Let us descend...

The question was raised in Torah study of other occurances in the Bible when God "descends".
Here is a partial listing:

Exodus 3:8 "I have come down to rescue them from the Egyptians and to bring them out of that land to a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey..."
Exodus 19:11 "Let them be ready for the third day; for on the third day the Lord will come down, in the sight of all the people, on Mount Sinai."
Numbers 11:17 "I will come down and speak with you there..."
II Samuel 22:10 "He bent the sky and came down, thick cloud beneath His feet."
Isaiah 31:4 "...So the Lord of Hosts will descend to make war agains the mount and the hill of Zion."

Tower of Babel - A Literary Approach

Tower of Babel (Genesis 11:1-9)

Structure:

• Exposition (11:1-2) - Introduce characters
• Balance (11:3-4) - Introduce situation
• Problem (11:5-6)
• Solution (11:7-8)
• Conclusion (11:9)

Other Literary Devices:

• Leading words (build, language, face)
• Parallelism (havah..., building up/going down)
• Dramatic irony (lest we be scattered)
• Working within a confined language (similar sounding words)

From Genesis by Robert Alter:

"As many commentators have noted, the story exhibits an intricate antithetical symmetry that embodies the idea of "man proposes, God disposes." The builders say, "Come, let us bake bricks, " God says, "Come let us go down"; they are concerned "lest we be scattered," and God responds by scattering them. The story is an extreme example of the stylistic predisposition of biblical narrative to exploit interechoing words and to work with a deliberately restricted vocabulary. The word "language" occurs five times in this brief text as does the phrase "all the earth." The prose turns language itself into a game of mirrors." (page 47)

From New Studies in Genesis by Nechama Leibowitz:

"Benno Jacob in his commentary to Genesis points out that the Torah demonstrates to us in this verse (Gen. 11:2-3) how technical advances freed man from the fetters of his natural environment, enabled him to overcome natural difficulties...This technical mastery gives rise to overweening pride and self-confidence. Does it say there, "Let us build for ourselves a house as a refuge from the rain"? Or "Let us build for ourselves cities for our little ones and folds for our flock"? On the contrary, the achievements of human skill are transformed from being a means, to an end in themselves." (page 102)

Resources:
The Art of Biblical Narrative, by Robert Alter

The origin of the Kippah

In discussing ritual garb in class tonight, the question was raised as to the origin of the kippah. There are no references in the Torah. In the Talmud the concept is introduced that covering one's head is a way of showing reverance to God. Maimonides ruled that men were to wear kippah during prayers in Mishne Torah. By the mid 16th century, legal codes included the wearing of kippah when out, and even when in one's home.

Here are some resources for more details:
Virtual Jewish Library

Kippot in Jewish Custom

Reform Judaism - Pittsburgh Principles & Current Challenges

Reform Movement Alphabet

• URJ (formerly UAHC)
• HUC-JIR
• NFTY
• RAC
• ARZA
• CCAR
• ACC
• NATA
• NATE
• IMPJ
• IRAC
• WRJ
• MRJ

Pittsburgh Principles

• Text
• Commentary

Process for Creating the Pittsburgh Principles

• Introduction
• Interview with Rabbi Levy
• Response by Rabbi Robert Seltzer

Reponses to the Pittsburgh Principles

On May 24, 1999, The Boston Globe published an article on the changes affecting Reform Judaism. Describing the Pittsburgh Principles, Jonathan Sarna, professor of American Jewish History at Brandeis University, stated: "In many ways, it's a little bit like a political platform. It seeks to allow large numbers of people to feel comfortable and tries not to alienate anybody. And in a voluntary religious environment where you want as many members as possible, that's probably wise." Rabbi David Wolfman, executive director of the Northeast Council of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations, stated: "We (as Reform Jews) feel very comfortable as Americans and now we are reclaiming those traditions that have always been ours. It doesn't mean we're going to become less liberal or less progressive."

The 1999 CCAR Pittsburgh Platform and its Impact on American Reform Judaism Dana Evan Kaplan, Ph.D., Rabbi

(Abstract) The Central Conference of American Rabbis (CCAR) adopted a new Platform in May 1999. This Platform has attracted a great deal of media interest, not only in the Jewish press but in the general media as well. While many of the general publications such as The New York Times stressed the perception that the new Platform marked a turning toward tradition, some of the Jewish newspapers stressed the fact that the Platform was much less traditional than the early drafts had been. The reason for this was, according to these accounts, to placate the Classical Reform wing of the Reform movement. This paper will analyze the Reform movement in American Judaism, analyzing the contemporary trend in the context of its history and sociology. The paper will argue that the Reform movement is undergoing a return to tradition should not be understood as an embracing of Orthodox Theology or Halachic commitment. Rather, the return to tradition generally and the 1999 Pittsburgh Platform specifically should be seen as both a response to contemporary religious trends as well as an attempt by the Reform movement’s leadership to sharpen the distinctive image and message of reform Judaism. At the same time, it is retaining and even expanding its policy of inclusivity. The Reform movement is thus attempting to respond to the pressures of assimilation by both embracing tradition and expanding the policy of inclusivity. While this dual pronged strategy has many advantages, there are inherent inconsistencies and are clear indications of the theological conflicts that lie under the surface. As a result, the 1999 Pittsburgh Platform presents a very pluralistic religious vision that is embracing, but as a direct consequence, is extremely vague and lacks theological coherence. The theological vagueness of the Platform will make it difficult for reform leaders to present a clear and compelling religious vision. Rabbi Eric Yoffie, the President of the Union of American Hebrew Congregation (UAHC), has argued that Reform Jews in America today need to involve themselves in ‘Jewish Doing’ developing ritual and study practices and that should take precedence before theological formulations. Yoffie’s position may indeed be the wisest course for the Reform movement in America to follow.

Where are we now?

Reboot Studies:
Grande Soy Vanilla Latte with Cinnamon, no Foam

Multiple Identities: Judaism as One of Many

Inarticulate About "Community;" Connected to a People

Decreasing Institutional Awareness

Denominational Identification on the Decline; Informal Expression on the Rise

OMG! How Generation Y Is Redefining Faith In The iPod Era
This research builds a more nuanced understanding of this gneration, revealing that Generation Y does seek community and meaningful involvements, though often in informal and non-traditional ways. Religious faith and commitment is one route by which young people find meaning, value and community, though their religious pluralism complicates what this looks like in practice. The diversity of Generation Y and the informality of much of their religious participation make it difficult to say that there is any one way that religion works in young people’s lives.

Restructuring the Union for Reform Judaism

Reform Seminary Bracing For ‘Radical’ Reductions

Rabbi Ellenson said that the 20 percent cut in dues for the Reform movement’s 900 synagogues cost the college $2.5 million to $3 million. In addition, he said a substantial decline in endowments, ongoing pension liability payments and flat fundraising have placed the institution “in the most challenging financial position it has faced in its history — even more so than during the Depression.”

“The current economic crisis forces all of us to distinguish between form and content, between external structures and essential concerns,” Rabbi Ellenson wrote this week. “This dynamic of challenge and response is one which has informed Jewish consciousness from our earliest days. Stasis at the present moment would be dangerous, and a dynamic and open approach to the future is required. Each new configuration of the college-institute holds much promise, but each also requires sacrifice.”

For Further Reading:

• A Vision of Holiness: The Future of Reform Judaism, Rabbi Richard Levy
• Contemporary American Judaism: Transformation and Renewal , Rabbi Dana Evan Kaplan, PhD
• American Jewish Archives - online exhibits on Isaac Mayer Wise, Stephen S. Wise, Jacob Rader Marcus