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Rereading Torah Towards Liberation

Experiment Continues (5783)

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Rachel-the-upRooter

November 24, 2021November 24, 2021 ~ vspatz ~ Leave a comment

Rachel is a powerful biblical character, in her showing up and in her disappearing, and possibly the biggest "oker/uprooter" of the whole family....

Akiva and Ishmael at the Mountain

November 16, 2021November 16, 2021 ~ vspatz ~ Leave a comment

"Acher and ben Zoma in the orchard. Akiva uprooting the mountain...." some SVARA-inspired thoughts on rabbinic image-language.

Bent, Barren, Essential and Abundant

November 14, 2021November 16, 2021 ~ vspatz ~ Leave a comment

Midrash calls Rachel ikarah [chief] as play on the word "akarah [barren]." But what about Sarah and Rebekah? More on roots, uprooting, and essence.

UncertainTree

November 5, 2021November 5, 2021 ~ vspatz ~ Leave a comment

What was Isaac doing in the field at the eventide? Uncertainty is more powerful than a simple answer.

Planting Trees, Stretching Glitter

October 29, 2021November 10, 2021 ~ vspatz ~ Leave a comment

The planting of an orchard, or center of hospitality, could be a whole episode, or maybe an entire series, in a serial story. Within the plot-heavy Torah portion Vayera, ([“And he saw”]: Gen 18:1-22:24 — see My Jewish Learning), however, this bit of narrative can be easily overlooked or dismissed -- it seems so small, … Continue reading Planting Trees, Stretching Glitter

Reading Wrong

October 27, 2021October 28, 2021 ~ vspatz ~ Leave a comment

If we start with the intention of learning to build community, how will the questions we ask of Torah change?

Structure and Blessing

October 21, 2021 ~ vspatz ~ Leave a comment

Short note on a connecting root shared by birah and berakha.

Across and Afire

October 20, 2021October 29, 2021 ~ vspatz ~ Leave a comment

An individual perceived a structure aglow and asked: "Is no one in charge?" God responds: "We are!"

Bent Word of the Week

October 15, 2021October 21, 2021 ~ vspatz ~ Leave a comment

In the spirit of noticing words with a meaning related to "bending," here are some notes on the root bet-reish-chaf (barakh; berekh)

Purposes and Purpose: Ecclesiastes and Babel

October 10, 2021October 10, 2021 ~ vspatz ~ Leave a comment

This post looks at the contrast between "every purpose" and "common purpose" in Ecclesiastes and the Babel story and some related matters of language and poetry.

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