brief notes on Sh'mot
Jan. 15th, 2004 10:01 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
cellioThe reading begins with the (Hebrew) midwives defying Paro's order to kill newborn Jewish males. The reason given for their defiance is that they "feared God".
This makes me think of "fear" as in "fear of punishment" -- God will zap them if they don't defy Paro. But I don't think that kind of fear is necessary as a motivator; the midwives are Jewish, not Egyptian, and they are presumably people who are particularly interested in children to begin with, given that they're midwives. Do the chief midwives among the Jews need external motivation to avoid killing Jewish children?
The same root (yud-reish-alef) is used during the story of the Akeidah (the binding of Isaac); when the angel stops Avraham from killing his son, it is with the statement that Avraham "fears" God. But again, this is incongruous -- Avraham fears God and so is willing to kill his son? I would think there would be more fear involved in defying that order, not in following it.
It helps, sometimes, to read the Torah with the original Hebrew, a dictionary, and a concordance at hand. (I don't have this last yet, but online texts and search can help mitigate. But I digress.)
The answer, I think, is that this is not "fear of punishment". From what I've been able to determine, not actually being a Hebrew scholar, a better word is "awe". This root is used in cases where people are awed by God's power and truth -- in the case of the midwives this awe causes them to defy Paro; (an action that should cause them to fear for their lives), and in the case of Avraham it causes him to fulfill an undesired commandment.
Our tradition certainly records a system of conventional reward and punishment, which is included in the twice-daily Sh'ma. If we keep the commandments we'll flourish; if we don't we won't. But we aren't supposed to be motivated primarily by fear of punishment; we're supposed to follow God's commandments because he's God and we're his people. This idea is referred to in traditional sources as "yir'at hashamayim" -- "'fear' of heaven". There's that root again. :-)
There doesn't seem to be a lot of awe of God in today's world. Maybe we have to go looking for it. It doesn't have to come from big, flashy miracles; most of us go through life without ever seeing those. But it can come from smaller miracles too -- life, health, beauty around us, and so on.
I don't particularly "fear" God -- I mean, if he wants bad things to happen to me he can certainly do that and that's not fun, but I don't obsess about it. I try to look for opportunities for "awe", though -- by just paying attention, or by keeping the mitzvot.
I hope I'm never confronted with a test like Avraham and the midwives were. If I ever am, though, I hope I'll be able to act out of awe and not fear.
Ok, I'm babbling and I'm not sure where I'm going with this, so I'll stop for now.
actually....
Date: 2004-01-15 09:06 pm (UTC)Ah, yes, that's from when I was looking at the beginning of Proverbs. The first sentance of The New Jerusalem Bible note I have for that section is "The biblical expression ‘the fear of Yahweh’ means approximately what we call religion or devotion to God. "
(it's a nice long meaty footnote with further clarifications on this idea, each piece referencing a couple of bible verses illustrating the idea. When I put the footnote in my study file I replaced the references with the verses themselves (although from the NAB because that one is online so I can be lazy and paste. shhh, 'cause it's all copyrighted) If you're interested I can send you the whole footnote-plus-verses. The verses are all Old Testament although some are deuterocanonical(/Apocrypha) so I'm not sure their interest for you (IE, how relevant you might feel them to be). Mostly they're from Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and a deuterocanonical work called Sirach)
Re: actually....
Date: 2004-01-16 09:23 am (UTC)Re: actually....
Date: 2004-01-16 11:54 am (UTC)Again, the note itself is from the New Jerusalem Bible, the verses from the New American Bible because I'm lazy
The biblical expression ‘the fear of Yahweh’ means approximately what we call religion or devotion to God. It is at once the basis, Pr 9:10 The beginning of wisdom is the fear of the LORD, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.; 15:33 The fear of the LORD is training for wisdom, and humility goes before honors.; Jb 28:28 And to man he said: Behold, the fear of the LORD is wisdom; and avoiding evil is understanding.; Ps 111:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; prudent are all who live by it. Your praise endures forever.; Si 1:14; 1:20 Fullness of wisdom is fear of the LORD; she inebriates men with her fruits. A patient man need stand firm but for a time, and then contentment comes back to him. , and the crown, Si 1:18 The root of wisdom is fear of the LORD; her branches are length of days.; 19:20 There are those with little understanding who fear God, and those of great intelligence who violate the law.; 25:10-11 He who finds wisdom is great indeed, but not greater than he who fears the LORD. Fear of the LORD surpasses all else. its possessor is beyond compare.; 40:26-27 Wealth and vigor build up confidence, but better than either, fear of God. Fear of the LORD leaves nothing wanting; he who has it need seek no other support: The fear of God is a paradise of blessings; its canopy, all that is glorious., of an essentially religious type of wisdom, encouraging a personal relationship with the God of the covenant, in which fear and love, submission and confidence coincide. See Ps 25:12-14 Who are those who fear the LORD? God shows them the way to choose. They live well and prosper, and their descendants inherit the land. The counsel of the LORD belongs to the faithful; the covenant instructs them.; 112:1 Hallelujah! Happy are those who fear the LORD, who greatly delight in God's commands. ; 128:1 A song of ascents. Happy are all who fear the LORD, who walk in the ways of God.; Qo 12:13 The last word, when all is heard: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is man's all; ; Si 1:27-28 [actually 1:23-29 looks like a more complete picture so I’m including all of those] If you desire wisdom, keep the commandments, and the LORD will bestow her upon you; For fear of the LORD is wisdom and culture; loyal humility is his delight. Be not faithless to the fear of the LORD, nor approach it with duplicity of heart. Play not the hypocrite before men; over your lips keep watch. Exalt not yourself lest you fall and bring upon you dishonor; For then the LORD will reveal your secrets and publicly cast you down, Because you approached the fear of the LORD with your heart full of guile. ; 2:7-9 You who fear the LORD, wait for his mercy, turn not away lest you fall. You who fear the LORD, trust him, and your reward will not be lost. You who fear the LORD, hope for good things, for lasting joy and mercy. ; 2:15-18 Those who fear the LORD disobey not his words; those who love him keep his ways. Those who fear the LORD seek to please him, those who love him are filled with his law. Those who fear the LORD prepare their hearts and humble themselves before him.