n
the beginning was the question.. Is there a purpose to the created
world? Where do I find my single, most personal, meaning within life? Is
this the same question as ‘what is the origin of things’? Is this the
same question as ‘what is woman and man’? ... Do all men and women ask
these things? Haven't you yourself asked these things?
Have you ever dreamed of Paradise? Paradise may be the most popular and intensely meaningful idea ever to have gripped the human imagination. We find it everywhere. It fills our dreams and inspires us all. We seem to be born with it embedded in our unconscious mind. It is a theme of legends; stories that have been told at the hearth fires of our ancestors, going back to a time beyond human memory. The story of Paradise occurs all over the world. The Garden of Eden, the Greek Golden Age, The Australian Aborigines’ Dream time, and the Chinese Taoist Age of Perfect Virtue, are just some of its manifestations. In every tradition, the image of Paradise is derived from a story that dates back to the beginnings of human culture. The Genesis account of Adam, Eve, the Garden, and the Serpent, has inspired generations of theologians and scholars; it is a fundamental part of the art and culture of Western civilization. Eden is a place full of fruit bearing trees, gold and precious stones; it was the source of the earth’s sweet waters. A beautiful place is like a beautiful metaphor, both are full of wonder.
In order to understand the story of Eden, it is necessary to think in
metaphor. The people of the past thought this way. Long before
'materialist science' arrived on the scene people did not dissect
everything, they did not try to break everything up into tiny fragments.
When they examined something, when they attempted to understand the
world around them they did through the act of metaphorical thinking.
They would approach a subject by finding it's simile or attempt to
understand it through the act of understanding things that were similar
to it. This way of thinking runs contrary to the way that we think
today. It also reveals a past that we may not be able to comprehend in a
fashion that makes sense to us. When one realizes the power of this way
of thinking it sheds an entirely new light on the people of old times.
People love metaphor. Metaphor is poetry. Metaphor is song. Metaphor is
myth.
Ancient and tribal peoples shared a love for metaphor. Our modern
languages consist of thousand of words and expressions deriving form
ancient metaphors. Moreover, the further back you go in time, the more
metaphorical language becomes.
Now a metaphorical interpretation of a record does not necessarily rule
out a historical one, especially when one considers that supernatural
agency may be involved. However, it might also be said that, in some
cases, a metaphorical interpretation of a story liberates meanings, and
depths of understanding, that can not be seen in, or bound to, a
historical event. Another way of saying this may be, since the metaphor
is timeless, the history it is concerned with is always present.
The Genesis text is the metaphorical combination of two separate
accounts. In the first, man and woman were created together at the
climax of creation. In the second, God make Adam first, and to relieve
his solitude creates the rest of the creatures, including the first
woman, Eve. Afterward the original couple lives naked and unashamed, in
harmony with each other and with the animals. This is the basic cast, or
form, of paradise accounts found in many cultures.
eginning in Genesis
the original Hebrew writings described the oneness and equality of man
an woman. The first creature called ha'-adam was not strictly male at
all. Ha'-adam is a generic term for humankind and is used at the
beginning of Genesis 2. Only when God takes a rib from ha'-adam are the
sexes differentiated, and the change is symbolized by new terminology.
The creature from whom the rib is taken is now referred to not as ha'-adam
but as 'ish ("man"), and the creature fashioned from the rib is called 'ishshah
("woman") The very act of creating woman creates man. This is a love
story; the rib is a symbol of intimacy. "Bone of my bones, flesh of my
flesh." This early concept was that of a soul mate; and is referred to
by Plato, who spoke of man and woman as like a split creature always
seeking to rejoin the halves.
An originally binary, or sexually undifferentiated, adam (“earthling”) is split down the “side” (a better translation of Hebrew tsela than “rib”) to form two sexually differentiated persons. Marriage is pictured as the reunion of the two constituent parts or “other halves,” man and woman.
Adam and Eve are potrayed in images that are seen as sacrificial toward each other, nature and God. They are cast out of the Garden when they attempt to become Gods. The trouble lies in that the transformation was not complete, They only ate from one tree and could not eat of the tree of eternal life. And so it is, this story relates how our spiritual birth is accompanied with pain. The Garden story is a metaphor for this truth that is in all our lives. And our struggle with our creativity, which is made in the image of God.
God created Adam before Eve? Does the order of the creation
make a difference as to one's favor with God? God did not create Adam
before all things. God also created birds before Adam. Yet, Jesus spoke
of us as being worth many sparrows. Eve is the crown and culmination of
creation. Does this mean she is of more worth than Adam?
Did Eve force Adam to eat the forbidden fruit? If Adam was not deceived
and yet ate also, how is it that this is not a greater transgression?
Jesus spoke of the difference between the deceived and the undeceived
often; and said in one place, that the difference is to be received in
the Judgment, by, 'Few stripes...and Many stripes."
The Bible says, "in Adam all die" (I Corinthians 15:22), not "in Adam
and Eve all die". It says, "by one man sin entered into the world"
(Romans 5:12), not "by one man and one woman"! Paul never even mentions
Eve in any of the First Adam/Second Adam passages. Why not? Because
Eve's sin was not equal to that of Adam's sin.
"Wherefore as by one man sin entered the world"...Rom: 5; 12
If this statement (by one man sin entered) seems biased in favor of
woman to you, perhaps it also reveals to the gentleman reader how it
feels to be put in your place by the other sex and told that this is
God's will.
The point is not to make contention, rather, to show that love speaks to
no one as of less worth to God. And it is not by works that we are
saved, rather, by grace so that no person may boast. Further, the
Apostle Paul was a preacher of grace, yet, fundamentalism in an 'ink on
paper' reading of the Bible often contradicts the message of grace by
preaching that men are somehow in a preferred status with God. If God is
love, then Love is God; in this is the paradox resolved concerning works
and grace. Christ fulfilled the requirements of the law and released all
of us to love God with unconditional desire for Holy Communion. This
makes the daughters as well as the sons of the royal family of saints
and in equal standing before their Creator.
The most important aspects of the image which humanity bears are the
close relationship of love between themselves and God and the
responsibility given them as God's representatives to care for the rest
of creation as God's helpers. The word "dominion" does not imply that
humankind is to destroy or exploit nature, but man and woman are to be
held responsible before God for the way they serve God in taking care of
the world. The Jerusalem Reader's Edition Bible states in Genesis 2:15
Yahweh God took the man and settled him in the garden of Eden to
cultivate and to take care of it. If this is what is usually translated
as "giving dominion" then at least this translation offers a more
responsible perspective. God's characteristic as servant is even more
clear in the Gen., Ch. 2 description. Here, at the climax of the
creation story, Eve is created as the "helper (ezer)"
of Adam. Woman is created as help and succor to man’s loneliness.
Far from denoting the idea of service in a subordinated position, the
word "help" (ezer) is generally applied to
God" who is par excellence the succor of those in need and in despair.
This image of God as servant emerges clearly in the New Testament in
the figure of Jesus, who came "not to be served but to serve" (Mark
10:45). Jesus of Nazareth was identified with the prophecies of God's
"suffering servant" (Isa. 42:1-4). Above all, he became God's instrument
of divine help in his willingness to live among people in self-surrender
to others in love (Phil. 2: 5_1 1)..
Women have always played a vital role in God's Plan. Consider Hannah,
mother of the great prophet Samuel. Or the widow who fed the prophet
Elijah. Shall we forget Mary, mother of Jesus or the women who
ministered to Jesus during His earthly ministry? Wasn't Miriam thought
of as a prophetess in her own right? Esther? What of Dorcas who
ministered to the needs of others by making coats for them… The list
could stretch on and on. Godly women should be held in high esteem as
daughters of God, and sisters and co-laborers in the Gospel.
From this brief analysis we can conclude that it is not necessary to
think of God primarily as having masculine characteristics of domination
and lordship, a practice that has served to legitimatize aggression and
domination in androgen cultures. It is also possible to think of God as
having characteristics frequently thought of as feminine. God extends
divine help to those in need through the chosen instruments. The example
of the steadfast love and sacrifice of God in the Old and New Testaments
points to possibilities of a world where the fullness of these
characteristics could be displayed by both men and women.
od language should not
be confused with the reality of God. It should struggle to disclose that
reality through careful investigation and interpretation. It should
discover the differences of what is ordinarily acceptable to a Christian
community and what is theologically possible.
All translation is a form of interpretation. The best translations
straddle languages, conveying the meaning, rhythm, and style of the
original while achieving integrity and beauty in their own right.
Translation demands, necessarily, innumerable subjective decisions: How
should "Adam be translated? "Man" is a perfectly correct rendering of
the Hebrew, so is "humankind." Strictly literal translations from Hebrew
to English are virtually impossible due to differences in grammar;
Hebrew nouns have gender, which requires changes in verb forms. Also
Hebrew and English deal with tenses differently. One problem that
presents itself in translating the New Testament from Hebrew and Aramaic
into English is that of the gender of the Ruach haKodesh (Holy Spirit).
English is very different from Hebrew and Aramaic. To begin with,
English has three genders: masculine, feminine and neuter (i.e. he, she
and it). Hebrew and Aramaic have no neuter gender. In Hebrew and
Aramaic, everything is either a "he" or a "she" and nothing is an "it".
Also, gender plays a much more important role in Hebrew and in Aramaic
than in English. In English, gender is usually only an issue when
dealing with pronouns. But in Hebrew and Aramaic, nouns and verbs are
also maculine or feminine. And while there are no true adjectives in
Hebrew (nouns are also used as adjectives), noun modifiers must agree in
gender with the noun. Now, the Hebrew word RUACH (Aramaic RUCHA) is
gramatically feminine as is the phrase Ruach haKodesh. This is matched
by the rôle of the Ruach haKodesh as "comforter" (Jn.14-16) and the
identifier of the "comforter" with YHWH acting as a "mother" (Is.66:13).
However we choose to describe God's transcendence, the mystery of God's freedom points to
I AM ,
However we choose to describe God's transcendence, the mystery of
God's freedom points to: I AM ,
I AM MADE IN THE IMAGE OF THE GREAT I AM,
MY CENTER IS ROOTED IN GOD, I AM
This is a reality that is clearly beyond both biological distinctions of
male and female and the cultural distinctions that have developed of
masculine and feminine. The metaphors used in our language about God are
rooted in the human experience. In this sense all cultural
characteristics that are used to describe qualities as masculine or
feminine can be used in speaking about God as a means of reflecting the
totality of human experience.
he passage in Ex., ch.
3, describing God's self-revelation to Moses points toward an image of
God that is sometimes overlooked in our view of Old Testament tradition:
the image of servant. In and through the actions of the liberator are
those of the servant or helper (ezer). The
Ex. 34:6 interpretation of the name Yahweh makes this more clear as it
reminds us that "God is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and
abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness. Yahweh is related to
humankind in a covenant relationship of love and concern. This same idea
is reflected in the two Genesis versions of creation. Genesis 1:26
speaks of the creation of man and woman in the image of God. "Let us
make ... [humankind] in our image, after our likeness; and let them have
dominion over ... all the earth." "Male and female ... [God] created
them." Exactly what the author means by the word "image" is not clear,
but it is evident that the Priestly writer wishes to point to an analogy
between God and man-and-woman. The analogy is not merely anthropomorphic
because in Israel's view human beings are theomorphic. They are an image
of Elohim. The plural word for God (Elohim) and the words "let us .."
reflect not only the idea of God surrounded by a heavenly court but also
the notion of God as combining all the characteristics of the male and
female gods in the Canaanite pantheon which Yahweh transcends, yet
includes.
This is written in the Hebrew Talmud, the book where all of the sayings
and preaching of Rabbis are conserved over time.
It says: "Be very careful if you make a woman cry, because God counts
her tears. The woman came out of a man's rib. Not from his feet to be
walked on. Not from his head to be superior, but from the side to be
equal. Under the arm to be protected, and next to the heart to be
loved."
In the east where the dawn brings the sun, the Creator planted a
garden paradise; in which was brought forth woman and man. In this way
has their Creator fashioned them. They were one of the same. Such was
the union of the two. And they were brought forth to the delight of the
other... And the Creator stood back and looked through the creation. And
the Creator was well please with the creation, for it was seen to be
very good. And the Creator created life to bring forth more life, after
its kind, to be fruitful and multiple...
A true love story is a poem. This is because poetry speaks in ways
larger than mere words. Poetry speaks through metaphor and rhythm;
ultimately becoming song. The true love story is the eternal love story.
This is the story of woman and man as their Creator has brought them
forth. With the exceeding capacity, for the love of the other. The
beginning record of man’s purpose is of necessity the story of love. The
love between a man and woman. The love that brings forth children. It is
from this foundation of life and living the Creator brings forth those
elements which are spiritual in nature. In the book of Genesis,
beginning at the opening of the book, we read of a man named Adam and
his wife, his one and only, Eve.
Gen 1:1 In the beginning God ('elohiym)
created the heaven and the earth. Gen 1:26 And God ('elohiym) said, Let
us make man in our image, after
our likeness:
See also Genesis 3:22 and 11:17 where God is spoken of as
"us." 'elohiym is used of God as a
plurality:
The Bible reflects that the first creation, as well as continuing
creation, is done in tandem by Eloh (God) and Eloah (Goddess) (also
referred to as Hokhma and Ruach). Together, Eloh and Eloah make up the
Elohim. See Genesis 1:1-3, 1:26-27; Proverbs 3:19-20, 8:22-31; Job
38:4-40:30; Ecclesiasticus 1:1-10, 24:1-6; Wisdom of Solomon 7:22,
8:1-7, 8:21-9:4, 9:9-11.
Hebrew language scholars have noted that there has been a strange
violation of convention in the formation of the word "Elohiym", in that
the female root "Eoahh", meaning Goddess, is used and is then combined
with the masculine suffix "iym". So the word "Elohiym" not only means
plural Gods, but Gods with male and female attributes
'elohiym 430. 'elohiym, el-o-heem'; plur. of H433; gods in the ordinary
sense; but spec. used (in the plur. thus, esp. with the art.) of the
supreme God; X exceeding, God (gods) (-dess,
-ly), X (very) great. Yehovah is used of God as His being one God:
Yehovah 3068. Yehovah, yeh-ho-vaw'; from H1961; (the) self-Existent or
Eternal; Jeho-vah, Jewish national name of God:--Jehovah, the Lord.
Comp. H3050, H3069. Thus, in
Deuteronomy 6, we see the One God spoken of as a plurality:
Deu 6:1 Now these are the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments,
which the LORD (Yehovah) your
God ('elohiym) commanded to teach you, that
ye might do them in the land whither ye go to possess it: Deu 6:2 That
thou mightest fear the LORD (Yehovah) thy
God ('elohiym), to keep all his statutes
and his commandments, which I command thee, thou, and thy son, and thy
son's son, all the days of thy life; and that thy days may be prolonged.
Deu 6:3 Hear therefore, O Israel, and observe to do it; that it may be
well with thee, and that ye may increase mightily, as the
LORD (Yehovah) God ('elohiym)
of thy fathers hath promised thee, in the land that floweth with milk
and honey. Deu 6:4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD (Yehovah)
our God ('elohiym) is one
(echad)[ Echad speaks
of God as being one as husband and wife are one: Gen 2:24 ]
LORD (Yehovah): Deu 6:5 And thou shalt love
the LORD (Yehovah) thy
God ('elohiym) with all thine heart, and
with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
The Monotheism here is combined with a compound unity of God being one.
In other words God is one, but not literally in number but in Substance.
The Hebrew word here is the word ('Echad')
which means compound unity and an absolute. The Scriptures have this
Hebrew word 'one' which is
(Echad) used in other Scriptures which
proves the unity of this word. For instance, in Genesis 1:5, the
combination of evening and morning comprise one
(echad) day. In Genesis 2:24, a man and a
woman come together in marriage and the two "shall become
one (echad)
flesh.
There are many scripture references implying God as God/dess:: Numbers
16:22 and also 27:16 | Deuteronomy 32:both 15 & 17 | Job 3:4, 5:17,
9:13, 10:2, 11:5-7, 12:6, 38:7 | Ezra 4:24 to 6:18, throughout all the
verses (27 references) Nehemiah 9:17 | Psalms 82 , (Prov. 1:20-33;
2:2-4; 3:13-19; 4:7-9; 8:1-36; 9:1-5), (Greek name – Sophia) chapter 8
in particular describes her as an eternal being with godly attributes,
one that was with God from the beginning, who participated in the
creation and teaching Her children. In Proverbs 30:5 we also can read,
"Every word of (the) Goddess ( #433 Elowahh, Eloahh) is pure: he (she)
is a shield unto them that put their trust in him (her) [masculine is
English translation].
Among the many pearls of truth that have purposely been concealed from
churches and synagogues is the awareness that Elohim is simultaneously
God and Goddess. In the original Hebrew of the Bible, Eloah [el-LO-ah],
is the feminine form of 'God.' This one specific word, Eloah, literally
means “Goddess.” Theologians, motivated by various agendas, deliberately
masked profound truths about Elohim [pronounced el-lo-HEEM], the God of
the Bible. They intentionally obscured the presence of the Divine
Feminine. Even though some of the Hebrew words for God have a distinctly
feminine gender, translators have almost universally suppressed this,
being unwilling to use the feminine word “Goddess.” They have
consistently used only masculine pronouns when referring to God – even
when feminine pronouns would have been correct. Present-day Bible
dictionaries and concordances are still biased, and ignore basic Hebrew
grammatical rules in translating the various words for Deity. The result
is that most Christians and Jews have been mis-taught that God is
exclusively male. Elohim is a majestic, awesome Being that is beyond
comprehension. Elohim is translated into English as 'God.' It is
actually a gender-combined word, simultaneously representing both unity
and majestic plurality. It is a compound of the feminine singular Eloah
with the masculine plural suffix -im. Eloah is the feminine singular
counterpart of El, which means God. Eloah is correctly translated as
“Goddess.” In Hebrew, the -oah, -oh or -ah suffix makes a word feminine
[comparable to the English suffix -ess, used in such words as waitress
and stewardess.] In Aramaic, the original language of New Testament
times, the word Abwoon is similarly gender-combined, meaning
“Father-Mother.” In the original Aramaic, 'The Lord's Prayer' begins
with the word Abwoon, but in English translations of the Bible, it has
been translated as Father, only. El Shaddai is another name of God used
in the Bible. The word 'shad' means 'woman's breast,' and 'shaddai'
means 'breasts,' or 'many breasts.' Though El Shaddai is translated as
'God Almighty,' or 'the Almighty' in the English Bible, it literally
means 'God with breasts' or '[many] breasted [God].' The name El Shaddai
refers to the Goddess of Israel. There is a radically important
declaration in Exodus 6:3: “I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to
Jacob by the name of El Shaddai, but by my name Yahweh I was not known
to them.” The Patriarchs were aware of the Father [Yahweh], but Elohim
related to them primarily as the Goddess, El Shaddai. The word Eloah
appears fifty-seven times in the Old Testament, and Shaddai or El
Shaddai appears forty-eight times; two-thirds of these are found in the
book of Job. Job lived during the days of Abraham, and Job is the second
most ancient book of the Bible. There are two specific declarations of
the femininity of Eloah, in Job. The Father announced, “the sea 'leapt
tumultuous from the womb'.” [Job 38:8] Then, He rhetorically asked, “Out
of whose womb came the ice?” [Job 38:29] Obviously there is a Biblical
Goddess, Eloah, from whose Divine Womb sprang the sea and ice. Ruach ha
Kodesh is the Hebrew phrase that means 'Holy Spirit.' Ruach is feminine,
and the Aramaic equivalent ruah is also a feminine noun. These words are
always paired with feminine verbs and pronouns. The Holy Spirit is
feminine, and is another designation of Eloah. In the original Aramaic
texts, Messiah promised: “And I will pray the Father, and He shall give
you another Comforter, that She may dwell with you forever.” [John
14:16] Wisdom is another name for the Goddess. 'Wisdom' is the feminine
Hebrew word Hochmah; the equivalent name in Greek is Sophia. Although
the word 'wisdom' definitely is equated with good judgment and
astuteness, Wisdom unmistakably refers to Goddess in several scripture
passages, The Messiah said: “Wisdom is proven by Her children.” [Luke
7:35] Wisdom announces that She was brought forth before the physical
creation, and She also assisted in the generative process, alongside
Yahweh. “Yahweh created Me, first-fruits of His fashioning, before the
oldest of His works. From everlasting I was firmly set – from the
beginning, before the earth came into being. The deep was not when I was
born, nor were the springs with their abounding waters. Before the
mountains were settled, before the hills, I came to birth; before He had
made the earth, the countryside, and the first elements of the world.
When He fixed the heavens firm, I was there; when He drew a circle on
the surfaces of the deep, when He thickened the clouds above, when the
sources of the deep began to swell, when He assigned the sea its
boundaries (and the waters will not encroach on the shore), when He
traced the foundations of the earth. I was beside the Master Craftsman,
delighting Him day after day, ever at play in His presence, to play
everywhere on His earth, delighting to be with the children of men.”
[Proverbs 8:22-31] The Bible makes numerous references to the Goddess.
It instructs us to praise and worship Her; to offer prayer to Her. “I am
one who calls on Goddess and expects an answer.” [Job 12:4] “Then
Shaddai will be all your delight, and you shall lift your face to Eloah.
You will pray and She will hear.” [Job 22:26-27]
“The word that is translated as “rule” comes from the root
mashal, and not from malakh, which means to rule by
domination and is the root of melekh, or king. Mashal
has a different connotation: it implies affinity or complementarity.
It is the root used in Genesis 1: 16 to say that the sun “rules” the
day and the moon “rules” the night. Concerning the zodiac, it is
similarly said that each planet “rules” a constellation. The use of
“rule” does not mean to dominate; rather, it means to have an affinity
for each other, to go together because of complementary qualities...
The story of Chavah lends itself to further contemplation.
For instance, what does it mean when Genesis Rabbah 20: 7
compares a woman’s desire for her husband to the desire of rain for
the earth and the desire of God for Israel? Surely this is not
domination!”
In this quotation, Chavah is a more accurate transliteration of
the Hebrew name usually rendered as Eve, and Genesis Rabbah
is the first book of Midrash Rabbah, a homiletic exposition of
Hebrew scriptures, compiled up to the eleventh century.
“A major misunderstanding of the role of woman in
relation to man has also been created by inaccurate translation of
ezer knegdo. Usually rendered as “helpmate,” the term has been
used to say that women should be subordinate to men. Actually,
however, nothing could be further from the truth. Elsewhere in the
Bible, God is referred to as an ezer to Israel. Surely, God is
not subordinate to the Jewish people!
Knegdo means “opposite” or “against” him: “If he is
worthy, she shall be a help (ezer) to him; if he is unworthy,
she shall oppose him (knegdo), to fight him” (Rashi; Yev.63a*).
This is certainly not a prescription for an obedient wife! Rather, it
validates a woman’s ability to accurately judge her husband’s behavior
and to treat him accordingly.”
~ Ibid., page 6. * This is a reference to Rashi’s
commentary on Yevamot, 24th tractate of the Talmud. Rashi (Rabbi
Solomon ben Isaac, 1040–1105, France) became widely known for his
scholarly commentaries on the Talmud and Hebrew scriptures, and
influenced Christian theologians.
Pertaining to the exclusive maleness of the Hebrew Priesthood, in
the cultural context of Exodus: Of the varieties of religious service
in neighboring Pagan cultures, whether priest or priestess of god or
goddess, only the male priest of a male god performed a service that
had no sexual component. Typically, the priest of a goddess was a
transvestite eunuch who had ritual sex with men, the priestess of a
god had ritual sex with the king or Pharoah at harvest festivals, and
the priestess of a goddess was a “holy” prostitute who had sex with
any man who paid the temple fee. The priest of a god served through
offering sacrifices, libations, incense and psalms. The pagan gods,
goddesses, myths and festivals were explicitly sexual, and
often brutal in nature. It makes sense that God’s effort to
differentiate a covenant people, a holy “set–apart” nation, and to
prevent or eliminate the semblance of ritual sexual exploitation,
mutilation and phallus worship — given the context — should involve
instituting a male priesthood to serve a linguistically “male” god
with no graphically portrayed sexual nature.
The Hebrew shâkhan is a root that translates into words such as
abide, reside, or dwell. Some examples from Exodus —
[24: 16] And the glory of the Lord abode upon mount
Sinai... [25: 8] And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may
dwell among them. [29: 45] And I will dwell among
the children of Israel and will be their God. [40: 35]
And Moses was not able to enter into the tent of the congregation,
because the cloud abode thereon, and the glory of the Lord
filled the tabernacle. Numbers — [9: 17,18] And when the cloud
was taken up from the tabernacle, then after that the children of
<st1:country-region Israel journeyed; and in the place where the cloud
abode, there the children of Israel pitched their tents.
At the commandment of the Lord the children of Israel journeyed,
and at the commandment of the Lord they pitched: as long as the cloud
abode upon the tabernacle they rested in their tents.
[35: 34] Defile not therefore the land which ye shall inhabit,
wherein I dwell: for I the Lord dwell among the children
of Israel «» That root term, with a
Divine Name appended, becomes Shekhinah — the Presence of
God. In Jewish tradition, whenever God is immanent (perceptible as
present) rather than utterly transcendant, this is the Shekhinah. The
Shekhinah is characterized as feminine (likewise, some early
Christians speculated on the feminine nature of the Holy Spirit).
According to much rabbinical commentary, the Shekhinah dwells
inherently in a woman; but in a man, only through marriage —
his enjoyment of the Divine Presence depends upon his relationship
with a woman. And the Torah specified that a man could function as a
Priest only if he was married.
Jewish tradition points out that although God started Creation, it was
left to mankind to finish it, to produce a kingdom of priests, and
that Abraham was the first to really sense this, covenanting with God
to that end. But that co–creative (procreative) aspect can be overemphasized,
to the neglect of other considerations. The traditional Christian
notion that procreation is the only valid purpose for sexual relations
is a concept alien to the scriptures. The Torah requires that a
husband cater to the sexual gratification of his wife, with his
failure to do so constituting grounds for divorce. That obligation is
distinct from his duty to reproduce. Jewish tradition regards the
passion of a sacred bond as holy and meritorious in its own right.
From a process viewpoint, that makes considerable sense: God
delights in the prehension of intense, harmonious feeling. Promoting
such unity of feeling is God’s work, and contributes to God’s Glory.
In a very real Eternal sense, priesthood might be best used to
describe the glory inherent in the Eternal bond of man and woman. The
common spirit through which they act and feel greatly magnifies the
character of their being, far beyond simply the sum of the two.
Considering the wealth of feeling, and consequent glory, that can
derive from a sacred marriage bond, the dynamics of such a holy union
of genders is something that God would want to validate with
Eternal Life. It could be argued that, given God’s nature, God might
necessarily do so. Should degree of “exaltation” be equated
with degree of procreative success? Might it be that qualitative
factors are of equal, if not greater ultimate value than the
quantitative?
Although Hebrew scripture and Jewish tradition may support some unique
concepts of marriage, they do not support blatant antifeminism and
repressive patriarchalism, errors which are common to most
fundamentalist religious groups. Perhaps the notion that a woman
can pass through the veil, into the Presence of God, only if she is
escorted by a man should be reconsidered, with a twist — for it
might well be that a man cannot pass through the veil, into the
Presence of God, unless accompanied by a woman.
