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June 26, 2006
Today's Chumash Wisdom: Solomon
Sometimes I'll read a passage in the Chumash that jumps out in a special way, that sounds astoundingly fresh and current. That happened today, in my semi-regular morning march through the Chumash. The passage is from I Kings 8: 41-43, when King Solomon dedicates the Temple in Jerusalem. It spoke to me about the tolerant message of Judaism, what we want to tell the world. Take it away, Shlomo ha-Melech:
Or if a foreigner who is not of Your people Israel comes from a distant land for the sake of Your name -- for they shall hear about Your great name and Your mighty had and Your outstretched arm -- when he comes to pray toward this House, oh, hear in Your heavenly abode and grant all that the foreigner asks You for. Thus all the peoples of the earth will know Your name and revere you, as does Your people Israel; and they will recognize that Your name is attached to this House that I have built.
The passage makes me think of Jewish relations with certain Christian groups, those that support Israel and often encounter scorn from Jews who can't bear the thought of support for Israel coming from those people, like John Hagee. I'm no theologian, but I'd like to think Solomon would welcome such friends of Israel.
Van | 06/26/06 at 10:09 AM | Categories: Doing Jewish
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Comments
I think you are semiregularly marching "tanach." Chumash refers to the five (as in chamesh) books of Moses. Tanach -- Torah, Nevi'im, and K'tuvim -- refers to all of what Mr. Hagee would refer to as the "Old" Testament. Solomon doesn't appear in Chumash.
Aaron | June 26, 2006 03:09 PM
