A look at the Holy Book series

The Jewish Family Identity forum

By Candace R. Kwiatek, The Dayton Jewish Observer

The New York Times locates its featured articles on the right, above the fold. If “Let’s eat grandma” is written as “Let’s eat, grandma,” grandma’s role shifts. The T-shirt message, “I found this humerus” makes no sense unless it’s next to the image of an arm bone. A mini-skirted girl attending a high school prom projects a different image than one standing on Santa Monica Boulevard. Just as context in the real world matters, it matters in the Torah.

Context involves historical background
Three times in the biblical text (Gen. 12, 20, 26) we find Abraham and then Isaac deceptively claiming their wives to be their sisters while in foreign lands.

Why do they believe they’re in peril because of their wives? In ancient civilizations, strangers weren’t protected by the local laws regarding trade, justice, or even murder. By eliminating the foreigner in order to obtain his desirable wife, the local was not only within his rights but also avoided the religious taboo against adultery.

A sister, however, could more easily be obtained as a wife by engaging in negotiations with her brother-protector. It was this historical reality that the biblical forefathers used to their advantage. The Torah, on the other hand, rejected this ancient practice, insisting on legal rights and even equality for the stranger.

Beginning with Exodus, every book of the Torah specifies that “There shall be one law for the citizen and for the stranger…”and more than three dozen verses warn against harming a stranger.

Knowing the historical context also helps to explain the law about stoning a wayward son (youth) in Deut. 21.

In ancient times, and even in modern tribal cultures, the father had the power of life and death over his children. In one stroke, the Torah took this power away from the father in two ways. Both parents had to be in agreement that their son was irredeemably defiant and deserving of death.

Then both parents had to turn the son over to the lesser Sanhedrin, a capital court of 23 elders who were constrained by numerous stringent rules.

There was little likelihood of meeting all these qualifications, and convictions in capital cases were rare. In fact, a court that would execute even a single wrongdoer was described by the rabbis of the Talmud as murderous (Makkot 1:10). Historical context matters.

Context includes character connections
In Genesis, God says, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.” Who is the cast of characters – the “us” – in this scene? Ibn Ezra suggests God is using the “royal we,” highlighting the potential of humans to be godlike.

Nachmanides says God is speaking to the earth from which humans are physically formed. There is yet a third possibility: God and the animals are “us.” Humans are created with earthly bodies and biological needs, like animals, and spiritual and moral dimensions, like God. Knowing the characters helps us to see that humanness is about balancing the animal and the divine.

The main character isn’t always the contextual key. In the story of idolatry at Baal-Peor (Num. 25), Pinchas impales Zimri, an Israelite clan chieftain who is sexually engaged with a Midianite priestess. By focusing only on his actions, it’s easy to condemn Pinchas. However, the other characters in the scene provide important clues. Even though the text suggests Zimri is within the holy precincts, a violation that requires immediate execution, the priests don’t act because they cannot engage in death.

The nearby judges can’t act without compromising their administrative position. The chieftains won’t act, because many are similarly sexually occupied. And Moses is paralyzed. He has hit the rock and announced he will get water for the people (Num. 19), contradicted God’s directive to execute the idolators (Num. 25), and now remains mute at Zimri’s deliberate and overt apostasy. The leadership qualities that once elevated Moses (Ex. 2) now elude him. With the collapse of every level of leadership, Pinchas acts. Characters provide context.

Context appears in text echoes
Jews and non-Jews alike are familiar with the phrase, “You shall not boil a kid in its mother’s milk.” By echoing three times in the Torah (Ex. 23:19, 34:26, and Deut. 14:21), the text begs us to compare the settings.

Surrounded by verses about observing the festivals and rejecting the idolatrous practices of the other nations, sitting amid texts about the festivals and the command to write down the commandments, and appearing in the context of kashrut and tithing rules, this prohibition acts as a symbol.

Festivals, religious rituals, legal codes, and eating were settings for multicultural interaction, highlighting cultural differences and inviting participation.

Many scholars and scientists suggest that meat cooked in milk was used in ancient pagan and magical rituals, and even today is a common practice outside of Jewish groups.

Thus, its rejection symbolizes the desire for the Israelites to be unique by engaging in cultural practices unlike those of the other nations.

Another echo is the refrain “You shall fear your God: I am the Lord.”

In three examples from Leviticus, it follows admonishments not to insult the deaf or place a stumbling block before the blind; to rise and show deference for the elderly; and not to wrong one another when selling or buying property (Lev. 19:14, 32; 25:14-17).

How are these texts linked? In each situation, the culprit is likely to get away with his wrongdoing, for it would be difficult to prove. The phrase warns the culprit not to be smug, for God sees everything. Textual context matters.

Just as you take context into account in the real world, reason would demand that we also use context to understand the Torah’s messages.

Family Discussion: Locate a difficult Torah passage and explore its context. What do you discover?

Literature to share

Mitzi’s Mitzvah by Gloria Koster: This colorful holiday board book uses simple rhyme to tell the story of Mitzi the dog’s visit to a senior center. Each picture invites parent-child interaction as the story is read: the best kind of book.
 
The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker: Here’s a new twist on an old Jewish legend: the meeting of two folklore characters on the streets of 1899 New York City. It’s a novel of twists and surprises, history and fantasy, and a serious underlying theme of choosing how to use one’s unique gifts. A must-read.