Aaron Alexander

Besides climate change, nothing feels as threatening to our world as the growing number of (male) leaders identified primarily by their lust for unchecked power & general untrustworthiness. Policy differences are healthy. Lack of integrity is impossible to overcome.

The cultivation of a religious practice demands the simultaneous cultivation of a religious philosophy w/ enough flexibility and dynamism to adapt to particular circumstances previously unknown, but generally anticipated. Otherwise stagnation is pretty much inevitable.

Here it is folks: Don't let go of God. Or, a reasonable extension: Don't let destructive power go unanswered. Always remember, when compassion and forgiveness are the goals, hang on tightly. Appeal appeal appeal. Divine compassion can still win. 4/4

Rabbi Abbahu continues: "The verse teaches that Moses seized the Holy One, blessed be God, like a person who grabs her friend by the garment. So too Moses said to God, "Master of the world, I shall not let you go until you forgive and pardon them." Just wow. Wait for it... 3/

Rabbi Abbahu (Berakhot 32a): "Were it not that the verse actually said it, it would have been impossible to say." In other words, had one of us suggested such a paradigm shift, it would be considered blasphemy. Wait for it.... 2/

The rabbis noticed--and drew wisdom--from theologically challenging verses in the Bible. "Let me alone (haneekha li), then, that I may destroy them" God says to Moses in Exodus 32 re golden calf sin. Moses exerts power over God!? Isn't God all powerful? Wait for it.. 1/

It’s really hard to imagine--let alone navigate--a third way after contradiction and dispute emotionally settle in. That doesn’t mean it isn’t there, though. We just need open hearts and divine eyes to notice possibility. To imagine more. 7/7

The midrash comments: "This is how it works. By integrating the third verse to the first 2, we learn that Moses enters & stands in the Tent of Meeting. God’s voice descends from the heavens & nestles between the 2 cherubim. And Moses here’s this voice from where he stands." 6/

Enter Numbers 7:89 "When Moses entered the tent of meeting to speak with the Lord, he heard the voice speaking to him from between the two cherubim above the atonement cover on the ark of the covenant law. In this way the Lord spoke to him." 5/

So which is it? Does God address Moses from between the cherubim, or from the tent of meeting, in general? We need a third verse for clarity. 4/

For example, Exodus 25:22 "There, above the cover between the two cherubim that are over the ark of the covenant law, I will meet with you & give you all my commands for the Israelites." And, Leviticus 1:1 "The Lord called to Moses & spoke to him from the tent of meeting." 3/

In other words, when two ideas, or two statements (from one source, usually) live in contradiction, attentive eyes will notice a third way—another point of reference from which to potentially reconcile. 2/

Methodology: Classic Torah interpretation is almost always form & content. Consider Baraita De-Rabbi Ishmael’s 13th principle, found in Sifra: "When two Biblical passages contradict each other the contradiction in question must be solved by reference to a third passage." 1/