Comments on: Starting up with God

By: velvel horowitz

velvel horowitz — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 18:48:16 +0000

And yet, Abraham is unwilling to confront God at the most crucial time – when he’s told to sacrifice all that he’s lived for and his sole hope for the future – his son Isaac.

Maybe Abraham was too much at peace with God. Maybe the better lesson can be learned from Job who is willing to risk all for the truth.

note: For an alternate theory of of Job as a political manifesto see – “The First Dissident” by the late William Safire.

By: Miri

Miri — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 02:57:10 +0000

Sarah Johnson, Aryeh Cohen is male. And his inclusion of a midrash in his piece is thoroughly in keeping with the Jewish tradition; in fact, it’s rare for Jews to study the Bible without rabbinical commentaries by their side as well.

Coming from a Christian perspective as you clearly are (or would you prefer “worshipper of Yeshua”?) you might not be aware that normative Judaism is as much a rabbinic institution as a biblical one, but that is, in fact, the case. That’s how, for instance, the biblical command to abstain from “boiling a kid in its mother’s milk” can become the commandment not to eat any dairy and any meat together. There’s a lot more to Judaism than the Written Law.

Finally, since you’re talking about words, you should know that your “parenthetical statement” is incorrect: the Hebrew term for commandments refers not to words in some general sense but to the mitzvot. So the biblical quote you include is actually an injunction to follow the law given to Moses at Sinai, not a general statement that encourages biblical literalism.

By: Sarah D. Johnson

Sarah D. Johnson — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 18:56:22 +0000

I commend Aryeh Cohen on a well-written, thought-provoking piece. One thing that puzzles me, though, is that her title is “Starting Up with God;” It would have been SO nice had something G-D actually said had been included. It is difficult for me to grasp, understand, and relate to those who are Jewish, but never allow
G-D’s actual Words into their literature, thought, life, words. One cannot start up with G-D without starting up in His Word.

Did you know that G-D’s Word said that: “If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all his commands (words) I give you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. All these blessings will come upon you and accompany you if you obey the Lord your God.” Deuteronomy 28: 1-2 (NIV). (Parenthetical statement mine).

Not claiming to know everything, I do know one thing G-d’s Word has a validity and authenticity that no other source can provide. If by breaking idols, Cohen is refering to turning our backs and walking away from those traditions and practices in our family’s that go at direct odds with G-d’s written word as Abraham did, than I wholeheartedly agree with her. sdh

By: yvonne goodwin benguigui

yvonne goodwin benguigui — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 20:34:01 +0000

the story about avraham is one of my favorite storys.I am really connected to the idea of ONE G-D THE SOLE CREATOR OF ALL.how is it possible that a human mind grasp such wonders.I feel its the soul that takes us to higher realms.so back to your perush of avraham smashing the idols I WISH I could of been there Iwould of helped him.יתכן שיש גם קשר [שבירת הכלים[ התפתחות רוחנית ויתור על דיעות ותפוסים ישנים ו’תור על שגרת חיים נוחה להפתח לדיאולוג חדש של חקר האמת על ourselves מול הבורא האם יש עוד פרושים על הסיפור המרתק אברם והאלים.תודה yvonne.