...And it came to pass that man who sold shirts was smitten by hard times. Neither did any of his merchandise move nor did he prosper. And he prayed and said, "Lord, why has thou left me to suffer thus? All mine enemies sell their goods except I. And it's the height of the season. My shirts are good shirts. Take a look at this rayon. I got button-downs, flare collars, nothing sells. Yet I have kept thy commandments. Why can I not earn a living when mine younger brother cleans up in children's ready-to-wear?"
And the Lord heard the man and said, "About thy shirts..."
"Yes, Lord," the man said, falling to his knees.
"Put an alligator over the pocket."
"Pardon me, Lord?"
"Just do what I'm telling you. You won't be sorry."
And the man dewed on to all his shirts a small alligator symbol and lo and behold, suddenly his merchandise moved like gangbusters, and there was much rejoicing while amongst his enemies there was wailing and gnashing of teeth, and one said, "The Lord is merciful. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures. The problem is, I can't get up."
Without Feathers, Woody Allen
Cheat Sheet
- The core of Deuteronomy from the 7th century BCE, with some earlier traditions woven in.
- Rabbinic literature refers to Deuteronomy as mishneh torah, meaning a repetition of the Torah. Accordingly, Deuteronimon in Greek means second law. The problem is that Deuteronomy has a lot of unique content that exists nowhere else in the Torah.
- The Deuteronomist reflects a die hard monotheism and rejects monolatry.
- Other Deuteronomist material found in Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Kings, Jeremiah
- Google Maps gives you a map + written directions
- Map = Leviticus
- Draws a picture with words
- Leviticus is like a Magic Eye picture
- Written Directions = Deuteronomy
Tamara Eskenazi
(2) You shall slaughter the passover sacrifice for Adonai your God, from the flock and the herd, in the place where Adonai will choose to establish His name.
(11) Who is like You, Adonai, among the celestials; Who is like You, majestic in holiness, Awesome in splendor, working wonders!
From Deutero-Isaiah
(7) I form light and create darkness, I make weal and create woe— I, Adonai, do all these things.
[The Deuteronomist] appears to be closely connected to the world of wisdom. Wisdom was an international pursuit in the ancient Near East, carried on by sages in different countries. Indeed, wisdom was something like scientific research nowadays, and like scientists, wisdom writers had their own characteristic vocabulary and themes. The word "wise" itself was almost a code word (and certainly more specific than "wise" sounds in English); like "scientist," "wise" meant someone who pursued a certain way of knowledge.
Many of these wisdom elements have been found to be present in Deuteronomy. Thus, God's commandments, statutes, and ordinances, as well as "this book of law[or Torah]," are spoken of in Deuteronomy in much the same way that wisdom is spoken of in the biblical book of Proverbs and other wisdom texts: people are urged to "cling" to the Torah, to "guard" it, to "bind it as a sign," and so forth. Those who administer the laws - judges and other officials - ought themselves to be "wise" (16:19), and the country's leaders should likewise be "individuals who are wise, discerning, and reputable" (1:13). Similarly important is the central theme of reward and punishment to its adherence to God's laws. All these elements seem to whisper: "wisdom." Indeed, at one point Deuteronomy suggests that its laws are themselves the equivalent of collections of wise sayings elsewhere:
How to Read the Bible, James L. Kugel
(6) Observe them faithfully, for that will be proof of your wisdom and discernment to other peoples, who on hearing of all these laws will say, “Surely, that great nation is a wise and discerning people.”