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Goddess and Torah
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Father, husband, king; the list goes on. The Hebrew texts are filled with male references to Yahwah. For years people have had the traditional image of the old man with white flowing hair and white beard up sitting on his throne in heaven. Even the traditional name used, God/G-d, is direct reference of a male deity. The very mention of a 'she' or any feminine reference will get you branded as a pagan feminist in this society. Understandably, a patriarchal society which is following only one deity using masculine references and connotations is not really surprising. Though, in light of women becoming theologians, rabbis and priests and the experiences brought to the board...can we really find the feminine experience from the deity of these religious texts?
Goddess
A concept which has been labeled as pagan, the idea of a female deity. Monotheism took such hold in this world throughout so much of the past 2000 years that anything outside the one and only male deity is typically seen as just strange. Though, what exactly would gender be when coming to grips with a being which has no need of sexual reproduction? We have become so accustomed to gender and sex being interchangable that it is the only viable conclusion. However, with our new understanding of there being a difference can we really hold to these same ideas? Ever since Jewish times we have countless and names and designations to this being which we used in relation to the experience we are relating to another. After reading a passage by Jill Hammer in "The New Jewish Feminism" I realized how close I already was to the idea of relating Goddess in my own experiences and in my own understanding of Torah. An understanding which started from hearing one of my friends, Steve, who has become sort of a mentor use 'she'.
Elohiym
An Engima unto to itself. The word Elohiym is used to denote singular as well as plural objects, a masculine plural form for a feminine singular form. Many Christians see this as their proof of the trinity which I think it being proof would be a bit stretching it. Though, I could definitely see it as a way to relate to their experience.
In the first creation account in Genesis 1, we come to the creation of humans being made in the image of Elohiym. The proposal in verse 26 relates to the dominion over the earth and animals and the act in verse 27 doesn't. "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them." The image being related is the one of gender. Though, think about it. No matter how you interpret man here, male and female are the image. Male AND female. In other words not a genderless deity like the one taught in many Jewish circles or a male deity which is heavily focused on by Christians but a deity having both genders.
Is it possible that we can unbound ourselves to a deity which is he and she both at the same time? Would it be stepping into those 'pagan' ideals which the Israelites were supposed to shun to related God or Goddess depending upon our specific experiences?
Torah-law and teaching
Ever read through the proverbs attributed to Solomon? I mean really read through them instead of just using them as part of a doctrinal understanding? The kind of reading to really try and grab the essence of the type of wisdom that is being conveyed? I never did growing up. The books of Psalms and Proverbs were always a means to a doctrine everwhere I looked. They weren't taken for their pure values. I finally did, and in the very first chapter I came across something I have never thought of before.
"Hear, my son, the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the teaching of thy mother"
That's the JPS translation which struck me right away because I knew this verse and what belonged to the mother that was not to be forsaken was the law, not the teaching. I even looked up the Hebrew texts and found 'torah' being the translated word. 'How odd' I thought. Then it finally made sense after reading Jill Hammer. It clicked. How do we see the raising styles of our parents? Our father is the strict one, the rule maker and enforcer. Not that this is bad, but it is why we are more stand offish with our father than our mother often times in growing up. What does our mother do? She guides us. She is more gentle and understanding. She is more concerned with teaching us what we should do instead of enforcing a rigid set of rules and regulations. I understand not all mothers nor all fathers fit into these stereotypical roles, though this is certainly the traditional imagery.
So how does all of this relate to Torah? We have two very different images of Torah. In the beginning, Torah is our traditional imagery. The law, the rigid set of regulations and statutes Moses handed down to the Israelites before his eventually death. This has become the foundation for more than 2000 years of understanding of why Moses gave them Torah. It is linked into our male imagery of Yahwah as our father. Yet, we come to the Proverbs and we find something new; something more evolved from law. Torah is our teaching, our guiding principles handed down from our mother. She is no longer the rigid set of regulations we are to follow down to a T but a guiding light to embrace as we encounter daily life and situations which require applying Torah to decide on the best course of action.
The Torah-A gift from our mother
In a sense, I was already understanding Torah as this more evolved way of understanding. Like so many countless other things related through the Hebrew scriptures, Yahwah taught by progression. Changing things a little at a time in a way in which could be embraced before moving forward. I see no reason the Torah cannot be viewed in the same fashion. To see her as a rough draft blueprint instead of as an unchanging lawbook. Instead of relating to Torah as the law given from our father, maybe the next step of understanding can come from relating the Torah as the guidance of our mother.
Labels: Christianity, feminism, gender roles, goddess, Judaism, Torah
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