Vision of Mt. Sinai
Yesterday was Shavuot, the holiday where we Jews commemorate the day we received the Torah about six weeks after leaving Egypt.
We're supposed to stay up all the previous night learning. Some, who know how, will learn Torah with partners while sitting across from each other at a table in a library full of books in Hebrew. Others will take classes from rabbis or other knowledgeable people. I didn't do that.
We're supposed to have a celebratory feast, traditionally featuring dairy items and lentils. I didn't do that.
We're supposed to read the Biblical book of Ruth, the story of a woman from the ancient land of Moab who marries a Jewish man, then is widowed, and follows her mother-in-law back to the land of Israel and becomes a Jew. She is an ancestor of King David, and therefore of the Messiah. I read that book, in English.
It's a "chag", or holiday described in the Torah itself, and a holy day, so we do no work but go to the prayer house instead. I took the day off work, but I didn't go to the synagogue.
What I did do was ask my girlfriend to marry me. She said yes.
Looking into her eyes as I asked her, it seemed like I saw a vision of life that I wasn't familiar with, and like all the remaining walls around my soul were coming down. It hurt a little, but less than the delight it all brought.
I don't suppose that my vision was anything like the vision at Mt. Sinai all those thousands of years ago, but it's a step in the right direction.
Benshlomo says, Thank you God.
We're supposed to stay up all the previous night learning. Some, who know how, will learn Torah with partners while sitting across from each other at a table in a library full of books in Hebrew. Others will take classes from rabbis or other knowledgeable people. I didn't do that.
We're supposed to have a celebratory feast, traditionally featuring dairy items and lentils. I didn't do that.
We're supposed to read the Biblical book of Ruth, the story of a woman from the ancient land of Moab who marries a Jewish man, then is widowed, and follows her mother-in-law back to the land of Israel and becomes a Jew. She is an ancestor of King David, and therefore of the Messiah. I read that book, in English.
It's a "chag", or holiday described in the Torah itself, and a holy day, so we do no work but go to the prayer house instead. I took the day off work, but I didn't go to the synagogue.
What I did do was ask my girlfriend to marry me. She said yes.
Looking into her eyes as I asked her, it seemed like I saw a vision of life that I wasn't familiar with, and like all the remaining walls around my soul were coming down. It hurt a little, but less than the delight it all brought.
I don't suppose that my vision was anything like the vision at Mt. Sinai all those thousands of years ago, but it's a step in the right direction.
Benshlomo says, Thank you God.
posted by benshlomo at 4:38 PM
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