The First Week of Month Two

Well, as I am sure you all have noticed, we began this month in Exodus. I had hoped to send out a precursory message about this, but this will just have to do. You will notice if you look through the rest of the readings that we start with a different book each month. Here is the intention:

 
Imagine a solar system with a sun and four planets. If someone were to assign a book of the Torah to each of these hypothetical celestial bodies, most would set Genesis in the role of the Sun with the four other books rotating around it. There are several good reasons to do this. However, there are also good reasons to allow the other books of Torah to take on that role.

So now imagine that, much like the Copernican revolution, we have discovered that Exodus might be the center of this Torah-solar system. This is what I want you to consider. How does the rest of Torah relate to, re-emphasize, and generally serve to clarify the themes of the book of Exodus? Put it at the center and see how it reorients your thoughts.

Now, if you are an advocate for another book being the Sun of Torah, fear not! Each book will receive its month of exploration.

FYI: I personally think it should be Leviticus (which is not a surprise for anyone who has spent some time with me in discussion). And, perhaps, if I ever have seven to eight weeks (or months?)to converse with each of you, I could lay out my argument for such a view. But, until that time, just assume I am right.

Another note: the reflection day has changed from Saturday to Sunday as a result of the double reflection day at the end of the month.

I hope to give you a screen shot of my extended outline of Exodus tomorrow afternoon.

The First Reading Is in the Books

Congratulations! If you have been reading along then you have finished your first reading of the Torah. This is a significant accomplishment. Now we must advance to the next step. In these next two days, there is no reading. Rather, you should be finalizing your outlines of the Torah. Some questions to ask yourself as you make your map: What words/themes give a good summary of a particular story? What words/themes connect two different stories together? In order to help you, I have posted a few pictures of mine as an example.

I use the key words on this map as a short-hand way of helping me remember things. For instance, I included "Sibling Rivalry" as a theme (in yellow) that connects each section of Genesis as well as Numbers 10:11-19:22. When I see this marker, I think of Cain and Abel, Isaac and Ishmael, Jacob and Esau, Rachel and Leah, Joseph and his brother, and finally Moses v. Aaron and Miriam. Each of these words is connected to a section, which reminds me of a story. By linking them together, I have created a deeper connection that I am more likely to remember.

 As you look at my project, there are three things I want you to remember:

1)      DO NOT over-complicate things! The sections are supposed to be broad.

2)      DO NOT connect too many themes/key words with each section. Try to get down 4 to 5 at most; you might even have just 1 for some sections.

3)     Finally, make your own. Here is the beauty: your graphic representation of the Torah does not have to make sense to anyone else. The idea is to make a broad map that will help you put things into perspective.

I hope you have some fun trying to create this tool. This is the groundwork. Next month, this map will become more detailed. We will be giving further nuance to the larger sections and making more detailed thematic and content links between the different sections.

The true, hidden beauty of hands-on creative projects like this one is that it forces us to work with the material in a way that creates memories that are attached to the action. So, if you feel like you have nothing, just sit down and throw some ideas around; you will begin making memories of these stories based on your experience in creating the project. Trust me, I still have a detailed memory of the place and time in which I charted out Genesis 14…those were the days [stares off dreamily, eyes lose focus]. But I digress.

Here is what I would like you to do: After you finish, post a picture of your project in the comments section. I would love to see what you are creating.

Reminder: The reading resumes Monday, but we do not begin with Genesis! Exodus will launch us into the next cycle. More on that later, until then, happy map making!

The Second Read-Through

Believe it or not, the first read-through will be completed this Friday, August 3. With that in mind, here are the instructions:

1.      As you read through the second time, begin dividing your major sections into subsections. The idea is to further nuance the major sections. Do not make the subsections too specific. These subsections should help you to be more exact in your descriptions of major sections. There are no right answers/titles. The goal is to help you memorize the movement of the story and to re-articulate it briefly.

a.       For example, Genesis 1-11, dubbed Primeval History, could be divided as follows:

                                                                          i.      Genesis 1-3: Creation

                                                                        ii.      Genesis 4-5: Adam’s Genealogy

                                                                      iii.      Genesis 6-8 Noah’s story

                                                                      iv.      Genesis 9-11: Noah’s Genealogy

2.      Take the list of key words in each major section and determine if they belong more particularly to the subsections that you have identified. Once again, this should help you narrow the thematic continuity and attach it more concretely to a smaller section.

a.       For example: if covenant is an important theme in Genesis 1-11, would it be more precise to say that it is significant for Genesis 6-8 as opposed to 1-11?

3.      Highlight the thematically related subsections with the same color.

4.      Redraw your graphic. Treat each of the major sections separately. Create something that will help you to solidify the position of each subsection within its major section by both outline and theme.

As you can see, this second read through very much builds from the work you have done in the first one. The idea is to add some detail to the general map that you constructed. If you feel like you are not quite sure how to "complete" your first read through, fear not. I will be completing my project and displaying it early Saturday morning so that you have an idea of what it might look like. I hope the Torah is treating you well.

The Grand Poobah of Story Arches

I am sure that many of you are all familiar with the Flintstones. If you are, you might also be familiar with the fact that Barney and Fred were members of the Loyal Order of the Water Buffaloes, Lodge Number 26. The leader of this fraternity was dubbed the Grand Poobah. As I mentioned in a previous post on the Tabernacle, it is a characteristic of Hebrew narrative to work in an arch. This method of storytelling accentuates the middle of the arch and allows the readers to see what has changed in the characters when they experience similar situations after the middle event. The Tabernacle arch, which accentuates the golden calf incident, is a miniature arch within the overall story of Torah. The principle arch in the Torah stretches from Exodus 15-Number 20. The central event of this Grand Poobah of all Torah arches is the Sinai Revelation in Exodus 19-Numbers 10:10.

If this is the arch I think it is, then we should look at the parallels to see what effect this revelation at Sinai had on the Israelites. Note the diagram:

Each of the stories leading up to the Sinai revelation in Exodus are paralleled (in no specific order) on the other side. What becomes evident in a comparison is that the response of the Israelites is either the same, or worse after the revelation. This leaves the reader with a sense of foreboding. What is this covenant people really capable of? Will they be obedient? If direct revelation from God does not immediately change their behavior then how will they be coaxed into obedience? These are the questions that crop up throughout the Hebrew Scripture; they find their focal point in this narrative arch.

But, that is a theological matter. For now we are focused on making content connections. As such, I think this diagram is a very helpful way to organize the major movement of a lengthy portion of the Torah. I have found it a helpful way to remember some of the more obscure stories in this section as well as give them some sort of possible trajectory and purpose. (If I have an idea of what the story is trying to say and where it is headed, I find that I am more likely to remember it.)

In conclusion, I would like to make a quick point, which is a side note to this presentation. Until recently, it was quite popular to criticize the Torah when certain stories would be repeated. The claim among scholars is that there are multiple sources and an editor simply arranged the stories and kept the repeats for posterity (obviously the argument is much more involved than this, but it is the gist). This approach to reading the Torah is oblivious to the nature of Hebrew storytelling. These stories are not repeated with altered nuances, they are meant to contrast the activity of the characters after a key moment in the story. [Steps down from soap box and walks away].

I hope this has been a helpful read. On Monday, I will be posting some clarifying instructions for your final reflection days and display my graphic representation of the Torah. The post will also include instructions for your second reading, which will begin on Monday, August 6th.

Numbers 7

A quick, time-saving note: once you have read the first set of dedication offerings in 7:12-17, you can just read the name for each subsequent offering because they are identical in every other way.

I have just effectively made the longest chapter in Torah one of the shorter ones. You are welcome.

Note Taking Part 2: General Outlining

In my first note taking instructional post, I showed you some snapshots of my notes. As you probably noticed, there was little in the way of a structure of the book of Genesis. If you looked at my notes and compared them with the instructions that I provided before we started, you may be asking yourself, "How does that accomplish what you want everyone to be doing?" The answer is: It does not. That is to say, it does not, until you combine it with another piece.

In this snapshot, I have provided a general outline of Genesis. It is by no means a perfect one, but it proves helpful in grouping the entire book into manageable portions. So, though titling 27:1-37:1 "Jacob" hardly clues me into the fact that chapter 34 contains the story of Dinah, this title is very basic to the section as a whole. For the time being I just want you all to be making a very rough, general outline of each book you have completed on the reflection day . (I refer to this step as General Outlining.)



You will remember in my first note taking post that I demonstrated the ways that I was recording repeating themes, words, and phrases in the book of Genesis. This is the step I call Thematic Outlining. My goal (and I hope it is yours as well by the end), is to combine this Thematic Outline with the General Outline to create a structural and thematic representation of Genesis and eventually Exodus through Deuteronomy as well. In this final representation, I will assign each theme, word, and phrase a color and write them inside each bubble on the General Outline. Then, when I put all of the outlines (Genesis - Deuteronomy) together, I will see the sections that have the most commonality by their common colors. This, in turn, will allow me to make connections that I may not have made before.

Let me give you an example. I have notice that the word "remember" occurs at several key points in Genesis: in the Noah story, God remembers Noah and the flood waters recede; in the story of Rebekah, God remembers Rebekah and she conceives; and, in the Joseph story, the cup-bearer remembers Joseph and he is released from prison. Likewise, in Exodus, it is not until God hears and remembers Israel that he begins the process of deliverance. So when I outline these two books and write the word "remember" in a particular color on my outline under each of the major sections, I will be able to connect them in a way that I may not have seen before. This will aid me as I continue to read, providing landmarks for orientation in the text.

I hope this has been a helpful tip for you as you continue to read. Please do not get too detailed and specific in your General Outlines . General is the operative term. The only specifics needed are those pertaining to the themes, words, and phrases that you are keeping track of.

P.S. for a further example, please see my General Outline and Thematic Outline for Exodus below.

P.S.S. Do not feel obligated to use the titles of have given to each section, they are helpful for me, but they may not work for you. By all means, if you want to title Exodus 1-12 "Peaches" because it helps you remember what it is about, then do so.

 

Warning! This Bus Is About to Come to a Complete Stop

Please keep your hands and feet inside the donkey, this desert wandering is arriving at its destination. Estimated departure time: Numbers 10. You heard me. Starting tomorrow with Exodus 19, we will be parked at Sinai all the way through Numbers 10. Time elapsed between Genesis 1 and Exodus 18: thousands of years; time elapsed between Exodus 19 and Numbers 10: about 4-5 months.

Excited? I am. But I also understand that this can be one of the most difficult sections of the Torah to get through. So I am here to give some strategies to employ as you encounter some of the monotony. In this first installment, I want to give you some suggestions on how to get through the Tabernacle sections. Yes, I said, "sections," in the plural. As in, there are two sections that give you all the minutiae of the Tabernacle design. You will find them in Exodus 25:1-31:8 and 35:1-40:38.

In order to offer some help, I have recorded a short message with instructions. After the video, I have gathered some images that I find helpful as I read. I did not find any great representations of the priestly garments. Feel free to do a Google search and see if you find anything. Happy Reading!

Here are some images. They are all from http://www.templebuildersministry.com/Index_tabernacle.php. I cannot vouch for everything on this website, but all the images were in one place, which was helpful.

The Ark: 25:10-22

The Table: 25:23-30

The Lampstand: 25:31-40

The Tabernacle: 26:1-37

 

The Altar of Burnt Offering: 27:1-9

The Altar of Incense: 30:1-10

Washing Basin: 30:17-21