Torah Study resumed at Shir Hadash today – we will be using A Year with Martin Buber: Wisdom on the Weekly Torah Portion to guide our study for the first half of 2022 (replacing Mussar, which wasn’t terribly popular amongst the group). Today, we were joined by the book’s author, Rabbi Dennis Ross – the discussions were lively, and Rabbi Ross summed things up at the end.
This week’s Torah portion is Bo (Exodus 10:1-13:16), and the book and our discussion focused on one phrase in Exodus 12:38: “And there was also a mixed multitude who went up with them.” Was the “mixed multitude” just a random bunch of people following along, or was it a group of people who wanted freedom badly enough to convert to Judaism? And what is a “mixed multitude” today, and how would we view it through Buber’s “I-Thou” lens?
Yesterday, I’d listened to the first episode of Chutzpod!, a new podcast from Joshua Malina and Rabbi Shira Stuntman; it, too, focused on the “mixed multitude” in Parasha Bo, looking at how we can deal with the various beliefs in today’s society.
And Diane had chosen that section of the portion to chant today, too.
Much to think about, but I have no conclusions to offer.
No new developments on the FedEx shipment front, but Costco has shipped the replacement order – by FedEx. And they claim it’ll be delivered tomorrow. I can hope, right?