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March 19, 2008 |
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Shabbat Shalom!
FOUND by Lauren Golder
in Colorado
I found this at the Public Library during an all-day study session. This appears to be the beginnings a Bar/Bat Mitzvah speech written by a girl (judging by the stationary and handwriting) from the local Jewish Congregation.
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Sincerely ... July 28, 2008 |
Gin Soxs September 29, 2008 |
A Less ... October 05, 2008 |
The Buzzert ... June 21, 2008 |
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We collect FOUND stuff: love letters, birthday cards, kids' homework,
to-do lists, ticket stubs, poetry on napkins, telephone bills, doodles -
anything that gives a glimpse into someone
else's life. Anything goes...
In Hebrew, when one wanted to make a strong point, they would repeat a word, which would otherwise be almost unheard of. It would be like using 5 exclamation points. Something to really pay attention to!!!!!
why does (s)he use a dash for the o in God, i know people do that to words like F-ck, but i find it weird that the word god is being treated as a swear word in a speech or essay about religion? is this a jewish thing that i don't know about?
Yes, sleeping, it is a Jewish thing. I think it's thought to be disrespectful to spell out His name on a piece of paper that could then be trashed. Like taking God's name in vain.
I'm cold and kind of moody. I think a blanket of happiness would take care of both problems.
Definitely a rough copy either for a school project or her Batmitzvah.
I've been to a few, when I was 13, of course. Sounds just like a speech to me.
BLAH! BLAH! BLAH!
Oooh, I good Jewish find. Today, might be interesting. Growing up in Texas or at least in my home, being Jewish was a non-issue. I've never understood the prejudice against them. My first job I sold a car and when I went to work my co-worker asked me how much I got for it and I said "Well, I was asking $4000 but they jewed me down to $3500." He let me know how offensive it was, but he knew it was innocent and I was just clueless. I now have a good friend who grew up orthodox and she's educated me further. Blanket of happiness has a nice ring to it and I think I'm going to refer to God as G-d from now on. That'll drive my Baptist boss crazy.
I'm gonna catch heck for bringing heaviness to FOUND. Skip this comment if you're looking for levity.
If I can read this as a sermon for our times, I want to know how justice has come so far from antiquity: "The whole world depends upon [justice] to spread a blanket of happiness for everyone to use." If our unknown writer interprets correctly, justice was an associate of peace in ancient Jewish thought. How is justice nearly synonymous with aggression and violence in our contemporary world? Is the relationship between peace and justice essentially the same now as then? And our diminished tolerance of violence is the result of our uncertainty of our rightness/righteousness?
To help finish her thought, the Shoftim refers to the annual readings from the last portions of the Torah (the five books of Moses) in Deuteronomy -- the closing chapters on Israel's post-Egyptian wandering in anticipation of their restoration to the Promised Land of Canaan. Deuteronomy 17:16 (JPS Tanakh) reads: "Moreover, he shall not keep many horses or send people back to Egypt to add to his horses, since the Lord has warned you, 'You must not go back that way again.'"
Apparently, stocking a large stable was tantamount to warmongering -- building up the resources to become a military aggressor. Shortly hereafter Joshua brought down Jericho's walls with nothing but the literal voice of the people (i.e. the shouting of the Israelites), but then they proceed to slaughter every man, woman, and child with the sword. Israel would go on to build an army that was large and "terrible."
How do we rectify the discrepancies of the G-d of Israel? Encouraging peace yet sponsoring plunder?
And a Bat Mitzvah speech like this one seems to offer a palatable interpretation to the neglect some of the unsavory contradictions. And this is not to be critical of Jewish history or theology; the paradox found in the logic that the maintenance of peace demands the maintenance of military might is universal. That paradox was the justification for the atomic bomb (end the war by making it terrible beyond comprehension) and the driving ideology of the Cold War (stave off war -- maintain a sort of tenuous peace -- by incessant military expansion and advancement).
The rhetoric of justice is so readily invoked as justification to unleash the full fury of the tools of warfare. Israel and Palestine. The United States and Afghanistan, Iraq, now Iran? The Kikuyu and Luo of Kenya.
I apologize for bringing such gravitas to our forum. I'm a long way from biggening my brings tonight. But the earnest wishes of a 13-year-old girl for peace in our troubled world make me ache. Can we provide it for her? Can her generation achieve it? Will we leave anything for them to work with? And what are the narratives and commonplaces that can promote a culture where justice and peace are no longer contradictions?
to sleeping, its sometimes considered a sin to write the name of God, and in other religions to make a visual representation of their God. Which I think is a bit silly.. I mean we already know what the word is. but who am I to judge.
@not so clever: i stopped hoping for some universal peace long ago. peace (for us) = tyranny (for them). ultimately, you get peace by force. the ultimate military victory. nonviolence and warm fuzzies can't do it. if you want peace you have to fight for it. and once you have it, you can't share it. maintain it or lose it.
i'm not a hater. just a pragmatist.
and i'm no proponent of american aggression. and i'm no friend to g.w. in white house. i don't want war, but i don't think we can escape it. so i tried to stopped crying.
alright, cool down, just go easy on the horses
I want to know why the King can't have as many horses as he wants. Shalom.
Famous (now retired) race car driver, Richard Petty, is still known as "The King", and he had access to nearly unlimited horsepower. I suppose that makes his position illegitamate. Where's the justice in that?
@not so clever... nice post. Thanks.
@ Farmer:
Because NASCAR is illegitimate.
hehe.
"This is because... Flower!"
That G-D thing isnt just jewish. I've seen other religious people write it like that.
@not so clever - its nice to know that things make you think. It's ok to have heaviness at times. better than backstabbing or meanness.
@ Lost in found - what's that saying? Fighting for peace is like f*(&ing for virginity.
I'm like many of you...I think that worldwide peace is not truly achievable. Human nature contradicts it. I will say this in response to Not so clever's clever insight:
War was believed essential in early Biblical times. It was how Jews made themselves established in the promise land. I believe God had the foresight to see that there was no other way to establish the Jews. The locals were very influential and much larger than the Jewish population. God did not want the Jews to be assimilated into another religion. It wasn't until the teachings of Jesus that's God's ultimate plans were revealed: to love our neighbors and to be a light in the path of darkness (in otherwords to be an example of God's love to others). Jews believe that Jesus was a prophet so His teachings are important to both religions, Christianity and Judaism. Unfortunately, a lot of Christians (myself included) fail at this. Compassion and love for others are qualities that are hard to come by these days.
Boring, boring.
@Coco, only 'cuz Dale Earnhardt, Sr was such a bastard.
@JodaBabes, that made me chuckle out loud.
Today, I was sucked into the worm hole that generates random Finds from times gone by. What appeared to be the Find of the Day was a love note masquerading as a game of Hangman, but several minutes later, it became a Batmiztvah speech and discussions of peace and justice. Pacifists never win because there is always a non-pacifist that's ready to kill and/or eat you. Not my rules, just the way it is.
I don't think so...the Bible is a very good read. It has stories in there that would shock even today's society.
I have a friend who is half Catholic and half Jewish. We call him the Cashew.
@sue bee: Just in case you really want to do that, G-d is pronounced "hashem." It is not a name, but translates into "The Name."
Also, if you wrote the name(s) of G-d on anything, you wouldn't be allowed to throw it out. It's kind of like American rules on flag etiquette; you're not supposed to print the image of the flag on things that are disposable.
@Turbo, that's a hoot!
@Cashew too, is "hashem" pronounced like it looks? has-HEM? or HA-shem with a short e sound?
Hmmmm, it appears that I am unable to log in this morning... Stupid ie. The vowels are dropped from the written name of God out of respect and tradition. When torah scribes came to a passage where they had to write the name of God, they would wash thier hands, take a bath and put on clean robes, then write only 4 letters, YHWH... The vowels where dropped because the name was so holy that it was deemed to holy to write. Almost everywhere in the modern Torah/Old Testament where it says God, the hebrew it was translated from is literally "the name". I just get the image of this girl writing the intro until it gets the part where she writes the modern incarnation of the name then washing her hand, taking a shower, and totally losing her train of thought. Notice how her diction seriously takes a hit after wirting that.
I've never seen a reference to God as G-D. But I read it as G.D. and it made me think of my father who, when really ticked off about something, would use that as an adjective. "The neighbor's G.D. dog is in our garbage again." or "The G.D. property taxes are up." I bet if he were alive he'd be using G.D. in reference to G.W.
Of course universal peace isn't really possible. Look at our own little world of Found and how a bunch of anonymous strangers without any history can't seem to manage more more than a couple of days at a time of peace amongst us.
I think the only reason we have a tough time maintaining peace is that we see aggression where there really is none...
I find it interesting that in a religious commentary, this Jewish teen would write, "Shabat Shalom," implying that this was written on Shabbat. Observant Jews don't write on Shabbat...
There is no justice; Just Us.
Saw that on the back of a Native American girl's coat one day.
Wasn't there something on NRP's "This American Life" about a Jewish kid whose name was one of the many words for G-D, and so had to keep every scrap of paper he had ever signed? I seem to recall hearing that.
@Freonz: I was sucked into the wormhole too. I only realized the mistake when one of my coworkers wandered over to ask me about the real Find Of The Day. (They all think I'm Jewish here. Apparently it's something to do with my name :-P)
@Kira re: YHWH
You're right about YHWH being the scriptural identification for god, but in writing ancient Hebrew vowels were not marked (making the Hebrew alphabet technically an abjad -- all consonants, no vowels) but had to be mentally supplied by the reader. It works most of the time, but of course there can be some ambiguity. You can read because you recognize the word from conversation. But because the name YHWH was never pronounced, no one knows what vowels to supply. Today it is typically rendered "Yahweh" by those willing to speak it, and it is the source of the Christian "Jehovah." Incidentally, modern Hebrew has devised a system to indicate vowels to facilitate reading and minimize ambiguity.
@Freonz: HA-shem with a short e sound. The HA part is not so much like HA-lifax, but more like the Hu-h sound in Honey.
@ hmm, you are correct on the This American Life thing. It was May 4th, 2007. The description:
As a boy in religious school, Shalom Auslander is informed that his name, Shalom, is one of the names of God; so he must be very careful not to take his own name in vain. Shalom Auslander is author of Beware of God: Stories and the forthcoming memoir Foreskin's Lament.
If I remember, it was pretty funny. Like foreskin.
@ hmm in hum, that's odd; I never thought of hmm as a Jewish name.
@ sleeping: The Hebrews considered the name of God too holy to say out loud, and so the word "Lord" was used instead when the reading from the text. Also, I believe the word Yahweh came from the Hebrew word for "Lord".
@Turbo: There is nothing amusing about foreskins. Especially when you have a boyfriend who insists on playing with his, and explaining it to you. G-D!
Very intersting FIND! I'm going to disagree with all of you, this is not written for a Bat Mitzvah; and "Pamplona in Sun," since you mentioned it (not singling you out for a bad reason, haha), this is also most probably not written on Shabbat.
This was probably written by an Observant Jewish girl in preparation to give her "Dvar Torah" (Torah words) at a Shabbat dinner. It is customary to discuss the Torah (in particular "this week's portion of the Torah," or as she writes "her portion of the Torah." She and someone else were probably in charge of the Torah words for that Shabbat. She may have been invited to Shabbat dinner at someone's house, or she may have been asked by her parents to speak at their own Shabbat dinner.
>not so clever in creating my handle: Very interesting points you make. Thank you for takign the tmie to write such a thoughtful piece in response to today's FIND!
As far as the word G-d not being written out fully, as has been previously mentioned, it is done out of respect for The Name (Ha-Shem), and also because the name of G-d is sacred.
This FIND definitely brings me back to college and Friday nights at the Chabad house for Shabbat dinner, and the Rabbi standing up in the middle of dinner to give his Dvar Torah based on that week's portion of the Torah :)
@winston - You're right about bible stories. Some of them are really shocking - it makes me wonder if some of the folks who think the bible should be taken literally have ever actually read the WHOLE thing.
Here's really good link: http://www.slate.com/id/2141050/
I read the whole bible following this series. The author has a great sense of humor, and I must say, I was just as incredulous as he was when reading some of the stories.
Thank you, not so clever. I've learned something new today.
Oh and thank you too, cashew.
I think foreskins are funny.
@ Turbo... marry me? I want someone like you around at all times to entertain me with witty little Mitch Hedberg esque one-liners.
Regardless of religion, to me the words "there can be peace and everyone can have equal rights" jumped off the page. Those two things seem very different to me; not necessarily incompatible, but it makes me picture situations in which there could be one and not the other. One that comes to mind is a family: the household could be (generally) peaceful, but the adults would have different rights than the children, and different priveleges as well.
"Equal rights" seems like such an American catchphrase, as if Americans believe that it can solve the world's problems. I know this is true of many of the teenagers I work with. In a way it makes me sad to know that their naivete won't last much longer, but in another way I look forward to it. Once they get past the indoctrination that America is the end-all be-all (GW notwithstanding), I hope that at least some of them will begin to work towards peaceful solutions. Yes, I do have a dream, and it is that people will mind their own business and quit trying to impose their lifestyle on others.
Sorry for the soapbox.
dona nobis pacem
CuriousKat, about using GD, I used to say it like that out of Baptist instilled fear. The word Goddamn still hurts my ears, but I'll use it for effect on occasion. I went to a Methodist Sunday school class and there was a guy in there who was conflicted about cussing. The next week the teacher came in and said the word Goddamn was not really a cuss word, it is used when one wants to damn something. For instance you bang you finger with a hammer and say “Goddamn!” well you’re damning the hammer. I thought it was a convenient rationalization.
In the book “Friday Night Lights’ there is a liberal woman living in the town of Odessa, who was offended when they used the word nigger, so when they would say it she would say “Goddamn Jesus Christ!” just to let them know how it felt. I doubt they got the message.
Sorry, I kept hitting enter and posting before finishing my thought.
@Turbo - Thanks for mentioning those books, I googled them and they sound like they're going to be great reads... While on this subject, readers who like a little fiction (based on reality) with a religious twist... You should pick up The Red Tent by Anita Diamant. Amazing.
As for the find, I think it is wonderful. It's refreshing to see there are 13 year old girls who care about more than who Lance Bass is dating and what the female star she loves to hate looks like without makeup. Justice, justice!
is the word God censored or is it just my imagination???
Also, I believe there can be peace for all, but not equality. Human nature prevents Utopia by ensuring that someone somewhere will feel an absolute NEED to have more than someone else. I was suspended from school once for reading the Communist Manifesto and highlighting passages. In theory, Marx and Engels have amazing and wonderful insights and much to teach us (in addition to their adept command of language), but sadly, their ideals could never come to fruition.
Maybe someone should start us off today with a little "Imagine" by John Lennon.... before we get into a religious debate.
@Gin in Tonic: I think you're right; this seems much more appropriate for a Shabbat dinner. Good correction!
And all of this talk about Jewishness and conflict has got me thinking about Shakespeare's "Merchant of Venice." A difficult play in so many ways. One of its controversies is the pitting of "Christian" mercy against "Jewish" justice. It's problematic for so many reasons, but it can be productive if there is a proper space to read and discuss. But we polarize so quickly that it is increasingly difficult to create such spaces.
Like Winston says above, Christians and Jews -- not to mention all the other stripes, including spiritualists, humanists, atheists, agnostics, etc. -- often fall short of their philosophical aims.
But on a lighter note, would a male Cashew be christened or circumcised first? If one comes before the other might he be a Jewtholic? It might make all the difference in the (after)world!
Thanks Nadine...I'll look it up. Have you read "Word of God". It is the Bible written as a book. I enjoyed reading it and then I ended up rereading the Bible afterwords because I didn't realize how much I had missed. All references checked out.
I STILL CAN'T REGISTER MY ALIAS
@Winston: do you have an author (other than G-d, that is) or ISBN? There are too many titles that make use of "word of god" to find the one you reference. Sounds like an intriguing read.
@Rebel: what school district suspended you for reading Marx?!? Or -- maybe more importantly -- during what decade did you go to school (if that isn't too delicate a question...)? That you would get kicked out for that offends me deeply!
>>not so clever in creating my handle wrote:
But on a lighter note, would a male Cashew be christened or circumcised first? If one comes before the other might he be a Jewtholic? It might make all the difference in the (after)world! <<
HAHAHAHA!!! Love it.
Am I the only person who got a different Find of The Day earlier? It was the hangman note that said something about wishing "we" could be together forever... very strange.
Nevermind, I discoverd that I wasn't the only one.
i do think a lot of thirteen year olds think about such subjects "earnestly," whether in the context of religion or not . . . it's a time when you're learning about life being unfair at the same time you're learning more about the world outside yourself.
as for whether justice and equality for all is possible, i think this girl and not so clever (and others) make a good point: if the king/leader doesn't have a lot of horses/warmongering in mind, why not? if goals such as economic stability (which can also appeal to the power hungry) are more of a forefront, then wars and violent injustice get in the way. i'd like to think the eu is a good example . . .
as for nonviolent, insidious injustice that laughs in the face of equality: not even an idealist such as i has a lot of great hope for the near future. hmmmm.
Oh sorry...I had the title wrong, "The Book of God" by Walter Wangerin. ISBN0310236126.
SALT, That's cause I already have!
Help me I've been impostured, again!
I think that part of the discussion on fighting for peace has to include the concepts of liberty and tyranny. I don't think that we fight for peace directly. But our American point of view strongly values liberty and equates it with peace. That is to say tyranny that challenges our liberty must be fought in order to defend our liberty and therefore maintain our peace. So we fight tyrants that challenge liberty and strive for peace as a result. I don't think there is anything wrong with that. The problem that occurs is that some people, unlike myself, believe that one can achieve peace without liberty. They believe in peace as simply the absence of violence. I feel sorry for these people, and I don't understand them. I'll also fight for their right to have the liberty to hold their beliefs.
@salt in the hive
I have the same feelings about GD. It's about the only curse word I don't use.
I'm not particularly religious either, but somehow that particular no-no stuck with me.
side/irrelevant comment. I'm confused about the numbering of the finds. This one is 1249, yet when i go to ones that are in the past, they have a higher number. Jason? anyone?
If writing "G-d" is done out of respect, do these same reverent people also write "M-m" and "D-d"? It would also be a shame to crumple up Mom and Dad and throw them in the garbage, wouldn't it?
Has anyone else on here ever read the Thomas King book "Green Grass, Running Water"? This Find reminds me of it in a rather roundabout way: Especially the chapter where Coyote first meets the backwards Dog – er – God.
Spam protection: Do you see a doctor or a dentist for a toothache?
Answer: In my case? An oral surgeon.
>>Flargy in the d-ct-r's waiting room, composing a letter to S-nt- Cl--s wrote: If writing "G-d" is done out of respect, do these same reverent people also write "M-m" and "D-d"? It would also be a shame to crumple up Mom and Dad and throw them in the garbage, wouldn't it<<
Ha! Well... Mom and Dad aren't their NAMES... whereas it's the NAME of G-d that we're trying to respect and keep as sacred as possible, trying to not say it or write it in vain, so that its meaning may remain powerful and used only when appropriate :)
I highly recommend Al Pacino's "Merchant of Venice." Skilfully cut, beautifully filmed, and Pacino has the entire audience in Shylock's pocket way before the end of the film. His Shylock is a man in the process of going postal and he knows it but he can't stop himself. Antonio as played didn't come off as a sympathetic character, and I wanted to slap Portia. What woman who really loved her husband would set him up like that?
That "makeout club" add looks like it has dandruff every time I see it...sheesh.
My only question is this: How is it not appropriate to use the word "God" when you are actually talking about God?
The Jehovah's Witnesses that come to my door told me that "God" is not God's name and they showed me in the bible where is says that God wants to be called by his name. I can't remember exactly where because I kind of zone out when they start reading stuff...yes, it gets awkward when they ask me questions about what they just read and I don't know what to say because I wasn't listening. I have religious ADD.
Farmer--
I used to work with a guy who said he recognized only three kings in the world:
1. Elvis, the King of Rock and Roll,
2. Richard Petty, the King of Stock Car Racing
and
3. Budweiser, the King of Beers.
Budweiser also has many horses with their team of Clydesdales. Does this leave Elvis as the only legitimate king? Or should I say "E---s"?
Terrie, you actually talk to those people?! Didn't you know that they're the reason God made doors slammable?
They don't come to my door very often, but for the next time, I've entertained the idea of inviting them in, offering them a cup of tea, then handing them a mug of hot water with sticks and dirt floating in it. Having doors slammed in your face and being threatened with physical assault probably gets old pretty quick, so it might be nice to give those pesky wackos something bizarre to discuss at the end of the day.
@ Flargy - a friend of mine, while he was in college, stepped up to the dare to answer the door naked to the Jehovah's witness. Shocked doesn't even cut it, to describe her reaction.
@ Ian in an inn. It's spelled -lv-s. cut out the vowels.
Actually, a Jehovah's witness doesn't use the same Bible as Christians do. Theirs is altered.
Ian: Michael Jackson is "The King of Pop", but I imagine he must have some horses on Neverland Ranch...
The whole topic of G-d's name has always confused and mystified me. I thought the Bible said His name is "Who Am". I recall He told Moses from the burning bush, when asked His name: "I Am Who Am". So His name must be Mr. Who Am, right? Good discussion for Holy Week, eh??
Uh oh. I feel an Abbott and Costello routine coming....
any newfie knows that God's name is Andy
like in that song
andy walks with me
andy talks with me... i dont know the rest of it. lol
Flargy, I just can't slam the door, I'm not that kind of person. Sometimes I even feel guilty when I hang up on telemarketers.
Winston, they might use some other bible, but God is called Jehovah in other bibles. Not that it matters to me--God, Jehovah, Allah, Dave, whatever.
I think I should ask my Rabbi friend to come in here and explain the G-d business before we are too confused and mystified :)
I hope she has a fun banae(Is this how you spell it? I forget) mitzvah. I love that she wrote out the Shabat Shalom and then skipped a bunch of lines.
They put the dash in G-d because in the hardcore Jewish religious sects, you're not allowed to say God's Hebrew name. I forget why though. You can tell I only know enough about this stuff to get by.....
In memoriam Arthur C Clarke, I have just been re-reading his amazing 1953 story 'The Nine Billion Names of God' (and putting it on my blog), and here you all are talking about the same thing.
Weird.
Has the first part of this note been scribbled out?
I like the lilac-coloured four leaf clover. Or is it a violet?
Alex, maybe you'd be less confused if you had read the previous 77 posts.
A Price Above Rubies is another good Jewish themed film. It stars funny enough, Renee Zellweger.
@Not so clever - I went to school in the early 90's in Polk County, FL. At that time they were also removing all other "controversial" books from our library, such as Mein Kampf. Now, I'm not suggesting anyone go out and by a book written by Hitler or Charles Manson or whomever, but I do wholeheartedly believe in freedom of speech AND how else are we supposed to learn from history and the success/mistakes of others if we are not allowed to study them???
@Just headin out the door: I saw a photo the other day of a young panhandler (?) with a sign that said: "Keep your money; I want change."
Yes indeed.
@Rebel: I'm stunned. Kicked out of school in the early 1990s for reading Karl Marx. I am sorry -- both for you and for the rest of your school who was under the leadership of people who thought that reading a crucial historical document was dangerous. I realize that we should probably protect school children from certain texts and leave them for later reading. And Mein Kampf and anything from Charles Manson, despite their hype, aren't really historically significant. Not in the way that Marx and Engels' text is.
I don't understand people who make decisions like that. I guess if you don't want the citizens of your town to understand politics, economics, and the contexts of nearly all of America's war, then by all means make sure they don't read Marx!
Well, you seem to not have suffered any long term effects! Except for your proclivity to identify yourself as a rebel...
@Not so clever - I was shocked as well. I was a good student with good grades just reading a book in the grass in our common area. Little did I know that was such a crime. I'm not saying Mein Kampf is historically significant but I do believe that if you have an interest in reading it, it should be available. Isn't that what our country is all about?
Due to that incident and several others mirroring that one, I decided do my senior thesis on Johnny Rotten just to see what would happen. Luckily that particular teacher had a sense of humor and the only thing she took issue with was my "God Save the Queen" t-shirt, lol.
As for identifying myself as a rebel... The looks I get in this midwestern town do that for me.
I know Minphx started out as M in Phoenix.. but it really looks like it's meant to be pronounced "Mindfux".. M, is that what you were going for? I like it. I like it a lot.
The reason why God is spelled G-d.
In the Jewish religion, we believe that Gods name shall never be erased. However if you write G-D then erasing or discarding the note won't be an issue.
Shabbat Shalom.