Where you go, I will go
Thinking of the Israelites in the desert and then thinking about Ruth, it would seem as if a little faith can go a long way.
If you are curious about the role of ‘Israel’ in Judaism, our gathering this evening is important and would be well worth the time.
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Isaiah, the great Jewish Prophet of the Exile … is also thinking of a path home?
For Zion’s sake I will not keep silence; for Jerusalem’s sake I will speak out, until her light shines forth like the sunrise, her deliverance like a blazing torch. Isaiah 62:1
Let the wilderness and the thirsty land be glad, let the desert rejoice and burst into flower. Isaiah 35:1
The People who walked in darkness have seen a great light. Upon those who dwelt in a land dark as death, a light has dawned. Isaiah 9:1
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Gordian knot . . . *
“Turn him to any cause of policy, The Gordian Knot of it he will unloose, Familiar as his garter.”
Shakespeare, Henry V, Act 1 Scene 1. 45–47
This below is with permission from Danny Gordis . . . who I believe needs no introduction other than we were in school together at an earlier time in our lives. His work has allowed us to understand the meaning of an Israel that transcends the more usual boundaries of emotion and fact, where these intertwine and where they diverge. Always interesting . . . especially on those days, these days, in which we see more clearly, through the haze, as it were, the realization of a People returning to its land under the guidance of faith in Gd, along with the give and take of theological reasoning and an array of practical issues . . . such as how did we get here (remembrance) and where are we now going (independence).
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From Gordis: “When I lived in Israel as a kid, there was Yom Ha-Zikaron (Memorial Day for Fallen Soldiers and Victims of Terror), and then, the next day, Yom Ha-Atzma’ut (Independence Day). The transition, at least as I recall from back then, was harsh and immediate. The entire country went from the agony of cemeteries to barbecues and celebrations.
It made no sense.
Some thirty years ago (I believe that was when), Israelis began to address the need for a transitional period between the agony and the celebration. A new ceremony emerged, called a Tekes Ma’avar, A Ceremony of Transition, usually done by synagogue or neighborhood, which begins late in the afternoon of Memorial Day, with appropriate music and readings, and then moves slowly into a more celebratory mood as evening comes and Independence Day begins.
A year ago, there were only a few such ceremonies — now they’re ubiquitous.”
Gordis: To mark both Yom Ha-Zikaron and Yom Ha-Atzma’ut today, we’re sharing a conversation that I had with Justin Pines of JBS (Jewish Broadcasting Service) in New York a few weeks ago, in which we discussed what Israelis would be feeling today and tomorrow. (The brief Instagram video above was prepared by JBS and is a small portion of the video below.)
For full recording: (it’s worth the time to watch this in its entirety): I’m grateful to Justin for the invitation to have this conversation and for his gracious permission for us to share it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWDgdVB916c
* The cutting of the Gordian Knot is an Ancient Greek legend associated with Alexander the Great in Gordium in Phrygia, regarding a complex knot that tied an oxcart. Reputedly, whoever could untie it would be destined to rule all of Asia. In 333 BCE, Alexander was challenged to untie the knot. Instead of untangling it laboriously as expected, he dramatically cut through it with his sword. This is used as a metaphor for using brute force to solve a seemingly intractable problem.
