Rabbi's Korner
Mighty Mother Nature
I felt my lungs inflate with the onrush of scenery—air, mountains, trees, people. I thought, this is what it means to be happy…Sylvia Plath
I write these thoughts on the 40th anniversary of the eruption of Mt. St. Hellens, and the largest display of explosive nature in my lifetime. To think that nearly 3,000 feet of a mountain top was blown into fine grains of sand that rose to over 30,000 feet in the air and was carried around the world by the jet stream, is totally mind boggling. Over 3.7 billion cubic yards of rock, dirt, and plant life, was blown into tiny pieces of ash.
In contrast, I also remember something so simple a beautiful that one can only marvel at its creation; that was a trip to Hawaii where we snorkeled around a small coral reef, chasing little fish that displayed so many different colors I couldn’t count them all
Do you know that our God created that mighty mountain and all its power, and He created that little reef and those thousands of little colorful fish? Wow! What an awesome God! Regardless of your stand as a strict creationist, a big bang theorist or an evolutionist, you can’t help being amazed at all that wonder.
We recovered from Mt. St. Hellens; I recovered from the bad sunburn I got chasing little colorful fish, and we will recover from Covid-19, and those who come after us will recover from any disasters the come in the future.
I want to be like Sylvia Plath, and stand in awe at God’s creation big or small, and fill my lungs with the onrush of scenery—air, mountains, trees and maybe even the God given allure of being around people. Want to join me?
Deja Vu All Over Again
For many of us, the Torah portions of leprosy and other skin disease, have never felt so relevant. While in years past there was a great sense of distance from the confusing descriptions of biblical skin afflictions, the quarantine of afflicted Israelites, and the complex post-illness purification process, it feels difficult to escape their prescience during our current global pandemic. (As a matter of fact, there was a recent essay published on thetorah.com exploring all of the parallels between COVID-19 and the treatment of Ancient Near Eastern contagious disease.) As we all struggle with the challenges of social distancing and the uncertainty of the future, I believe that insights into the details of our parshiyot can provide us with points of reflection for our present reality.
The biblical process of purification of skin diseases can be divided into three stages:
1) examination
2) quarantine
3) purification.
The priest is called upon to examine the severity of the affliction. If the affliction is not severe, the person is permitted to return to the camp after a waiting period. If, however, the affliction is pronounced impure, the sufferer is banished from the settlement. They remain in banishment until the disease heals itself so as not to present a danger to others. Upon healing, the priest reexamines the afflicted individual and begins the two-step purification process. First, while still outside the camp, the priest slaughters one bird and lets a second bird fly free into the open country. The person is then let back into the camp but required to remain outside the home for an additional seven days. At the end of the seven days the person again purifies themself and brings three animals as an offering to the Tabernacle. Only at the conclusion of this process are they declared pure and allowed to reenter civilization.
The Torah’s description of the priest’s examination of the afflicted person reveals a fascinating insight into the way many of us think about disease. The Torah explains that after examination, “the priest shall isolate the affliction for seven days” (Lev. 13:4). Note, the object of the verb is no longer the person but the disease itself.
Behind the increasing numbers of Coronavirus victims reported hourly on the news are individuals with family, friends, and loved ones. We should not lose perspective on how this global pandemic is impacting individuals. The Mishnah illustrates this point when it equates every life to an entire world.
As we struggle to adhere to the demands of social distancing we cannot lose sight of the stakes at hand. We are working together to save millions of lives and the worlds attached to each of those lives. Jewish thought is that to save one life, is to save the entire world.
In a clever verse summarizing the process of declaring the individual impure, the Torah states: “He shall be unclean as long as the disease is on him. Being unclean, he shall dwell alone; his dwelling shall be outside the camp” (13:46). The disease must live outside the camp to protect others from infection and remain alone indefinitely until the disease heals.
This feeling of loneliness is shared by many of us, including myself, as we are distanced from our loved ones. Yet despite this isolation, I believe we can take comfort in the description of Miriam’s quarantine when she was afflicted with leprosy. The Torah notes: “Miriam was shut out of camp seven days; and the people did not march on until Miriam was readmitted” (Num. 12:15). The midrash once again adds that not only did the people of Israel wait for Miriam, but that God too waited with the nation for Miriam to reenter the camp. God would not allow the Clouds of Glory to continue their path while one of the leaders of the nation remained behind. While we cannot simply ignore the gravity of our circumstances, we can and must assure each other that we are not alone. We, too, are waiting for the time when we can emerge from our distancing and once again share our camp together, and like in days of old – our God is waiting with us!
Finally, the Torah provides us with its own path for emerging from outside the camp. We must recognize that our experiences may leave us with profound changes, and we need to take this opportunity to reflect on the choices we have made in the past and those we will make in the future.
At the conclusion of the purification process, the priest applies the blood of the sacrifice to the ear, thumb and toe of the purified (Lev 14:17). Ibn Ezra explains that this act of purification is meant to remind the now-cured person to listen to the word of God and be deliberate in their deeds now that they have been given a second chance. We too may learn from this that from here on we are to listen to the Word of God, and carry out His charge to us with our hands and feet.
Now is the time to begin thinking about our past commitments to our religious and communal lives and the steps we can take to thrive during our time outside the camp so that we will emerge stronger and prepared when we are able to return to the camp. I hope that the purification process of the priest can also serve as a reminder to appreciate the voices we will be able to hear without the use of technology, the places we will be able to go, the hands that we will be able to shake, and the hugs we will be able to share once again.
It feels most appropriate to conclude with Moses’s blessing of mercy for Miriam as she was afflicted with tzara’at and sent from the camp. El na refah na lah, “O God, pray heal her!” Praying for a complete and speedy recovery for all those in need.
Shabbat Shalom
I felt my lungs inflate with the onrush of scenery—air, mountains, trees, people. I thought, this is what it means to be happy…Sylvia Plath
I write these thoughts on the 40th anniversary of the eruption of Mt. St. Hellens, and the largest display of explosive nature in my lifetime. To think that nearly 3,000 feet of a mountain top was blown into fine grains of sand that rose to over 30,000 feet in the air and was carried around the world by the jet stream, is totally mind boggling. Over 3.7 billion cubic yards of rock, dirt, and plant life, was blown into tiny pieces of ash.
In contrast, I also remember something so simple a beautiful that one can only marvel at its creation; that was a trip to Hawaii where we snorkeled around a small coral reef, chasing little fish that displayed so many different colors I couldn’t count them all
Do you know that our God created that mighty mountain and all its power, and He created that little reef and those thousands of little colorful fish? Wow! What an awesome God! Regardless of your stand as a strict creationist, a big bang theorist or an evolutionist, you can’t help being amazed at all that wonder.
We recovered from Mt. St. Hellens; I recovered from the bad sunburn I got chasing little colorful fish, and we will recover from Covid-19, and those who come after us will recover from any disasters the come in the future.
I want to be like Sylvia Plath, and stand in awe at God’s creation big or small, and fill my lungs with the onrush of scenery—air, mountains, trees and maybe even the God given allure of being around people. Want to join me?
Deja Vu All Over Again
For many of us, the Torah portions of leprosy and other skin disease, have never felt so relevant. While in years past there was a great sense of distance from the confusing descriptions of biblical skin afflictions, the quarantine of afflicted Israelites, and the complex post-illness purification process, it feels difficult to escape their prescience during our current global pandemic. (As a matter of fact, there was a recent essay published on thetorah.com exploring all of the parallels between COVID-19 and the treatment of Ancient Near Eastern contagious disease.) As we all struggle with the challenges of social distancing and the uncertainty of the future, I believe that insights into the details of our parshiyot can provide us with points of reflection for our present reality.
The biblical process of purification of skin diseases can be divided into three stages:
1) examination
2) quarantine
3) purification.
The priest is called upon to examine the severity of the affliction. If the affliction is not severe, the person is permitted to return to the camp after a waiting period. If, however, the affliction is pronounced impure, the sufferer is banished from the settlement. They remain in banishment until the disease heals itself so as not to present a danger to others. Upon healing, the priest reexamines the afflicted individual and begins the two-step purification process. First, while still outside the camp, the priest slaughters one bird and lets a second bird fly free into the open country. The person is then let back into the camp but required to remain outside the home for an additional seven days. At the end of the seven days the person again purifies themself and brings three animals as an offering to the Tabernacle. Only at the conclusion of this process are they declared pure and allowed to reenter civilization.
The Torah’s description of the priest’s examination of the afflicted person reveals a fascinating insight into the way many of us think about disease. The Torah explains that after examination, “the priest shall isolate the affliction for seven days” (Lev. 13:4). Note, the object of the verb is no longer the person but the disease itself.
Behind the increasing numbers of Coronavirus victims reported hourly on the news are individuals with family, friends, and loved ones. We should not lose perspective on how this global pandemic is impacting individuals. The Mishnah illustrates this point when it equates every life to an entire world.
As we struggle to adhere to the demands of social distancing we cannot lose sight of the stakes at hand. We are working together to save millions of lives and the worlds attached to each of those lives. Jewish thought is that to save one life, is to save the entire world.
In a clever verse summarizing the process of declaring the individual impure, the Torah states: “He shall be unclean as long as the disease is on him. Being unclean, he shall dwell alone; his dwelling shall be outside the camp” (13:46). The disease must live outside the camp to protect others from infection and remain alone indefinitely until the disease heals.
This feeling of loneliness is shared by many of us, including myself, as we are distanced from our loved ones. Yet despite this isolation, I believe we can take comfort in the description of Miriam’s quarantine when she was afflicted with leprosy. The Torah notes: “Miriam was shut out of camp seven days; and the people did not march on until Miriam was readmitted” (Num. 12:15). The midrash once again adds that not only did the people of Israel wait for Miriam, but that God too waited with the nation for Miriam to reenter the camp. God would not allow the Clouds of Glory to continue their path while one of the leaders of the nation remained behind. While we cannot simply ignore the gravity of our circumstances, we can and must assure each other that we are not alone. We, too, are waiting for the time when we can emerge from our distancing and once again share our camp together, and like in days of old – our God is waiting with us!
Finally, the Torah provides us with its own path for emerging from outside the camp. We must recognize that our experiences may leave us with profound changes, and we need to take this opportunity to reflect on the choices we have made in the past and those we will make in the future.
At the conclusion of the purification process, the priest applies the blood of the sacrifice to the ear, thumb and toe of the purified (Lev 14:17). Ibn Ezra explains that this act of purification is meant to remind the now-cured person to listen to the word of God and be deliberate in their deeds now that they have been given a second chance. We too may learn from this that from here on we are to listen to the Word of God, and carry out His charge to us with our hands and feet.
Now is the time to begin thinking about our past commitments to our religious and communal lives and the steps we can take to thrive during our time outside the camp so that we will emerge stronger and prepared when we are able to return to the camp. I hope that the purification process of the priest can also serve as a reminder to appreciate the voices we will be able to hear without the use of technology, the places we will be able to go, the hands that we will be able to shake, and the hugs we will be able to share once again.
It feels most appropriate to conclude with Moses’s blessing of mercy for Miriam as she was afflicted with tzara’at and sent from the camp. El na refah na lah, “O God, pray heal her!” Praying for a complete and speedy recovery for all those in need.
Shabbat Shalom
Look Before You Leap
As I look back on my years growing up in a very rural community, I remember the faithful admonition of my mother “Look Before You Leap”. Every time my brothers or I were about to engage in a controversial conversation or activity, we were told “look before you leap”! Certainly at 13 years old I had no real concept of what that meant, and what the heck did mom really know anyhow; but now, looking back and applying some of the life experiences that at times were thrust upon me rather than a casual brush with a simple education, I have a much clearer and somewhat colorful picture of her warning and my lack of obtaining the correct information.
Most recently I have, in puzzlement, watched as usually good people, become violators of one of the basic rules of the Judeo-Christian mindset; you shall not bear false witness against your neighbor (Exodus 20:16 NASB); just because they ‘read it on the internet’, so it must be true.
More specifically, the recent attack on the Roman Catholic Church and the claims of how horrible their doctrine is has caught my eye. While I will admit I do not agree with some of Catholic doctrine, I am hard pressed to point a finger and claim that Evangelical Christianity or Orthodox Judaism – or any other group are better and have no faults.
In Judaism, we are warned against lashon hora (the evil tongue) and are taught not to be part of spreading rumors, even if the subject matter is true. Christianity teaches a similar lesson in the Gospel teachings of Jesus: Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?(Matthew 7:3 NASB). If I can be so bold as to paraphrase ‘who do you think you are? You’re not so perfect yourself’! If you personally don’t know the facts, stop pretending you do!
Did you know that some Evangelical Churches and Organizations approve of same sex marriage? Did you know that some Evangelical Churches and Organizations allow women to teach, preach and pastor? Did you know that some Evangelical Churches and Organizations will not teach against …..well many things Catholics are put down for, are taking place in the Evangelical Churches and Organizations.
If you honestly believe that Catholic Priests are the only clergy that have committed sexual acts against children, you haven’t been paying attention in the Christian Youth Groups.
Before you decide to pass along what someone has posted on the internet, check it out. Before you decide to take a stand against the Catholic Church or any other religious organization, find out what they really believe, not what you think they believe or what someone has told you.
And finally, if you really want to take a stand against Catholic practices and traditions (you have the right to do that), stop doing them in your life!
At this point I can hear the cries of anguish from those who truly believe that they would never participate in a Catholic practice or tradition! Oh really?
· Eating fish on Fridays began as a Catholic tradition – and most restaurants that you eat at (and order clam chowder on Friday) follow that tradition.
· Christmas and Easter, were started by the Catholic Church
· Communion, as we know it today, was started by the Catholic Church – even if other churches have changed some of the words and manner of distribution. (no, Jesus didn’t start communion, he was celebrating the Passover Seder)
· The Catholic Church gave us Liturgy which in modern churches is called ‘order of worship’ (which is really a Jewish term, but that’s a subject for a future writing)
· The calendar we use today was introduced by Pope Gregory VIII, of the Catholic Church
There is so much more but the point here is all that is on the internet, even if it comes from a good looking guy or website, is not true. If you want to know about Catholic Doctrine and traditions, go to the Catholic Catechism, not an Evangelical writer who is trying to sell books.
Look Before You Leap – if you don’t, you might find yourself being embarrassed by facts rather than speculations.
As I look back on my years growing up in a very rural community, I remember the faithful admonition of my mother “Look Before You Leap”. Every time my brothers or I were about to engage in a controversial conversation or activity, we were told “look before you leap”! Certainly at 13 years old I had no real concept of what that meant, and what the heck did mom really know anyhow; but now, looking back and applying some of the life experiences that at times were thrust upon me rather than a casual brush with a simple education, I have a much clearer and somewhat colorful picture of her warning and my lack of obtaining the correct information.
Most recently I have, in puzzlement, watched as usually good people, become violators of one of the basic rules of the Judeo-Christian mindset; you shall not bear false witness against your neighbor (Exodus 20:16 NASB); just because they ‘read it on the internet’, so it must be true.
More specifically, the recent attack on the Roman Catholic Church and the claims of how horrible their doctrine is has caught my eye. While I will admit I do not agree with some of Catholic doctrine, I am hard pressed to point a finger and claim that Evangelical Christianity or Orthodox Judaism – or any other group are better and have no faults.
In Judaism, we are warned against lashon hora (the evil tongue) and are taught not to be part of spreading rumors, even if the subject matter is true. Christianity teaches a similar lesson in the Gospel teachings of Jesus: Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?(Matthew 7:3 NASB). If I can be so bold as to paraphrase ‘who do you think you are? You’re not so perfect yourself’! If you personally don’t know the facts, stop pretending you do!
Did you know that some Evangelical Churches and Organizations approve of same sex marriage? Did you know that some Evangelical Churches and Organizations allow women to teach, preach and pastor? Did you know that some Evangelical Churches and Organizations will not teach against …..well many things Catholics are put down for, are taking place in the Evangelical Churches and Organizations.
If you honestly believe that Catholic Priests are the only clergy that have committed sexual acts against children, you haven’t been paying attention in the Christian Youth Groups.
Before you decide to pass along what someone has posted on the internet, check it out. Before you decide to take a stand against the Catholic Church or any other religious organization, find out what they really believe, not what you think they believe or what someone has told you.
And finally, if you really want to take a stand against Catholic practices and traditions (you have the right to do that), stop doing them in your life!
At this point I can hear the cries of anguish from those who truly believe that they would never participate in a Catholic practice or tradition! Oh really?
· Eating fish on Fridays began as a Catholic tradition – and most restaurants that you eat at (and order clam chowder on Friday) follow that tradition.
· Christmas and Easter, were started by the Catholic Church
· Communion, as we know it today, was started by the Catholic Church – even if other churches have changed some of the words and manner of distribution. (no, Jesus didn’t start communion, he was celebrating the Passover Seder)
· The Catholic Church gave us Liturgy which in modern churches is called ‘order of worship’ (which is really a Jewish term, but that’s a subject for a future writing)
· The calendar we use today was introduced by Pope Gregory VIII, of the Catholic Church
There is so much more but the point here is all that is on the internet, even if it comes from a good looking guy or website, is not true. If you want to know about Catholic Doctrine and traditions, go to the Catholic Catechism, not an Evangelical writer who is trying to sell books.
Look Before You Leap – if you don’t, you might find yourself being embarrassed by facts rather than speculations.
Christmas 2013
Another year is rapidly coming to a close, now that Thanksgiving and Chanukah are but a recent memory. Next we have Christmas and New Years Eve and then a new year isstretched out before us like fresh snow, just waiting for our foot prints. How will you look back on 2014?
I know that question seems odd since we haven’t even finished 2013 but it seems appropriate to me in that we might nowchallenge ourselves to a new level of ministering to our God’s children.
Have you ever considered what your personal responsibility is,in the architecture of God? What task or what ministry should you be involved in? The answer is quite simple; it is found inthe Apostolic writings in Matthew 28:19 – “Go and make disciples of all the nations”! But what does it mean to make disciples? The answer is found in verse 20 - “teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
You see, Yeshua (Jesus) never told us to go ‘convert’ anyone. What he told us to do was Go – which means we can’t just sit on our backside and hope things get done; Baptize/Mikvah – once we have a disciple they should participate in a Baptism (Mikvah in Hebrew) that becomes a sign of their change to a disciple (student); Teach – what good is a disciple/student if they are not taught the things that Yeshua taught us. What I have commanded – The lessons that Yeshua taught were those that had been taught for many years, and all are found in the Torah. (Believe it or not, Yeshua/Jesus was teaching from Torah, not what is called the New Testament). How do we accomplish these things? Or better yet, how will we not accomplish these things?
At this time of year we see much commercialism that seems to take us away from the true meaning of Christmas. The holiday was originally established as a counterpoint to what was goingon in the crazy Roman world, and sometimes I think we have come full circle. Although we don’t see many celebrations of Saturnalia, these days, we do see craziness of traffic jams, packed malls, pushing and shoving and the enticement of craziness by the suggestion that you might save a dollar and a half on that coffee pot at a ‘big box store’ if you buy six of them. Don’t get me wrong, I like getting gifts at Chanukah and at Christmas, but the warmth and true message of the season can be lost in our attitudes.
If you truly want to capture the “reason for the season”, thenTeach! How can you teach? Teach by example! Let people see the ways of our God, through your attitude and actions. The great Sage Rabbi Hillel said: That which is unpleasant to you, do not to your neighbor. That is the whole law and the rest but it's exposition.
One more quote from the Apostolic writings: John 13:35 - By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you havelove for one another.”
Have a blessed Christmas and New Years season and remember,2014 is waiting for you and your example.
Blessings and much Shalom
Rabbi Jim
I know that question seems odd since we haven’t even finished 2013 but it seems appropriate to me in that we might nowchallenge ourselves to a new level of ministering to our God’s children.
Have you ever considered what your personal responsibility is,in the architecture of God? What task or what ministry should you be involved in? The answer is quite simple; it is found inthe Apostolic writings in Matthew 28:19 – “Go and make disciples of all the nations”! But what does it mean to make disciples? The answer is found in verse 20 - “teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
You see, Yeshua (Jesus) never told us to go ‘convert’ anyone. What he told us to do was Go – which means we can’t just sit on our backside and hope things get done; Baptize/Mikvah – once we have a disciple they should participate in a Baptism (Mikvah in Hebrew) that becomes a sign of their change to a disciple (student); Teach – what good is a disciple/student if they are not taught the things that Yeshua taught us. What I have commanded – The lessons that Yeshua taught were those that had been taught for many years, and all are found in the Torah. (Believe it or not, Yeshua/Jesus was teaching from Torah, not what is called the New Testament). How do we accomplish these things? Or better yet, how will we not accomplish these things?
At this time of year we see much commercialism that seems to take us away from the true meaning of Christmas. The holiday was originally established as a counterpoint to what was goingon in the crazy Roman world, and sometimes I think we have come full circle. Although we don’t see many celebrations of Saturnalia, these days, we do see craziness of traffic jams, packed malls, pushing and shoving and the enticement of craziness by the suggestion that you might save a dollar and a half on that coffee pot at a ‘big box store’ if you buy six of them. Don’t get me wrong, I like getting gifts at Chanukah and at Christmas, but the warmth and true message of the season can be lost in our attitudes.
If you truly want to capture the “reason for the season”, thenTeach! How can you teach? Teach by example! Let people see the ways of our God, through your attitude and actions. The great Sage Rabbi Hillel said: That which is unpleasant to you, do not to your neighbor. That is the whole law and the rest but it's exposition.
One more quote from the Apostolic writings: John 13:35 - By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you havelove for one another.”
Have a blessed Christmas and New Years season and remember,2014 is waiting for you and your example.
Blessings and much Shalom
Rabbi Jim
Return to Your First Love
Today I took a stroll on the boardwalk surrounding the Olympia Harbor. The sky was covered with a veneer like gray cloud layer but the sun still managed to penetrate the obstruction and warm the pedestrians who attended my walk.
There was a slight wind that blew from the North, swirling the smells of creosote, diesel oil, fish and salt air into a cornucopia of smells that put me in a trance somewhat like the Lotus flower of Homer's Odyssey; and the sounds of ships bells, lapping water against the moored hulls, was a beckoning call to me like the Sirens of the same Odyssey. Yes, the sounds, sights and smells were calling me back to the sea.
I don't know when I first realized that the sea was my mistress. Maybe it was when my childhood chum Mike Livingston and I rigged our first sail on an old log and plank raft....and I realized that nature could take me from here to there; or maybe it was the pile of books about the sea that I poured over in my bed, in the upstairs of our home - dreaming of one day being the Master of some sort of vessel. In my older years I often wonder if I am not from the tribe of Zebulun, the seafarers and traders of the coastlines. Regardless of where it came from, that strong pull continues on my whole being today; to return to the sea in some way, at my age, would probably not be practical - but frankly I don't want to rule it out.
In the Book of Revelation, Yeshua spoke of returning to the 'first love'. Revelations 2 reports: “To the angel of the church in Ephesus write:
The One who holds the seven stars in His right hand, the One who walks [a]among the seven golden lampstands, says this:
2 ‘I know your deeds and your toil and [b]perseverance, and that you cannot tolerate evil men, and you put to the test those who call themselves apostles, and they are not, and you found them to befalse; 3 and you have [c]perseverance and have endured for My name’s sake, and have not grown weary. 4 But I have this against you, that you have left your first love. 5 Therefore remember from where you have fallen, and repent and do the [d]deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and will remove your lampstand out of its place—unless you repent. 6 Yet this you do have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 7 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life which is in the Paradise of God.’
Like the call of the sea, Yeshua is calling the folks from Ephesus to return to their 'first love'. That love was their willingness and commitment to teach what Yeshua had taught and to take care of the less fortunate and oppressed of the time. Apparently, they had forgotten that love; not that they had gone to far astray, but certainly were not doing what they had started out to do.
I'm not sure if I will ever respond to the great pull the sea has on me, but I may. I will, however, return to that other love...the love of helping the less fortunate and oppressed of these times. For the rest of my life I will respond to the call of Yeshua while considering whether I will respond to that other call, the call of the sea.
Blessings and much Shalom
Rabbi Jim
There was a slight wind that blew from the North, swirling the smells of creosote, diesel oil, fish and salt air into a cornucopia of smells that put me in a trance somewhat like the Lotus flower of Homer's Odyssey; and the sounds of ships bells, lapping water against the moored hulls, was a beckoning call to me like the Sirens of the same Odyssey. Yes, the sounds, sights and smells were calling me back to the sea.
I don't know when I first realized that the sea was my mistress. Maybe it was when my childhood chum Mike Livingston and I rigged our first sail on an old log and plank raft....and I realized that nature could take me from here to there; or maybe it was the pile of books about the sea that I poured over in my bed, in the upstairs of our home - dreaming of one day being the Master of some sort of vessel. In my older years I often wonder if I am not from the tribe of Zebulun, the seafarers and traders of the coastlines. Regardless of where it came from, that strong pull continues on my whole being today; to return to the sea in some way, at my age, would probably not be practical - but frankly I don't want to rule it out.
In the Book of Revelation, Yeshua spoke of returning to the 'first love'. Revelations 2 reports: “To the angel of the church in Ephesus write:
The One who holds the seven stars in His right hand, the One who walks [a]among the seven golden lampstands, says this:
2 ‘I know your deeds and your toil and [b]perseverance, and that you cannot tolerate evil men, and you put to the test those who call themselves apostles, and they are not, and you found them to befalse; 3 and you have [c]perseverance and have endured for My name’s sake, and have not grown weary. 4 But I have this against you, that you have left your first love. 5 Therefore remember from where you have fallen, and repent and do the [d]deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and will remove your lampstand out of its place—unless you repent. 6 Yet this you do have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 7 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life which is in the Paradise of God.’
Like the call of the sea, Yeshua is calling the folks from Ephesus to return to their 'first love'. That love was their willingness and commitment to teach what Yeshua had taught and to take care of the less fortunate and oppressed of the time. Apparently, they had forgotten that love; not that they had gone to far astray, but certainly were not doing what they had started out to do.
I'm not sure if I will ever respond to the great pull the sea has on me, but I may. I will, however, return to that other love...the love of helping the less fortunate and oppressed of these times. For the rest of my life I will respond to the call of Yeshua while considering whether I will respond to that other call, the call of the sea.
Blessings and much Shalom
Rabbi Jim
