Feruary 25

OT -- Is is just me or was the transition from the Day of Atonement and the blood violation to the No-Nos of sex abrupt? There are 2 chapters in Leviticus that deal with sexual immorality, chapters 18 and 21. Some of what we read is a euphemism. For example, vs. 9, indicates in a roundabout way, that the daughter was born out of wedlock. Same with vs. 12, that indicates that the sister of the father, being a ‘close relative’ is only a half-sister and not born in a marital relationship.
All of these rules were designed to further peace and harmony in the family. Thinking of all the proverbs we have read about sex bringing down a young man and you get straight to the heart of Leviticus 18. One of the many commentaries I read on this section of Leviticus points out that the marriage ceremony for Jews which is still used today begins with the man saying “You are consecrated to me” (made holy). Marriage is meant to be a holy thing, not just a place to relieve sexual tensions. Sexual relationships outside of the marriage are not sanctified and carry their own burdens and baggage (in these cases, children).
We have only to think of Jacob and his wives who were sisters and his concubines who belonged to the sisters to get a picture of what will go wrong. Ramban, a 12th century rabbi commentator says this about Jacob “the holiness of Eretz Yisrael (Holy Land) is so great that someone who lives outside it is regarded as if he has no God, in comparison to someone who lives there. For this reason, too, the Patriarchs recognized instinctively that the holiness of the Land required a higher standard of behavior, so they observed all the commandments in Eretz Yisrael, even before the Torah was given. Thus, Jacob married two sisters in Charan, and as soon as he and his family arrived in the Land, Rachel died. Because of her righteousness, she was privileged to die in the Land; because of his righteousnessk he did not live with sisters once he had arrived in Eretz Yisrael.” Hmmmm. Don’t think I buy that one and since Rachel had no control over being married along with her sister (remember Laban and Jacob struck the deal after the wedding night with Leah) so it seems sort of awful she is the one who had to die for it. But it is an interesting idea.

Proverbs – I am not sure what this proverb means. I have looked at it from several different angles and different translations and I still don’t understand why being wealthy gives you a castle but not having ruins poor people? And then when you go back and read yesterday’s proverbs or forward and read tomorrows, it really doesn’t make any sense. Anyone got a good clue on what that means and what it says to 21st century peoples?