As she had promised God she turned her son over, to the very priest who rebuked her - to me it seemed like the ultimate sacrifice. I was consumed by what Hannah’s emotions must have been during this period, having wanted a child so badly and only to hold him for such a short period of time. She eventually bore a son and named him Samuel, meaning “I asked the Lord for him.” When she was praying to God, however, she vowed that once her son was weaned she would turn him over to the priest at the temple. When she went to the temple, she prayed with such fervor that the priest assumed she was drunk. She was barren and wanted a child terribly. One question that really reared its head for me was regarding the story of Hannah. Not only do the students around the table discuss the many stories in the Tanakh, we point out what’s missing often times the gaps and voids relate to the woman’s point of view. I’ve participated in many classes at Temple Israel Boston, including Modern Midrash with Rabbi Elaine Zecher. Judaism provides a beautiful structure for continued learning and study of text. I am a believer that the themes in our ancient text continue to repeat themselves to this day, and in that I find some comfort, as well as resignation, toward what it means to be human. I don’t write in an ancient setting, but in a modern one. My novel, The Nine, will be published on August 20, and as with my debut, Eden, I took inspiration from the Torah in writing it - not in literal terms, but using our sacred stories as metaphor.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |