Hello Friends
“The biblical text is not a single univocal story but a chorus; we must learn to listen for the strains that run counter to the surface argument — the unexpected, dissenting voices that change how the whole text speaks....”
Avivah Gottlieb Zornberg
Tonight the Jewish world begins to celebrate Shavuot - the ancient agricultural festival of the fresh offering of wheat - transformed over time into the holy day that celebrates the Revelation of Torah at Sinai.
Layers are what makes our legacy so special, enduring and meaningful.
As Zorneberg writes - the ‘‘chorus’ of perspectives is what makes our story so compelling, complex and unique.
(you can read her full quote + others in the source sheet linked below)
The Christian holiday of Pentecost, developed out of Shavuot, also celebrated this coming Weekend, is another layer in this seasonal celebration of the sacred strands of revelation and access to the holy wisdom from beyond.
Despite our shared legacies and human yearnings for the holy - conflicts tear us apart.
Now, as in many times in our histories, people are at odds over religious narratives - and that includes the story from our Scriptures about the battle between the Ten Commandments and the Golden Calf: Words vs. Image, abstract or concrete divinity - and possibly - the narrative of Southern Judah in conflict with that of Northern Israel.
Understanding how we were born divided helps to make sense of this story, the ongoing schism - and how we might build bridges across divides - and heal.
🚩 In our recent LIVE LEARNING session we explored the story of the Golden Calf conflict in the context of the Judah-Israel divides, and why what happened at Sinai still matters today.
I invite you to watch the hour long recording and to read the source sheet - both linked below.
Our next LIVE LEARNING online session is on June 14 at 2pm ET. We’ll talk about book burning, censorship and the origins of the biblical canon.
You are all invited to join me.
Scroll down for details on joining the live conversation on June 14 or watching it later.
I wish us all meaningful and joyful holidays.
For those of you in the United States - may this Memorial Day Weekend honor the sacrifices and the courage of so many whose lives gave us the gifts of freedom, hope and home.
May peace prevail and joy unite us.
Amichai
🚩 Read: Source Sheet - Golden Calf Conspiracy
🚩 Watch: Golden Calf Conspiracy LIVE LEARN session
🚩
Next LIVE Session: Sunday 6/14/26 @ 2 PM (ET)
“Book Burning: What Scriptures Start a Civil War”
This LIVE LEARNING session welcomes Paid Subscribers - as one way of thanking you, generous supporters, for enabling me to do this research and work with tech support to deliver this blog series.
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More info on the course:
Judaism: Born Divided Landing Page
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Peace שלום سلام