Shavuot is also about studying the ten commandments, according to the rabbi last night. He challenged us to think and write about these commandments, which are only the "greatest hits" of the much more numerous commandments contained in the Torah (613). Contrary to popular opinion, their meaning is not at all straight-forward or obvious, and there are many controversies. Several of the confirmation students last night spoke about the second commandments, about worshipping God in relation to other gods and about iconic representation of God or perhaps of anything at all material.
It has always struck me that a God as insistent as this one, constantly advertising God's power and presence and manifest superiority to other, rival gods, makes a point of remaining invisible, or at most, only partially visible, being associated with dissolution of materiality in the form of fire (burning bush, pillar of fire), The absence of presence seems to be the point. So powerful is this God that no materiality is necessary.
With Kieslowski's Decalogue films in mind, perhaps you could whip up some commandment curds in the form of commentaries, poems, or whatever? I'd love to see and post them.
No comments:
Post a Comment