Had a great class yesterday at the Washington Board of Rabbis with Dr. Erica Brown (Director of Adult Education at the Partnership for Jewish Life and Learning), looking in a new way at Shir Hashirim. We know that the underlying affect of Passover and the Seder is God's love for Israel. Considering Song of Songs as an allegory is the rabbinic answer to including this incredible eroticism in the Biblical Scripture.
Using a couple of artists renderings of a few verses from the Song, the first powerful insight which I had not fully realized in the love poem is the degree of tension between whoever the lovers are in the poem. There is the repeated theme of distancing, of approach and disappearance, a kind of back and forth of passion and presence. It appears that characters in the underlying story are sometimes on different wave lengths, that not everyone is ready for the consummating, peak moment at the same time. (I'll return to this in a moment)
Dr. Brown then connected this with art in general and teaching. When we approach a painting or a piece of literature or a sacred text, we first experience the words. There's this initial interaction, visual ... which can be positive, makes us feel good, or sometimes negative. Then we start to really look at the object of inquiry and experience it's nuances - words, colors, characters, language, symbols, ideas. But to stay in this experience, we then need to bring information and cognition to greater appreciate the painting or the text. When we combine the activity/observation with the emotional reaction, and then combine that with our knowledge and past experience - we are fully, spiritually immersed in the moment. This is a kind of deep, spiritual experience which we seek and too often miss. But in truth, so often: We're not fully present to experience art or prayer or Jewish learning even when the opportunity is present.
Part of this is the responsibility of the teacher. Providing opportunities for this kind of learning is crucial. But as I think of my own sublime moments, it was often the case that months of learning suddenly made sense in a particular time and place. Some of the highs of my life - were experienced only by me - although there were dozens of others present. When I climbed Jebel Musa - "The Mountain of Moses" in the Sinai many years ago, and looked out to the Mediterranean, the Suez, and the Red Sea - wow! Maybe Moses really was here! This is the place where the Ten Commandments were given! Some us of felt this, some just felt the geography, others only felt exhaustion of the climb.
If there is anything that I am beginning to understand in recent years about the Jewish way - it is that all our learning and behaviors - create an awareness, a mindfulness of life. We don't take life for granted. We pause to reflect on our life journey frequently several times a day. We study to add meaning, connection and perspective on living life fully. We structure moments to be aware of doing the right thing and to feel the holiness of life constantly. If it took Ten Plagues before our ancestors had the self awareness to be redeemed from Egypt - then maybe for us too, it requires the investment of time and experiences to be ready for the sacred moments of love and the miraculous in our lives.
Using a couple of artists renderings of a few verses from the Song, the first powerful insight which I had not fully realized in the love poem is the degree of tension between whoever the lovers are in the poem. There is the repeated theme of distancing, of approach and disappearance, a kind of back and forth of passion and presence. It appears that characters in the underlying story are sometimes on different wave lengths, that not everyone is ready for the consummating, peak moment at the same time. (I'll return to this in a moment)
Dr. Brown then connected this with art in general and teaching. When we approach a painting or a piece of literature or a sacred text, we first experience the words. There's this initial interaction, visual ... which can be positive, makes us feel good, or sometimes negative. Then we start to really look at the object of inquiry and experience it's nuances - words, colors, characters, language, symbols, ideas. But to stay in this experience, we then need to bring information and cognition to greater appreciate the painting or the text. When we combine the activity/observation with the emotional reaction, and then combine that with our knowledge and past experience - we are fully, spiritually immersed in the moment. This is a kind of deep, spiritual experience which we seek and too often miss. But in truth, so often: We're not fully present to experience art or prayer or Jewish learning even when the opportunity is present.
Part of this is the responsibility of the teacher. Providing opportunities for this kind of learning is crucial. But as I think of my own sublime moments, it was often the case that months of learning suddenly made sense in a particular time and place. Some of the highs of my life - were experienced only by me - although there were dozens of others present. When I climbed Jebel Musa - "The Mountain of Moses" in the Sinai many years ago, and looked out to the Mediterranean, the Suez, and the Red Sea - wow! Maybe Moses really was here! This is the place where the Ten Commandments were given! Some us of felt this, some just felt the geography, others only felt exhaustion of the climb.
If there is anything that I am beginning to understand in recent years about the Jewish way - it is that all our learning and behaviors - create an awareness, a mindfulness of life. We don't take life for granted. We pause to reflect on our life journey frequently several times a day. We study to add meaning, connection and perspective on living life fully. We structure moments to be aware of doing the right thing and to feel the holiness of life constantly. If it took Ten Plagues before our ancestors had the self awareness to be redeemed from Egypt - then maybe for us too, it requires the investment of time and experiences to be ready for the sacred moments of love and the miraculous in our lives.
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