!