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May 23, 2018 Hebrew Songs Post a Comment

May Song

This month’s song is from Deuteronomy 26:8 – four words of thanks to God for the fruits of the land, as  we celebrate Shavuot-Pentecost.  Originally a pilgrimage feast to thank God for the early gleanings of the first fruits (for this reason the Book of Ruth is read in synagogues on Shavuot), it was later connected to the revelation and God’s gift of Torah to Israel at Mt. Sinai (for this reason many Jews stay awake learning Torah all night on Shavuot).

Eretz Zavat Halav U’Dvash

A land flowing with milk and honey

 

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May 22, 2018 Sunday Commentary Post a Comment

Trinity Sunday

Trinity Sunday – May 27, 2018

Deut 4:32-34,39-40 Ps. 33: 4-6,9, 18-22 Romans 8:14-17 Matthew 28:16-20

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In the reading from Deuteronomy, Moses speaks to the people and reminds them of all the wonders that their God has done for them from Creation up to the present time. He reminds them of the times they were saved from their enemies, how they were freed from the bondage of slavery and called to follow the laws that would put them in right relationship with God and with one another. They are reminded that this God is one who will love and protect them for all times.

 

Psalm 33 follows with the promise that God loves justice and right and will show kindness and faithfulness to those who hope for life in God.

 

In the letter to the Romans, Paul continues this theme of a God who leads the people out of slavery and who indeed is their “Abba, God” . The Spirit of Jesus is a witness to our connection to Creator God and his Spirit releases us from fear and promises that we are truly family members who will suffer but also be glorified as Jesus lived and died as one of us.

 

Matthew ends his gospel with the eleven disciples in Galilee awaiting the arrival of Jesus after the resurrection. Despite their joy at seeing him again, it was difficult for some to believe this was truly a reality and not a dream. Jesus comes to them and gives them a sacred commission to do what he had done and to baptize in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit and take that message to all nations of the world. He promises to remain with them forever.

 

Each of these readings point to the eternal “dance of God” giving life, hope, love and rebirth to all creation. We share in this “dance” of connectedness and delight, of faithfulness and hope, of unity and inclusivity. If we stop and look around us we are surrounded by the beauties of creation. Those who have learned of Jesus, have seen how much God yearned to walk with us as human persons. Jesus does exactly that. He experiences what it means to be truly human; the good and the bad of it. He doesn’t pretend to be human but responds to the fullness that each of us is called to. He continues to walk with us now in our pain, our doubts, our fears, our sufferings, our joys and hopes. His Spirit is felt throughout our world wherever there are those who reach out in loving kindness, in justice, in compassion, working for peace and forgiveness among individuals and among nations. We also participate in this mystery as we sense a loving God whose message comes clearly to us in the scriptures and whose Spirit is obvious in those who spread the good news by their lives.

 

Last weekend I watched the Royal Wedding in England and I felt a real sense of the Trinity present in that liturgy: the powerful message of love, of unity, of inclusivity, of harmony, of newness in creation.

 

I felt it was a message to the world community so in need of hope, and love for our neighbors in great distress and pain from war, famine, illnesses and oppression. It was a real sign for many of hope.

 

For reflection: Is there a way to recognize that we are part of the “dance” of the Trinity? Can we see that we are called to be part of that circle of life, of friendship, of relationship that is never ending?

 

This week’s teaching commentary was prepared by

Mary Louise Chesley-Cora, MAT in Religious Studies

Hockessin,  Delaware,  USA

Bat Kol  Alumna 2001

Email:  chezcor@msn.com

[Copyright © 2018]

 

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PLEASE NOTE: The weekly Gospel commentaries represent the research and creative thought of their authors, and are meant to stimulate deeper thinking about the meaning of the Sunday Scriptures. While they draw upon the study methods and sources employed by the Bat Kol Institute, the views and conclusions expressed in these commentaries are solely those of their authors, and do not necessarily represent the views of Bat Kol.  Questions, comments and feedback are always welcome.

…………………………………………………………

 

 ~~1983–2018~~

Bat Kol Institute for Jewish Studies, Jerusalem

“Christians Studying the Bible within its Jewish milieu, using Jewish Sources.”

Website: www.batkol.info   gill@batkol.info

Parashah Commentary Post a Comment

Parashat Naso

Shabbat Table Talk

Parashat Naso—Erev Shabbat May 25, 2018

Week May 20-26, 2018

Torah portion: Numbers 4:21 – 7:89     Haftarah:  Judges 13:2-25

 

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Parashat Naso is the longest parasha in Torah and the reading usually falls close to the celebration of receiving the Torah. The simple meaning of the verb naso is “to raise”, but the words “elevate” and “prince” stem from the same root in Hebrew; and appear several times throughout the parasha. The parasha begins with God instructing Moses to raise the heads within the Gershon and Marari clans, and count the men between the age of 30 and 50 who would be involved in transporting the Tabernacle; by doing so, each person in both clans was aware of their importance in their given task.

 

 The 3rd line of the blessing with which Aaron and his sons are to bless the people is;” May God lift His countenance towards you and give you peace” and the priests hands are raised when pronouncing the Blessing.

 

We are aware of the economy of words in Torah, so when we come to the list of installation gifts for the alter; presented by the princes (men who have been elevated to the position of leadership within their clan), we realize there is something of import regarding the repetition that may at first elude us.

 

Following the anointing and consecration of the Tabernacle and all it contained, the princes brought their offering of oxen and carts, which was accepted by the Lord. However, when the princes approached to make their dedication offerings for the alter (of their own volition it seems) they were halted and God instructed Moses to have them present “one prince each day” on 12 successive days. The princes presented their identical 35 gifts in the divinely ordered manner in which the tribes encamped around the Tabernacle.

 

A Midrash tells that each gift symbolized something particular to that tribe; a personality or event in Jewish history, or a concept in Jewish faith or practice, or that to each tribe, they symbolized things relating to that tribes role, but that each tribe imbued their presentation with their individual essence.

 

The Lubavitcher Rebbe wrote that “an entire nation can do the very same deed down to the last detail and still imbue it with their uniquely personal input, each bringing to the experience the richness of their own creative souls.”

 

Each tribe’s gift, though identical, was given with their own unique motivation and sincerity, their own “intention of the heart” that was between God and them. The individual account of each tribe’s gift was a way of declaring their individual importance within the nation. By presenting in this manner, God ensured that each tribe was given special honour and cause for jealousy was avoided. Following the listing of the gifts from each tribe, they are expressed as a collective unified whole.

 

“Raise up the heads” also suggests the mind is to be elevated; bringing forward the understanding that while we are all to study Torah, the individual discoveries we uncover form part of the overall holiness of Torah and serve to  unite us all. We each bring our own understanding based on our own life experience, so that each of us has our own personal contribution that raises up, enriches and enlarges the whole.

 

For Reflection and Discussion: [1] What consideration do I give in selecting and presenting a gift? [2]   Is the most joy found in giving something that a person truly values to another they know will also treasure it?

 

Bibliography:  JTS Hebrew-English Tanakh; Newman, (selected and edited by) in collaboration with Samuel Spitz); Num. 2:1-34 Plaut, The Torah: A Modern Commentary, (New York, 1981), Chabad – Ibid.,pp 453-454,   Lubavitcher Rebbe, Midrash (Bamidbar Rabbah 13-14), Gal Einai – The Flow of Paradox.

 

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This week’s teaching commentary was prepared by

Gwen-Ellen Dankewich, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

Bat Kol alumna, 2008

E-mail address: gdankewich@gmail.com

 [Copyright © 2018]

 

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PLEASE NOTE: The weekly Parashah commentaries represent the research and creative thought of their authors, and are meant to stimulate deeper thinking about the meaning of the Scriptures. While they draw upon the study methods and sources employed by the Bat Kol Institute, the views and conclusions expressed in these commentaries are solely those of their authors, and do not necessarily represent the views of Bat Kol.   The commentaries, along with all materials published on the Bat Kol website, are copyrighted by the writers, and are made available for personal and group study, and local church purposes. Permission needed for other purposes.  Questions, comments and feedback are always welcome.

……………………………………………………..

 

Bat Kol Institute for Jewish Studies, Jerusalem

~~1983–2018~~

“Christians Studying the Bible within its Jewish milieu, using Jewish Sources.”

Website: www.batkol.info;   Parashah Admin: gill@batkol.info

May 13, 2018 Sunday Commentary Post a Comment

The Feast of Pentecost

The Feast of Pentecost (20 May 2018)

Acts 2:1-11; Ps 104; Gal 5:16-25; John 15:26-27, 16:12-15

Theme: Lord, send forth your Spirit and renew the face of the earth (Ps 104:30)

 

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From the beginning the spirit or breath (ruah) of God brought life and harmony to all of creation. Each time God spoke, God breathed life into creation. “When God was about to create the heaven and the earth, the earth was chaos and unformed and on the chaotic waters’ face there was darkness. Then God’s spirit glided over the face of the water and God said: ‘Let there be light’…” (Gn 1:1-3)

 

The reading from Acts describes the descending of the Holy Spirit as a mighty wind and fire which filled those present with courage to speak out about the wonders of God.

 

Because it was the festival of Pentecost – “the 50th day” after Pesach – the harvest festival or feast of first-fruits of grain harvest (among the three major festivals mentioned in Ex 23:14-17), there were many “Jews, men of every nation under heaven” visiting Jerusalem. They all heard the apostles declaring “the mighty works of God” in their own language. The message was about new life in Christ and there was no division of languages – harmony among those who heard.

 

In the Gospel, Jesus tells his apostles about the “Counsellor” (Sunday Missal) whom he and his Father will send. According to McKenzie (1965:845) spirit is the “Paraclete” in John, who is the spirit of truth who dwells in the apostles and is unknown to the world. The Spirit comes from the Father and bears witness to Jesus. The Spirit is the Helper who will remind the apostles of what Jesus has taught them and will guide them further into the truth. As Jesus has glorified the Father and made him known; so the Spirit will glorify Jesus and make him known.

 

The Psalm is a prayer of praise of the great works God achieved. The earth is full of the creatures God created in the beginning and it is right for us to know that should God take away our breath we would die. But instead of that God sends his Spirit to recreate and renew the earth and its people. Therefore it is right for us to rejoice in the Lord.

 

The Paraclete is in the continuing life of the Church what Jesus is in its foundation (ibid).

 

And so we have Paul encouraging the Galatians and us to “walk by the Spirit, and not to gratify the desires of the flesh”. The Spirit is our helper and our guide in the way of living as Christ did so as to bring forth the fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

 

Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful; and renew in us the face of the earth.

 

For Reflection and Discussion: 1.What is your relationship with the Holy Spirit? Does it need faith and renewal? 2. Paul ends this passage telling us that if we live by the Spirit, we must also walk by the Spirit by having “no self-conceit, no provoking of one another, no envy of one another”. Am I walking by the Spirit?

 

Bibliography: Eskenazi, T. C. Weiss, A.L.  A Women’s Commentary (New York: 2008); McKenzie, J.L. Dictionary of the Bible (New York: 1965); The Daily Missal (Paulines Africa 2012)

 

This week’s Sunday Gospel Commentary was prepared by

Bernadette Chellew, KZN, South Africa, Bat Kol Alum 2008
Email address:btrnchellew@gmail.com

 [Copyright © 2018]

 

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PLEASE NOTE: The weekly Gospel commentaries represent the research and creative thought of their authors, and are meant to stimulate deeper thinking about the meaning of the Sunday Scriptures. While they draw upon the study methods and sources employed by the Bat Kol Institute, the views and conclusions expressed in these commentaries are solely those of their authors, and do not necessarily represent the views of Bat Kol.  Questions, comments and feedback are always welcome

…………………………………………..

 

Bat Kol Institute for Jewish Studies, Jerusalem

1983-2018

“Christians Studying the Bible within its Jewish milieu, using Jewish Sources.”

Mail to: gill@batkol.info; Website: www.batkol.info

 

Parashah Commentary Post a Comment

Parashat Bamidbar

Shabbat Table Talk

Erev Shabbat 18th May 2018

Week of 13th – 19th May 2018

Torah Portion: Numbers 1:1-4:20  Haftarah: Hosea 2:1-22

‘They will set out just as they encamp’ (Numbers 2:17)

 

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Numbers 1:1-4:20 is set in the shadow of Mt. Sinai, just over a year after the Israelites have left Egypt. Preparations are still under way for the journey through the wilderness. God seems already to be anticipating the difficulties that lie ahead for a liberated people as He identifies those ‘able to go to war’ in the first of two censuses He commands Moses to carry out. God then tells Moses that the Tent of Meeting is to be central to the whole camp (2:2) and ‘gradually, this physical centrality must have led to the Ark’s gaining a central place in the Israelite soul.’ (Etz Hayim p774) This text presents an image of the Tent of Meeting being protected and cared for by the Israelite people.

 

God provides instructions about how to behave in the Tent of Meeting, where closeness to God is so intense it may result in death if not handled properly (Num 4:15-20). Likewise, in the Haftarah Hosea 2:1-22, entering into a close relationship with God results in death unless certain behaviors are adhered to (2:3). While we may baulk at the punishments for not behaving appropriately and seek rationales such as their being of their time and reflecting the author’s intention, we might also find ourselves curious as to why such intimacy with God carries such danger and how we might navigate our way. ‘God is like a fire, capable of warming and comforting, but capable of burning as well.’ (Etz Hayim p774)

 

In the wilderness, the Kohathites from within the tribe of Levi, are allowed closest to the Tent of Meeting. They must not touch or look at ‘the holy things’ but it is important that they obey God’s command (4:15, 20).  Earlier it was noted that all the people obey what the Lord commands of them (1:19, 54). Later in Hosea however, set in the 8th century BCE, ‘there is no faithfulness or kindness, no knowledge of God in the land’ (Hos. 4:1-2). Hosea notices a loss of connection with God. Yet God points out that He is the provider of all that is sought elsewhere (Hos 2:8). God recognizes that He needs to bring Israel back to the wilderness for ‘There she shall respond as in the days of her youth, as at the time when she came out of the land of Egypt’ (Hos 2:14-15).  

 

Considering Numbers 1:1-4:20 through the lens of Hosea 2:1-22, we see the consequences when life moves away from, rather than with, the Tent of Meeting – when life is focused on other things rather than God. Hosea invites the people to reconnect with God by re-entering the wilderness, where the qualities and skills required to navigate life safely, in obedience to God’s word, can be honed. Before this return however is punishment. God says, ‘I will strip her naked and expose her as on the day she was born’ (Hos 2:3 NRSV trans). Whatever way we translate this statement, it invites us to grapple with its harsh tone. At the same time, we recognize that the Hebrew word yṣg, can mean ‘to place, establish’ rather than ‘expose’. The Septuagint picks up this potential within the Hebrew, translating yṣg as apokatastēsō meaning ‘to restore, bring back (to an earlier condition). This allows for a more nuanced and holistic understanding of God’s action, restoring an original, more God-centred state while, paradoxically, allowing this renewed state to be informed by the experience gained from exercising free will.

 

Reflection and Discussion: 1 What happens to me when I lose my connection with God? Can I be curious about how I know this connection is lost or less intense? 2 How does this loss influence my connection with myself and others? 3 What supports do I use to maintain connection at all these levels?

   

Bibliography: The Five Books of Moses by Robert Alter, Etz Hayim – Torah and Commentary by David L Lieber, The Torah – A Modern Commentary by W Gunther Plaut, NRSV

 

This week’s teaching commentary was prepared by

Thérèse Fitzgerald nds, Bat Kol Alumni record 2015
Email address: theresefitzgerald7@gmail.com

 

[Copyright © 2018]

 

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PLEASE NOTE: The weekly Parashah commentaries represent the research and creative thought of their authors, and are meant to stimulate deeper thinking about the meaning of the Scriptures. While they draw upon the study methods and sources employed by the Bat Kol Institute, the views and conclusions expressed in these commentaries are solely those of their authors, and do not necessarily represent the views of Bat Kol.   The commentaries, along with all materials published on the Bat Kol website, are copyrighted by the writers, and are made available for personal and group study, and local church purposes. Permission needed for other purposes.  Questions, comments and feedback are always welcome.

………………………………………………..

 

Bat Kol Institute for Jewish Studies, Jerusalem

~~1983–2018~~

“Christians Studying the Bible within its Jewish milieu, using Jewish Sources.”

Website: www.batkol.info;   Parashat Admin: gill@batkol.info

May 6, 2018 Sunday Commentary Post a Comment

Ascension of the Lord

 Ascension of the Lord (May 13, 2018)

Acts 1:1-11; Ps 47:2-3, 6-9; Eph 4:1-13; Mark 16:15-20

Ascension and our mission

 

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The belief in the resurrected Jesus rising into Heaven is at the core of our Christian beliefs. We affirm this when we recite the Apostle’s Creed – we believe in Jesus Christ . . . who on the third day rose again from the dead;  ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from there  he will come to judge the living and the dead.

 

We learn about heaven as a first act of creation in the first verse in the Torah where we are told that in the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep.

 

The usual Hebrew word for “heavens” is shamayin, a plural form meaning “heights,” “elevations” (Gen 1:1; 2:1).  From the other books in the Hebrew scriptures, we get metaphorical meanings as used in the phrases “opened the doors of heaven” (Ps 78:23 ); “heaven is shut up” (1 Kg 8:35); and “the heavens were opened” (Ez 1:1).

 

In the Gospels, we learn  heaven to be a place of God and  the  home of our dear dead. It is likened to a “paradise” (Lk 23:43) and a “kingdom” (Matt 25:1).  For the believers, it is not only a state of everlasting blessedness but also the “Father’s house” prepared for them (Jn 14:2).

 

Avenue she-ba-shamayin (Heb. for Our Father in Heaven) is a form of adoration often found at the beginning of Jewish prayers of petition, based on the rabbinic epithet of God as “Father in Heaven” and as found in the Torah like “O Lord, are our father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand” (Isa 64:8).

 

Likewise, in the prayer Jesus teaches us to pray to our Father (Matt 6:9), we pray to God who is in heaven, whose name is to be hallowed and whose kingdom is to come.

 

From these we learn that the term heaven has many meanings.  But a common meaning is that of a place for us to go in the end of our days, when we are to go home to our Father.

 

We are reminded, often by the death of a loved one, that our deep longing just like that of many  Jews and Christians  who died before us,  is to go home to our  Father.  We long to have our own ascension into heaven like Jesus did.

 

In today’s readings from Acts and Mark, we are told of ways to achieve this: We are to do our mission and this mission is to do the mission of Christ, in the here and now.

 

The words of the men in white robes or angel — “Men of Galilee, why are you staring at the sky?” (Acts 1:11) contain an implicit reproof: We should not just “stare into the sky” and speculate about the beyond.  We are to do something and Mark tells us what this task is.

 

A quick analysis of Mark’s gospel shows an inclusion where the words on the ascension are framed by the words on the mission of the apostles.  In Mk 16: 15 – 18, we have the commissioning of the apostles. Jesus gives the final instructions to the apostles to proclaim the gospel to “every creature” and assures salvation to those who believe in their preaching.  The story on the ascension (v 19) is followed by the story of the apostles doing their mission – they went forth and preached everywhere (v 20).

 

Thus, we learn that we cannot discuss the mystery of the ascension without the mission of the apostles and the church. As Jesus carried on God’s work, the apostles must carry on Jesus’ work.

 

To be a follower (or believer) of Jesus, one must work for the salvation of mankind (by preaching, baptizing, exorcizing, speaking in tongues, being unharmed, by healing) and help build a better world. With the physical absence of Jesus, Christians while waiting for his second coming should make Jesus present in the world.

 

For Reflection and Discussion:  1. If angels are in front of you today, can they reproach you for something that you have failed to do?  If any, what is this? 2). The challenge for Christians today is to proclaim the gospel “to every creature.” This is a tough task.  Do you know of a way to proclaim the gospel to as many people as you can?

 

Bibliography: Harrington and Donahue, Sacra Pagina: The Gospel of Mark (Minnesota, 2002); Almazan, OFM, “Welcome to Our Bible Study: Ascension of Jesus” (unpublished).

 

This week’s teaching commentary was prepared by

Minerva Generalao, Philippines, Bat Kol Alumna July 2014 Email: may_neer@gmail.com

 

PLEASE NOTE: The weekly Gospel commentaries represent the research and creative thought of their authors, and are meant to stimulate deeper thinking about the meaning of the Sunday Scriptures. While they draw upon the study methods and sources employed by the Bat Kol Institute, the views and conclusions expressed in these commentaries are solely those of their authors, and do not necessarily represent the views of Bat Kol.  Questions, comments and feedback are always welcome.

 

Bat Kol Institute for Jewish Studies, Jerusalem

1983-2018

“Christians Studying the Bible within its Jewish milieu, using Jewish Sources.”

gill@batkol.info Website: www.batkol.info

Parashah Commentary Post a Comment

Parashat Behar / Bechukotai

Shabbat Table Talk

Parashat Behar/Bechukotai – Erev Shabbat 11 May 2018

Week of 6-12 May 2018 

 Torah portion: Leviticus 25:1-27:34 Haftarah: Jer 16:19-17:14

 

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There are two powerful themes in Behar. One is that the land belongs to the lord: “for the land is Mine; you are but strangers resident with Me.” (Lv 25:23).  The other is that the status quo should not be allowed to last. Every seventh year the fields are to lie fallow; every fiftieth year is a jubilee year, in which the land lies fallow, land that has been sold is returned to the original owner, and Israelite slaves are freed.

 

Both these themes occur throughout the Bible.  Its very first verse tells us that “in the beginning the lord created the heavens and the earth.”  Creation belongs to the Creator. And the idea that the lord lifts up the lowly and deposes the mighty appears throughout, e.g. in the Psalms, in the prayer of Hannah (1 Sam 2:4-8) and in the song of Mary (Lk 1:51-53): “You have deposed the mighty from their thrones/and raised the lowly to high places; You have filled the hungry with good things/and the rich you have sent away empty.” 

 

To what extent the laws of the jubilee year were actually carried out is a matter for scholarly debate. And no wonder—they ask a lot from human nature.  To judge from the world today, we seem to have trouble accepting that “the earth is the lord’s” (Ps 24:1) As individuals we think ‘this land is mine’ and as citizens of nations ‘this land is ours’.   Yet in the world today there are more than 20 million displaced people, about one-quarter of them from Syria.  They no longer have a land to call their own.  Nations vary in how they have responded to this humanitarian crisis. Some have shown remarkable generosity in welcoming refugees; others have not.  What lies behind the reluctance to welcome refugees seems to be the fear that the host nation will be altered for the worse.  But if we really believe that the whole world, including our part of it, belongs to God, how can we leave people in refugee camps and deny them a decent place to live in the world God has made for all?

 

Many people are happy to fill the hungry with good things but not to such an extent that we ourselves are sent away empty. In “We give thee but thine own,” Karen Hamilton, a minister of the United Church of Canada, uses Torah (Dt 26:1-11) in her powerful condemnation of measured generosity, in which the haves give a little so that the have nots can have a bit more:

 

It is the very first of all the fruits and crops of the land that the people are to bring before God in thanksgiving…. In a time and place in which agriculture was often at subsistence level, when famine often lurked just around the corner, it was significant to give in this way…. Some of our ancestors in the faith, not too many generations back…gave like that; they gave to God through the church the first of what they had.  Today, those of us who respond in praise and thanksgiving, tend to give to God—through the church or through other important routes in our society—not the first of all we have and make, but rather the last, the leftover, the excess.  As a nation, we [Canadians] are unwilling to give in foreign aid to the starving, dying peoples of the world—even 0.7% of our gross national product, something that our country originally proposed would be a way to heal God’s hurting children of the world.  It is a scandal.

                

Reflection:  Think about how you as an individual and how your country could give more. What would you be prepared to give up?  How would you respond to those who say a nation should look after its own people?

 

Bibliography:  Hamilton, Karen A. The Acceptable Year of the Lord: Preaching the Old Testament with Faith, Finesse and Fervour (Novalis, 2008), p. 253

 

This week’s teaching commentary is by

Anne Morton, Winnipeg, Canada

Bat Kol alum 2010

Email: anmorton@mymts.net

 [Copyright © 2018]

 

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PLEASE NOTE: The weekly Parashah commentaries represent the research and creative thought of their authors, and are meant to stimulate deeper thinking about the meaning of the Scriptures. While they draw upon the study methods and sources employed by the Bat Kol Institute, the views and conclusions expressed in these commentaries are solely those of their authors, and do not necessarily represent the views of Bat Kol.   The commentaries, along with all materials published on the Bat Kol website, are copyrighted by the writers, and are made available for personal and group study, and local church purposes. Permission needed for other purposes.  Questions, comments and feedback are always welcome.

…………………………………………………

 

Bat Kol Institute for Jewish Studies, Jerusalem

~~1983–2018~~

“Christians Studying the Bible within its Jewish milieu, using Jewish Sources.”

Website: www.batkol.info;   Parashat Admin: gill@batkol.info

April 30, 2018 Sunday Commentary Post a Comment

The Sixth Sunday of Easter

Sunday Gospel Reading

6th Sunday of Easter May 6, 2018

Readings: Acts. 10 :25–26 ;34–35 ; 4 –48 ; Ps. 98:1–4; 1 John. 4:7–10; John 15, 9–17.

 

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This week’ Gospel reading reminds us of the most important commandment of the whole Law: love [cf. Mt. 22:39–40]. In the Gospel of John this commandment is expressed in universal categories as a way of existence, style of life, credo of a truly disciple of Christ. Its origins have to be found in the Heavenly life of the Holy Trinity. As the same evangelist declares, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (Jn 3:16). The heavenly example of a sacrificial love: this is the meaning of the Greek verb agapao used throughout the whole Gospel. Another meaningful marker of this portion is the verb abide, dwell, remain: altogether rendered by the Greek term meno. His Hebrew equivalent, vb. shakhan, provides us with an image mostly reiterated by the Rabbis: Shekina, the Presence of God, Our Beloved. In this sense, God renders Himself present in our lives when we follow His example of love and “lay down our life for our friends” (Jn 15:13). That is the second great feeling of God towards us which we are told to imitate: fili,a (friendship). Cf. Jam. 4:4. So, Jesus Himself can testify that “You are my friends if you do what I command you” (Jn 15:14). In the Hebrew Bible “to be a friend of God” (rea) becomes a brilliant metaphor of a righteous, pious and devoted man or woman who is enabled speak with the Lord “face to face”: cf. Ex. 33:11.

 

This intimacy and closeness to the Lord grant us a privilege to dwell in His love, to stay in front of Him, to be His friends, yet not servants. In fact, the Apostle exemplifies that principle – the “law of love” – in the following sentence: “So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God’s holy people. You are members of God’s family” (Eph. 2:19). Nevertheless in the inter-testamental period the precept of love was a subject of hot discussions between the Rabbis. For example, questioning who must be neighbor to love (cf. Lv. 19:18), R. Hillel who elaborated a general principle: “You shall love peace and research peace, you shall love the creatures and make them approach the Torah” (cf. Abot 1:12; 1:2; b.Sota 14a). On the contrary, the Pharisaic leaders used to consider the word “neighbor” in a restrictive way on the basis of Lv. 19:34=Dt 10:19; i.e., this term referred exclusively to a fellow citizen or a stranger who decided to establish his or her dwelling in Israel. Finally, in the Post-talmudic exegesis a fellow man or woman was simply reduced to an observant Jew [Neudecker, 499–501].

 

This short picture of different opinions shows how challenging is the commandment of love that urges us to go out of limits and false stereotypes of this world. In the First Letter of John (1 Jn. 4:7–10) there is a summary concerning such strategic topics as “to be born from God”, “to know God”, “Jesus as an atoning sacrifice (hilasmos) for our sins”. The knowing of God represents an ontological summit for a human being, a new step of existence as well as a great responsibility to be inserted in the continuum of loving kindness of Merciful God, misericordia Dei. Like in the Garden of Eden, once Adam started to experience the presence of a fellow woman, he became aware of a dialogic nature of love. Thus, the famous sentence “God is love” (1 Jn. 4:8) can be adequately understood only in the context of “being in front of” somebody. That is what the Book of Genesis stresses out (Gn. 2:20): “for Adam there was not found a help like to himself [lit. “in front of him”: kenegdo. This dialogical unity of love – relationship “face to face” – is revealed by God Himself as the Psalm says: “The King is mighty, he loves justice – you have established equity; in Jacob you have done what is just and right” (Ps. 98:4). In fact, God’s justice is unthinkable without mercy, from the Rabbinic point of view. Finally, only love can make known to today’s world a Holy Name of the Lord Who truly loves His creation by judging and forgiving it at the same time.

 

For Reflection and Discussion: 1. How do I experience love of God & love to God in my daily life? 2. What is my understanding of a neighborhood regarding the precept of love? Is it possible nowadays to love everyone? 3. Which way or ways of existence, teaching and studying the Torah opens to me spiritually the Gospel motto “God is love”?

 

Bibliography: Artyushin, Colui che fa misericordia. Lc 10,25–37 in chiave comunicativa (Roma, 2009); Grilli, Quale rapporto tra i due Testamenti? Riflessione critica sui modelli ermeneutici classici concernenti l’unità delle Scritture (Bologna, 2007); Neudecker, «“And You Shall Love Your Neighbor as Yourself – I Am the Lord” (Lev 19,18) in Jewish Interpretation» (Biblica 73 (1992) 496-517).

 

This week’s teaching commentary was prepared by

Philotheus Artyushin, Moscow Theol. Academy, Doctorate in Biblical Theology.

Bat Kol alumnus 2011  email:  artyushins@yandex.ru

[Copyright © 2018]

 

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PLEASE NOTE: The weekly Gospel commentaries represent the research and creative thought of their authors, and are meant to stimulate deeper thinking about the meaning of the Sunday Scriptures. While they draw upon the study methods and sources employed by the Bat Kol Institute, the views and conclusions expressed in these commentaries are solely those of their authors, and do not necessarily represent the views of Bat Kol.  Questions, comments and feedback are always welcome.

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Bat Kol Institute, Jerusalem

~~1983–2018~~

“Christians Studying the Bible within its Jewish milieu, using Jewish Sources.”

gill@batkol.info Website: www.batkol.info

Parashah Commentary Post a Comment

Parashat Emor

Shabbat Table Talk

Parashat Emor – Erev Shabbat 04 May 2018

Week of 29 April -05 May 2018

Torah portion: Leviticus 21:1-24:23 Haftarah: Ezek. 44:15-31

Theme: A YES for HOLINESS

 

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The invitation to holiness rings all the louder in the texts of this week’s Parashat Emor. As Leviticus 21-24 details the guidelines on the holiness of priests and sacrifices and the prohibitions to avoid defilement and desecration of sacred space, we hear “G-d speaks and G-d’s intention is to make holy”. What does a yes for Holiness ask of us? This week’s parashat gives us the clues.

 

Obedient LISTENING

 

The parashat opens with G-d commanding Moses to “speak and say”, repeated around 17 times, this command becomes “antiphon” to each section of the texts. This repetition is intentional. Obedience (Latin “ab audire”, to listen) is central to the chosen people’s relationship with G-d, as had been shown in the lives of the Patriarchs, Judges, Prophets, Kings and Priests. Listening to the voice of the One who created us is good for us. The triumph of holiness in us begins from this stance of listening.

 

 

FINDING G-D in the rhythm of our life

 

Leviticus 23 beautifully fixes the times for G-d, and measures time as  “mo’adim”, times of meeting God, or as Rabbi Sachs puts it  seeing time as the “arena of the Divine-human encounter”1.

 

G-d entered human history through the Chosen People and since then, our life has been so suffused with this Divine nearness. The Jews witness to and celebrate this truth each week in their Shabbat and in fixing times in their faith calendar, as “set times for the Lord” (Leviticus 23:44). 

 

Hallowing time however, may prove to be a challenge for today’s generation. The tendency to hoard the 525,600 minutes of a year and the irreverent stance of “time is gold and it is mine” block the joyful discovery of G-d speaking to us G-d’s faithful love in the surface rush of things and in the tensions of everyday life. Our Yes to holiness sets  us on the road of discovering  G-d, who not only moves in the rhythm of our lives – in all its twists and turns, griefs and sorrows, and everything in-between- but as the Lord of  Time and Seasons.

 

Easing Out the Ego

 

Emor ends with the curious story of the blasphemer who was sentenced to death.  Interestingly, as one commentary pointed out, the Hebrew word used in the verse for “you shall not desecrate” (תְּחַלְלוּ ) the name of God stems from the verb that also means “a vacuum” (חָלַָל ). Blasphemy, whose root is קלל was meant to make a vacuum (root is חלל).2 From this we can glean that when one blasphemes or desecrates G-d’s Name, one eases G-d out. Maimonides explains that if a Jew, particularly a highly regarded Jew, behaves in an apparently inappropriate manner he has desecrated G-d, as G-d is absent in that reality.3 The psychotherapist Wayne Dyer defines EGO as Easing God Out.  G-d no longer occupies space, G-d no longer matters. Consequently, a person’s action then is devoid of G-d, of love, goodness, compassion, forgiveness, dialogue, tolerance for diversity. I believe much of the world’s woes and problems stem from our egos going berserk!

 

Parasha Emor urges us to concentrate on easing out our ego so that G-d can take G-d’s rightful place in our hearts, in our families, in our communities, in our world.

 

For Reflection and Discussion: In this week’s parashat:  Where am I saying Yes? Where Am I struggling?  What are the subtle ways in which we ease G-d out in our lives?

 

Bibliography: David L. Lieber, et al Etz Hayim Torah and Commentary , The Rabbinical Assembly, 2001

1Rabbi Jonathan, Covenant and Conversation, May 7, 2011

Rabbi David Lipper , Just a Little Time , May 3, 2007

Dr. Wayne Dyer, The Shift (YouTube link)

2 Parashat Emor: Do our Hearts Have Room for God? (link)

3 ibid

This week’s teaching commentary is by

Shela Mae D. Jaso, Davao City, Philippines.  Bat Kol Alumna 2017
Email address:smcjaso@addu.edu.ph

[Copyright © 2018]

 

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PLEASE NOTE: The weekly Parashah commentaries represent the research and creative thought of their authors, and are meant to stimulate deeper thinking about the meaning of the Scriptures. While they draw upon the study methods and sources employed by the Bat Kol Institute, the views and conclusions expressed in these commentaries are solely those of their authors, and do not necessarily represent the views of Bat Kol.   The commentaries, along with all materials published on the Bat Kol website, are copyrighted by the writers, and are made available for personal and group study, and local church purposes. Permission needed for other purposes.  Questions, comments and feedback are always welcome.

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Bat Kol Institute for Jewish Studies, Jerusalem

~~1983–2018~~

“Christians Studying the Bible within its Jewish milieu, using Jewish Sources.”

Website: www.batkol.info;   Parashat Admin: gill@batkol.info

April 26, 2018 Sunday Commentary Post a Comment

The Fifth Sunday of Easter

The Sunday Liturgy Commentary

The 5th Sunday of Easter – 29th April 2018

Lectionary readings: Acts 9:26-31; Ps. 22:26-28, 30-32; 1 John. 3:18-24; John 15:1-8

Theme:  Abiding in Jesus, abiding in love

 

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The Gospel for this Sunday provides us with an image-metaphor of the vine and the branches, an image used in the Hebrew Scriptures. We can find the image of the vineyard in the Hebrew Scriptures like in Isaiah 5:1-7 and Psalm 80 which appeals to God to save the “vine which Your right hand has planted.” Taken together, this image paints the intimacy between the vine grower, God and his people despite the difficulty. We can notice that with the image of the vine, the text shifts into the word “remain” or “abide” which appears seven times. Jesus might be stating a simple truth: that not to abide in him means to wither and not bear fruit. To abide in Jesus is a matter of life and death, bearing fruit or not at all. What does it mean to abide?

 

Here it is curious that the reading does not proceed with verse nine until 10 which might be the key to understanding what does it mean to abide in Jesus? In verse nine it says, “As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love” (Jn 15:9). To abide in Jesus, is to love. In love we find life. Love allows us, creatures which should not be and yet are, to exist, to love and bear fruit. This energy from God who out of his gratuitous and relentless love makes those who abide in him bear much fruit.

 

This reminds us of the Shema, when we hear the words “v’ahavta et Adonai Elohecha b’chol l’vav’cha uv’chol nafsh’cha uv’chol m’odecha” (You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might.) Rabbi Jonathan Sacks also mentions that Torah reveals to us this abiding love of God when he said, “Something implicit in the Torah from the very beginning becomes explicit in the book of Devarim. God is the God of love. More than we love Him, He loves us. ‘If you pay attention to these laws and are careful to follow them, then the Lord your God will keep his covenant of love [et ha-brit ve-et ha-chessed] with you, as he swore to your ancestors. He will love you and bless you and increase your numbers (Deut 7: 12-13)’.” Torah is about love and this love abides in us if keep the Torah. In the beautiful book of Psalms, we find God’s abiding love when the Psalmist proclaims, “O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his chesed steadfast love endures forever” (Ps 136:1). His love forever abides in us. His love abides in us, then we bear fruit. It is not that we first bear fruit for his love to abide in us. His love is a first love, as Henri Nouwen says. His is a love that abides even before the bearing of fruit. It is because of that abiding that we are able to bear fruit.

 

 It is no wonder to see this passage in our celebration of Easter. In our celebration Easter we celebrate the love that abides with us even beyond death. A love that abides that defeats sin. Our world is now radically shifting. We notice a radical disillusionment to stay, to remain, to abide especially in our human relationships, more so when our relationships do not seem to “bear fruit.” We have become too impatient to abide and remain in love with persons who are particularly difficult to love. Jesus gives us a sure sign that to flourish, we must abide in him. Because he abides in us. This Love which abides, is the love that bears fruit. If we abide in Jesus, we are not only abiding in him and he in us, we are now empowered to also love and abide in others, with others, especially our neighbors who are in need, the poor, the needy, the stranger.

 

For Reflection and Discussion: [1] How do we feel God’s constant abiding presence in our lives?  [2] What makes it difficult for us to stay and abide in and with others?

 

Bibliography: Jonathan Sacks, “The Morality of Love” August 6, 2012 http://rabbisacks.org/covenant-conversation-5772-ekev-the-morality-of-love/ (Accessed April 19, 2018).

 

This week’s teaching commentary was prepared by

John Paul A. Bolano, MA, Philippines, Bat Kol 2017

Email address: jbolano@ateneo.edu

 [Copyright © 2018]

 

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PLEASE NOTE: The weekly Gospel commentaries represent the research and creative thought of their authors, and are meant to stimulate deeper thinking about the meaning of the Sunday Scriptures. While they draw upon the study methods and sources employed by the Bat Kol Institute, the views and conclusions expressed in these commentaries are solely those of their authors, and do not necessarily represent the views of Bat Kol.  Questions, comments and feedback are always welcome.

…………………………………………………………

 

Bat Kol Institute for Jewish Studies, Jerusalem

1983-2018

“Christians Studying the Bible within its Jewish milieu, using Jewish Sources.”

Mail to: gill@batkol.info; Website: www.batkol.info