"The first question in the Bible was not asked by man. Logically it should be man asking of God, 'who am I? What am I doing here? Why did you bring me here? Why did you create me?' Not at all. The first question is when Adam flees from God and God asks, "Ayecha?" - "Where are thou?"
There is a marvelous story of a very great Hasidic master, a philosopher, a mystic, who was in jail, and the warden of the jail was a biblical scholar. So the warden came to see the master and said, 'Rabbi, I heard you were here. I know you're a great scholar, and you must answer me something. In Genesis I read that God asked, 'Ayecha?' Is is conceivable that God didn't know where Adam was?' And the Rabbi answered, 'God knew, Adam didn't.'
That is why you ask questions.
That is why we ask questions."
-elie wiesel.
Showing posts with label Genesis. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Genesis. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Sunday, April 17, 2011
company.
"It is common and appropriate to think that 'alone' means lonely or in need of assistance, that is, that aloneness is a badge of weakness. Weakness cries out for help, whether as companion, partner, or coworker; and God in fact offers to make a 'help' for the human being. But 'alone' could also mean self-sufficient or independent; it could be a mark of strength - real or imagined. Aloneness as strength and apparent self-sufficiency might be bad or dangerous in a variety of ways. For example, a solitary being, lacking a suitable mirror, might be incapable of self-knowledge.
For aloneness as strength, the proper remedy is weakening, caused by division, opposition, conflict.
Fittingly, God proposes an ambiguous helper. Man's helper is to be neged, that is, 'opposite' to him, 'over against' him, 'boldly in front' of him, 'in his face': the helper is to be a contra, an opponent. Putting together 'partner' and 'opposition,' God proposes to make man a counterpart. What is called for, whatever the reason, is not just another, but an other other - fitting and suitable, to be sure, but also opposed. Company here comes with difference; and as we shall see in the next chapter, la difference will turn out to make a very big difference, both for good and ill."
-leon kass, the beginning of wisdom.
For aloneness as strength, the proper remedy is weakening, caused by division, opposition, conflict.
Fittingly, God proposes an ambiguous helper. Man's helper is to be neged, that is, 'opposite' to him, 'over against' him, 'boldly in front' of him, 'in his face': the helper is to be a contra, an opponent. Putting together 'partner' and 'opposition,' God proposes to make man a counterpart. What is called for, whatever the reason, is not just another, but an other other - fitting and suitable, to be sure, but also opposed. Company here comes with difference; and as we shall see in the next chapter, la difference will turn out to make a very big difference, both for good and ill."
-leon kass, the beginning of wisdom.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)