Toldot: Worlds Apart

Parashat Toldot introduces us to the struggle between Jacob and his twin brother Esau.  Not only will the tensions of their actual relationship continue to reverberate in this section of the Genesis narrative; their sibling rivalry becomes an extended metaphor throughout history for struggles between Jews and other nations.  In the time of the Talmud, the rabbis heaped disdain upon Esau, and used him as a sort of proxy for venting their frustrations about Roman rule.  Some contemporary commentators have suggested that the conflict between Jacob and Esau we read about in Toldot presages the conflict between the modern state of Israel and her Arab neighbors.

The brothers, we are told, battled one another even in the womb.  The bartering of the birthright and the subsequent chicanery that allows Jacob to receive the blessing reserved for his brother only underscores this contentiousness.  Yet even in the midst of this drama, there are of course lessons for us to learn.

Esau cries out in anguish, after learning that his father has "mistakenly" blessed Jacob (how much of a mistake this truly was is, of course, the subject of much debate by biblical exegetes).  He asks, "Have you but one blessing, father?"

The answer to Esau's question, which the Torah treats as rhetorical, is an emphatic "no."  Each of us is capable and worthy of receiving our own blessings, tailor-made to our hopes, desires, talents, and needs.  Ultimately, I believe that Jacob received the blessing that would be most useful and meaningful for him, and Esau was granted what he needed.  The brothers would have done well to recognize that life is not a zero-sum game: we need not see others' opportunities diminished in order to enjoy the bounty of our own blessings.  This is a lesson we all can take to heart.

This is the first song I've selected that does not fit the genre of "rock/pop" music.  It's a song from the musical "Big River," a telling of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.  In it, Huck and Jim realize (as much as they can do so within the confines of a Broadway musical) that they have similarities and differences, and both are worthy of being celebrated

Please note, I do not own-- nor do I claim to own-- these songs.  Copyrights are held by the various artists.  I include them here for illustrative purposes.

Worlds Apart- (Toldot, Genesis 25:19-28:9)
Music and lyrics by Roger Miller.  From the musical "Big River."  Original cast recording featuring Daniel H. Jenkins and Ron Richardson.

Chayei Sarah: Three Little Birds

As mentioned in the post for last week (Parashat VaYera), the relationship between Abraham and Isaac in Isaac's adulthood, following the "Binding of Isaac" episode, was apparently tense.  Add to the equation that this week's portion opens with the death of Sarah, and we recognize that even if father and son were on good terms, this event would have introduced many new emotions into the equation.

Nevertheless, in his mourning Abraham recognizes that there are still certain tasks that must be attended to.  In fact, the word for "to mourn for her [Sarah]" in the Torah is לבכתה- livchota.  The כ, or ch sound in the word is, according to Masoretic tradition, written smaller than the surrounding letters.  This led some rabbis to comment that Abraham diminished his mourning slightly in order to focus on these practical concerns. 

So Abraham negotiates a burial plot for Sarah, and then turns his attention to finding a suitable mate for Isaac, so that the family traditions can be carried forward, and so that Isaac can be comforted following the passing of his mother.  Rebekah fits both bills: she is part of the extended family, which will be of help in preserving what Abraham has built thus far; and she and Isaac are truly in love.  

I've chosen the Bob Marley song "Three Little Birds," because I think that ultimately this portion presents an optimism similar to what Marley's lyrics and melody embody.  As the portion ends, and the Abraham chapter of the narrative comes to a close (he dies near the end of this portion), Abraham is content in his belief that "every little thing gonna be all right."

Please note, I do not own-- nor do I claim to own-- these songs.  Copyrights are held by the various artists.  I include them here for illustrative purposes.

Three Little Birds- (Chayei Sarah, Genesis 23:1-25:18)
Music and lyrics by Bob Marley  From the album "Exodus," Tuff Gong Records, 1977.

VaYera: Father and Son

Parashat VaYera is perhaps best known for the haunting story known as Akedat Yitzchak, the Binding of Isaac, recounting how Abraham's son is nearly sacrificed so that Abraham can prove his fealty to God.  In the end, the sacrifice does not take place, but the relationship between Abraham and Isaac may nonetheless have been compromised irreparably: never again is there a record of a conversation between the two.

There are numerous tensions in this story: love of family vs. love of God, zeal for a cause, the desire to secure a legacy for oneself, and so forth.  These are further underscored by another narrative in this portion, which speaks of Abraham's son, Ishmael, and his mother, Hagar.  Due to tensions with Sarah, Hagar and Ishmael are thrown out of the household.  And just when the situation seems most precarious, an angel intervenes to rescue them.  The Torah notes that the angel has arrived because God has hearkened to Ishmael's cries ba'asher hu sham-- "as he is, there."  Commentators expand on this by noting that Ishmael was not made to conform to some other expectation of how he should be behaving or reacting; God was prepared to meet his needs just as he presented them.

Contrast this to Abraham's journey up the mountain with Isaac.  Twice the text tells us, vayelchu shneihem yachdav--"the two of them walked together."  Yet we can tell from the dynamic that though they are physically accompanying one another, they are growing ever further apart.

I think these tensions are beautifully expressed in Cat Stevens' song "Father and Son," which details both love and conflict in a parent-child relationship.  I think that's found in abundance in Abraham's relationship with his sons; I think it's present in the intergenerational interactions of most families: hopes and fears and ideals of the parent don't always translate for the child (and vice-versa).  "You will still be here tomorrow, but your dreams may not."

Please note, I do not own-- nor do I claim to own-- these songs.  Copyrights are held by the various artists.  I include them here for illustrative purposes.

Father and Son- (VaYera: Genesis 18:1-22:24)
Music and lyrics by Cat Stevens.  From the album "Tea for the Tillerman," A & M Records, 1970.

(As a side note, I came to this song somewhat late...in the summer of 1987, when I was 16, I went on my first trip to Israel with the Alexander Muss High School in Israel.  This (and a few other Cat Stevens pieces) were in heavy rotation on a mixtape we played on our bus.  I wonder if I was particularly primed to appreciate this song because of my age and context when I first learned it.)

Lech Lecha: Go Your Own Way

Perhaps the best-known song in contemporary Jewish music for Parashat Lech Lecha is the late Debbie Friedman's "Lechi Lach" which takes its inspiration from Abraham's journey, as described in this portion.  While Debbie Friedman was a gifted composer, I will admit that this has never been my favorite song from her catalog.  However, the first cantorial soloist with whom I worked, professionally, Angela Gold, was very fond of the song (and did a wonderful rendition of it).  Each year, we would have a "negotiation" as to whether we would sing the song when this portion came around.  Angela passed away, much too young, earlier this year.  I will forever think of her fondly when I think of this portion.

But Abraham's journey invites us to think about the journeys that each of us take.  By choosing to heed God's call, Abraham (at this point in the Torah, he's known as Abram) gives each of us, as his descendants, the permission and the challenge to embark on our journeys.  As we undergo travels and explorations in our lives-- some literal, some theological or emotional-- we have the opportunity to blaze new trails.  Nobody has encountered the world and its wonders in quite the same way that each of us, individually, will do so.  As you embark upon (or continue upon) your life's journey, you can do so with the permission that Abraham has secured for you to "Go Your Own Way."

Please note, I do not own-- nor do I claim to own-- these songs.  Copyrights are held by the various artists.  I include them here for illustrative purposes.

 Go Your Own Way- (Lech Lecha: Genesis 12:1-17:27)
Music and lyrics by Lindsay Buckingham; performed by Fleetwood Mac.  From the album "Rumors," Warner Brothers, 1977.

Noach- Who Put the Bomp (In the Bomp, Bomp, Bomp) #Torahsong

There's a great deal of material in Parashat Noach, and a great number of songs for which I could argue a connection (for instance, the Irish Rovers' 1868 recording of Shel Silverstein's "The Unicorn Song").  But it's easy to get caught up in the tale of Noah and the flood, and to forget some of the other stories and lessons that can be found in the text.  

One such passage is the Tower of Babel.  There have been a number of commentaries over the years exploring what exactly went wrong with this construction project.  One compelling explanation argues that the problems began before God confounded the peoples' language-- the participants in the building effort brought calamity upon themselves, because they failed to listen to one another, failed to be gracious to one another, failed to fully communicate with their neighbors.  It's a reminder to all of us not just to listen to those with whom we are in relationship, but to actively make an effort to hear and acknowledge them.

There are many songs with nonsense syllables or gibberish; this is not necessarily the best.  But it readily evokes the salient lesson of the Tower of Babel.  It also represents a sort of interesting place in music history, as the nonsense syllables it references come from actual songs in the Doo-Wop era, and it was itself parodied in later eras.

Please note, I do not own-- nor do I claim to own-- these songs.  Copyrights are held by the various artists.  I include them here for illustrative purposes.

 Who Put the Bomp (In the Bomp, Bomp, Bomp)- (Noach: Genesis 6:9-11:32)
Music and lyrics by Gerry Goffin and Barry Mann, performed by Barry Mann.  Recorded as a 7-inch single for ABC-Paramount, 1961.