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An Introduction to the Old Testament: Lecture 11

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William Crawley | 13:01 UK time, Friday, 9 April 2010

scripture.jpgWe're almost at the half-way point in our series of lectures on the Hebrew Bible. This week, Yale University professor Christine Hayes takes a look at Moses's final address to the Israelites and transfer of authority to Joshua, and examines the claim that Moses is the paradigmatic leader of biblical tradition. The structure of Deuteronomy is then outlined. Attention is given to updated and revised laws within Deuteronomy which exemplify the activity of adaptive interpretation of earlier tradition. The main themes of Deuteronomy are presented and include the notion of God's chosen people and chosen city, social justice, covenantal love and the centralization of cultic worship.

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Comments

  • Comment number 1.

    The text about Moses not reaching the promised land and why he didn't is very confusing to me. Is there anyone who can enlighten me to the whole thing? I kinda get the Zohar explanation.
    Buts its kinda like that movie "the fountain" when u go - i get it, i get it but when u try to explain it you've lost it.

    "When the Holy one Bless be He, plan to make a miracle, the Shechinah comes to that place.
    When Moses hit the rock, the Shechinah went away and God was upset because there was a loss of connection between the light and the vessel.

    This explains Numbers 20:12 鈥溩曋纷欀怪甲愖炛蹲 讬职讛讜指讛, 讗侄诇-诪止砖侄讈讛 讜职讗侄诇-讗址讛植专止谉, 讬址注址谉 诇止讗-讛侄讗直诪址谞职转侄旨诐 讘执旨讬, 诇职讛址拽职讚执旨讬砖值讈谞执讬 诇职注值讬谞值讬 讘职旨谞值讬 讬执砖职讉专指讗值诇鈥撟溨缸浿底, 诇止讗 转指讘执讬讗讜旨 讗侄转-讛址拽指旨讛指诇 讛址讝侄旨讛, 讗侄诇-讛指讗指专侄抓, 讗植砖侄讈专-谞指转址转执旨讬 诇指讛侄诐鈥
    鈥溾ecause you didn鈥檛 believe in me to sanctify me, 鈥ou will not bring the people to the land which I have given them.鈥
    To sanctify is 诇讛拽讚讬砖, meaning to make holy. YHVH wanted to make a connection through the water to the Shechinah and transfer the supernal light to the people.

    If the people were to reach the Promised Land (vessel and Shechinah) with that water (=supernal light) the vessel would have been filled and would have created equality between light and vessel. This is the goal and process of creation, to bring back the oneness that was in the beginning.

    Genesis 1:9 鈥溩欀醋е钢甲曌曋 讛址诪址旨讬执诐 诪执转址旨讞址转 讛址砖指旨讈诪址讬执诐 讗侄诇-诪指拽讜止诐 讗侄讞指讚鈥 鈥渓et the water gather into one place鈥︹, That place is the Holy Land.

    The archangel Metatron, represented by the rock, was the bridge between upper and lower. He was 鈥渙ne foot鈥 inside Malchut. His name was 诪讬讟讟专讜谉, with Yod after the Mem. Numerical value 324. Bridging Binah with 10 times 10 sefirot add 100 to the process and we get 424, which is for 鈥淢ashiach ben David鈥. That is the aspect of complete connection between the light and vessel.

    Because hitting the rock was at the lower level, the letter Yod from Metatron鈥檚 name left with the Shechinah. Metatron is now at the supernal gate and the 鈥榡ob鈥 of bridging the supernal light to the vessel with Mashiach is left to Moses to complete.

    God instructed Moses to speak to the rock in front of the people. Then this rock wiouldopen and bring water to all.

    The act of speaking is on a higher level because it reveals the concealed in the upper levels. That would have brought Israel to the Holy Land and the Final Redemption quickly and safely . Rabbi Brandwein explains that Moses saw that the people were not ready or worthy of shortening the process.

    When we speak we reveal what鈥檚 in our mind. When we act we express a limited version of our plan.

    Moses hit the rock twice to bring lower level waters. By that he kept the light that God asked him to bring forth in concealment. Now the Israelites needed to go through the process of revealing the light. This gave the people the opportunity to earn the light by themselves and not the easy way as God intended.

    Don鈥檛 blame Moses for taking the longer way. He knew what is best for us. For now we need to work and earn the light, until we merit seeing the Light of the final redemption" taken from daily.Zohar.com

  • Comment number 2.


    wedwabbit

    I take the more straightforward approach.

    The people were cheesed off after quite a few long hot days with no 'Ballygowan' on tap.

    They told Moses they were cheesed off.

    Then Moses got cheesed of at them for going on about Egypt and pomegranates and grapevines and he lifted his stick and said (with what may be a touch of sarcasm), "Listen you lot, what do you want me to do, bring water out of a rock?" at which point he beat the rock.

    Now the whole thing is completely understandable; to be honest, I can imagine Moses hitting the rock and beating the rock and jumping up and down on the rock and then firing his staff at the rock... but whichever way we look at it, it's all, kinda, the opposite of trust.

  • Comment number 3.

    Hi PeterM. - i think i take the straight forward story too. But I do like to find a metaphysical side to some of the bible stories. And as Orlando Bloom said in the end of the movie the kingdom of heaven, you build your own Jerusalem (promised land)in your heart. I think St Clare wrote a book about this too. Building a crystal palace in your heart. Jesus' kingdom in away is also a state of mind. I like the way this guy describes it:



    I am lazy and dont really like poking around in my conciousness - i think u could easily drive urself mad. So I was just thinking that couldnt we just take the easy option God was going to give.
    I like to think about how many lightyears we would have to travel before we found another planet similiar to earth. This make me think what a precious garden of eden we have here. Instead of saying that God threw us out of Eden and we're trying to back in (the hard way) could we take the easy way and believe we are in Eden and invite God back in. I think there was a famous Kabbalist monk who thought this too (I cant remember his name.)
    My confusion in this piece is because I take it that Moses was not punished but that he seemed to put into some state that was not with his people. The people were not ready to receive the "supernatural light" but I'm guessing that Moses was because he knew that his people weren't ready. So where did moses go? (I know the text tells us that nobody knows where his resting place was..but i seem to be going round in circles...)
    The only way I can see this on a metaphysical side is that perhaps when we start to become awakened/enlightened - but we are not ready yet -there is a moses switch somewhere in our conscious that tells us to slow down. You need to absorb and understand somethings before u move on or else you could fry your head. Or like in the indiana jones movie when they opned the arc of the covenant all those that thought they wanted it and were ready kept there eyes open and fried - blinded by the light. But indiana and friends kept there eyes closed because they knew they were not ready. (too sad - i know i should be quoting some scholars but I am just a simple person who doesnt read much but likes watching tv!)

  • Comment number 4.

    Hi William et al - just joined in so not yet up to date with lectures and all the threads etc...so apologies if I say things already covered....i'm not a theologian or biblical scholar but do have a very strong interest in understanding about life/God/man/the universe/healing etc at the energetic level .....look forward to the discussions!

    Just felt to say re wedwabbit comment

    'as Orlando Bloom said in the end of the movie the kingdom of heaven, you build your own Jerusalem (promised land)in your heart...... Building a crystal palace in your heart.Jesus' kingdom in away is also a state of mind.'

    I feel you have hit the nail on the head re the heart .....as Jesus said the Kingdom of God is within .....which could also be said as the kingdom of Love is within .....and for me that is in the inner heart of every human being.....we just dont know it or get taught about it and don't realise the importance of making self-loving choices.... one of the hurdles we have is relying too much on the intelligence of the mind rather than the wisdom of the heart .... for the mind is loveless unless first impulsed from the heart to have loving thoughts. So for me, Jesus' kingdom is in the inner heart, is love and is a way of being that comes from living the way of the inner heart in all activities....that then impulses the mind....as I understand it this is something that each person has within them ....can re-connect with and live from.

  • Comment number 5.

    Have now listened to lecture 11 (just 10 more to go to catch up!)
    It was good to hear that those writing the bible expected it to be interpreted and re-interpreted and unfolded as new understandings/awarenesses come to light - something that seems to have been left behind/forgotten by many.
    When mentioning re holiness can be now for Israel and not somewhere to go to or to be achieved.....I would translate that to the human person ....the human person is holy now by virtue of their divine heritage....we just dont know it and don't live it....there is nowhere to go to, to transcend to, only letting go of that which we are not to reveal that which we are - love. So when Prof mentions 'vehicle of expression' I think she refers to books/teachings etc ....but for me, each human being is a vehicle of expression and we can choose to express with the energy of love/joy/God or that which is not love eg anger and all the other emotions...
    For me there is no temple, building, shrine, man-made place that is required to worship God other than the inner temple of the inner heart ....and then its not about worship but service ....how to best serve with, in and from that place, that love....
    I have diffculty with the whole 'chosen people' idea....unless it is that we are all chosen, we are all God's children, all Sons of God, all equal - no-one higher and no-one lower. The idea that God loves some people more than others is to me preposterous....and only incites 'them' and 'us' ...the chosen and the not chosen ....which is all promotion of separation and for me not consistent with the God of my understanding and experience....for me ...there is nothing we can do to make God love us more and nothing we can do to make God loves us less....
    My last comment is re laws - I'm not up to date with the earlier section so not sure if this is covered already....but to my understanding written laws were and are required to maintain a law abiding society ...esp where that society has lost touch with its true nature and is running amok.....but the true divine laws are written in the heart with the pen of love and once connected with that no man-made written laws would be required! That will be the day! Perhaps easier said than lived... :-)

  • Comment number 6.

    Hello Eunice thank u for your inspiring comments!
    I am at a strange stage where rightly or wrongly I am starting to believe that the ineffable name of God is not a word but an ineffable language. Though because we exist, in a physical world I would love to know how to balance the two. If I am honest I probably do know but am afraid that i cannot handle the consequences- which is probably why i have invented the moses "switch" story. I find your comments very uplifting!!

  • Comment number 7.

    thank you wedwabbit - your welcome! See you knew all along that you were the Son of omnipotent Love! Re how to balance the 2 - for me it comes down to energy - physics says all is energy......we are energetic beings and we feel energy all of the time even if we feel we dont....in that case we are just not aware of what we are feeling.....God is love/joy and so are we in-truth ......so when we make choices that are not self-loving we are harming ourselves/ our bodies .....the more we make self loving and self honouring choices the more we can build that love in the body......to be love and express from, with and in that love in all forms of service .....any other expression is in fact harming!! ouch !! Being gentle in all that we do helps to bridge that...that's my understanding of it!

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