Monday, November 27, 2006

God loves rebels

The posuk says: "He smelled the smell of his clothing (bigadav), and blessed him, and said, "Behold, the smell of my son is as the smell of a field which God has blessed"

Writing well after the introduction of hellenistic ideas, and hellenistic factions, into Judaism [*], the sages of the midrash wrote: Don't read "bigadav"; rather read "bogdov" - his traitors. After centuries of fighting between the various factions, centuries that had given the Jewish people their share of rebels and traitors, the Sages still imagined Issac giving Jacob the desperatelty coveted blessing because of the sweetness of his traitors.

And note, this isn't the view of a self-serving liberal Rabbi from the far left corners of Judaism. This is the midrash. The midrash.

[I suppose this reading comes as a shock to the good Jews of Cross Currents, and Williamsburg where I believe they read it begadav and darshan "see! Yizhak Aveenee saw mit de ruach hakodesh our shteimrals and kapatas!]

[*] This sentance first read "Writing well after the hellenization of Judaism" An alert reader corrected the obvious mistake. DovBear regrets the error.

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