Read more about the article Chapter 5: The Jewish community in time and space

Chapter 5: The Jewish community in time and space

 Looking for a place to park our weary bones

We will be looking at themes connected with the idea and the practice of Jewish community within the historical framework that we have already established. The development of the Jewish community is an inseparable part of that story.  The question that we are going to examine in this chapter is ‘why?’  Why was the Jewish community such an important part of the historical story?  What was it in the Jewish community that made it so central in Jewish history? 

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Read more about the article Early Ties II: Isaac and Jacob in and out of the Land – 5

Early Ties II: Isaac and Jacob in and out of the Land – 5

Clearly, the roots of our connection to Eretz Yisrael are perceived by the tradition to lie in the experiences of the patriarchs.  Abraham’s experience was unique, as the first generation – the founder, the immigrant, the progenitor.  The next two generations were already “natives” and provide for us a different kind of model, with some different motifs and issues.  This lesson will examine the texts describing Isaac’s and Jacob’s links to the land.  As with the preceding lesson, the focus here is on peshat, the plain meaning of the text.

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Read more about the article The Covenant, the Land, the Hand of God in History – 10

The Covenant, the Land, the Hand of God in History – 10

We will discuss the covenantal view of history and its implications for our reading of the biblical historical narrative and rabbinic texts; does God determine history as a response to our merits/sins? Does this imply we should undertake a passive role when national disasters occur, since they are simply the hand of God dealing out our due punishment? Is there a rational way to interpret the same concept of historical consequences for our actions?  How do we relate to and teach this concept after the Holocaust?  What does this mean for the modern State of Israel – do we have an unconditional right to the Land, or is it dependent upon our actions?

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Read more about the article Destruction of the First Temple – 15

Destruction of the First Temple – 15

After the forced exile of the 10 tribes from the kingdomof Israel, Judahcarries on alone. It continues to be buffeted by the clashes between the great powers on its borders, and its kings must choose their alliances wisely. The kings of Judahare not always successful in this, and Judahis swept by a series of invasions which ultimately end in the exile of the top echelons of society, the destruction of the temple, and the termination of Jewish sovereignty in Eretz Yisrael. (more…)

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Read more about the article Shivat Tziyon – 17

Shivat Tziyon – 17

The destruction of the First Temple and the exile of the elites to Babylonia were of course a huge shock to our system, theologically, socially, and politically.  It seems that the people’s expectation, encouraged by the prophets, was that this punishment would be a harsh but passing blow – that in the near future God would relent and accept our repentance and restore our sovereignty and our connection to Him through the Temple ritual (see, for example, Jeremiah 29).  And indeed, so it happened – with the Persian conquest of Babylonia, a new policy was instituted, and the emperor Cyrus allowed the restoration of autonomy in Judah and the rebuilding of the Temple (but not, significantly, the restoration of the monarchy!) just 50 years after the destruction.  Therefore it is remarkable that the response was . not a mass return, but rather a trickle, with many of the exiles choosing to stay in their new home.  And thus was created the model of Diaspora Jewish life coexisting with a Jewish state.  Moreover, the process of rebuilding and reorganizing the community in Israel was difficult and frustrating, and didn’t look much like the promised redemption.  The period of Shivat Tziyon therefore offers suggestive parallels to our own modern situation of Israel-Diaspora coexistence.  This unit explores the somewhat sketchy historical knowledge we have of the period, focusing on the apparent dilemmas raised by the exiles’ ambivalent response to the possibility of restoration.

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