{"id":33781,"date":"2016-12-23T16:51:27","date_gmt":"2016-12-23T22:51:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/?p=33781"},"modified":"2016-12-23T16:53:00","modified_gmt":"2016-12-23T22:53:00","slug":"our-chumash-teller-of-truth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/our-chumash-teller-of-truth\/","title":{"rendered":"Our Chumash: Teller of Truth"},"content":{"rendered":"

By TED ROBERTS, the SCRIBBLER ON THE ROOF<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Ted_Roberts\"

Who wants to tempt a powerful king to knock him off and grab Sarah?<\/p>\n

But that\u2019s minor league stuff compared to the conspiracy of Rebecca and Jacob to grab Esau\u2019s inheritance. And, lo and behold, the book later praises the tolerance of Esau. Now that\u2019s telling it like it is.<\/p>\n

Then there\u2019s the wisdom and grandeur – we have somehow fabricated – of David, the murderer of Uriah the Hittite (and other peccadilloes). David is not one of my Chumash heroes. And Solomon, who never met a heathen streetwalker he didn\u2019t adore. And just to make them comfortable, decorated the Temple with pagan statues. Imperfect, I\u2019d say.<\/p>\n

The Chumash goes on to tell of flocks of kings \u201cwho walked not in the ways of the Lord\u201d. Our book tells us the way it was – there\u2019s no gilding the poison ivy.<\/p>\n

But we do have two blue ribbon heroes, which even the Chumash author, the Lord, finds absolutely – well almost – perfect. There\u2019s Moses – but can you see the devil peering over the author\u2019s shoulder looking for character flaws: \u201cHey, he didn\u2019t marry an Israelite. He\u2019s in Midian – full of Jews. \u00a0How come? In fact, her father, Jethro, was a pagan priest!\u201d<\/p>\n

Wait a minute. Even ignoramuses like me recall that Abraham had three, not two wives. Sarah, Hagar, and Keturah; and one of Keturah\u2019s offspring was Midian. So, one could make an argument that Zipporah was of the stock of Abraham, a kinsman. Nevertheless, the Chumash tells us that neither Aaron nor Miriam were ecstatic over the match (\u201cbecause of the Cushite woman\u201d). The reason is unclear and G-d punishes both of them attributing their motives to jealousy.<\/p>\n

Our other blue ribbon candidate for most virtuous bible character is – RAH TA TA – who else but Joseph – not a single imperfection. Remember when he told Potiphar\u2019s wife to take a walk instead of a cuddly nap? Remember when he saved Jews and Egyptians from starvation?<\/p>\n

Unlike David, he never surveyed rooftops for bathing beauties. One small mistake and quite understandable – he married On, daughter of a priest. Just like Moses, come to think about it. And changes his name from Yoseph to Zapenath Pancah – a game our own old world ancestors understood well. A great aid to integration!<\/p>\n

Yosef isn\u2019t exactly a comfortable name at a Cairo cocktail party. So, that\u2019s understandable. And where could he find a mikvah or a Hadassah chapter or even a storefront synagogue in 2nd millennium Egypt? (And don\u2019t forget his brother Judah marries a Canaanite. And even worse, ends up over friendly with his own daughter-in-law.)<\/p>\n

Oh, if only we were all like Moses and Joseph.<\/p>\n

\"Share