Judeo Talk

The story of Saul and David is nothing less than the chronicle of a revolution. As First Samuel draws on, more and more people get caught up in the conflict. So much of this setup provides insight into how the people of Judah in exile viewed themselves. It's important to remember that, like much of the written Torah, the earliest parts of this story were put to parchment during the Babylonian captivity while the final version of the text wasn't solidified until a period of major reform after the return. One way or another, the revolutionary overtones in First Samuel are strong and intrinsically tied to the values of those who wrote and preserved it.

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Biblical texts more often than not move quickly. Whole generations are glossed over with little mention beyond names, entire lives rendered irrelevant to the story. So, when any text of the Torah slows down, the implication is that these moments are of incredible importance. Chapters 19 and 20 of First Samuel concentrate on individual scenes and the details of complex conversations, lingering on social nuance and plot points like few scriptural texts ever do. It's clear in these chapters that we're not just reading a moral document, we're consuming entertainment.

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Last week we went over the story of young David's battle with the Philistine champion Goliath. While this display of prowess was impressive, the social intrigue that happens in the wake of the contest is arguably more important and more meaningful. At this point in First Samuel (chapter 18 specifically) the story becomes considerably more dense. Many events take place in the space of a single chapter and it's easy to miss a number of the many important details along the way. One element that has been a source of much debate and distraction over the ages is the relationship between David and Jonathan, Saul's son and the heir apparent to the throne of the two kingdoms.

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Easily one of the most famous stories of Jewish scripture is that of the fight between David an Goliath. Its imagery resonates with people throughout time; a small, gentle boy triumphing over a very big, fearsome foe. In chapters 16 and 17 of First Samuel we see the first appearance of David and his quick, surprising battle with Goliath the Philistine champion. Taken in the context of the book and the time in which it was written, we'll find that this well-known story doesn't mean exactly what it's interpreted to mean in popular analysis.

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The book of First Samuel has a lot of very interesting ideas. Perhaps the most interesting is its clear assertion that it's wrong, possibly even a sin, to ask for a king. It's important to remember that, according to this story, Israel didn't have a king prior to Saul. It was only in a moment of desperation as the nation was on the brink of being conquered by the Philistines that the people begged for an absolute ruler. The book spends the duration of its length describing just why asking for a king is the worst thing a nation can do for itself.

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As we saw last week at the beginning of our reading of the book of First Samuel, the kingdom of Israel was in disarray. This book is a meditation on the nature of leadership and its opening passages describe a time when the highest authorities were misguided or inept, nearly leading to the destruction of an entire people. In today's reading, we will see the death of the priest Eli and the naming of a donkey herder called Saul to the office of king (or more accurately, "leader").

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Few figures in Jewish scripture are as interesting and well known as David. He is a central actor in the first book of Samuel from the readings of Nevi'im, Prophets. David is so intriguing not just because he begins as a heroic figure but because he is profoundly flawed. His arc is tragic but not without redemption and the symbols manifested in his story are some of the most enduring in all of Jewish thought. David's tale has many things in common with other great stories in history. It's part Lancelot and part Ziggy Stardust, an exciting drama of love, war, family and passion. To fully understand David, we need to start with the very first passages of Shmu'el Aleph, the book of First Samuel.

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Though we have customs and rituals that give us some degree of a common experience during our holidays, our unique associations with festivals like Chanukah are what we remember most vividly. It's important to remember these traditions and moments from our pasts so we can contemplate why the holidays are important to us. These are some of my memories about Chanukah from when I was growing up. Some are common, some are particular to me.

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In just a few days the holiday of Channukah is going to start, but that also means that we are in the thick of the Christmas season. In the modern world, Jews have the opportunity to experience Christmas as a time when people all across the shared culture of our national identities choose to hold the virtues of kindness and peacefulness in especially high regard. Though it is still a Christian religious holiday, there are ways observant Jews can appreciate many of the sentiments of the Christmas season.

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Shabbat Shalom and welcome to Judeo Talk. In this week's Torah portion, Vayeitzei, there is a very interesting use of a particular motif. The parsha begins and ends with the laying of a pillar, but what those two pillars symbolize could not be more different.

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