Tag: Torah

The Ox and the Donkey

Posted on by jovial_cynic
The Tze’enah Ure’enah is a collection of ancient Jewish writings seemingly directed at women – the name itself is shorthand for Song of Songs 3:11: “Go forth and see, O ye daughters of Zion.”

It’s among the commentary on Genesis 34:6, and the connection it makes to “unequally yoked” is fascinating. It reminds me that the writings of Torah are not only meant to be understood linearly, but that the writings were put together with the beginning and the end in mind.

“Shechem’s father Hamor came out to Jacob to speak to him” [34:6]. The Midrash writes. Hamor said to Jacob: you grandfather Abraham was a prince, and I am a prince. Give your daughter to a prince. Jacob responded: my grandfather Abraham was called, ox, as the verse says, “Abraham ran to the herd” [Genesis, 18:7]. This is an ox. You are called Hamor, which means donkey, and the verse says, “you shall not plow with an ox and a donkey together” [Deuteronomy, 22:10]. This means, you should not plow with an ox and a donkey together.

Tze’enah Ure’enah on Genesis 34:6

Bricks of Confusion

Posted on by jovial_cynic
There is a play on words in the Hebrew that is missed in English. While we focus on the “us” in Gen 11:7 (why is it plural?), we should notice the mirroring of language here.

God is echoing man’s efforts: “Let’s DO THIS.”

God responds with “Let’s DO THAT instead.”

Then they said to one another, “Come, let’s make bricks and fire them thoroughly.” And they used brick for stone, and they used tar for mortar.
Genesis 11:3 (NASB)

Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, so that they will not understand one another’s speech.”

In Hebrew, “make bricks” is ל-ב-נ (l-b-n), and “to confuse” is נ-ב-ל (n-b-l).

The root letters are literally reversed. Word for word, letter for letter, thought for thought, God matches humanity and simply turns it around.

Torah is endless.