1 00:00:21,500 --> 00:00:25,820 Speaker 1: Welcome to Timeless Wisdom with Dennis Prager. Here thousands of 2 00:00:25,860 --> 00:00:29,300 Speaker 1: hours of Dennis's lectures, courses in classic radio programs. I 3 00:00:29,340 --> 00:00:33,220 Speaker 1: had to purchase Dennis Prager's Rational Bibles. Go to Dennisprager 4 00:00:33,460 --> 00:00:40,100 Speaker 1: dot com. 5 00:00:40,140 --> 00:00:44,220 Speaker 2: Working is a chapter each each session. At the rate 6 00:00:44,260 --> 00:00:48,540 Speaker 2: we're going might be two verses each session, but so far, 7 00:00:49,140 --> 00:00:50,860 Speaker 2: so far, it's been a chapter. 8 00:00:50,980 --> 00:00:52,940 Speaker 3: We're going to chapter two of Genesis. 9 00:00:56,260 --> 00:01:02,380 Speaker 2: And as you probably know, if you would like to 10 00:01:02,740 --> 00:01:05,100 Speaker 2: review the stuff, because I give a lot of material, 11 00:01:05,180 --> 00:01:08,179 Speaker 2: there are tapes of each session outside, just reminding you 12 00:01:08,260 --> 00:01:11,300 Speaker 2: to if you want to brush up before your next 13 00:01:11,980 --> 00:01:15,260 Speaker 2: session with me. Okay, I hope that everybody either has 14 00:01:15,300 --> 00:01:18,580 Speaker 2: brought a Bible or a torah or has a sheet 15 00:01:18,660 --> 00:01:22,539 Speaker 2: to look on with a companion. But forget what's underlined. 16 00:01:22,540 --> 00:01:27,140 Speaker 2: I opened up a English translation and found these underlines. 17 00:01:27,340 --> 00:01:31,660 Speaker 2: They're not mine, and they're not they're not relevant. They 18 00:01:31,740 --> 00:01:33,500 Speaker 2: might be important, but they're not relevant. 19 00:01:34,260 --> 00:01:34,620 Speaker 3: Okay. 20 00:01:34,900 --> 00:01:42,460 Speaker 2: Chapter two in in Genesis. Observing Jews know this no 21 00:01:42,620 --> 00:01:49,460 Speaker 2: the first first three verses by heart. It is stated 22 00:01:49,700 --> 00:01:56,980 Speaker 2: every Friday night has been for eons in Jewish history. 23 00:01:58,260 --> 00:02:01,500 Speaker 2: It is stated at the kidus, at the sanctifying of 24 00:02:01,540 --> 00:02:07,420 Speaker 2: the drinking of wine on Friday night, the Sabbath for Jews, 25 00:02:08,300 --> 00:02:10,859 Speaker 2: and it is the heaven and the earth were finished, 26 00:02:11,660 --> 00:02:16,380 Speaker 2: and all their array. Everybody has slightly different translations, it 27 00:02:16,419 --> 00:02:19,980 Speaker 2: doesn't matter. On the seventh day, God finished the work 28 00:02:20,700 --> 00:02:24,380 Speaker 2: that he had been doing, which is or the work 29 00:02:24,419 --> 00:02:28,300 Speaker 2: that he had made. It's very, very complex, to the 30 00:02:28,419 --> 00:02:33,780 Speaker 2: point of actually not being fully understandable. I have said 31 00:02:33,820 --> 00:02:39,740 Speaker 2: this these three verses every week for all my twenty 32 00:02:39,780 --> 00:02:41,420 Speaker 2: eight years on this planet. 33 00:02:43,980 --> 00:02:45,940 Speaker 3: Forty three and. 34 00:02:49,620 --> 00:02:52,340 Speaker 2: As well as one would know Hebrew, it is still 35 00:02:52,620 --> 00:02:58,260 Speaker 2: difficult to understand. God finished on the seventh day. I'm 36 00:02:58,300 --> 00:03:02,660 Speaker 2: translating now word the word order and finished. God on 37 00:03:02,700 --> 00:03:08,220 Speaker 2: the seventh day his work which he made. He rested 38 00:03:08,340 --> 00:03:11,740 Speaker 2: on the seventh day from all the work which he 39 00:03:11,820 --> 00:03:16,020 Speaker 2: had made. God blessed the seventh day and made it 40 00:03:16,060 --> 00:03:21,060 Speaker 2: holy because he rested from all the world work which 41 00:03:21,100 --> 00:03:27,180 Speaker 2: he created God to make. I have just translated literally 42 00:03:27,300 --> 00:03:30,780 Speaker 2: so you will understand how complex it is. Complex it is. 43 00:03:31,860 --> 00:03:34,100 Speaker 2: What does it mean? First of all, what does it 44 00:03:34,140 --> 00:03:37,540 Speaker 2: mean from all the work that God had made? Why 45 00:03:37,700 --> 00:03:41,140 Speaker 2: it should say, obviously, and God rested from all his work. 46 00:03:41,860 --> 00:03:42,420 Speaker 3: What does it mean? 47 00:03:42,460 --> 00:03:45,060 Speaker 2: In God rested from all his work which he had made. 48 00:03:45,580 --> 00:03:48,260 Speaker 2: And then it gets worse the last part in number 49 00:03:48,420 --> 00:03:53,540 Speaker 2: in verse three, because he rested from all his work 50 00:03:53,620 --> 00:03:57,060 Speaker 2: which he created, which God created to. 51 00:03:56,820 --> 00:04:00,700 Speaker 3: Do or to make. The last word in the in 52 00:04:00,860 --> 00:04:01,660 Speaker 3: verse three. 53 00:04:01,860 --> 00:04:04,260 Speaker 2: Is to do or to make in Hebrew, it's the 54 00:04:04,300 --> 00:04:08,060 Speaker 2: same verb to do and to make. Now what does 55 00:04:08,100 --> 00:04:11,100 Speaker 2: that mean? He wrested from all the work which he 56 00:04:11,140 --> 00:04:18,940 Speaker 2: created to do. The general consensus is that this last 57 00:04:19,219 --> 00:04:26,260 Speaker 2: to do in verse three is for us that the 58 00:04:26,339 --> 00:04:31,099 Speaker 2: traditional interpretation. And I have not generally used traditional interpretations. 59 00:04:31,460 --> 00:04:34,539 Speaker 2: I have tried to simply look at the text with 60 00:04:35,339 --> 00:04:37,820 Speaker 2: as unencumbered eyes. 61 00:04:37,700 --> 00:04:39,140 Speaker 3: By tradition as possible. 62 00:04:39,740 --> 00:04:44,180 Speaker 2: But the traditional interpretation makes sense here even just reading it. 63 00:04:44,220 --> 00:04:48,820 Speaker 3: By the text, it's God created work for us to do. 64 00:04:50,020 --> 00:04:54,300 Speaker 2: That we are the partners in the completion of creation. 65 00:04:54,900 --> 00:04:56,140 Speaker 3: It's not done yet. 66 00:04:57,140 --> 00:05:01,700 Speaker 2: God has created things, but God created work. In other words, 67 00:05:01,780 --> 00:05:05,980 Speaker 2: God created things for us to do. That is the 68 00:05:05,980 --> 00:05:11,219 Speaker 2: single most logical and honest understanding of this very difficult thing, 69 00:05:11,860 --> 00:05:15,900 Speaker 2: because otherwise, if it had just said and God rested 70 00:05:15,940 --> 00:05:19,580 Speaker 2: from all his work, it would imploy It's over. 71 00:05:21,100 --> 00:05:21,700 Speaker 3: Has ended. 72 00:05:22,660 --> 00:05:25,860 Speaker 2: But with the creation of us, of the human It 73 00:05:25,940 --> 00:05:30,420 Speaker 2: is not ended. We continue God's creation. And to go 74 00:05:30,460 --> 00:05:34,420 Speaker 2: into slightly metaphysical terms, the terms that are used in 75 00:05:34,500 --> 00:05:38,900 Speaker 2: for example, mystical judaism or fasitic judaism is that we 76 00:05:39,260 --> 00:05:43,340 Speaker 2: are to restore or redeem the world. It's an unredeemed 77 00:05:43,380 --> 00:05:45,860 Speaker 2: world and the human being is here to redeem it. 78 00:05:46,700 --> 00:05:49,140 Speaker 2: But whether you go to metaphysics or not, whether you 79 00:05:49,180 --> 00:05:51,420 Speaker 2: go to the mystical or not, what is clear is 80 00:05:51,900 --> 00:05:55,980 Speaker 2: we are completing the creation that God has begun. He rested, 81 00:05:56,380 --> 00:05:59,620 Speaker 2: but he has rested from work which he made, and 82 00:05:59,660 --> 00:06:03,180 Speaker 2: we are the ones to do that work. Now God rests, 83 00:06:03,420 --> 00:06:07,900 Speaker 2: we take over. This is a very very important thing 84 00:06:08,100 --> 00:06:12,860 Speaker 2: in our lives because what it's saying as well is 85 00:06:13,300 --> 00:06:17,460 Speaker 2: that God infused meaning into creation. There is a purpose 86 00:06:17,500 --> 00:06:21,180 Speaker 2: for the creation. Otherwise it merely would have been God's 87 00:06:21,180 --> 00:06:25,460 Speaker 2: ability to do something extraordinary make a universe. But what 88 00:06:25,580 --> 00:06:28,339 Speaker 2: is being said here is the world, the universe is 89 00:06:28,540 --> 00:06:32,100 Speaker 2: fused with purpose. There is work for us to do, 90 00:06:32,300 --> 00:06:35,500 Speaker 2: to be God's partner, as it were, and to continue 91 00:06:36,020 --> 00:06:36,860 Speaker 2: God made. 92 00:06:36,620 --> 00:06:38,060 Speaker 3: A purposeful universe. 93 00:06:38,220 --> 00:06:41,260 Speaker 2: Is what is really being said to my reading in 94 00:06:41,300 --> 00:06:44,860 Speaker 2: the first three verses. There is something for every one 95 00:06:44,900 --> 00:06:48,020 Speaker 2: of you to do as a partner with God in 96 00:06:48,100 --> 00:06:52,060 Speaker 2: this world He has rested, and as it were, now 97 00:06:52,100 --> 00:06:54,900 Speaker 2: we take over. Now does that mean that God does 98 00:06:54,940 --> 00:06:58,740 Speaker 2: not do anything later? Well, obviously the Bible is filled 99 00:06:58,820 --> 00:07:02,339 Speaker 2: with things that God does later. But on the other hand, 100 00:07:02,940 --> 00:07:07,060 Speaker 2: the general reading is that God doesn't intervene quite as 101 00:07:07,140 --> 00:07:09,740 Speaker 2: much as obviously as God did, let's say, with the. 102 00:07:09,700 --> 00:07:10,780 Speaker 3: Exodus from Egypt. 103 00:07:11,540 --> 00:07:14,900 Speaker 2: It seems to me that the maturer we are as people, 104 00:07:15,900 --> 00:07:17,020 Speaker 2: the more we grow up. 105 00:07:17,340 --> 00:07:19,700 Speaker 3: And I believe there is an element of growing up, 106 00:07:19,700 --> 00:07:21,860 Speaker 3: and I'll talk about that and the Garden of Eden. 107 00:07:21,660 --> 00:07:24,940 Speaker 2: In all of our lives and in humanity collectively, we 108 00:07:25,020 --> 00:07:27,500 Speaker 2: realize that God has left it for us to do. 109 00:07:28,180 --> 00:07:30,660 Speaker 2: Not that God doesn't know what we're doing or doesn't 110 00:07:30,660 --> 00:07:33,980 Speaker 2: care what we're doing. God forbid, God forbid that God 111 00:07:33,980 --> 00:07:37,900 Speaker 2: shouldn't care what we're doing. But the fact is that 112 00:07:37,980 --> 00:07:41,500 Speaker 2: it really now is in our hands. God has made 113 00:07:41,620 --> 00:07:46,060 Speaker 2: the work to do, and now we do it. There 114 00:07:46,100 --> 00:07:48,340 Speaker 2: is another thing that needs to be stated about the 115 00:07:48,340 --> 00:07:54,820 Speaker 2: first three verses of chapter two, the word rested from 116 00:07:54,860 --> 00:08:00,100 Speaker 2: his work. Let's see that or ceased, actually ceased, not rested. 117 00:08:00,860 --> 00:08:05,220 Speaker 2: What does anybody have other than ceased a word for. 118 00:08:06,660 --> 00:08:06,820 Speaker 3: Two. 119 00:08:06,820 --> 00:08:08,260 Speaker 2: And the seventh day, God finished the work that he 120 00:08:08,300 --> 00:08:11,300 Speaker 2: had been doing, and he walk on the seventh day. 121 00:08:11,340 --> 00:08:13,740 Speaker 2: I have ceased. What other English words do you have? 122 00:08:15,100 --> 00:08:19,260 Speaker 3: Rested? You have rested? Okay? I think ceased is more accurate, 123 00:08:19,380 --> 00:08:20,540 Speaker 3: but rested is okay to. 124 00:08:21,180 --> 00:08:24,540 Speaker 1: This episode of timeless Wisdom will continue right after this. 125 00:08:29,020 --> 00:08:33,099 Speaker 1: Now back to more of Dennis Prager's timeless Wisdom. 126 00:08:33,540 --> 00:08:40,900 Speaker 2: The Hebrew word for rested third person male. In other words, 127 00:08:40,939 --> 00:08:47,780 Speaker 2: he rested is shabah shin bet tuff, which are the 128 00:08:47,860 --> 00:08:49,300 Speaker 2: three letters of Shabbat. 129 00:08:50,300 --> 00:08:54,100 Speaker 3: Shabbat means ceased. The Sabbath. 130 00:08:54,420 --> 00:08:57,260 Speaker 2: The Hebrew word for Sabbath is the same as the 131 00:08:57,300 --> 00:09:00,740 Speaker 2: Hebrew word for ceased stopped. 132 00:09:02,700 --> 00:09:04,260 Speaker 3: That's where it comes from. 133 00:09:05,179 --> 00:09:10,540 Speaker 2: The Sabbath comes from God's ceasing of work. That is 134 00:09:10,580 --> 00:09:14,460 Speaker 2: the reason that it is the only ritual in the 135 00:09:14,500 --> 00:09:15,420 Speaker 2: Ten Commandments. 136 00:09:16,300 --> 00:09:17,220 Speaker 3: The Sabbath is. 137 00:09:17,179 --> 00:09:22,500 Speaker 2: The single most important ritual in Jewish life, biblical life. 138 00:09:22,620 --> 00:09:26,260 Speaker 2: It is a capital offense to violate the Sabbath the 139 00:09:26,380 --> 00:09:29,300 Speaker 2: Young Kipper, which most Jews think is the holiest day 140 00:09:29,340 --> 00:09:33,380 Speaker 2: of the Jewish year. That is not technically correct. You 141 00:09:33,460 --> 00:09:35,620 Speaker 2: can argue in some way it is because it's called 142 00:09:35,700 --> 00:09:38,860 Speaker 2: Sabbath of Sabbaths, But the fact remains that the young 143 00:09:39,220 --> 00:09:42,580 Speaker 2: keeper is not in the Ten Commandments. The Sabbath is 144 00:09:42,740 --> 00:09:46,700 Speaker 2: in the Ten Commandments because it is deemed to be 145 00:09:47,100 --> 00:09:51,300 Speaker 2: an announcement by the Jew every week that God created 146 00:09:51,340 --> 00:09:54,859 Speaker 2: the world. That is why the Sabbath is so important. 147 00:09:55,620 --> 00:10:00,099 Speaker 2: Every time in history a Jew observed the Sabbath, consciously 148 00:10:00,260 --> 00:10:03,860 Speaker 2: or not, that Jew was announcing to the world that 149 00:10:03,940 --> 00:10:08,740 Speaker 2: God created the world. That is how important the Sabbath 150 00:10:08,900 --> 00:10:14,100 Speaker 2: is in the biblical Jewish mind. It is here nested 151 00:10:14,420 --> 00:10:17,180 Speaker 2: right in the middle of the creation story. And remember, 152 00:10:17,420 --> 00:10:21,300 Speaker 2: the creation story is not Jewish per se. It's universal. 153 00:10:21,300 --> 00:10:24,579 Speaker 2: I made that point last week. It's utterly universal. There 154 00:10:24,620 --> 00:10:30,540 Speaker 2: is nothing specifically Jewish. But the Sabbath emanates entirely from this. 155 00:10:31,300 --> 00:10:33,860 Speaker 2: In fact, in the Ten Commandments, there were two versions 156 00:10:33,900 --> 00:10:36,540 Speaker 2: of the Ten Commandments, in the Book of Exodus and 157 00:10:36,580 --> 00:10:39,940 Speaker 2: in the Book of Deuteronomy. In the in the Exodus, 158 00:10:40,540 --> 00:10:42,580 Speaker 2: or is it in the Deuteronomy, I always forget one 159 00:10:42,580 --> 00:10:45,860 Speaker 2: of them. It tells the reason for keeping the Sabbath, 160 00:10:46,220 --> 00:10:50,860 Speaker 2: and it is because you. Because I created the world 161 00:10:50,860 --> 00:10:53,460 Speaker 2: in six days, and on the seventh day, God rested 162 00:10:54,420 --> 00:10:57,180 Speaker 2: the other reason that is given is because you were 163 00:10:57,220 --> 00:11:00,220 Speaker 2: taken out of Egypt and you couldn't observe a day 164 00:11:00,260 --> 00:11:04,580 Speaker 2: of rest as a slave. This announces your freedom. The 165 00:11:04,620 --> 00:11:09,140 Speaker 2: importance of the Sabbath here is critical. The purpose of 166 00:11:09,179 --> 00:11:13,580 Speaker 2: life is not just to work. Work is important, but 167 00:11:13,860 --> 00:11:18,060 Speaker 2: not working is as important as working. I can't think 168 00:11:18,100 --> 00:11:20,580 Speaker 2: of a more relevant and important message to a word 169 00:11:20,620 --> 00:11:27,819 Speaker 2: alcoholicized population. Then ceasing from work, from work that produces, 170 00:11:27,860 --> 00:11:28,660 Speaker 2: that's the issue. 171 00:11:29,260 --> 00:11:30,420 Speaker 3: You can't produce. 172 00:11:31,020 --> 00:11:35,900 Speaker 2: God stopped producing the word milacha, which is translated as work. 173 00:11:36,020 --> 00:11:37,300 Speaker 3: God ceased from his work. 174 00:11:38,179 --> 00:11:41,740 Speaker 2: The real word for work in Hebrew is a vo da, 175 00:11:41,940 --> 00:11:44,660 Speaker 2: but that's not the word he used here. Milacha is 176 00:11:44,740 --> 00:11:50,100 Speaker 2: not truly translatable. It might be that which produces something 177 00:11:51,179 --> 00:11:55,059 Speaker 2: you can't do on the Sabbath, that which produces something. 178 00:11:55,220 --> 00:11:58,820 Speaker 2: That is the basic idea of all the laws that 179 00:11:58,900 --> 00:12:02,700 Speaker 2: Jews are prohibited from doing that prohibit Jews from doing 180 00:12:02,780 --> 00:12:03,780 Speaker 2: things on the Sabbath. 181 00:12:04,300 --> 00:12:07,380 Speaker 3: When you understand it, it is so elevated beyond what. 182 00:12:07,300 --> 00:12:10,660 Speaker 2: You normally might associate with the prohibitions of the Sabbath. 183 00:12:11,300 --> 00:12:14,540 Speaker 2: It is to make sure you don't produce something, because 184 00:12:14,580 --> 00:12:16,700 Speaker 2: that is not all your ear in the world to 185 00:12:16,740 --> 00:12:21,820 Speaker 2: do six seventh of the time. You are here to produce. 186 00:12:22,740 --> 00:12:26,740 Speaker 2: One seventh of the time. You are here not to produce, 187 00:12:27,060 --> 00:12:33,260 Speaker 2: but merely to live, merely to live, indeed, to ask 188 00:12:33,460 --> 00:12:36,740 Speaker 2: what were the other six days about? If you work 189 00:12:36,860 --> 00:12:40,140 Speaker 2: all seven days, how do you know what you have produced? 190 00:12:40,940 --> 00:12:43,500 Speaker 3: How can you sit back and ask what have I done? 191 00:12:44,060 --> 00:12:46,300 Speaker 2: You never have the time, as it were, to even 192 00:12:46,460 --> 00:12:49,580 Speaker 2: enjoy the fruit of what you have labored for the 193 00:12:49,660 --> 00:12:50,700 Speaker 2: other six days. 194 00:12:51,220 --> 00:12:53,660 Speaker 3: It is critical, it is part of creation. 195 00:12:54,220 --> 00:12:58,420 Speaker 2: Is Genesis saying it is part of creation to sit 196 00:12:58,580 --> 00:13:01,500 Speaker 2: back and ask what am I alive for? 197 00:13:01,940 --> 00:13:04,260 Speaker 3: What did I produce all of these things for? 198 00:13:05,060 --> 00:13:08,620 Speaker 2: If you keep working, you are not human, and you 199 00:13:08,660 --> 00:13:11,780 Speaker 2: are not divine, and you are not free. Because the 200 00:13:11,860 --> 00:13:14,260 Speaker 2: person who has to work seven days a week is 201 00:13:14,260 --> 00:13:17,740 Speaker 2: a slave. The Bible would call you a slave. You 202 00:13:17,820 --> 00:13:19,780 Speaker 2: may get paid for it, but you're still a slave 203 00:13:20,340 --> 00:13:23,860 Speaker 2: because you can't stop. If you work all the time, 204 00:13:24,300 --> 00:13:31,020 Speaker 2: you are not differentiable from a slave. That's why it 205 00:13:31,140 --> 00:13:36,820 Speaker 2: is so important the Sabbath in biblical life. In Jewish life, 206 00:13:37,900 --> 00:13:42,020 Speaker 2: Kadham that, one of the great Jewish writers the last century, 207 00:13:42,100 --> 00:13:44,820 Speaker 2: said it very well. The Sabbath has guarded Israel. More 208 00:13:44,820 --> 00:13:48,100 Speaker 2: than Israel has guarded the Sabbath. It has kept it 209 00:13:48,179 --> 00:13:51,060 Speaker 2: is an effect, kept Jews alive. It has kept the 210 00:13:51,140 --> 00:13:54,100 Speaker 2: idea of It kept the idea of God alive until 211 00:13:54,140 --> 00:13:56,819 Speaker 2: other religions could carry it further as well, but it 212 00:13:56,940 --> 00:14:00,140 Speaker 2: kept it alone. Why are you resting? A Greek what 213 00:14:00,340 --> 00:14:04,579 Speaker 2: asked you? Why aren't you working? Greek historians called the 214 00:14:04,660 --> 00:14:10,220 Speaker 2: Jews a lazy Jews were described by various Greek philosophers 215 00:14:10,220 --> 00:14:14,300 Speaker 2: as lazy. They rest every seventh day. It was unheard of. 216 00:14:15,900 --> 00:14:17,820 Speaker 2: And if the Greek what asked you? Why do you 217 00:14:17,900 --> 00:14:21,500 Speaker 2: do this? Because God did it? God did it, and 218 00:14:21,540 --> 00:14:26,020 Speaker 2: I'm imitating God. God produced six days and then reflected 219 00:14:26,100 --> 00:14:28,740 Speaker 2: on what happened, and that is what I am to do. 220 00:14:29,660 --> 00:14:32,100 Speaker 2: That is the critical nature of the Sabbath. It is 221 00:14:32,180 --> 00:14:35,020 Speaker 2: actually tied up in the creation of the universe. That's 222 00:14:35,060 --> 00:14:39,500 Speaker 2: why I personally believe it is so important. Incidentally, when 223 00:14:39,620 --> 00:14:44,820 Speaker 2: the Jew rises to recite the Kidush, the sanctifying of 224 00:14:44,860 --> 00:14:49,140 Speaker 2: the drinking of wine Friday evening, the Jew stands at 225 00:14:49,180 --> 00:14:52,660 Speaker 2: this time reading this and the reason there is a 226 00:14:52,700 --> 00:14:57,300 Speaker 2: reason for standing in the ancient world. When you took 227 00:14:57,340 --> 00:15:02,460 Speaker 2: an oath, you stood and you are taking an oath. 228 00:15:02,980 --> 00:15:06,940 Speaker 2: Here you are bearing testimony, and the testimony that you 229 00:15:06,980 --> 00:15:09,140 Speaker 2: are giving is that God created the world. 230 00:15:10,300 --> 00:15:12,220 Speaker 3: By standing up Friday. 231 00:15:11,900 --> 00:15:15,940 Speaker 2: Night and blessing, making a blessing over a cup of wine, 232 00:15:16,420 --> 00:15:20,940 Speaker 2: the Jew is offering testimony that God created the world. 233 00:15:20,980 --> 00:15:24,260 Speaker 2: If taken seriously, it's a very powerful thing because we 234 00:15:24,340 --> 00:15:26,980 Speaker 2: have lived through a time when people have said you 235 00:15:27,060 --> 00:15:29,460 Speaker 2: have to be crazy to believe that a god created 236 00:15:29,500 --> 00:15:33,420 Speaker 2: the world. It happened by chance, it happened through natural law. 237 00:15:33,900 --> 00:15:37,020 Speaker 2: There was no creation, it was always there, or whatever 238 00:15:37,180 --> 00:15:40,140 Speaker 2: argument would have been given, and yet all of that 239 00:15:41,060 --> 00:15:44,460 Speaker 2: is pushed aside the moment did Jew rises on Friday 240 00:15:44,540 --> 00:15:48,220 Speaker 2: night with a cup of wine and recites these three verses. 241 00:15:48,740 --> 00:15:52,380 Speaker 2: It's a very remarkable thing. When taken seriously. Much of 242 00:15:52,420 --> 00:15:56,380 Speaker 2: religious life for any group is wrote unfortunately, and loses 243 00:15:56,420 --> 00:15:58,980 Speaker 2: a lot of its meaning. It's one of those areas 244 00:15:59,020 --> 00:16:01,180 Speaker 2: of Jewish life that never lost a meaning for me 245 00:16:01,580 --> 00:16:04,900 Speaker 2: because I understood that this was the revolution, that this 246 00:16:05,060 --> 00:16:08,220 Speaker 2: was a counter revolution to the naturalist revolution. 247 00:16:08,260 --> 00:16:09,940 Speaker 3: We were living through. 248 00:16:10,100 --> 00:16:13,660 Speaker 2: That nature is everything and there is no God. There's 249 00:16:13,740 --> 00:16:17,300 Speaker 2: one further point here that needs to be made that 250 00:16:17,460 --> 00:16:18,500 Speaker 2: is utterly unique. 251 00:16:18,500 --> 00:16:22,100 Speaker 3: The Sabbath is utterly unique to to Jewish history. 252 00:16:22,860 --> 00:16:27,420 Speaker 2: Until carried on obviously by Christianity and Islam. But there 253 00:16:27,500 --> 00:16:31,060 Speaker 2: is something here that is also utterly unique in history 254 00:16:31,180 --> 00:16:32,100 Speaker 2: until later time. 255 00:16:33,340 --> 00:16:35,260 Speaker 3: What did God make holy? 256 00:16:35,620 --> 00:16:40,540 Speaker 2: Remember it says here in verse three, and God blessed 257 00:16:40,580 --> 00:16:44,860 Speaker 2: the seventh Day and made it holy. It's unfortunate, I 258 00:16:44,940 --> 00:16:47,420 Speaker 2: tell you, so many of the translations seemed to me 259 00:16:47,700 --> 00:16:51,580 Speaker 2: to add words that aren't there. This one says declared 260 00:16:51,580 --> 00:16:54,620 Speaker 2: it holy, But there's no declared the Hebrew has made 261 00:16:54,660 --> 00:16:58,700 Speaker 2: it holy? Anyway, What did God make holy? 262 00:17:00,100 --> 00:17:00,460 Speaker 3: To you? 263 00:17:00,540 --> 00:17:04,020 Speaker 2: This is nothing to the ancients. This was an absolute 264 00:17:04,139 --> 00:17:08,659 Speaker 2: radical departure. And remember last time we met, how I 265 00:17:08,740 --> 00:17:12,060 Speaker 2: kept pointing out the radical departure of Genesis from all 266 00:17:12,100 --> 00:17:15,659 Speaker 2: of the rest of the world. Here is another radical departure. 267 00:17:16,820 --> 00:17:18,659 Speaker 2: God announced. 268 00:17:19,940 --> 00:17:22,379 Speaker 3: That time could be sanctified. 269 00:17:24,060 --> 00:17:29,739 Speaker 2: This is a first in human history. 270 00:17:27,979 --> 00:17:29,379 Speaker 3: In all of history. 271 00:17:29,979 --> 00:17:34,540 Speaker 2: Physical things could be made holy, people could be made holy. 272 00:17:34,939 --> 00:17:36,699 Speaker 3: Buildings, animals. 273 00:17:37,699 --> 00:17:42,899 Speaker 2: Time to make time holy, as Abraham Joshua Heshel put it, 274 00:17:43,780 --> 00:17:46,540 Speaker 2: the Jews or God built. 275 00:17:46,179 --> 00:17:48,139 Speaker 3: A cathedral in time. 276 00:17:49,260 --> 00:17:55,939 Speaker 2: It's an incredibly moving metaphor of a cathedral in time. 277 00:17:57,459 --> 00:18:02,699 Speaker 2: We have sanctified here time, and this was unheard of 278 00:18:02,859 --> 00:18:08,579 Speaker 2: in history. As Sarner writes in his commentary, this first 279 00:18:09,020 --> 00:18:14,300 Speaker 2: use of the key Biblical concept of holiness relates to time. 280 00:18:15,419 --> 00:18:20,020 Speaker 2: This is in striking contrast to the Babylonian cosmology, which 281 00:18:20,060 --> 00:18:24,739 Speaker 2: culminates the Babylonian story of creation, which culminates in the 282 00:18:24,780 --> 00:18:29,820 Speaker 2: erection of a temple to Marduke by the gods, thereby 283 00:18:29,899 --> 00:18:36,179 Speaker 2: asserting the sanctification of space. That people all understood sanctify 284 00:18:35,979 --> 00:18:41,459 Speaker 2: an area with a temple with a great building, but 285 00:18:41,540 --> 00:18:47,100 Speaker 2: to sanctified time was unique. And it comes from this concept. 286 00:18:47,699 --> 00:18:51,419 Speaker 2: That is why it is in the Ten Commandments. That 287 00:18:51,619 --> 00:18:55,899 Speaker 2: is why the Sabbath is, to this jew the greatest 288 00:18:56,219 --> 00:18:59,379 Speaker 2: single of the many gifts that are that are unique 289 00:18:59,419 --> 00:19:02,739 Speaker 2: to Judaism, is the greatest single gift outside of all 290 00:19:02,780 --> 00:19:06,699 Speaker 2: the ethical aspects of ethical monotheism and so on, the Sabbath. 291 00:19:07,780 --> 00:19:08,619 Speaker 3: And it is it is. 292 00:19:09,300 --> 00:19:13,540 Speaker 2: It is truly unfortunate in both Jewish and Christian life 293 00:19:14,340 --> 00:19:17,540 Speaker 2: in the Western world today that it is largely ignored 294 00:19:18,020 --> 00:19:21,579 Speaker 2: that the Sabbath has become a day for most Jews 295 00:19:21,619 --> 00:19:24,500 Speaker 2: to go shopping, and the Sunday has become a day 296 00:19:24,500 --> 00:19:28,139 Speaker 2: for most Christians to go shopping. So now Americans can 297 00:19:28,179 --> 00:19:33,379 Speaker 2: shop seven days a week. That's the added benefit of 298 00:19:33,659 --> 00:19:36,740 Speaker 2: no blue laws. I don't know if we should have 299 00:19:36,820 --> 00:19:39,539 Speaker 2: blue laws, but I'm not sure that America is a 300 00:19:39,540 --> 00:19:42,780 Speaker 2: better country for the fact that no time is sacred, 301 00:19:43,379 --> 00:19:46,219 Speaker 2: that everything is twenty four hours, seven. 302 00:19:46,020 --> 00:19:49,260 Speaker 3: Days a week, and you can engage. 303 00:19:48,820 --> 00:19:52,419 Speaker 2: In shopping and commerce all the time as if nothing 304 00:19:52,459 --> 00:19:53,139 Speaker 2: has changed. 305 00:19:54,219 --> 00:19:55,619 Speaker 3: I don't think we're richer for it. 306 00:19:55,739 --> 00:19:58,659 Speaker 2: Frankly, I think that the taking of the time out 307 00:19:59,260 --> 00:20:01,819 Speaker 2: not to do commerce, but taking the time out to 308 00:20:01,859 --> 00:20:05,180 Speaker 2: reflect what is the purpose of my life each week is. 309 00:20:05,139 --> 00:20:05,700 Speaker 3: A good thing. 310 00:20:05,979 --> 00:20:09,539 Speaker 2: To have silence once a week without radio or television 311 00:20:09,659 --> 00:20:11,739 Speaker 2: is a good thing. It is a time that you 312 00:20:11,780 --> 00:20:15,299 Speaker 2: can actually be the most human, the most reflective on 313 00:20:15,659 --> 00:20:17,340 Speaker 2: what matters in life. 314 00:20:17,580 --> 00:20:19,859 Speaker 3: So just a thought on this critical element. 315 00:20:20,219 --> 00:20:28,100 Speaker 2: In the first three verses of chapter two, verse four says, 316 00:20:28,100 --> 00:20:32,659 Speaker 2: when the Lord God created heaven and earth. Excuse me, yes, 317 00:20:34,580 --> 00:20:37,739 Speaker 2: well it's funny, it's that's the translation here. Let me 318 00:20:38,219 --> 00:20:41,580 Speaker 2: these are the generations of the heavens and the earth 319 00:20:41,619 --> 00:20:43,540 Speaker 2: when they were created. 320 00:20:43,580 --> 00:20:46,419 Speaker 3: I'm translating now literally word for word. 321 00:20:47,139 --> 00:20:51,820 Speaker 2: On the day that God, the Lord made the land 322 00:20:51,899 --> 00:20:52,459 Speaker 2: and heaven, I. 323 00:20:52,500 --> 00:20:54,499 Speaker 3: Want to say it again. Don't look in because you 324 00:20:54,580 --> 00:20:55,260 Speaker 3: get confused. 325 00:20:55,260 --> 00:21:02,859 Speaker 2: Listen, please, these are the generations or histories of the heaven, heavens, 326 00:21:02,899 --> 00:21:07,179 Speaker 2: and the earth in their being created on the day 327 00:21:07,500 --> 00:21:10,540 Speaker 2: that God created the land. 328 00:21:10,739 --> 00:21:12,859 Speaker 3: And the heavens, the earth and the heavens. 329 00:21:13,139 --> 00:21:16,739 Speaker 2: Confusing, well, First of all, I want to make a 330 00:21:16,780 --> 00:21:22,539 Speaker 2: point here that should be the final nail in the 331 00:21:22,580 --> 00:21:27,259 Speaker 2: coffin of those who argue that a day in Genesis 332 00:21:27,300 --> 00:21:29,580 Speaker 2: one equals twenty four hours. 333 00:21:30,619 --> 00:21:32,139 Speaker 3: This is a refutation. 334 00:21:33,219 --> 00:21:36,179 Speaker 2: This is as clear a refutation as I could imagine 335 00:21:36,500 --> 00:21:41,139 Speaker 2: without God coming down and saying, excuse me. But isn't 336 00:21:41,139 --> 00:21:45,139 Speaker 2: it obvious that I didn't mean twenty four hours? Yome 337 00:21:45,379 --> 00:21:50,100 Speaker 2: in Hebrew in Genesis doesn't mean day, or it certainly 338 00:21:50,179 --> 00:21:51,580 Speaker 2: doesn't only mean day. 339 00:21:51,859 --> 00:21:54,179 Speaker 3: It means time period. 340 00:21:55,020 --> 00:21:57,260 Speaker 2: And the proof is in this sentence, which you can't 341 00:21:57,260 --> 00:21:59,659 Speaker 2: tell from your English. How many of you have in 342 00:21:59,699 --> 00:22:04,020 Speaker 2: the English the word day? In sentence four? Raise your hand? 343 00:22:04,020 --> 00:22:06,859 Speaker 2: Does anybody you do what translation do you have? 344 00:22:09,859 --> 00:22:09,979 Speaker 1: No? 345 00:22:09,979 --> 00:22:12,099 Speaker 3: No, No, what's the name of the translation? What are 346 00:22:12,100 --> 00:22:18,259 Speaker 3: you using? According to the masoretic. 347 00:22:17,739 --> 00:22:20,580 Speaker 2: Test, I want to see the publisher though later any 348 00:22:20,739 --> 00:22:21,859 Speaker 2: one hells have the word day? 349 00:22:22,540 --> 00:22:25,939 Speaker 3: What are you using? No, no, don't use rashi. That's 350 00:22:26,260 --> 00:22:27,659 Speaker 3: rashi is the commentary. 351 00:22:28,379 --> 00:22:31,459 Speaker 2: I want to know in translation English translation using. 352 00:22:31,219 --> 00:22:34,259 Speaker 3: The word day. You have the word day in hirsh 353 00:22:34,540 --> 00:22:38,580 Speaker 3: very good? What do you sorry? Hurts? Hurts? Uses it too? 354 00:22:38,659 --> 00:22:39,139 Speaker 3: Very ilnest. 355 00:22:39,139 --> 00:22:41,340 Speaker 2: Well, that's the old one. That's the that's the that's 356 00:22:41,379 --> 00:22:45,580 Speaker 2: the traditional. It's nineteen seventeen Jewish publication Stidy translation. 357 00:22:45,899 --> 00:22:50,260 Speaker 3: What do you have? The new JPS has the word day? 358 00:22:51,379 --> 00:22:57,820 Speaker 3: It does well, it doesn't, it doesn't have it. Yeah, 359 00:22:57,859 --> 00:22:59,580 Speaker 3: all right, it doesn't matter. It's there. 360 00:23:01,619 --> 00:23:05,739 Speaker 2: The word day is there, and it says on the 361 00:23:05,820 --> 00:23:10,780 Speaker 2: day that God created the earth and the heavens. Unless 362 00:23:10,859 --> 00:23:17,179 Speaker 2: you believe that this sentence contradicts everything in chapter one, 363 00:23:17,859 --> 00:23:20,939 Speaker 2: because chapter one clearly says that everything was created in 364 00:23:20,979 --> 00:23:24,179 Speaker 2: different times. Clearly, God didn't create the earth and the 365 00:23:24,219 --> 00:23:27,179 Speaker 2: heavens on one day. It took him six days. 366 00:23:26,939 --> 00:23:29,819 Speaker 3: To create everything. Isn't that right? And we just go 367 00:23:29,939 --> 00:23:30,980 Speaker 3: through that in chapter one. 368 00:23:32,260 --> 00:23:35,779 Speaker 2: Therefore, if you hold that day in Genesis means twenty 369 00:23:35,820 --> 00:23:39,260 Speaker 2: four hours, you have to end up holding to very 370 00:23:39,340 --> 00:23:41,979 Speaker 2: non traditional position that chapter two is. 371 00:23:41,939 --> 00:23:44,300 Speaker 3: Written by somebody other than who wrote chapter one. 372 00:23:44,780 --> 00:23:47,859 Speaker 2: Because chapter two clearly gives you a different story that 373 00:23:47,979 --> 00:23:51,460 Speaker 2: on one day God created everything, where you just had 374 00:23:51,500 --> 00:23:53,220 Speaker 2: six days of God creating everything. 375 00:23:53,739 --> 00:23:55,260 Speaker 3: I am only making. 376 00:23:54,939 --> 00:23:59,859 Speaker 2: This point again and again because it bothers me when 377 00:23:59,979 --> 00:24:04,179 Speaker 2: people take positions that they think defend the sanctity of 378 00:24:04,219 --> 00:24:07,419 Speaker 2: the Bible, when I think it undermines the credibility of 379 00:24:07,459 --> 00:24:12,340 Speaker 2: the Bible. It undermines biblical credibility to argue that you 380 00:24:12,500 --> 00:24:14,980 Speaker 2: have to read it as twenty four hour periods when 381 00:24:14,979 --> 00:24:18,540 Speaker 2: it is so clearly not. It means a period when 382 00:24:19,060 --> 00:24:22,940 Speaker 2: even word, when the best translation would be in effect. 383 00:24:22,979 --> 00:24:24,020 Speaker 3: When, which is what. 384 00:24:24,060 --> 00:24:27,259 Speaker 2: This particular one of the Jewish publication society as it 385 00:24:27,419 --> 00:24:30,299 Speaker 2: just says when, But you could even do since I 386 00:24:30,340 --> 00:24:35,419 Speaker 2: believe in literal translations on the day. Now, the other 387 00:24:36,060 --> 00:24:41,540 Speaker 2: fascinating introduction in this particular verse is is a donai. 388 00:24:43,500 --> 00:24:47,820 Speaker 2: In Genesis one, God is only referred to as Elohim. 389 00:24:48,580 --> 00:24:54,379 Speaker 2: We now have a donai Elohim. Now, actually it's it's 390 00:24:54,459 --> 00:24:57,820 Speaker 2: Jehovah that is that is mentioned. Jews do not pronounce 391 00:24:57,859 --> 00:25:01,659 Speaker 2: God's name in the in the original. Therefore they say 392 00:25:01,659 --> 00:25:06,580 Speaker 2: a donai which means my lord, okay, and and and 393 00:25:06,659 --> 00:25:09,379 Speaker 2: Jews don't even say that outside of a holy context, 394 00:25:09,459 --> 00:25:12,460 Speaker 2: they say hushem. But that's going through another dimension which 395 00:25:12,459 --> 00:25:15,139 Speaker 2: I don't need to involve you in right now. Well, 396 00:25:15,139 --> 00:25:17,219 Speaker 2: what has happened here is God has now given a 397 00:25:17,219 --> 00:25:17,820 Speaker 2: proper name. 398 00:25:19,979 --> 00:25:21,580 Speaker 3: You want to what I'm saying. 399 00:25:21,780 --> 00:25:26,500 Speaker 2: Until now, it was just God generically, the God of nature, 400 00:25:26,540 --> 00:25:29,899 Speaker 2: as I described that. I believe last time, the God, 401 00:25:30,060 --> 00:25:35,619 Speaker 2: the universal God of nature created the universe in chapter one. 402 00:25:35,820 --> 00:25:39,059 Speaker 2: But human beings can't relate to a God of nature. 403 00:25:40,100 --> 00:25:43,259 Speaker 2: It's too distant, it's not personal. The God of nature, 404 00:25:43,820 --> 00:25:46,100 Speaker 2: the God who created the universe, is not a god 405 00:25:46,139 --> 00:25:49,659 Speaker 2: I could talk to, cry to, pray to. The God 406 00:25:49,659 --> 00:25:52,899 Speaker 2: who creates nature doesn't care about me. He's just the 407 00:25:52,979 --> 00:25:58,139 Speaker 2: creator God. Therefore, we now have the god we relate to. 408 00:25:58,899 --> 00:26:03,619 Speaker 2: A Donai is introduced, and who is he? He is 409 00:26:03,659 --> 00:26:05,659 Speaker 2: the God that we spoke of in the first chapter, 410 00:26:05,899 --> 00:26:09,179 Speaker 2: because he's given both names here in verse four, a 411 00:26:09,340 --> 00:26:14,020 Speaker 2: Donai Elohim Jehovah the God if you have to be 412 00:26:14,340 --> 00:26:15,699 Speaker 2: literal in the translation. 413 00:26:16,500 --> 00:26:19,260 Speaker 3: And therefore we know immediately. 414 00:26:18,979 --> 00:26:21,379 Speaker 2: That it's going to have to do with people, because 415 00:26:21,459 --> 00:26:25,100 Speaker 2: only people can relate to Jehovah. The animals, the stars, 416 00:26:25,739 --> 00:26:30,859 Speaker 2: they're with Elohim. We are with Jehovah, we are with 417 00:26:30,979 --> 00:26:34,739 Speaker 2: God without do nine. But we are also with Elohim. 418 00:26:35,260 --> 00:26:38,379 Speaker 3: We are also with that God who creates. 419 00:26:37,979 --> 00:26:41,059 Speaker 2: The world, not just the personal God. We are also 420 00:26:41,139 --> 00:26:43,779 Speaker 2: with that God who is the creator. The Rabbis had 421 00:26:43,780 --> 00:26:50,939 Speaker 2: an interesting thing here. They said, a Donai is the 422 00:26:51,020 --> 00:26:56,940 Speaker 2: god of the characteristic of mercy and compassion, and Elohim 423 00:26:57,139 --> 00:27:02,179 Speaker 2: is the god who's characteristic is justice, and that you 424 00:27:02,340 --> 00:27:06,179 Speaker 2: need both in order for the world to function. And 425 00:27:06,219 --> 00:27:09,219 Speaker 2: it is very true you do need both. On justice alone, 426 00:27:09,260 --> 00:27:12,580 Speaker 2: the world would be destroyed. Human beings have so screwed 427 00:27:12,659 --> 00:27:15,619 Speaker 2: up the world that on pure justice grounds of justice, 428 00:27:15,859 --> 00:27:18,699 Speaker 2: the world deserves to be destroyed, and it is destroyed 429 00:27:19,379 --> 00:27:23,059 Speaker 2: except for mister and miss Noah. But the the uh, 430 00:27:24,459 --> 00:27:26,100 Speaker 2: I'm always politically correct. 431 00:27:26,659 --> 00:27:29,939 Speaker 1: Uh. 432 00:27:29,979 --> 00:27:33,260 Speaker 2: But on the other hand, you can't live with compassion alone. 433 00:27:34,060 --> 00:27:36,659 Speaker 2: The God of compassion is not the god of justice. 434 00:27:37,500 --> 00:27:40,740 Speaker 2: Give you an example. If a poor man, a very 435 00:27:40,780 --> 00:27:46,340 Speaker 2: poor man, and a Rockefeller come to court, and uh, 436 00:27:46,580 --> 00:27:53,780 Speaker 2: the the the the Rockefeller is actually mean he has 437 00:27:53,820 --> 00:27:57,539 Speaker 2: sued the unbelievably poor man for some for some reason, 438 00:27:58,419 --> 00:28:02,419 Speaker 2: Compassion dictates, why are you bugging this poor guy for 439 00:28:02,419 --> 00:28:05,340 Speaker 2: for banging into your car by accident when he was parking. 440 00:28:06,260 --> 00:28:08,659 Speaker 2: I mean you you're you're a billionaire, and then he 441 00:28:08,859 --> 00:28:14,939 Speaker 2: can he can barely get by on social security. Compassion says, therefore, 442 00:28:15,419 --> 00:28:17,699 Speaker 2: throw out the case or rule in favor of the 443 00:28:17,699 --> 00:28:20,459 Speaker 2: poor man. Justice dictates, Wait. 444 00:28:20,379 --> 00:28:22,100 Speaker 3: A minut it way. 445 00:28:23,340 --> 00:28:26,699 Speaker 2: The fact is this poor guy swiped this billionaire's car, 446 00:28:27,820 --> 00:28:29,780 Speaker 2: and it demands that he pay up. 447 00:28:31,260 --> 00:28:35,300 Speaker 3: Which do you follow? It's a tough question, isn't it. 448 00:28:36,179 --> 00:28:39,019 Speaker 2: We are filled with that in our lives. Which do 449 00:28:39,140 --> 00:28:39,700 Speaker 2: you follow? 450 00:28:39,940 --> 00:28:41,100 Speaker 3: Justice or compassion? 451 00:28:42,700 --> 00:28:47,660 Speaker 2: If you wanted some slightly generic difference between conservatives and liberals, 452 00:28:48,260 --> 00:28:52,500 Speaker 2: you have it right there. Conservatives more concerned with justice, 453 00:28:52,580 --> 00:28:57,459 Speaker 2: liberals more concerned with compassion. If you are over concerned 454 00:28:57,500 --> 00:29:00,420 Speaker 2: with one, you will end up with a bad world. 455 00:29:01,140 --> 00:29:05,900 Speaker 2: Compassion without justice is a terrible world because you have undermined. 456 00:29:06,140 --> 00:29:09,300 Speaker 2: You have undermined a pillar upon which the world stands. 457 00:29:09,420 --> 00:29:10,019 Speaker 3: Justice. 458 00:29:10,420 --> 00:29:15,099 Speaker 2: Justice without compassion is a mean world. You need both, 459 00:29:15,660 --> 00:29:17,860 Speaker 2: and that is why the Rabbi spoke of the two 460 00:29:17,940 --> 00:29:20,580 Speaker 2: who have created the world, the two sides of God, 461 00:29:20,660 --> 00:29:24,500 Speaker 2: one represented by yellow him and one by other night. Anyway, 462 00:29:24,540 --> 00:29:26,820 Speaker 2: that is introduced here for the first time in this 463 00:29:26,940 --> 00:29:30,740 Speaker 2: In this verse, I will not go to verses five 464 00:29:30,780 --> 00:29:36,540 Speaker 2: and six. It would take it would take massive inquiry 465 00:29:36,620 --> 00:29:37,779 Speaker 2: to make full sense of it. 466 00:29:38,979 --> 00:29:41,459 Speaker 3: But let me just read it to keep the thing going. 467 00:29:41,500 --> 00:29:43,220 Speaker 2: When no shrub of the field was yet on earth, 468 00:29:43,260 --> 00:29:45,860 Speaker 2: and no grasses of the field gets sprouted because God 469 00:29:45,900 --> 00:29:47,580 Speaker 2: had not sent rain upon the earth, and there was 470 00:29:47,620 --> 00:29:50,180 Speaker 2: no man to till the soil, but a floated well 471 00:29:50,260 --> 00:29:51,540 Speaker 2: up from the ground and water. 472 00:29:51,340 --> 00:29:52,580 Speaker 3: The whole surface of the earth. 473 00:29:52,979 --> 00:29:57,700 Speaker 2: Okay, but now we get to what really matters. And 474 00:29:57,900 --> 00:30:08,060 Speaker 2: God formed God Elohim Jehov, Elohim formed or created, not created, formed, 475 00:30:08,340 --> 00:30:14,860 Speaker 2: made Adam Adam, the man HadAM generic the human would 476 00:30:14,860 --> 00:30:19,979 Speaker 2: be the best the human or the man afarmin Hadama 477 00:30:20,180 --> 00:30:24,339 Speaker 2: does from the earth. That's how we were made Va 478 00:30:24,500 --> 00:30:32,019 Speaker 2: yepah bi apav. And God blew into his nostrils a 479 00:30:32,060 --> 00:30:39,700 Speaker 2: being again literal nishmatraem the breath of life or and 480 00:30:39,739 --> 00:30:45,300 Speaker 2: this is an incredibly important ore. Nischmatrayem also means the 481 00:30:45,340 --> 00:30:50,820 Speaker 2: soul of life. The Hebrew word for soul and breath 482 00:30:51,180 --> 00:30:57,499 Speaker 2: is the same. So we were given God is a 483 00:30:57,500 --> 00:31:01,339 Speaker 2: lot of very interesting things here. God creates the human 484 00:31:02,300 --> 00:31:08,660 Speaker 2: from the earth, breathes into his nostrils the spirit. 485 00:31:08,260 --> 00:31:10,940 Speaker 3: Of life, if you will, or that would be Rua, 486 00:31:11,140 --> 00:31:11,860 Speaker 3: which is wind. 487 00:31:11,940 --> 00:31:15,180 Speaker 2: It's also interesting there's both of them have a living element. 488 00:31:16,260 --> 00:31:20,340 Speaker 2: But God breathes into his nostrils the breath of life 489 00:31:20,420 --> 00:31:24,219 Speaker 2: or the or the soul of life. Vayahi Adam, the 490 00:31:24,300 --> 00:31:28,820 Speaker 2: nepheshka and and the and the man became to came 491 00:31:28,900 --> 00:31:34,539 Speaker 2: to be a living being. Okay, A couple of things 492 00:31:34,580 --> 00:31:39,900 Speaker 2: about about this. First of all, and this is a 493 00:31:39,940 --> 00:31:41,780 Speaker 2: classic example of where it's good to know. 494 00:31:41,700 --> 00:31:42,620 Speaker 3: The Hebrew. 495 00:31:43,739 --> 00:31:49,580 Speaker 2: Adam is Adam, right, human being. What is the word 496 00:31:49,700 --> 00:31:55,499 Speaker 2: for earth adamah. Adam is earth without a hay at 497 00:31:55,500 --> 00:31:55,860 Speaker 2: the end. 498 00:31:57,340 --> 00:31:59,380 Speaker 3: That's all. It is Adam and earth. 499 00:32:00,060 --> 00:32:05,700 Speaker 2: To show our origins, our name is really earthling. If 500 00:32:05,700 --> 00:32:09,500 Speaker 2: you really wanted a literal definition for Adam, it's earthling. 501 00:32:11,500 --> 00:32:14,180 Speaker 3: We are. We're from the earth. That's where God has 502 00:32:14,219 --> 00:32:14,860 Speaker 3: made us from. 503 00:32:16,300 --> 00:32:22,500 Speaker 2: And so God makes Adam dust from Adamah. 504 00:32:22,860 --> 00:32:30,020 Speaker 3: That's just what it says there. God himself makes man. 505 00:32:30,180 --> 00:32:33,260 Speaker 2: Remember with other things, God said, let there be Why 506 00:32:33,300 --> 00:32:35,100 Speaker 2: didn't God say let there be man? 507 00:32:36,700 --> 00:32:38,340 Speaker 3: In all the other things? 508 00:32:38,620 --> 00:32:43,620 Speaker 2: God announces what will happen, and it happens, but when 509 00:32:43,620 --> 00:32:48,940 Speaker 2: it comes to us, we are the culmination of God's efforts. 510 00:32:49,500 --> 00:32:52,940 Speaker 2: It's very, very profoundly anthropocentric. 511 00:32:52,979 --> 00:32:57,420 Speaker 3: The biblical narrative, it's human centered. You know what it is. 512 00:32:57,459 --> 00:33:03,180 Speaker 2: It's religious humanism. Humanists are human centered. Religious people are 513 00:33:03,219 --> 00:33:11,700 Speaker 2: God centered. The Torah, this certainly Genesis is really religious humanism. 514 00:33:11,860 --> 00:33:17,500 Speaker 2: It's man centered under God. It's like a twin twin pillars, 515 00:33:17,620 --> 00:33:23,820 Speaker 2: twin centers. It's not just God's sentener. It really is anthropocentric. 516 00:33:23,860 --> 00:33:26,459 Speaker 2: And you know who attacks it for being that, the 517 00:33:26,580 --> 00:33:33,420 Speaker 2: radical environmentalists who exactly attacked the Judeo Christian tradition correctly 518 00:33:33,820 --> 00:33:37,739 Speaker 2: for being anthropocentric. When I say on my radio show 519 00:33:38,700 --> 00:33:43,060 Speaker 2: that the world was created for human beings, I am clovered. 520 00:33:43,780 --> 00:33:50,580 Speaker 2: I am called the worst possible thing anthropocentric. It wasn't 521 00:33:50,700 --> 00:33:55,380 Speaker 2: created for sea oters, it wasn't created for trees or 522 00:33:55,420 --> 00:33:56,340 Speaker 2: spotted owls. 523 00:33:56,739 --> 00:33:59,259 Speaker 3: They were all created for us. 524 00:34:00,140 --> 00:34:03,300 Speaker 2: I went through this last time where we are told 525 00:34:03,459 --> 00:34:05,420 Speaker 2: to rule over and dominate the earth. 526 00:34:05,660 --> 00:34:06,780 Speaker 3: Doesn't mean abuse it. 527 00:34:07,420 --> 00:34:09,540 Speaker 2: But the reason not to abuse it is not because 528 00:34:09,580 --> 00:34:13,299 Speaker 2: trees have an intrinsic worth, but because they're there for us, 529 00:34:13,700 --> 00:34:15,500 Speaker 2: and if we abuse it, they won't be there for 530 00:34:15,580 --> 00:34:19,700 Speaker 2: our children. That's the environmentalist argument. That makes sense to 531 00:34:19,780 --> 00:34:23,180 Speaker 2: this person. If you don't protect the environment, your kids 532 00:34:23,219 --> 00:34:25,979 Speaker 2: won't be able to enjoy the spot at owl. That 533 00:34:26,140 --> 00:34:28,779 Speaker 2: makes sense to me. But that I am part of 534 00:34:28,779 --> 00:34:31,379 Speaker 2: an ecosystem and I don't want to want to imbalance 535 00:34:31,420 --> 00:34:34,779 Speaker 2: an ecosystem of which I am merely one part and 536 00:34:34,980 --> 00:34:38,740 Speaker 2: the sperm whale is another doesn't move me at all. 537 00:34:39,180 --> 00:34:42,739 Speaker 2: I am not part of the ecosystem, only the natural 538 00:34:42,779 --> 00:34:48,180 Speaker 2: part of me is. We are special, the human being especial. 539 00:34:48,580 --> 00:34:54,500 Speaker 2: God himself made us. God did not breathe into the 540 00:34:54,540 --> 00:35:00,580 Speaker 2: nostrils of fish, that's very important, or the nostrils of mammals, 541 00:35:00,900 --> 00:35:06,419 Speaker 2: or the nostrils of birds, God himself. It's touching, isn't it. God, 542 00:35:06,460 --> 00:35:09,419 Speaker 2: It's almost a humble God. I am gonna go down 543 00:35:09,460 --> 00:35:12,420 Speaker 2: and I'm gonna do it. You will have my breath 544 00:35:12,420 --> 00:35:17,339 Speaker 2: in you human beings, my godly breath. That's what we 545 00:35:17,380 --> 00:35:22,020 Speaker 2: are given in this verse, God's breath. It's staggering, isn't it. 546 00:35:22,060 --> 00:35:24,859 Speaker 2: I get the chills when I say it. That's what 547 00:35:24,900 --> 00:35:28,700 Speaker 2: we are given, and only we are given, and we 548 00:35:29,060 --> 00:35:31,779 Speaker 2: are we are the only one in God's image. 549 00:35:31,859 --> 00:35:33,739 Speaker 3: It's constantly repeated. We're it. 550 00:35:33,859 --> 00:35:36,819 Speaker 2: We're the whole point of it all. We are, we 551 00:35:36,859 --> 00:35:38,819 Speaker 2: are why God did this whole thing. 552 00:35:39,620 --> 00:35:42,979 Speaker 1: This episode of Timeless Wisdom will continue right after this. 553 00:35:47,460 --> 00:35:52,500 Speaker 1: Now back to more of Dennis Prager's Timeless Wisdom. 554 00:35:52,580 --> 00:35:58,180 Speaker 2: So we are created specially, and we are given this 555 00:35:58,339 --> 00:35:59,299 Speaker 2: soul of life. 556 00:35:59,660 --> 00:36:02,339 Speaker 3: We are. We are a nephish kaya, a living being. 557 00:36:02,660 --> 00:36:06,700 Speaker 2: So are the animals. It's fascinating. It's remember I told 558 00:36:06,700 --> 00:36:09,460 Speaker 2: you that great duality. We're in God's image and animal's image. 559 00:36:09,460 --> 00:36:11,939 Speaker 2: We're part divine, part animal. It's the same thing in 560 00:36:11,980 --> 00:36:15,700 Speaker 2: this sentence. When the animals are created, they're also called 561 00:36:15,779 --> 00:36:19,180 Speaker 2: nephi kaya, a living being, like the last words in 562 00:36:19,299 --> 00:36:23,260 Speaker 2: verse seven. But none of them are given in ishmatkraem. 563 00:36:23,299 --> 00:36:27,259 Speaker 2: None of them are given this soul of life. That's 564 00:36:27,299 --> 00:36:31,140 Speaker 2: where we are distinctive. We are a living being like cats, 565 00:36:31,500 --> 00:36:33,419 Speaker 2: but they don't have the breath of God in them, 566 00:36:33,620 --> 00:36:38,739 Speaker 2: the soul of life that God gave to us. Okay, 567 00:36:39,739 --> 00:36:45,420 Speaker 2: verse eight, God planted again. It's God Elohim, do not 568 00:36:45,420 --> 00:36:52,339 Speaker 2: i Ylohim planted a garden in Eden. Now it's called 569 00:36:52,380 --> 00:36:57,419 Speaker 2: the garden of Eden. But just so you'll understand, Eden 570 00:36:57,660 --> 00:37:01,299 Speaker 2: is presumably a place, so it's a garden in Eden. 571 00:37:01,420 --> 00:37:03,660 Speaker 2: Don't ask me where Eden is because I don't know. 572 00:37:03,819 --> 00:37:07,379 Speaker 2: Nobody knows. Yeah, all we know. 573 00:37:07,380 --> 00:37:09,819 Speaker 3: Is it's me ked Then it's in the east, which. 574 00:37:09,620 --> 00:37:15,539 Speaker 2: Really is great help to all of us. By the way, 575 00:37:15,580 --> 00:37:19,379 Speaker 2: it doesn't even necessarily only mean in the east, because 576 00:37:19,460 --> 00:37:24,340 Speaker 2: ked em and Hebrew also means in ancient times old, 577 00:37:25,460 --> 00:37:27,700 Speaker 2: so we have no idea could have been and God 578 00:37:27,739 --> 00:37:33,419 Speaker 2: planted a garden a long time ago. So anyway, and 579 00:37:33,580 --> 00:37:38,180 Speaker 2: God put there this Adam, whom he had just made, 580 00:37:38,460 --> 00:37:41,940 Speaker 2: whom he had made. Oh, by the way, very important 581 00:37:41,940 --> 00:37:48,460 Speaker 2: little point on verse seven, when it says God made Adam. 582 00:37:50,339 --> 00:37:53,140 Speaker 2: The Hebrew word used is vayets her. 583 00:37:54,339 --> 00:37:55,899 Speaker 3: This is gonna interest you. 584 00:37:57,859 --> 00:38:02,060 Speaker 2: Which is in God caused to be or God made. 585 00:38:02,140 --> 00:38:06,299 Speaker 2: But it's stronger than the usual word made, which is vaas. 586 00:38:07,180 --> 00:38:09,180 Speaker 2: It's vayitzzer God made. 587 00:38:09,500 --> 00:38:14,379 Speaker 3: Now. Please note as well verse nineteen. 588 00:38:16,779 --> 00:38:19,620 Speaker 2: If you know Hebrew in particular, you'll find this fascinating. 589 00:38:20,700 --> 00:38:29,819 Speaker 2: Verse nineteen also begins with vajietzh or vatz actually, and 590 00:38:29,859 --> 00:38:33,339 Speaker 2: it says, and God made from the earth all the 591 00:38:33,940 --> 00:38:38,300 Speaker 2: beasts of the of the forest or of the wild 592 00:38:38,420 --> 00:38:42,180 Speaker 2: beasts of the earth, okay, and all the and all 593 00:38:42,259 --> 00:38:43,980 Speaker 2: the flying beings. 594 00:38:44,380 --> 00:38:49,100 Speaker 3: Okay. He uses the same word. The toy uses the 595 00:38:49,140 --> 00:38:53,740 Speaker 3: same word for creating Adam and creating the beasts vaiet 596 00:38:53,819 --> 00:38:59,900 Speaker 3: s or vaietze. Okay, what's the difference if. 597 00:38:59,700 --> 00:39:02,340 Speaker 2: You know any Hebrew, even if you don't understand Hebrew 598 00:39:02,380 --> 00:39:06,339 Speaker 2: but just can read it. Notice the Vaietzer of verse 599 00:39:06,380 --> 00:39:10,900 Speaker 2: seven has two youths, and the Vaieitzer of verse nineteen 600 00:39:10,940 --> 00:39:16,060 Speaker 2: with the animals has one youd. If that's not deliberate, 601 00:39:17,020 --> 00:39:21,779 Speaker 2: I am a Brussels sprout. It is so obvious that 602 00:39:21,859 --> 00:39:24,140 Speaker 2: there was something meant to be said here. 603 00:39:24,980 --> 00:39:27,580 Speaker 3: Why with the same word, it's as if. 604 00:39:27,620 --> 00:39:32,540 Speaker 2: It was and God made man m aa d and 605 00:39:32,660 --> 00:39:36,460 Speaker 2: God made beasts m a D. Why the extra a? 606 00:39:37,380 --> 00:39:42,779 Speaker 2: Why the extra you'd clearly it's to distinguish the two. 607 00:39:43,339 --> 00:39:46,540 Speaker 2: God made the beasts and God made people. And it's 608 00:39:46,580 --> 00:39:50,180 Speaker 2: to distinguish the two. We are not the same active creation. 609 00:39:51,339 --> 00:39:53,899 Speaker 2: While the Rabbis, you can imagine, had a field day 610 00:39:54,380 --> 00:39:55,019 Speaker 2: with this thing. 611 00:39:55,380 --> 00:40:02,219 Speaker 3: Especially, And here's the beauty, because va yet vaetzer, the 612 00:40:02,380 --> 00:40:06,500 Speaker 3: root of it is yates ther. What is the yeatesir? 613 00:40:07,060 --> 00:40:08,059 Speaker 3: You have two of them? 614 00:40:08,140 --> 00:40:13,339 Speaker 2: Right, a yetser toau and the yatshah a predilection or 615 00:40:13,460 --> 00:40:17,299 Speaker 2: creative force which is better to good and a creative 616 00:40:17,339 --> 00:40:21,580 Speaker 2: force to bad. Clearly, the word the therefore has to 617 00:40:21,660 --> 00:40:23,379 Speaker 2: mean something having. 618 00:40:23,100 --> 00:40:27,100 Speaker 3: To do with the yats air. Animals have only one yeatsair. 619 00:40:28,380 --> 00:40:29,020 Speaker 3: We have to. 620 00:40:30,779 --> 00:40:33,700 Speaker 2: We have a yatsh toave and we have a yatshah. 621 00:40:33,900 --> 00:40:37,059 Speaker 2: We were created in the beginning with a creative verge 622 00:40:37,060 --> 00:40:38,540 Speaker 2: to good and a creative. 623 00:40:38,180 --> 00:40:38,940 Speaker 3: Verge to evil. 624 00:40:39,339 --> 00:40:42,380 Speaker 2: Animals just have a creative verge wherever it goes, it goes. 625 00:40:43,100 --> 00:40:45,379 Speaker 3: They don't know good from evil. We do. 626 00:40:46,620 --> 00:40:50,420 Speaker 2: So here is a great example of where the verb 627 00:40:50,620 --> 00:40:53,259 Speaker 2: or a word itself tells you a great deal. And 628 00:40:53,380 --> 00:40:55,900 Speaker 2: I don't believe for a moment that that is rabbinic 629 00:40:55,980 --> 00:40:58,500 Speaker 2: reading into it. And God knows there's a lot of 630 00:40:58,580 --> 00:41:00,700 Speaker 2: rabbinic reading into this which I don't give you at 631 00:41:00,739 --> 00:41:02,740 Speaker 2: all because I am not here. 632 00:41:02,940 --> 00:41:05,540 Speaker 3: I am here to teach as clearly. 633 00:41:05,140 --> 00:41:09,339 Speaker 2: As possible what the text states, not the religious hermeneutics 634 00:41:09,339 --> 00:41:12,540 Speaker 2: that came later, but here it is clear what is 635 00:41:12,540 --> 00:41:15,579 Speaker 2: happening because the word yates ther, which is used later 636 00:41:16,460 --> 00:41:19,100 Speaker 2: God when he's going to destroy the world because people 637 00:41:19,100 --> 00:41:23,180 Speaker 2: are doing bad, says Yeats said ah dam ramen Urov. 638 00:41:23,779 --> 00:41:26,820 Speaker 2: The Yates their of man is bad from his youth. 639 00:41:27,940 --> 00:41:31,459 Speaker 2: So it's clearly that that's what is used here. That's 640 00:41:31,500 --> 00:41:33,899 Speaker 2: why you have the two youths for the two Yates. 641 00:41:33,980 --> 00:41:37,739 Speaker 2: Theres in Vayt's ah fascinating, isn't it? And that is 642 00:41:37,739 --> 00:41:41,660 Speaker 2: the distinction, a major distinction, if not the most, between 643 00:41:41,700 --> 00:41:46,660 Speaker 2: animals and us. Animals cannot choose how to behave we can. 644 00:41:46,900 --> 00:41:50,140 Speaker 2: They only have one Yates there, so they have no choice. 645 00:41:50,660 --> 00:41:53,580 Speaker 2: We have two. You can choose to do evil, you 646 00:41:53,620 --> 00:41:54,900 Speaker 2: can choose to do good. 647 00:41:54,980 --> 00:41:56,580 Speaker 3: Even if you grow up in poverty. 648 00:41:57,100 --> 00:42:00,500 Speaker 2: So radical notion in today's world that people in poverty 649 00:42:00,540 --> 00:42:03,340 Speaker 2: have a moral will. But allow me that one radical 650 00:42:03,380 --> 00:42:08,620 Speaker 2: notion for today. 651 00:42:09,140 --> 00:42:11,020 Speaker 3: God makes this garden. 652 00:42:12,299 --> 00:42:16,180 Speaker 2: And in Eden, and he puts Adam, who he is, 653 00:42:16,700 --> 00:42:21,980 Speaker 2: made there verse nine. And then we get to stuff 654 00:42:22,020 --> 00:42:25,899 Speaker 2: that is so complex, which is why until this year, 655 00:42:26,140 --> 00:42:28,459 Speaker 2: as I said last time, I would never teach Genesis. 656 00:42:28,739 --> 00:42:31,979 Speaker 2: I still am not certain about the answer to some 657 00:42:32,020 --> 00:42:33,260 Speaker 2: of the riddles I will pose. 658 00:42:33,580 --> 00:42:36,460 Speaker 3: It is so complex. Verse nine. 659 00:42:37,180 --> 00:42:41,500 Speaker 2: Wites Massa de nayelohimenad Makolates nech mad le mare vitov 660 00:42:41,580 --> 00:42:46,660 Speaker 2: la Masal and God caused to grow from the earth 661 00:42:47,739 --> 00:42:54,419 Speaker 2: all beautiful trees to look at and good to eat. 662 00:42:55,900 --> 00:42:59,620 Speaker 2: And the tree of life is in the center of 663 00:42:59,660 --> 00:43:04,859 Speaker 2: the garden, and the tree of knowledge of. 664 00:43:04,859 --> 00:43:05,500 Speaker 3: Good and evil. 665 00:43:07,140 --> 00:43:10,580 Speaker 2: Now are we missing a verb which you say that 666 00:43:11,100 --> 00:43:12,580 Speaker 2: something is missing. 667 00:43:12,259 --> 00:43:15,060 Speaker 3: In that sentence? Where the hell was the tree of 668 00:43:15,140 --> 00:43:16,540 Speaker 3: good and evil? 669 00:43:16,739 --> 00:43:18,700 Speaker 2: It doesn't even say, I mean, it's one of the 670 00:43:18,739 --> 00:43:22,859 Speaker 2: many riddles here that are so fascinating to be Is 671 00:43:22,900 --> 00:43:25,660 Speaker 2: it also in the center of the garden with that tree? 672 00:43:25,700 --> 00:43:26,419 Speaker 3: Where was it? 673 00:43:26,819 --> 00:43:28,820 Speaker 2: How come we never hear about the tree of life 674 00:43:28,859 --> 00:43:33,020 Speaker 2: again with regard to Adam and Eve until later with 675 00:43:33,339 --> 00:43:36,900 Speaker 2: the serpent. It's a very fascinating thing. It's not answer. 676 00:43:37,020 --> 00:43:39,539 Speaker 2: All we know is that God gave all of these 677 00:43:39,580 --> 00:43:43,939 Speaker 2: beautiful trees to look at and to eat from, and 678 00:43:44,219 --> 00:43:46,819 Speaker 2: the tree of knowledge, the tree of life is in 679 00:43:46,819 --> 00:43:48,539 Speaker 2: the middle, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. 680 00:43:48,620 --> 00:43:51,419 Speaker 3: Never call a tree of knowledge, because that's not its name. 681 00:43:51,460 --> 00:43:52,899 Speaker 3: It's the tree of knowledge of good and bad or 682 00:43:52,900 --> 00:43:53,740 Speaker 3: good and evil. Okay. 683 00:43:55,020 --> 00:43:58,020 Speaker 2: Now, by the way, there is something very important here. 684 00:44:00,620 --> 00:44:07,940 Speaker 2: One is that it is clear again that God's original 685 00:44:07,940 --> 00:44:12,700 Speaker 2: intent was vegetarianism. That's what was there for us to eat. 686 00:44:13,779 --> 00:44:14,219 Speaker 3: There are a. 687 00:44:14,259 --> 00:44:18,939 Speaker 2: Number of the indications of that, and I will show 688 00:44:18,980 --> 00:44:20,819 Speaker 2: you two sixteen is well. 689 00:44:20,819 --> 00:44:22,299 Speaker 3: Take a look leads at verse sixteen. 690 00:44:23,739 --> 00:44:30,219 Speaker 2: Verse sixteen, and God commanded the Adam, saying, from every 691 00:44:30,620 --> 00:44:31,459 Speaker 2: tree of. 692 00:44:31,500 --> 00:44:34,939 Speaker 3: The of the garden usually eat. 693 00:44:36,180 --> 00:44:38,580 Speaker 2: Okay, it's just important that you know. It's it's it's 694 00:44:38,819 --> 00:44:43,700 Speaker 2: very very clear that the that Adam was created and 695 00:44:43,739 --> 00:44:48,660 Speaker 2: the animals were created vegetarian, and that in some end 696 00:44:48,700 --> 00:44:52,899 Speaker 2: of days, when things are better again, we'll all be 697 00:44:52,980 --> 00:44:58,860 Speaker 2: vegetarian again. By the way, Kashrut, the Jewish laws of Kosher, 698 00:44:58,980 --> 00:45:03,140 Speaker 2: our Judaism's compromise on the vegetarian ideal of the Bible. 699 00:45:03,940 --> 00:45:06,060 Speaker 3: It is just a very just a little. 700 00:45:06,739 --> 00:45:10,580 Speaker 2: Excursive here just to you will you will understand it 701 00:45:10,660 --> 00:45:13,979 Speaker 2: is not a health code. It is part of Judaism's 702 00:45:14,020 --> 00:45:16,020 Speaker 2: dealing with the fact that we are, to use a 703 00:45:16,100 --> 00:45:20,499 Speaker 2: Christian term, fallen. Since the since the Garden of Eden, 704 00:45:22,060 --> 00:45:27,540 Speaker 2: where the ideal life was no eating of animals, Judaism 705 00:45:27,580 --> 00:45:31,140 Speaker 2: allowed the eating of animals, but under very rigorous conditions 706 00:45:31,739 --> 00:45:33,539 Speaker 2: which I won't go into now it's not our time. 707 00:45:33,620 --> 00:45:37,460 Speaker 2: But that's what kosher is about. Keeping kosher is a reminder, 708 00:45:37,500 --> 00:45:40,660 Speaker 2: and it really is. It's a very effective reminder that 709 00:45:40,739 --> 00:45:44,540 Speaker 2: vegetarianism is an ideal and that meat eating is not 710 00:45:44,980 --> 00:45:48,980 Speaker 2: as simple as fruit eating or vegetable eating. After all, 711 00:45:49,259 --> 00:45:51,259 Speaker 2: for those who say that the purpose of kosher is 712 00:45:51,299 --> 00:45:54,339 Speaker 2: self discipline, I have a very simple question, then why 713 00:45:54,380 --> 00:45:58,379 Speaker 2: aren't we restricted in terms of fruit and vegetables. If 714 00:45:58,380 --> 00:46:01,140 Speaker 2: the purpose is self disciplined, then it should have had laws. 715 00:46:01,180 --> 00:46:03,140 Speaker 2: These fruits you can eat, These fruits you can't eat. 716 00:46:03,460 --> 00:46:05,899 Speaker 2: These vegetables you can eat. These vegetables you can eat. 717 00:46:06,779 --> 00:46:09,140 Speaker 2: It may induce self discipline, but the purpose was not 718 00:46:09,180 --> 00:46:11,979 Speaker 2: self disciplined. The purpose is to remind you that there 719 00:46:12,020 --> 00:46:14,860 Speaker 2: is a vegetarian ideal and that you have still killed 720 00:46:14,859 --> 00:46:17,939 Speaker 2: when you eat meat. It's not a hamburger, it's a cow. 721 00:46:19,900 --> 00:46:22,739 Speaker 3: That's the point of it. I am not a vegetarian. 722 00:46:23,259 --> 00:46:29,580 Speaker 2: I am because of kashwred functionally of fisher chicatarian. But 723 00:46:29,580 --> 00:46:35,259 Speaker 2: but the but the fact is that that kashwurd has 724 00:46:35,299 --> 00:46:38,819 Speaker 2: that effect on one who does it knowledgeably. The tragedy 725 00:46:38,900 --> 00:46:41,339 Speaker 2: again and Jewish and other religious life, is that many 726 00:46:41,380 --> 00:46:44,259 Speaker 2: religious people do things by rote and the meaning. 727 00:46:44,020 --> 00:46:46,660 Speaker 3: Is totally lost. That's a that's a separate issue. 728 00:46:46,660 --> 00:46:48,060 Speaker 2: But I just want you to see the roots of 729 00:46:48,100 --> 00:46:53,219 Speaker 2: all the stuff from the Genesis story. Okay, God therefore 730 00:46:53,339 --> 00:46:55,860 Speaker 2: tells what we can eat. Now there are two trees. 731 00:46:57,299 --> 00:47:01,540 Speaker 2: This is very tough stuff. What do the two trees represent? 732 00:47:03,739 --> 00:47:05,740 Speaker 2: Now we have a tree of life and a tree 733 00:47:05,739 --> 00:47:07,739 Speaker 2: of knowledge of good and evil, and we're not supposed 734 00:47:07,779 --> 00:47:09,780 Speaker 2: to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. 735 00:47:10,219 --> 00:47:13,860 Speaker 2: You know how many questions immediately arise. First of all, 736 00:47:14,060 --> 00:47:16,299 Speaker 2: why can't we eat the tree of belige of good 737 00:47:16,299 --> 00:47:18,259 Speaker 2: and evil? What are we going to learn if we 738 00:47:18,339 --> 00:47:18,779 Speaker 2: do eat? 739 00:47:18,819 --> 00:47:27,620 Speaker 3: Now? The problem to begin with for a number of reasons. 740 00:47:28,020 --> 00:47:33,260 Speaker 2: First of all, if the implication is that we don't 741 00:47:33,299 --> 00:47:36,580 Speaker 2: know right from wrong until we eat from the tree, 742 00:47:36,940 --> 00:47:38,460 Speaker 2: how could they disobey God? 743 00:47:43,020 --> 00:47:43,259 Speaker 3: Right? 744 00:47:43,339 --> 00:47:46,580 Speaker 2: I mean the very act of disobedience to God by 745 00:47:46,620 --> 00:47:49,059 Speaker 2: eating from the tree, and the very act of God 746 00:47:49,140 --> 00:47:50,299 Speaker 2: telling them right and wrong? 747 00:47:50,380 --> 00:47:51,819 Speaker 3: You can't do this? Can do? That? 748 00:47:52,140 --> 00:47:55,020 Speaker 2: Implies that they already have freedom of choice. If we 749 00:47:55,100 --> 00:47:58,300 Speaker 2: didn't have freedom of choice, then how could we choose 750 00:47:58,339 --> 00:48:02,780 Speaker 2: to disobey God? Which is which? By the way, another 751 00:48:02,819 --> 00:48:06,459 Speaker 2: point here is so fascinating is all Adam and Eve 752 00:48:06,739 --> 00:48:09,060 Speaker 2: we didn't meet Eve yet. But all Adam and Eve 753 00:48:09,500 --> 00:48:12,820 Speaker 2: had to do to have an idyllic world just one 754 00:48:13,420 --> 00:48:18,739 Speaker 2: miserable law. That's it, Not six hundred and thirteen, not 755 00:48:18,940 --> 00:48:26,299 Speaker 2: ten commandments. One for stunken, miserable little law. Don't eat 756 00:48:26,620 --> 00:48:27,780 Speaker 2: from that tree. 757 00:48:28,900 --> 00:48:31,100 Speaker 3: That's it. You have a great life, just only from 758 00:48:31,140 --> 00:48:34,899 Speaker 3: that tree. And they ain't from that tree. And it 759 00:48:34,980 --> 00:48:38,660 Speaker 3: is always bottle feet. It is amazing. One thing. 760 00:48:39,020 --> 00:48:40,859 Speaker 2: It is as if I say to you you can 761 00:48:40,980 --> 00:48:45,299 Speaker 2: drive the car of your dreams. That just I beg 762 00:48:45,339 --> 00:48:48,299 Speaker 2: of you. Don't listen to radio stationed il. 763 00:48:48,259 --> 00:48:51,620 Speaker 3: K kk q. Okay, that's all you have to do. 764 00:48:51,700 --> 00:48:54,259 Speaker 2: Otherwise you can drive the rest of your life to 765 00:48:54,420 --> 00:48:56,259 Speaker 2: find his automobile in your dreams. And what do you 766 00:48:56,299 --> 00:48:57,579 Speaker 2: do as soon as you went to the car? 767 00:48:57,779 --> 00:48:58,620 Speaker 3: K kkq? 768 00:49:01,259 --> 00:49:04,500 Speaker 2: All right, that is what happened. It is a remarkable story, 769 00:49:04,739 --> 00:49:07,220 Speaker 2: and it is. It's a remarkable story about what. 770 00:49:07,140 --> 00:49:10,259 Speaker 3: It means to be human. That's what I have to conclude. 771 00:49:10,299 --> 00:49:12,739 Speaker 3: This whole thing is about. I'll come back to that. 772 00:49:12,900 --> 00:49:15,540 Speaker 3: Here's another problem. 773 00:49:15,660 --> 00:49:18,260 Speaker 2: There are those who say that the tree of knowledge 774 00:49:18,299 --> 00:49:19,979 Speaker 2: of good and evil, that good and evil are good 775 00:49:19,980 --> 00:49:21,379 Speaker 2: and bad, really. 776 00:49:21,100 --> 00:49:23,060 Speaker 3: Mean sexual knowledge. 777 00:49:23,180 --> 00:49:25,379 Speaker 2: Well, how are they supposed to pro create if they 778 00:49:25,380 --> 00:49:26,300 Speaker 2: didn't know sex? 779 00:49:27,460 --> 00:49:29,660 Speaker 3: They were already told pro create. 780 00:49:31,580 --> 00:49:34,060 Speaker 2: Now whilere the Eve was not around yet, that is correct, 781 00:49:34,420 --> 00:49:36,499 Speaker 2: Well Eve was around because we have the story God 782 00:49:36,540 --> 00:49:39,700 Speaker 2: created both. We simply don't have yet where where we 783 00:49:39,779 --> 00:49:43,219 Speaker 2: meet Eve. But remember this is a recapitulation of Chapter one. 784 00:49:43,339 --> 00:49:46,860 Speaker 2: God created the human being male and femalely created them. 785 00:49:47,580 --> 00:49:49,899 Speaker 2: But in any event, whether Eve is around yet or not, 786 00:49:49,940 --> 00:49:50,779 Speaker 2: Eve does show up. 787 00:49:50,819 --> 00:49:53,140 Speaker 3: Otherwise the point can you know? Than the question of 788 00:49:53,140 --> 00:49:54,660 Speaker 3: sexual knowledge is not an issue? 789 00:49:55,180 --> 00:49:59,060 Speaker 2: But the animals were told to have sex, So what 790 00:49:59,180 --> 00:50:01,300 Speaker 2: do you think if it wasn't sex, what does Adam 791 00:50:01,380 --> 00:50:07,739 Speaker 2: think they're doing? What an interesting act? I wonder what 792 00:50:07,819 --> 00:50:12,779 Speaker 2: that is. Obviously they had to know, they had to 793 00:50:12,859 --> 00:50:19,180 Speaker 2: know what sex was, or did they? That's these are 794 00:50:19,500 --> 00:50:22,419 Speaker 2: And the reason I Ray said is because that's the 795 00:50:22,460 --> 00:50:24,900 Speaker 2: thing that they discovered after they ate, which we'll see 796 00:50:25,140 --> 00:50:29,379 Speaker 2: next time. That's the one thing mentioned after they ate 797 00:50:29,420 --> 00:50:32,060 Speaker 2: from the tree, they knew they were naked. 798 00:50:33,819 --> 00:50:34,540 Speaker 3: That's interesting. 799 00:50:34,620 --> 00:50:37,859 Speaker 2: So that they knew sex before but didn't know they 800 00:50:37,859 --> 00:50:42,899 Speaker 2: were naked, Well, that's quite a feat, isn't it. 801 00:50:43,620 --> 00:50:43,900 Speaker 3: Well? 802 00:50:44,020 --> 00:50:45,859 Speaker 2: I think there are some answers to it, but I 803 00:50:45,900 --> 00:50:47,620 Speaker 2: want to give you some of the problems that are 804 00:50:47,660 --> 00:50:50,900 Speaker 2: raised as another one, Are we immortal? 805 00:50:51,660 --> 00:50:54,739 Speaker 3: Were we created? Was the human being created to die? 806 00:50:55,339 --> 00:50:59,739 Speaker 3: Or not to die? Because later we're going to see that. 807 00:50:59,819 --> 00:51:02,100 Speaker 2: Well, in a moment, we'll see what the penalty is 808 00:51:02,140 --> 00:51:03,700 Speaker 2: for eating from the tree of. 809 00:51:03,660 --> 00:51:07,100 Speaker 3: Knowledge of good and evil. Well, we'll find out. I 810 00:51:07,219 --> 00:51:09,060 Speaker 3: think at least some of them. 811 00:51:11,739 --> 00:51:15,500 Speaker 2: I have. I have a belief as to what Tovara 812 00:51:15,779 --> 00:51:18,340 Speaker 2: is good and evil in this in this instance. 813 00:51:18,940 --> 00:51:23,180 Speaker 3: And uh, I'll tell it all. 814 00:51:23,180 --> 00:51:24,700 Speaker 2: I might as well tell it to you now, even 815 00:51:24,739 --> 00:51:27,180 Speaker 2: though it foreshadows the story. I think you all know 816 00:51:27,259 --> 00:51:31,100 Speaker 2: what happens later, So I'm not killing it for you als, 817 00:51:31,339 --> 00:51:34,819 Speaker 2: not like it's the first time Westerners have heard the 818 00:51:34,819 --> 00:51:42,580 Speaker 2: Garden of edential. My suspicion is that what we have 819 00:51:42,779 --> 00:51:47,660 Speaker 2: here is innocence. That Adam and Eve or Adam right 820 00:51:47,700 --> 00:51:56,339 Speaker 2: now is innocent. Animals are innocent. Animals pro create, but 821 00:51:56,460 --> 00:52:02,219 Speaker 2: animals don't know sex. What Adam and Eve knew was 822 00:52:02,299 --> 00:52:09,060 Speaker 2: pro creative sexual intercourse, perhaps not, perhaps presumably, but they 823 00:52:09,100 --> 00:52:10,900 Speaker 2: didn't know sex. 824 00:52:11,900 --> 00:52:15,780 Speaker 3: In all of the ramifications of that word, in the ugly, 825 00:52:16,779 --> 00:52:17,340 Speaker 3: in the. 826 00:52:18,980 --> 00:52:24,140 Speaker 2: Beautiful, in the romantic, in the erotic, and as I 827 00:52:24,180 --> 00:52:28,299 Speaker 2: said in the Dirty that's all part of what it is. 828 00:52:29,500 --> 00:52:34,500 Speaker 3: My reading of the Garden of Eden's story is that 829 00:52:34,580 --> 00:52:37,660 Speaker 3: it is our story. It is not Adam and Eve. 830 00:52:37,700 --> 00:52:38,299 Speaker 3: It's you and me. 831 00:52:39,900 --> 00:52:42,339 Speaker 2: And as I tell you, I always try to be 832 00:52:42,500 --> 00:52:44,939 Speaker 2: very faithful to the text and not read into it 833 00:52:45,020 --> 00:52:46,140 Speaker 2: what I. 834 00:52:46,219 --> 00:52:46,859 Speaker 3: Want to learn. 835 00:52:47,620 --> 00:52:49,859 Speaker 2: I do believe that it is a statement about the 836 00:52:49,940 --> 00:52:54,299 Speaker 2: human condition. If it is merely about two humans named 837 00:52:54,339 --> 00:52:58,660 Speaker 2: Adam and Eve, it's too important to be just about 838 00:52:58,660 --> 00:52:59,460 Speaker 2: Adam and Eve. 839 00:53:00,259 --> 00:53:02,140 Speaker 3: And if it weren't Adam and Eve, in other. 840 00:53:02,060 --> 00:53:04,419 Speaker 2: Words, if it were Jerry and Barbara, they would have 841 00:53:04,460 --> 00:53:08,260 Speaker 2: acted differently. Of course, not Adam and Eve. Is every 842 00:53:08,299 --> 00:53:10,899 Speaker 2: male and every female. It has to be that way. 843 00:53:11,180 --> 00:53:13,580 Speaker 2: I'm not saying they didn't exist. I don't care if 844 00:53:13,620 --> 00:53:16,900 Speaker 2: they did exactly or not. It doesn't make any difference. 845 00:53:16,940 --> 00:53:20,339 Speaker 2: Remember to Ramin's teacher, not history. The question is a 846 00:53:20,380 --> 00:53:22,499 Speaker 2: lot of I learn from it, not who they were. 847 00:53:23,380 --> 00:53:26,700 Speaker 2: Why do I learn from it? I learn the following 848 00:53:27,339 --> 00:53:28,219 Speaker 2: more than any. 849 00:53:28,100 --> 00:53:28,979 Speaker 3: Other single thing. 850 00:53:29,020 --> 00:53:33,180 Speaker 2: I learned this from the story, that in the choice 851 00:53:33,380 --> 00:53:39,700 Speaker 2: in life between innocence and safety on the one hand, 852 00:53:41,060 --> 00:53:45,419 Speaker 2: and knowing it all and having a tough life We 853 00:53:45,540 --> 00:53:49,939 Speaker 2: prefer painful and knowing. You may deny it, but you 854 00:53:49,980 --> 00:53:54,219 Speaker 2: don't live that way. We don't want to remain children 855 00:53:54,700 --> 00:53:59,660 Speaker 2: Peter Pan. Notwithstanding, we do want to grow up. We 856 00:53:59,700 --> 00:54:01,819 Speaker 2: may not like what we see when we grow up, 857 00:54:02,700 --> 00:54:06,819 Speaker 2: but we want to grow up. You can't help growing up. 858 00:54:06,859 --> 00:54:09,419 Speaker 2: You can fight it all you like, but at some 859 00:54:09,620 --> 00:54:14,460 Speaker 2: point you will know the difference between procreation and sex 860 00:54:15,380 --> 00:54:18,219 Speaker 2: and God, they sure as hell aren't the same thing. 861 00:54:18,819 --> 00:54:25,180 Speaker 2: Animals procreate, but it is merely an act, a physical 862 00:54:25,460 --> 00:54:28,900 Speaker 2: a physical act like urinating, like eating. 863 00:54:29,259 --> 00:54:31,180 Speaker 3: It is another physical act. 864 00:54:32,420 --> 00:54:36,739 Speaker 4: It is not imbued with eros, it is not imbued 865 00:54:36,900 --> 00:54:40,859 Speaker 4: with with any other meaning. For us, it is and 866 00:54:40,859 --> 00:54:43,299 Speaker 4: that is part that is the biggest, single part of 867 00:54:43,339 --> 00:54:46,859 Speaker 4: growing up, watching my child grow up. 868 00:54:47,180 --> 00:54:50,819 Speaker 3: I kept saying to my wife, he's still in the 869 00:54:50,819 --> 00:54:52,780 Speaker 3: garden of Eden. Remember he's still. 870 00:54:52,620 --> 00:54:55,859 Speaker 2: In the garden of Eden. That's the way I would 871 00:54:55,859 --> 00:54:58,939 Speaker 2: describe it. And I treasured it. There's one of the 872 00:54:59,339 --> 00:55:02,940 Speaker 2: what is our joy in little children that they're so innocent, 873 00:55:05,060 --> 00:55:08,620 Speaker 2: and the innocence overwhelmingly is a sexual innocence. 874 00:55:08,660 --> 00:55:09,819 Speaker 3: When you think about. 875 00:55:09,580 --> 00:55:13,819 Speaker 2: It, it still amazes me that my son will run 876 00:55:13,859 --> 00:55:18,660 Speaker 2: to the baseball magazine section at a new stand, because. 877 00:55:18,380 --> 00:55:19,899 Speaker 3: He's not going to run to that section. 878 00:55:20,060 --> 00:55:24,180 Speaker 2: In a couple years, there will be another section that 879 00:55:24,219 --> 00:55:25,700 Speaker 2: he will gravitate to first. 880 00:55:26,380 --> 00:55:28,180 Speaker 3: And so long as he is still. 881 00:55:27,900 --> 00:55:35,180 Speaker 2: Running over with lust to Tops Baseball Weekly, with real lust, 882 00:55:35,900 --> 00:55:38,060 Speaker 2: I know that he has not fully left the Garden 883 00:55:38,100 --> 00:55:40,379 Speaker 2: of Eden, though I get some reports that he has 884 00:55:40,420 --> 00:55:47,020 Speaker 2: been moving in another direction, so that what can I do? 885 00:55:47,100 --> 00:55:48,819 Speaker 2: He has a foot in the Garden of Eden, in 886 00:55:48,859 --> 00:55:51,899 Speaker 2: a foot out at the age of nine. But it 887 00:55:51,980 --> 00:55:55,899 Speaker 2: is a remarkable thing to see now. I don't want 888 00:55:55,980 --> 00:55:59,660 Speaker 2: him forever to gravitate only to the Baseball magazine section. 889 00:55:59,739 --> 00:56:02,580 Speaker 3: I'll be worried. On the other hand, I don't want 890 00:56:02,620 --> 00:56:03,060 Speaker 3: him to be a. 891 00:56:03,100 --> 00:56:06,980 Speaker 2: Leccher, and obviously that is the difficulty in life, is 892 00:56:07,020 --> 00:56:10,419 Speaker 2: to learn how to control those elements of us. But 893 00:56:10,460 --> 00:56:16,060 Speaker 2: the innocence is what is described here. But innocence is 894 00:56:18,779 --> 00:56:24,339 Speaker 2: innocence has another characteristic. Kids think they'll live forever. I 895 00:56:24,380 --> 00:56:28,300 Speaker 2: think in that sense Adam was immortal, in the sense 896 00:56:28,380 --> 00:56:31,899 Speaker 2: that being innocent you don't think of dying, not that 897 00:56:32,020 --> 00:56:36,859 Speaker 2: you wouldn't literally die. After all, we don't have an 898 00:56:36,859 --> 00:56:40,540 Speaker 2: implication animals didn't die. He must have seen animals dying? 899 00:56:41,420 --> 00:56:43,739 Speaker 2: And what does it mean that we were created immortal? 900 00:56:43,819 --> 00:56:47,060 Speaker 2: What a f a very very large dinosaur fell on 901 00:56:47,100 --> 00:56:51,060 Speaker 2: his head? Would he have gotten up like Superman? I 902 00:56:51,100 --> 00:56:56,620 Speaker 2: mean it's almost I have to say, reading this over 903 00:56:56,700 --> 00:57:00,299 Speaker 2: and over and over, I don't believe that we were 904 00:57:00,339 --> 00:57:01,620 Speaker 2: created to live forever. 905 00:57:02,739 --> 00:57:04,700 Speaker 3: I know that you can read it out of this. 906 00:57:04,900 --> 00:57:06,500 Speaker 3: I do not dispute that. 907 00:57:07,100 --> 00:57:12,020 Speaker 2: I think both are readings are legitimate, but I don't believe. 908 00:57:12,060 --> 00:57:13,779 Speaker 3: So I'll tell you why. 909 00:57:16,140 --> 00:57:20,500 Speaker 2: First of all, life is undesirable if you live forever, 910 00:57:21,740 --> 00:57:25,500 Speaker 2: only death makes life meaningful. If you knew you lived forever, 911 00:57:25,540 --> 00:57:28,340 Speaker 2: why would you ever do anything? Can always do it tomorrow. 912 00:57:28,460 --> 00:57:31,340 Speaker 2: In fact, you can do it in the next millennium. 913 00:57:31,820 --> 00:57:32,620 Speaker 3: Shine your shoes. 914 00:57:32,660 --> 00:57:34,180 Speaker 2: What for I could do it in the year three 915 00:57:34,260 --> 00:57:35,860 Speaker 2: thousand and eight? 916 00:57:37,260 --> 00:57:37,780 Speaker 3: Is that right? 917 00:57:39,020 --> 00:57:42,900 Speaker 2: I mean, think about it? Is It is a frightening thought. 918 00:57:43,060 --> 00:57:46,019 Speaker 2: Why God would not create a world like that for us? 919 00:57:46,580 --> 00:57:51,020 Speaker 2: We just go on forever to do what. The whole 920 00:57:51,060 --> 00:57:53,060 Speaker 2: point is that it will end, and therefore we have 921 00:57:53,140 --> 00:57:55,939 Speaker 2: a constricted amount of time. Has anybody told they have 922 00:57:55,940 --> 00:57:59,100 Speaker 2: a terminal illness? They change their lives, They stop watching TV. 923 00:58:00,020 --> 00:58:02,260 Speaker 2: It's the first thing they do because they realize how 924 00:58:02,340 --> 00:58:06,020 Speaker 2: much time it took up that was meaningless. That is 925 00:58:06,060 --> 00:58:08,380 Speaker 2: why there's a great telmutic statement all. 926 00:58:08,300 --> 00:58:11,740 Speaker 3: Timean that's makad. Don't believe in yourself till the day 927 00:58:11,740 --> 00:58:12,180 Speaker 3: you die. 928 00:58:13,340 --> 00:58:15,220 Speaker 2: You don't know the day you'll dies, and never believe 929 00:58:15,220 --> 00:58:19,460 Speaker 2: in yourself. In other words, take it all in immediately. 930 00:58:19,660 --> 00:58:22,580 Speaker 2: Don't get over confident that there is always time to 931 00:58:22,660 --> 00:58:23,180 Speaker 2: do things. 932 00:58:23,260 --> 00:58:23,900 Speaker 3: There isn't. 933 00:58:25,060 --> 00:58:27,340 Speaker 2: There is a lot to do, and the time is short. 934 00:58:28,660 --> 00:58:31,700 Speaker 2: We're all terminal in that sense. I don't mean that 935 00:58:31,780 --> 00:58:36,140 Speaker 2: in any way is grizzly or unhappy. I say, thank God, 936 00:58:36,980 --> 00:58:40,260 Speaker 2: you want to be here forever. Nobody wants to be 937 00:58:40,300 --> 00:58:43,180 Speaker 2: here forever. And to make sure it was true, I 938 00:58:43,220 --> 00:58:46,540 Speaker 2: asked David on the way here, my nine year old son, David, 939 00:58:46,580 --> 00:58:47,820 Speaker 2: would you like to live forever? 940 00:58:48,420 --> 00:58:49,459 Speaker 3: Said no? Said why? 941 00:58:49,500 --> 00:58:52,939 Speaker 2: Said it would be boring. He's right, that's exactly why 942 00:58:52,980 --> 00:58:57,780 Speaker 2: it would be boring. Life is made interesting, inherently interesting, 943 00:58:59,300 --> 00:59:02,180 Speaker 2: but truly the innocent. 944 00:59:02,300 --> 00:59:03,380 Speaker 3: Don't know from death. 945 00:59:05,060 --> 00:59:08,780 Speaker 2: And that was what he was Another point here, there 946 00:59:08,820 --> 00:59:12,220 Speaker 2: are two trees, one you can eat from, one you 947 00:59:12,260 --> 00:59:15,780 Speaker 2: can eat from. Isn't it obvious therefore that they are 948 00:59:15,900 --> 00:59:21,940 Speaker 2: mutually exclusive trees, the tree of eternal life. That's probably 949 00:59:21,940 --> 00:59:24,820 Speaker 2: what it meant. Keep eating from that tree and you 950 00:59:24,860 --> 00:59:28,900 Speaker 2: will stay alive. Now you understand what I believe has happened. 951 00:59:29,460 --> 00:59:33,460 Speaker 2: We weren't created immortal. We were created with the choice 952 00:59:33,500 --> 00:59:40,180 Speaker 2: of immortality without knowing good and evil or mortality and 953 00:59:40,260 --> 00:59:43,780 Speaker 2: knowing it all, which is what good and evil really means. 954 00:59:43,780 --> 00:59:46,100 Speaker 2: Biblically used good and evil when it's used to verrah 955 00:59:46,220 --> 00:59:51,100 Speaker 2: means everything means the whole thing. So you have your choice, 956 00:59:51,140 --> 00:59:53,540 Speaker 2: and here it is, this is I think this, I 957 00:59:53,580 --> 00:59:58,140 Speaker 2: think I finally figured it out. The mystery is this 958 00:59:58,700 --> 01:00:01,300 Speaker 2: or the solution to the mystery is this? You have 959 01:00:01,380 --> 01:00:04,980 Speaker 2: a choice. You want to eat from the tree of immortality. 960 01:00:05,020 --> 01:00:08,220 Speaker 2: Remember you could be It's not that we were created immortal. 961 01:00:08,540 --> 01:00:12,180 Speaker 2: We were created with the possibility of immortality by constantly 962 01:00:12,220 --> 01:00:13,580 Speaker 2: eating from the tree of life. 963 01:00:14,180 --> 01:00:17,580 Speaker 3: We had another choice. Remember, it's one or the other. 964 01:00:17,740 --> 01:00:19,860 Speaker 3: God says it clearly, it's one or the other. 965 01:00:19,980 --> 01:00:22,740 Speaker 2: Eat from the true of immortality or eat from the 966 01:00:22,740 --> 01:00:28,180 Speaker 2: tree of knowledge of everything. And the moment they had 967 01:00:28,220 --> 01:00:32,019 Speaker 2: a choice, they ate from the tree of knowledge. 968 01:00:32,140 --> 01:00:35,340 Speaker 3: I'll take it, I will take. 969 01:00:35,180 --> 01:00:39,020 Speaker 2: It over immortality and that's what you would have said. 970 01:00:39,780 --> 01:00:45,060 Speaker 2: That's the point. They're human, you're human. That's what we want. 971 01:00:46,060 --> 01:00:50,300 Speaker 2: That's what I've always learned from this story that we 972 01:00:50,620 --> 01:00:55,860 Speaker 2: rather be fully alive than live forever. Those are your choices, 973 01:00:56,380 --> 01:00:59,860 Speaker 2: really alive, know it all, and we want to know 974 01:00:59,940 --> 01:01:01,620 Speaker 2: it all. That's what humans are about. 975 01:01:01,700 --> 01:01:03,140 Speaker 3: We want to know it all. 976 01:01:03,460 --> 01:01:06,060 Speaker 2: That is why when a man and a woman sleep together. 977 01:01:06,140 --> 01:01:08,620 Speaker 2: In the Bible, it says, and Adam. 978 01:01:08,340 --> 01:01:15,660 Speaker 3: Knew Eve and Abraham knew Sarah. 979 01:01:16,140 --> 01:01:18,900 Speaker 2: That's what knowledge is about, and that's the knowledge we want. 980 01:01:18,980 --> 01:01:21,900 Speaker 2: He couldn't have had knowledge. He could have created, but 981 01:01:21,980 --> 01:01:24,780 Speaker 2: he wouldn't have known woman, and woman wouldn't have known man. 982 01:01:26,140 --> 01:01:29,900 Speaker 2: And we prefer to know than to live a long 983 01:01:30,100 --> 01:01:33,539 Speaker 2: life like an intelligent animal, which is all we would be. 984 01:01:35,820 --> 01:01:40,580 Speaker 2: That's why the story is so great. Anybody in there 985 01:01:40,580 --> 01:01:43,260 Speaker 2: would have done the same thing. That's what human's up for, 986 01:01:45,700 --> 01:01:49,499 Speaker 2: and that's the story of all our lives. You want 987 01:01:49,540 --> 01:01:53,780 Speaker 2: the safe course or do you want to live life? 988 01:01:53,820 --> 01:01:57,499 Speaker 2: The Bible comes down with the following. If you want 989 01:01:57,540 --> 01:02:02,580 Speaker 2: to know life, you will have pain. But you know, 990 01:02:02,660 --> 01:02:06,780 Speaker 2: it's funny. We always speak about what happened to Adam 991 01:02:06,820 --> 01:02:09,100 Speaker 2: and Eve's punishment for reading, as you'll see in the 992 01:02:09,180 --> 01:02:13,020 Speaker 2: later chapter, but never says they were punished. It just 993 01:02:13,020 --> 01:02:15,419 Speaker 2: says God said, because you wait from the tree, this 994 01:02:15,500 --> 01:02:18,060 Speaker 2: is what's going to happen. Never says I'm punishing you. 995 01:02:18,740 --> 01:02:22,900 Speaker 2: It's a very common misconception. And this is the consequence 996 01:02:22,940 --> 01:02:26,740 Speaker 2: of knowledge. The consequence of knowledge is pain. You want 997 01:02:26,740 --> 01:02:28,820 Speaker 2: to be naive, you'll have less pain, and a lot 998 01:02:28,820 --> 01:02:29,860 Speaker 2: of people prefer that. 999 01:02:30,460 --> 01:02:32,340 Speaker 3: Don't. I don't want to hear, I don't want to know. 1000 01:02:33,860 --> 01:02:36,939 Speaker 2: I am convinced that seven hours a day of television 1001 01:02:36,940 --> 01:02:38,580 Speaker 2: in the average American home is. 1002 01:02:38,580 --> 01:02:40,260 Speaker 3: A way of not dealing with pain. 1003 01:02:40,940 --> 01:02:45,580 Speaker 2: It anesthetizes you, noises on, it blocks out other stuff, 1004 01:02:46,060 --> 01:02:48,620 Speaker 2: but you don't live a life. Then they're leading lives 1005 01:02:48,620 --> 01:02:51,620 Speaker 2: in television land, but you're not in your living room. 1006 01:02:53,500 --> 01:02:57,939 Speaker 2: That's the choice we have in life. Live intensely and 1007 01:02:58,060 --> 01:03:00,220 Speaker 2: have a lot of pain. That's the way God created 1008 01:03:00,220 --> 01:03:03,220 Speaker 2: the world. Those are your choices, or eat from the 1009 01:03:03,260 --> 01:03:03,820 Speaker 2: tree of life. 1010 01:03:03,860 --> 01:03:05,380 Speaker 3: You just tree of. 1011 01:03:05,340 --> 01:03:09,499 Speaker 2: Life is being very healthy, healthy, healthy, and drop dead 1012 01:03:10,580 --> 01:03:12,820 Speaker 2: and you spend And I am convinced that that is 1013 01:03:12,860 --> 01:03:15,860 Speaker 2: a part of it. People are deeply afraid of intense 1014 01:03:15,900 --> 01:03:24,500 Speaker 2: living because intense living from bungee jumping to taking a 1015 01:03:24,620 --> 01:03:29,020 Speaker 2: tour on your own rather than with the group is difficult. 1016 01:03:30,580 --> 01:03:32,020 Speaker 3: Getting married is difficult. 1017 01:03:32,060 --> 01:03:34,019 Speaker 2: So you have all these men walking around who don't 1018 01:03:34,060 --> 01:03:37,780 Speaker 2: want the pain of marriage. They want the tree of life, 1019 01:03:37,820 --> 01:03:42,539 Speaker 2: of eternal eternal youth, and they have it, and they're 1020 01:03:42,580 --> 01:03:46,820 Speaker 2: empty and they're still children, but they don't want the pain. 1021 01:03:47,100 --> 01:03:49,940 Speaker 2: And for a man more than for a woman, is 1022 01:03:50,340 --> 01:03:53,700 Speaker 2: a realization of the pain that marriage will bring, because 1023 01:03:53,740 --> 01:03:56,540 Speaker 2: it is a denial of certain very inherent stuff. This 1024 01:03:56,620 --> 01:04:00,020 Speaker 2: is not to say that later the pain isn't charit equally, 1025 01:04:01,220 --> 01:04:02,220 Speaker 2: all right, It's. 1026 01:04:01,980 --> 01:04:02,700 Speaker 3: Not to say that. 1027 01:04:03,380 --> 01:04:05,700 Speaker 2: It's just to say that at the outset, men are 1028 01:04:05,780 --> 01:04:08,980 Speaker 2: more aware of the price, so they don't want the 1029 01:04:09,060 --> 01:04:11,300 Speaker 2: pain and they don't need from the tree of knowledge. 1030 01:04:13,140 --> 01:04:14,979 Speaker 2: I think it's a very big I think the same 1031 01:04:14,980 --> 01:04:18,260 Speaker 2: thing with opting not to have children. It's a safer 1032 01:04:18,300 --> 01:04:22,540 Speaker 2: way to live life. It's less There's no question the 1033 01:04:22,700 --> 01:04:25,340 Speaker 2: ratio of pain to pleasure with children. 1034 01:04:28,580 --> 01:04:33,540 Speaker 3: Is an interesting one, which twee you can reflect on 1035 01:04:34,700 --> 01:04:35,940 Speaker 3: at your leisure. 1036 01:04:37,980 --> 01:04:40,860 Speaker 2: But to opt if you don't have children, you don't 1037 01:04:40,860 --> 01:04:43,180 Speaker 2: have children. It's not the end of the world. But 1038 01:04:43,300 --> 01:04:45,740 Speaker 2: to choose not to have children unless. 1039 01:04:45,460 --> 01:04:47,220 Speaker 3: They are just extreme circumstances. 1040 01:04:47,340 --> 01:04:50,140 Speaker 2: And I would never try to convince anybody to have children. 1041 01:04:50,500 --> 01:04:54,740 Speaker 2: I'm speaking now, not to an individual. I'm speaking generically. 1042 01:04:55,580 --> 01:05:00,500 Speaker 2: It's a choice for no pain. What Genesis is saying 1043 01:05:00,580 --> 01:05:04,260 Speaker 2: here is to live, to know it all is to 1044 01:05:04,260 --> 01:05:08,180 Speaker 2: have a lot of pain. But this is the human choice. 1045 01:05:08,620 --> 01:05:14,340 Speaker 2: God doesn't get angry at Adam. It's fascinating. He just says, Okay, 1046 01:05:14,700 --> 01:05:18,540 Speaker 2: you made your choice. This is what happens, as you 1047 01:05:18,540 --> 01:05:21,460 Speaker 2: will see later. And that is what the choice that 1048 01:05:21,540 --> 01:05:25,579 Speaker 2: we make. It's ennobling of human beings. I have never 1049 01:05:25,660 --> 01:05:28,740 Speaker 2: looked at Adam the great sinner. It's not my tradition. 1050 01:05:28,900 --> 01:05:31,380 Speaker 3: A and B. I don't see it that way. 1051 01:05:31,700 --> 01:05:34,980 Speaker 2: I'd have done it the second. God would have said, 1052 01:05:35,100 --> 01:05:36,500 Speaker 2: don't you touch that tree? 1053 01:05:37,100 --> 01:05:38,939 Speaker 3: Where is it? Exactly? Where is it? 1054 01:05:40,140 --> 01:05:45,180 Speaker 2: By the way, And you know what's fascinating here, All 1055 01:05:45,340 --> 01:05:48,220 Speaker 2: the trees were nice and good to touch. 1056 01:05:48,460 --> 01:05:49,380 Speaker 3: Okay, it goes out. 1057 01:05:49,260 --> 01:05:55,860 Speaker 2: Of its way to show the the rebelliousness of Adam's decision. 1058 01:05:55,980 --> 01:05:58,419 Speaker 3: It wasn't like God made it a really tough thing. 1059 01:05:58,940 --> 01:06:02,539 Speaker 3: All the other trees were ugly, miserable. 1060 01:06:01,980 --> 01:06:07,060 Speaker 2: Tasting, and one delicious looking tree with ripe cantilopeses in 1061 01:06:07,100 --> 01:06:10,499 Speaker 2: the middle. It isn't that way at all looking it's 1062 01:06:10,500 --> 01:06:13,459 Speaker 2: what's so beautiful Verse time, and God makes all these 1063 01:06:13,580 --> 01:06:17,420 Speaker 2: beautiful trees to look at and delicious the weed from 1064 01:06:18,220 --> 01:06:21,700 Speaker 2: that's all but one tree. If you eat from that tree, 1065 01:06:21,740 --> 01:06:25,140 Speaker 2: you're going to know everything, but you can live forever 1066 01:06:25,380 --> 01:06:27,940 Speaker 2: if you keep eating from the other tree. That's the point. 1067 01:06:27,980 --> 01:06:30,900 Speaker 2: That is how I have resolved the delay. We were 1068 01:06:30,900 --> 01:06:34,700 Speaker 2: not made immortal. We could have chosen immortality by eating 1069 01:06:34,740 --> 01:06:35,580 Speaker 2: from that tree. 1070 01:06:36,100 --> 01:06:40,260 Speaker 3: And you know what happened. Let's go on verse ten. 1071 01:06:42,420 --> 01:06:44,060 Speaker 3: There was this one. 1072 01:06:44,300 --> 01:06:49,260 Speaker 2: If I'd have edited the Torah, which I didn't, I 1073 01:06:49,300 --> 01:06:52,940 Speaker 2: would not have included the next couple of verses about 1074 01:06:52,980 --> 01:06:57,100 Speaker 2: which rivers came out of Eden. It has only struck 1075 01:06:57,180 --> 01:07:01,700 Speaker 2: me as a remarkably unimportant little item. But it obviously 1076 01:07:01,780 --> 01:07:05,780 Speaker 2: isn't It obviously had great importance for the Jews at 1077 01:07:05,780 --> 01:07:06,220 Speaker 2: the time. 1078 01:07:06,620 --> 01:07:09,580 Speaker 3: They all must have meant something. It was very physical. 1079 01:07:09,700 --> 01:07:12,140 Speaker 2: Listen, now, I want to tell you where Eden, where 1080 01:07:12,180 --> 01:07:15,020 Speaker 2: the Goarden of Eden was. Okay, so it gives you 1081 01:07:15,140 --> 01:07:18,140 Speaker 2: various names, some of which are not findable today, but 1082 01:07:18,180 --> 01:07:19,420 Speaker 2: which clearly meant something. 1083 01:07:19,460 --> 01:07:22,060 Speaker 3: Then I won't get you all of them. It's not important. 1084 01:07:22,060 --> 01:07:25,380 Speaker 2: But what is fascinating is the literary device here, all 1085 01:07:25,460 --> 01:07:26,020 Speaker 2: the tension. 1086 01:07:26,860 --> 01:07:30,300 Speaker 3: Remember it didn't even end with the verb. Remember the sentence. 1087 01:07:30,860 --> 01:07:34,260 Speaker 2: It's and the tree of life is in the middle 1088 01:07:34,260 --> 01:07:36,340 Speaker 2: of the garden, and a tree of knowledge of good 1089 01:07:36,380 --> 01:07:36,740 Speaker 2: and bad. 1090 01:07:37,860 --> 01:07:39,140 Speaker 3: And the rivers. 1091 01:07:38,740 --> 01:07:41,860 Speaker 2: Which came out of the you know, like, who cares 1092 01:07:41,900 --> 01:07:46,939 Speaker 2: what happened? It's a it's very Beethoven. Like Beethoven, that's 1093 01:07:46,940 --> 01:07:50,060 Speaker 2: how romantic music was really developed. You get tension, tension, tension, 1094 01:07:50,220 --> 01:07:53,780 Speaker 2: and a low, nice, lovely melody had attention, tension, tension, tension, 1095 01:07:53,980 --> 01:07:55,020 Speaker 2: and that's what's happened to you. 1096 01:07:55,460 --> 01:07:57,340 Speaker 3: So what's with the trees? Let me first tell you 1097 01:07:57,380 --> 01:07:58,380 Speaker 3: about the four rivers. 1098 01:07:59,220 --> 01:08:03,580 Speaker 2: Well, that's really really concerning you at this time, So 1099 01:08:03,660 --> 01:08:07,500 Speaker 2: we will skip the four rivers and go to verse fifteen. 1100 01:08:09,700 --> 01:08:13,820 Speaker 2: God elo him, all right, and I yellow him. 1101 01:08:12,620 --> 01:08:16,460 Speaker 3: They took Adam and he puts him. 1102 01:08:16,460 --> 01:08:18,060 Speaker 2: This is a repeat of what you had earlier. It's 1103 01:08:18,100 --> 01:08:20,860 Speaker 2: just it's a recapitulation. And he put him in the 1104 01:08:21,220 --> 01:08:23,099 Speaker 2: by the way, it's such a beautiful word of Hebrew 1105 01:08:23,140 --> 01:08:27,580 Speaker 2: vayani Hahu. It really means and he very lightly put 1106 01:08:27,660 --> 01:08:32,060 Speaker 2: him down. It's this vision of very carefully, like your 1107 01:08:32,100 --> 01:08:34,939 Speaker 2: most treasured little item. He put him down in the 1108 01:08:34,980 --> 01:08:38,179 Speaker 2: garden of Eden, to work at it. And here's where 1109 01:08:38,220 --> 01:08:41,140 Speaker 2: you have the real word for work, abo da avda. 1110 01:08:41,540 --> 01:08:49,700 Speaker 2: To work at it and to watch over it. Verse sixteen. 1111 01:08:53,460 --> 01:08:59,219 Speaker 2: And God commanded Adam, the atom, the man. It's generic, 1112 01:08:59,300 --> 01:09:02,860 Speaker 2: it's not even it's still the human. And God commanded 1113 01:09:02,860 --> 01:09:07,420 Speaker 2: the humans, saying, from every tree in the garden, you 1114 01:09:07,460 --> 01:09:10,259 Speaker 2: shall eat again the vegetarian statement. 1115 01:09:10,540 --> 01:09:13,139 Speaker 3: In other words, don't eat from the. 1116 01:09:14,900 --> 01:09:21,500 Speaker 2: From the animals, and really seventeen continues, but from the 1117 01:09:21,620 --> 01:09:24,540 Speaker 2: tree of knowledge of good and bad, don't eat from it, 1118 01:09:26,540 --> 01:09:31,500 Speaker 2: because on the day you eat from it, you will die. 1119 01:09:32,420 --> 01:09:38,259 Speaker 2: Another proof that day doesn't mean twenty four hour period, 1120 01:09:38,979 --> 01:09:39,740 Speaker 2: because if it. 1121 01:09:39,740 --> 01:09:44,979 Speaker 3: Did, God lied because the day Adam and Eve ate 1122 01:09:45,019 --> 01:09:50,299 Speaker 3: from it, they didn't die. So it can't mean the day. 1123 01:09:50,500 --> 01:09:56,059 Speaker 2: It means the period, the time, the time that you 1124 01:09:56,180 --> 01:09:59,660 Speaker 2: eat from it. Does it have day in your translations 1125 01:09:59,660 --> 01:10:02,059 Speaker 2: because on the day that you eat from it, it doesn't. 1126 01:10:02,300 --> 01:10:03,939 Speaker 3: What's wrong with your translations? 1127 01:10:04,900 --> 01:10:09,340 Speaker 2: What do you have when? See when is correct, but 1128 01:10:09,420 --> 01:10:11,979 Speaker 2: it's not literal. See that's the trouble. They should really 1129 01:10:12,019 --> 01:10:16,179 Speaker 2: have two translations of the Bible, literal and figurative. That 1130 01:10:16,220 --> 01:10:18,660 Speaker 2: would be a bigger help for everybody to learn Bible. 1131 01:10:19,059 --> 01:10:22,780 Speaker 2: It's another project el embark if I live forever, but 1132 01:10:22,860 --> 01:10:24,740 Speaker 2: I've already eaten from the Tree of Knowledge of good 1133 01:10:24,780 --> 01:10:27,420 Speaker 2: and evil so heavily that I have indigestion. 1134 01:10:30,180 --> 01:10:33,500 Speaker 1: This episode of Timeless Wisdom will continue right after this. 1135 01:10:38,059 --> 01:10:42,500 Speaker 1: Now back to more of Dennis Prager's Timeless Wisdom. 1136 01:10:42,900 --> 01:10:50,700 Speaker 2: Okay anyway, so yes, when you eat from it, you 1137 01:10:50,740 --> 01:11:03,299 Speaker 2: will die. God, God or Ado nayelo him said, then 1138 01:11:04,099 --> 01:11:05,580 Speaker 2: it's really right. 1139 01:11:05,620 --> 01:11:09,019 Speaker 3: Now it's a jump, it's totally unrelated, but. 1140 01:11:09,059 --> 01:11:12,179 Speaker 2: This is truly one of the great great verses of 1141 01:11:12,220 --> 01:11:16,220 Speaker 2: the of the Bible. And then God said, it's not 1142 01:11:16,420 --> 01:11:21,099 Speaker 2: good for the man to be alone. I'm going to 1143 01:11:21,140 --> 01:11:25,460 Speaker 2: make for him. And here it's very unfortunate. The translation. 1144 01:11:25,580 --> 01:11:28,139 Speaker 2: I want to give you literal translation and do what 1145 01:11:28,180 --> 01:11:33,220 Speaker 2: you want with it. Haeser is helper, that's correct. But 1146 01:11:33,380 --> 01:11:37,700 Speaker 2: whatever else. The words that are used Kennegad in Hebrew. 1147 01:11:37,380 --> 01:11:37,979 Speaker 3: Has a meaning. 1148 01:11:38,180 --> 01:11:42,499 Speaker 2: It means equal to it's constantly used in the Tumud. 1149 01:11:42,979 --> 01:11:46,059 Speaker 2: For example, it will say that learning tora is equal 1150 01:11:46,140 --> 01:11:47,460 Speaker 2: to all the other commandments. 1151 01:11:47,500 --> 01:11:50,540 Speaker 3: It uses the word kennegid. That's what's used here. 1152 01:11:51,620 --> 01:11:56,099 Speaker 2: I will make for him a helper who is his equal. 1153 01:11:56,820 --> 01:12:00,660 Speaker 2: That is what it says. This is not post feminist hermeneutics. 1154 01:12:01,019 --> 01:12:04,179 Speaker 2: Believe me, I am totally prepared to read the Bible 1155 01:12:04,460 --> 01:12:07,219 Speaker 2: as it is, with any difficulty a modern human being 1156 01:12:07,300 --> 01:12:10,740 Speaker 2: would have. But it says it, so we might as 1157 01:12:10,740 --> 01:12:12,139 Speaker 2: well read it as it says it. 1158 01:12:12,460 --> 01:12:12,660 Speaker 3: Now. 1159 01:12:12,700 --> 01:12:17,299 Speaker 2: The fascinating part is feminists may not like. I won't say, 1160 01:12:17,340 --> 01:12:21,939 Speaker 2: will not like. Feminists come in different varieties. Feminists may 1161 01:12:21,939 --> 01:12:24,580 Speaker 2: not like the helper part. They like the equal part, 1162 01:12:24,780 --> 01:12:27,580 Speaker 2: but not the helper part. Whether you like it or not, 1163 01:12:28,300 --> 01:12:30,259 Speaker 2: that is the way it is written. 1164 01:12:31,220 --> 01:12:32,059 Speaker 3: I like it. 1165 01:12:33,500 --> 01:12:37,740 Speaker 2: I think helper who is his equal is the perfect 1166 01:12:38,500 --> 01:12:43,460 Speaker 2: statement of the ideal relationship of a helper, but not 1167 01:12:43,540 --> 01:12:47,979 Speaker 2: a helper as in my butler, my maid, my servant, 1168 01:12:48,340 --> 01:12:52,660 Speaker 2: my equal. Because if it is not as helper, then 1169 01:12:52,740 --> 01:12:55,820 Speaker 2: what is our relationship just as equals? 1170 01:12:56,059 --> 01:12:58,900 Speaker 3: Then what do we do for each other? It can't be. 1171 01:12:58,939 --> 01:13:00,740 Speaker 2: It could have said an I will make for him 1172 01:13:00,939 --> 01:13:06,660 Speaker 2: a being his equal. It could have been sl nefeschaya connecto, 1173 01:13:07,780 --> 01:13:09,019 Speaker 2: I will make from a living. 1174 01:13:08,900 --> 01:13:09,740 Speaker 3: Being his equal. 1175 01:13:09,860 --> 01:13:12,219 Speaker 2: Use the word equal but not helper, or it could 1176 01:13:12,260 --> 01:13:14,059 Speaker 2: have been I will make him an aser, a helper, 1177 01:13:14,460 --> 01:13:18,500 Speaker 2: but not half his equal. I think this choice of words, 1178 01:13:18,540 --> 01:13:20,580 Speaker 2: which seem in a way and they are, there's a ten. 1179 01:13:21,180 --> 01:13:24,700 Speaker 2: How can you be my helper and my equal? That's 1180 01:13:24,740 --> 01:13:28,099 Speaker 2: a very large tension in male female relations to begin with. 1181 01:13:28,500 --> 01:13:29,580 Speaker 3: How do you be both? 1182 01:13:30,300 --> 01:13:33,579 Speaker 2: But I cannot imagine another way that male female relations 1183 01:13:33,620 --> 01:13:35,820 Speaker 2: can work out. Now you may want to argue, well, no, 1184 01:13:35,900 --> 01:13:37,700 Speaker 2: it should be the other way. He should be her 1185 01:13:37,780 --> 01:13:40,860 Speaker 2: helper and equal to her. Okay, that's not the way 1186 01:13:40,900 --> 01:13:43,179 Speaker 2: it was set up. You may say that that's the 1187 01:13:43,220 --> 01:13:45,099 Speaker 2: way you would like to make it. Thank God, it's 1188 01:13:45,099 --> 01:13:47,019 Speaker 2: a free country, and I mean. 1189 01:13:46,900 --> 01:13:48,099 Speaker 3: That with no tongue in cheek. 1190 01:13:48,180 --> 01:13:50,500 Speaker 2: Thank God it is, and you are free to experiment 1191 01:13:50,540 --> 01:13:55,780 Speaker 2: in that way. Generally speaking, my own humble experience of 1192 01:13:55,979 --> 01:14:00,299 Speaker 2: observation has been that equality is necessary and the sense 1193 01:14:00,340 --> 01:14:03,300 Speaker 2: of help is necessary to make things work in what 1194 01:14:03,620 --> 01:14:09,780 Speaker 2: is already a tension filled possibility of the opposite sexes 1195 01:14:10,420 --> 01:14:15,179 Speaker 2: strangers spending their lives together. It's a tough thing to 1196 01:14:15,260 --> 01:14:17,780 Speaker 2: work out, and nobody knows it better than Westerners who 1197 01:14:17,820 --> 01:14:21,099 Speaker 2: divorce all the time, and others who refuse to marry 1198 01:14:21,220 --> 01:14:25,979 Speaker 2: or afraid of marying it is a difficult thing, But 1199 01:14:26,140 --> 01:14:29,700 Speaker 2: that is the way in which her creation is described. 1200 01:14:30,140 --> 01:14:32,179 Speaker 2: You might have preferred it the other way, and I 1201 01:14:32,260 --> 01:14:36,100 Speaker 2: honor that, But at least understand what is written biblically 1202 01:14:36,620 --> 01:14:40,139 Speaker 2: as God's, as the understanding of the way God would 1203 01:14:40,140 --> 01:14:43,500 Speaker 2: do it. Some will argue again feminists, whether male or female, Well, 1204 01:14:43,580 --> 01:14:47,019 Speaker 2: who is written? They would argue by males from a 1205 01:14:47,059 --> 01:14:49,339 Speaker 2: male point of view, and obviously that's the way they'll 1206 01:14:49,340 --> 01:14:53,300 Speaker 2: describe it. Maybe so I have no answer to that. 1207 01:14:53,380 --> 01:14:55,339 Speaker 2: I can only tell you that this is the way 1208 01:14:55,420 --> 01:14:58,500 Speaker 2: it is written. Deal with it as you will. I 1209 01:14:58,540 --> 01:15:00,540 Speaker 2: think there is a great deal to say for that 1210 01:15:00,700 --> 01:15:06,179 Speaker 2: tension of equality and help. I think that a lot 1211 01:15:06,220 --> 01:15:10,420 Speaker 2: of couples today who have only the equality, and where 1212 01:15:10,420 --> 01:15:12,219 Speaker 2: there isn't the sense of helping the other. 1213 01:15:12,340 --> 01:15:12,860 Speaker 3: I have my. 1214 01:15:12,939 --> 01:15:20,020 Speaker 2: Career, you have your career, and neither is particularly there 1215 01:15:20,260 --> 01:15:24,019 Speaker 2: for the the other. Because we have equal macro roles 1216 01:15:24,099 --> 01:15:28,860 Speaker 2: in this world. Some people make that work. It seems 1217 01:15:29,019 --> 01:15:31,419 Speaker 2: not to be such a wonderful thing. Though in theory 1218 01:15:31,460 --> 01:15:34,740 Speaker 2: it may have worked out, in practice it seems not 1219 01:15:34,820 --> 01:15:39,419 Speaker 2: to have worked out his macro role, not him because 1220 01:15:39,460 --> 01:15:43,700 Speaker 2: he's male, but his macro role may need the helper 1221 01:15:44,059 --> 01:15:46,740 Speaker 2: that she can support him with, but she is totally 1222 01:15:46,820 --> 01:15:49,979 Speaker 2: his equal. That is the way I read this. Some 1223 01:15:50,019 --> 01:15:53,660 Speaker 2: people will gag on it. I appreciate that, but that 1224 01:15:53,820 --> 01:15:56,660 Speaker 2: is my reading that well, that is the I think 1225 01:15:56,700 --> 01:15:59,700 Speaker 2: the honest reading. You can say you reject it, but 1226 01:15:59,740 --> 01:16:04,620 Speaker 2: the honest reading is helper who is his equal, and 1227 01:16:04,700 --> 01:16:08,260 Speaker 2: therefore he is to see her that way too. It 1228 01:16:08,820 --> 01:16:14,339 Speaker 2: goes in both directions, in both in both ways. Okay, Now, 1229 01:16:19,580 --> 01:16:22,780 Speaker 2: the next sentence is it's very difficult. If there is 1230 01:16:22,939 --> 01:16:27,299 Speaker 2: any logical continuity, we've got a problem here. 1231 01:16:27,820 --> 01:16:30,540 Speaker 3: God says, I am going to create a helper who 1232 01:16:30,580 --> 01:16:32,860 Speaker 3: is his equal. What is the next sentence? 1233 01:16:33,140 --> 01:16:35,059 Speaker 2: Tell me you would not expect the next sentence? And 1234 01:16:35,220 --> 01:16:41,179 Speaker 2: God created woman. And what we have rather is God 1235 01:16:41,620 --> 01:16:46,660 Speaker 2: made from the earth all the beasts, at all the 1236 01:16:46,860 --> 01:16:49,340 Speaker 2: at all the foul, and he. 1237 01:16:49,340 --> 01:16:53,900 Speaker 5: Brought them to the man to see what he will 1238 01:16:54,140 --> 01:16:59,860 Speaker 5: what he will call it, and whatever he calls it. 1239 01:17:00,780 --> 01:17:06,179 Speaker 3: Whatever he calls that living being that's its name. Does 1240 01:17:06,220 --> 01:17:07,500 Speaker 3: that seem slightly like. 1241 01:17:07,780 --> 01:17:11,860 Speaker 2: Either a non secultur or what exactly did God have 1242 01:17:11,939 --> 01:17:15,939 Speaker 2: in mind? As a helper equal to him. Well, the 1243 01:17:16,059 --> 01:17:20,500 Speaker 2: very interesting thing, isn't it. It's a very difficult thing. Now, 1244 01:17:21,580 --> 01:17:25,299 Speaker 2: First of all, there is one there's another operative element 1245 01:17:25,380 --> 01:17:35,099 Speaker 2: here of naming. Naming makes make something real. It's just 1246 01:17:35,099 --> 01:17:38,860 Speaker 2: a fascinating element to it. It's like we decided to 1247 01:17:38,979 --> 01:17:46,219 Speaker 2: no longer name our saltwater fish because when they died, 1248 01:17:47,580 --> 01:17:51,660 Speaker 2: my wife got very very upset because it wasn't that 1249 01:17:51,740 --> 01:17:53,219 Speaker 2: a blue Chromis died. 1250 01:17:53,939 --> 01:17:58,620 Speaker 3: It was that Jerry died. There's a very big. 1251 01:17:58,380 --> 01:18:02,420 Speaker 2: Difference between you know, the blue Chromis died, the one 1252 01:18:02,420 --> 01:18:06,580 Speaker 2: with the yellow tail. Let's get another one. And Jerry 1253 01:18:06,620 --> 01:18:10,660 Speaker 2: died today at four o'clock. He was lying upside down 1254 01:18:10,700 --> 01:18:18,340 Speaker 2: in the tank. Names give a very real sense of reality. 1255 01:18:18,380 --> 01:18:22,740 Speaker 2: It is a fascinating, fascinating thing. So now, anyway, that's 1256 01:18:22,820 --> 01:18:25,099 Speaker 2: part of what is going on here. And Adam names 1257 01:18:25,140 --> 01:18:28,259 Speaker 2: all of these, all of these animals. But what does 1258 01:18:28,300 --> 01:18:31,260 Speaker 2: it mean with after the sentence that God wants to 1259 01:18:31,340 --> 01:18:34,059 Speaker 2: make him a helper who's his equal. So what is 1260 01:18:34,059 --> 01:18:39,620 Speaker 2: he bringing him animals for? Oh, an eagle? Wonderful? Maybe 1261 01:18:39,740 --> 01:18:43,540 Speaker 2: that is it. So let's see what else happens. Verse 1262 01:18:43,580 --> 01:18:47,660 Speaker 2: twenty Vaikard dom Seimo la cala aim I'm God, and 1263 01:18:48,059 --> 01:18:50,900 Speaker 2: Adam gave and the Adam the. 1264 01:18:50,780 --> 01:18:54,179 Speaker 3: Man, he still doesn't happen name. In effect, it's still 1265 01:18:54,220 --> 01:18:55,219 Speaker 3: the man each time. 1266 01:18:55,740 --> 01:18:59,620 Speaker 2: And the man gave names to all of the all 1267 01:18:59,660 --> 01:19:02,660 Speaker 2: of the animals, and to all of the birds of 1268 01:19:02,700 --> 01:19:06,380 Speaker 2: the sky, and to all the beasts of the wilderness. 1269 01:19:06,900 --> 01:19:10,900 Speaker 3: And uh, but it's such beautiful Nehbrew. 1270 01:19:11,019 --> 01:19:16,979 Speaker 2: But for Adam there was no finding a helper equal 1271 01:19:17,019 --> 01:19:22,139 Speaker 2: to him. Well, the implication seems to me pretty clear 1272 01:19:22,260 --> 01:19:25,380 Speaker 2: that he was looking for a helper among the animals. 1273 01:19:26,340 --> 01:19:30,939 Speaker 2: He was looking for companionship. Remember it all starts with 1274 01:19:31,059 --> 01:19:33,299 Speaker 2: God said it's not good for man to be alone. 1275 01:19:33,300 --> 01:19:36,939 Speaker 2: Remember that that's the statement, and then the next thing 1276 01:19:38,380 --> 01:19:42,179 Speaker 2: is God brings animals. Clearly there was something to be 1277 01:19:42,260 --> 01:19:46,620 Speaker 2: taught here. The major thing I think to be taught 1278 01:19:46,820 --> 01:19:51,059 Speaker 2: is that we need people that. 1279 01:19:52,580 --> 01:19:55,980 Speaker 3: Patcha all of the greatness. 1280 01:19:55,979 --> 01:19:59,099 Speaker 2: And there is in having dogs and God. The amount 1281 01:19:59,140 --> 01:20:03,700 Speaker 2: of joy that we get from our dogs sometimes bothers me. Okay, 1282 01:20:03,780 --> 01:20:07,220 Speaker 2: it is that high an amount of joy. 1283 01:20:07,300 --> 01:20:12,340 Speaker 3: That's But our real companion is it going to. 1284 01:20:12,300 --> 01:20:16,139 Speaker 2: Be a human and a specific human the opposite sex human, 1285 01:20:16,380 --> 01:20:18,259 Speaker 2: which will come to in a moment because this stuff 1286 01:20:18,300 --> 01:20:20,580 Speaker 2: is filled with politically incorrect things. 1287 01:20:20,979 --> 01:20:22,780 Speaker 3: It's just filled with him. 1288 01:20:23,460 --> 01:20:26,500 Speaker 2: That it's not animals that he couldn't find his place 1289 01:20:26,540 --> 01:20:29,939 Speaker 2: among the animals. It's not an ecosystem, only he couldn't 1290 01:20:29,979 --> 01:20:33,300 Speaker 2: find it. First of all, they may help us animals, 1291 01:20:33,340 --> 01:20:37,700 Speaker 2: but they are never our equals. Whatever else will be said, 1292 01:20:37,740 --> 01:20:40,980 Speaker 2: between you and your German shepherd, it is not an equality. 1293 01:20:41,059 --> 01:20:44,660 Speaker 2: It is not an egalitarian relationship. I god willing, I 1294 01:20:44,700 --> 01:20:47,780 Speaker 2: certainly hope that is true. No, and it needs to 1295 01:20:47,780 --> 01:20:48,900 Speaker 2: be added in our time. 1296 01:20:50,340 --> 01:20:53,299 Speaker 3: But it is interesting. It's really a way of saying. 1297 01:20:53,820 --> 01:20:57,180 Speaker 2: The logical thing was for him to look among the animals, 1298 01:20:57,540 --> 01:21:02,500 Speaker 2: gave them names. You're a hippopotamus, you're a you're an eagle, 1299 01:21:02,660 --> 01:21:07,379 Speaker 2: you're a bird, you're a type of bird. So didn't work, okay, 1300 01:21:07,500 --> 01:21:13,580 Speaker 2: didn't work with the animals. So he could not find 1301 01:21:13,620 --> 01:21:16,459 Speaker 2: And it says he couldn't find it a helpmate equal 1302 01:21:16,500 --> 01:21:16,860 Speaker 2: to him. 1303 01:21:17,180 --> 01:21:18,860 Speaker 3: It doesn't say couldn't find a helpmate. 1304 01:21:19,420 --> 01:21:22,979 Speaker 2: Dogs are your helpers, Horses are your helpers, Cows are 1305 01:21:23,019 --> 01:21:24,060 Speaker 2: your helpers. 1306 01:21:24,300 --> 01:21:27,379 Speaker 3: But none of them are your equal. You're alone without 1307 01:21:27,380 --> 01:21:30,820 Speaker 3: an equal. That's the other thing that is being said here. 1308 01:21:31,660 --> 01:21:36,580 Speaker 2: Even if you have a companion human, but they're not 1309 01:21:36,700 --> 01:21:41,620 Speaker 2: your equal, you are still not fully cured of your loneliness. 1310 01:21:42,140 --> 01:21:45,299 Speaker 3: That's radical. That's radical. 1311 01:21:45,820 --> 01:21:49,539 Speaker 2: That's why kids can't stop it. They're not your equals, 1312 01:21:49,580 --> 01:21:55,219 Speaker 2: your kids, when all is said and done, that is 1313 01:21:55,340 --> 01:21:57,340 Speaker 2: not what will assuaze your loneliness. 1314 01:21:57,420 --> 01:22:03,540 Speaker 3: Children. You need an equal. It's powerful, powerful stuff. 1315 01:22:05,780 --> 01:22:11,700 Speaker 2: So Adam realizes he's not going to find a helper 1316 01:22:11,740 --> 01:22:15,780 Speaker 2: who's his equal among the animals Verse twenty one. 1317 01:22:18,180 --> 01:22:20,620 Speaker 3: And so God create. 1318 01:22:20,700 --> 01:22:24,580 Speaker 2: It's a great sleep twade ma is beyond sleep. It's 1319 01:22:24,620 --> 01:22:29,300 Speaker 2: really God gave an anesthetic would really be an appropriate 1320 01:22:29,380 --> 01:22:30,340 Speaker 2: modern translation. 1321 01:22:31,340 --> 01:22:34,860 Speaker 3: And he slept, and Adam and the man slept, and 1322 01:22:34,979 --> 01:22:38,299 Speaker 3: he took not the rib is not correct. Do any 1323 01:22:38,340 --> 01:22:39,660 Speaker 3: of you have rib? You do? 1324 01:22:40,260 --> 01:22:45,740 Speaker 2: It's really his side. He took from his side. Sela 1325 01:22:45,979 --> 01:22:50,059 Speaker 2: is really is really side. I checked into this. He 1326 01:22:50,140 --> 01:22:53,979 Speaker 2: took one of Adam's sides. That's really what it is. 1327 01:22:55,260 --> 01:23:00,339 Speaker 2: And then he closed the uh the the his skin 1328 01:23:01,620 --> 01:23:02,259 Speaker 2: over it. 1329 01:23:04,580 --> 01:23:08,179 Speaker 3: And God built. It's very interesting the term used here. 1330 01:23:08,979 --> 01:23:12,259 Speaker 2: It's not va yet Sahr, which we talked of earlier. 1331 01:23:12,620 --> 01:23:16,900 Speaker 2: It's not vayiv Ra created. It's not vas made. God 1332 01:23:17,019 --> 01:23:20,860 Speaker 2: built you have a vision of God the scope there 1333 01:23:21,140 --> 01:23:26,660 Speaker 2: now working on women. God built the side which he 1334 01:23:26,740 --> 01:23:31,300 Speaker 2: took from Adam into a woman. 1335 01:23:32,700 --> 01:23:40,540 Speaker 3: Issha, and he brought her to Adam. It's it's so beautiful. 1336 01:23:40,700 --> 01:23:45,139 Speaker 2: It could bring tears to your eyes, the touching miss 1337 01:23:45,260 --> 01:23:50,740 Speaker 2: of God's of God's acts. Here, Oh here you were 1338 01:23:50,780 --> 01:23:55,099 Speaker 2: looking here. I want you to meet by the way 1339 01:23:55,140 --> 01:23:58,139 Speaker 2: there is. The stuff is so rich in possibilities to 1340 01:23:58,500 --> 01:24:01,660 Speaker 2: read into it, like why didn't God do it while 1341 01:24:01,700 --> 01:24:05,700 Speaker 2: Adam was awake? He could have made it painless. God 1342 01:24:05,820 --> 01:24:08,380 Speaker 2: does miracles and so on? Why didn't God want him 1343 01:24:08,380 --> 01:24:09,500 Speaker 2: to see it? And it's something the. 1344 01:24:09,500 --> 01:24:12,460 Speaker 3: Rabbis, for example, deal with why why to put this sleep? 1345 01:24:12,500 --> 01:24:15,940 Speaker 3: And so on? Why from the side not from elsewhere. 1346 01:24:16,059 --> 01:24:19,019 Speaker 2: I mean, it's all stuff that you can you can 1347 01:24:19,059 --> 01:24:21,140 Speaker 2: work on as well. 1348 01:24:21,260 --> 01:24:28,260 Speaker 3: But God brings the brings her to Adam to the 1349 01:24:28,260 --> 01:24:31,380 Speaker 3: man again, it's Adam to the man. I would just 1350 01:24:31,540 --> 01:24:36,379 Speaker 3: like to tell you something that is pointed out by Sarna. 1351 01:24:37,180 --> 01:24:41,419 Speaker 2: We have no other example in the ancient Near East 1352 01:24:42,620 --> 01:24:48,019 Speaker 2: of a creation story of woman. This is unique in 1353 01:24:48,099 --> 01:24:54,059 Speaker 2: the ancient world. I think that alone tells you of 1354 01:24:54,180 --> 01:24:58,740 Speaker 2: a tremendous sense of awareness of the worth of woman as. 1355 01:24:58,540 --> 01:25:04,340 Speaker 3: Compared to parallel civilizations. Plus another thing that is pointed out. 1356 01:25:06,340 --> 01:25:12,660 Speaker 3: Man is created in one verse, woman in six. The 1357 01:25:12,820 --> 01:25:18,740 Speaker 3: care the poetry, the time is fascinating. 1358 01:25:19,140 --> 01:25:25,139 Speaker 2: He is, He's just made. He's just created. God to 1359 01:25:25,260 --> 01:25:30,460 Speaker 2: dust made man. But it's almost as if it took 1360 01:25:30,500 --> 01:25:34,019 Speaker 2: God more time, it took more effort. And by the way, 1361 01:25:34,340 --> 01:25:38,020 Speaker 2: because you certainly know by now, I am not politically 1362 01:25:38,059 --> 01:25:41,660 Speaker 2: correct on feminist issues, but I think that it is 1363 01:25:42,979 --> 01:25:46,820 Speaker 2: totally in keeping with the text to note that creation 1364 01:25:47,460 --> 01:25:53,979 Speaker 2: works progressively, that what is created later is a greater 1365 01:25:54,140 --> 01:25:59,259 Speaker 2: creation than that which preceded it. Woman is last. Woman 1366 01:25:59,939 --> 01:26:04,019 Speaker 2: can be argued to be the greatest creation. She comes 1367 01:26:04,140 --> 01:26:07,339 Speaker 2: after and is last, just like man is a greater 1368 01:26:07,460 --> 01:26:11,060 Speaker 2: creation than animal. Animal is a greater creation than vegetable, 1369 01:26:11,540 --> 01:26:14,900 Speaker 2: and so on and so forth. Woman is the final 1370 01:26:15,140 --> 01:26:18,979 Speaker 2: creative act of God. That's it, that ends at all. 1371 01:26:19,500 --> 01:26:23,660 Speaker 2: I can't get better than that. Not only that, not 1372 01:26:23,700 --> 01:26:26,580 Speaker 2: only that, If I asked you would you rather be 1373 01:26:26,700 --> 01:26:29,780 Speaker 2: made from dust or from a human, what would you 1374 01:26:29,820 --> 01:26:33,419 Speaker 2: say is superior Men are from dust, They're dirt. 1375 01:26:34,099 --> 01:26:35,979 Speaker 3: Just a lot of women would agree with that. Yeah, 1376 01:26:35,979 --> 01:26:36,660 Speaker 3: peace are dirt. 1377 01:26:36,740 --> 01:26:37,299 Speaker 2: Yeah, that act. 1378 01:26:39,820 --> 01:26:40,339 Speaker 3: But a woman. 1379 01:26:40,860 --> 01:26:43,540 Speaker 2: That is why when I read some feminist critiques of 1380 01:26:43,580 --> 01:26:47,100 Speaker 2: it as sexist, because she comes from his rib, it's sexist. 1381 01:26:47,140 --> 01:26:49,820 Speaker 2: She's made from what I don't understand. It's sexist in 1382 01:26:49,860 --> 01:26:54,500 Speaker 2: the other direction. If you read it without blinders, hers 1383 01:26:54,540 --> 01:26:59,139 Speaker 2: is a superior act, takes more time, It comes from 1384 01:26:59,140 --> 01:27:03,139 Speaker 2: a far greater sauce from human beings. It's the last 1385 01:27:03,180 --> 01:27:07,019 Speaker 2: of the creations. There's a reason for it. There's no 1386 01:27:07,140 --> 01:27:10,939 Speaker 2: reason for his being created. He's just created. She actually 1387 01:27:11,019 --> 01:27:14,620 Speaker 2: has a sense of intrinsic purpose. He's just made like 1388 01:27:14,740 --> 01:27:18,339 Speaker 2: animals are. It doesn't say, and God looked and short 1389 01:27:18,460 --> 01:27:21,299 Speaker 2: was not good for eagles to be alone. 1390 01:27:21,820 --> 01:27:23,700 Speaker 3: It's not good for Adam to be alone. 1391 01:27:23,820 --> 01:27:28,379 Speaker 2: She makes life possible for the human species, not because 1392 01:27:28,380 --> 01:27:31,179 Speaker 2: she pro creates, but because she makes it worth living. 1393 01:27:32,019 --> 01:27:36,820 Speaker 2: It's very powerful stuff. That is utterly I believe a 1394 01:27:36,860 --> 01:27:41,500 Speaker 2: statement of the sanctity of the female. 1395 01:27:41,700 --> 01:27:43,940 Speaker 3: I do not. I can't believe. 1396 01:27:43,580 --> 01:27:48,620 Speaker 2: That an honest reading of this reads an anti female 1397 01:27:48,740 --> 01:27:54,580 Speaker 2: or females are are less important. Some people say, well, 1398 01:27:54,580 --> 01:27:59,460 Speaker 2: it's an afterthought. No, it's a purposeful thought. I mean, 1399 01:27:59,460 --> 01:28:02,299 Speaker 2: does anybody really believe God didn't have females in mind. 1400 01:28:02,939 --> 01:28:07,260 Speaker 3: It's just to show to man this is what matters. Female. 1401 01:28:07,820 --> 01:28:12,220 Speaker 2: All the other stuff won't dissuage your loneliness. By the way, incidentally, 1402 01:28:12,460 --> 01:28:19,620 Speaker 2: fascinating thing here. Adam didn't say I'm lonely. Isn't that interesting? 1403 01:28:21,180 --> 01:28:24,139 Speaker 2: God said it's not good for Adam to be alone. 1404 01:28:25,860 --> 01:28:27,900 Speaker 2: Men don't know it's not good. 1405 01:28:27,700 --> 01:28:36,700 Speaker 3: To be alone. Isn't that fascinating? It is, truly, I 1406 01:28:36,820 --> 01:28:38,780 Speaker 3: tell you, it is moving. 1407 01:28:39,420 --> 01:28:42,220 Speaker 2: You would think he would say, God, my lonely and 1408 01:28:42,340 --> 01:28:45,019 Speaker 2: dogs just don't do it nothing. 1409 01:28:45,140 --> 01:28:48,019 Speaker 3: He's just walking around. Hey, it was. 1410 01:28:48,019 --> 01:28:53,380 Speaker 2: So happy too, and just having a grand time. He's 1411 01:28:53,420 --> 01:28:57,059 Speaker 2: a dunce. He's an absolute dunce. He doesn't know what 1412 01:28:57,180 --> 01:29:02,939 Speaker 2: it's like to live a life. God, God has to announce, Hello, Hello, 1413 01:29:03,979 --> 01:29:06,900 Speaker 2: it is not good for man to be alone. Oh okay, 1414 01:29:06,979 --> 01:29:08,860 Speaker 2: in that case, i'll put maybe that's why I had 1415 01:29:08,900 --> 01:29:12,019 Speaker 2: to put him to sleep. Now, it just occurred to me, 1416 01:29:12,099 --> 01:29:14,259 Speaker 2: maybe that's it. If he'd told him while he was awake. 1417 01:29:14,420 --> 01:29:16,620 Speaker 3: Forget it. I am very happy the way it is. 1418 01:29:16,780 --> 01:29:19,740 Speaker 3: I don't want a woman, thank you very much. I 1419 01:29:19,780 --> 01:29:22,139 Speaker 3: don't know. I'm just eating the possibilities. I don't know. 1420 01:29:26,580 --> 01:29:35,620 Speaker 2: Oh boy, anyway, now, in verse twenty three. God, so 1421 01:29:37,019 --> 01:29:41,620 Speaker 2: now he wakes up. Now Adam realizes, and it isn't 1422 01:29:41,620 --> 01:29:44,179 Speaker 2: it true in the life of every male. Males don't 1423 01:29:44,180 --> 01:29:45,379 Speaker 2: know it's not good to be alone. 1424 01:29:45,380 --> 01:29:48,860 Speaker 3: I think it's terrific. Oh free, I'm free. I can 1425 01:29:48,939 --> 01:29:51,059 Speaker 3: go from women to women, or no women at all, 1426 01:29:51,500 --> 01:29:53,740 Speaker 3: or just go to baseball games, or just do my 1427 01:29:54,019 --> 01:29:56,340 Speaker 3: law work. I'm free. 1428 01:29:56,540 --> 01:29:59,860 Speaker 2: But then when they meet a woman, Oh, they wake up. 1429 01:30:00,540 --> 01:30:02,940 Speaker 2: And here he goes sotapalm. 1430 01:30:03,380 --> 01:30:09,939 Speaker 3: This time it is one of my it's a bone 1431 01:30:09,979 --> 01:30:13,060 Speaker 3: of my bones. It is the flesh of my flesh. 1432 01:30:13,099 --> 01:30:14,059 Speaker 3: And he gives her a name. 1433 01:30:14,820 --> 01:30:18,620 Speaker 2: S He names are important, And he said, and this 1434 01:30:19,220 --> 01:30:23,019 Speaker 2: we call Eshah because from an Ish she was taken. 1435 01:30:23,099 --> 01:30:28,620 Speaker 2: Ish is man Isha's woman. Fascinating about spelling is in 1436 01:30:28,740 --> 01:30:33,740 Speaker 2: Hebrew is alif yud shin. So you know, to make 1437 01:30:33,820 --> 01:30:39,460 Speaker 2: anything any a female noun in Hebrew, you add a 1438 01:30:39,580 --> 01:30:43,260 Speaker 2: commas the ah or awe sound under the last consonant, 1439 01:30:43,260 --> 01:30:46,059 Speaker 2: and add a hey. So I'll do it to you 1440 01:30:46,140 --> 01:30:47,259 Speaker 2: in a make up English word. 1441 01:30:49,099 --> 01:30:50,780 Speaker 3: Bone. All right, we had bone here. 1442 01:30:50,979 --> 01:30:55,660 Speaker 2: Bone would be masculine, Bonah would be how you would 1443 01:30:55,660 --> 01:30:58,580 Speaker 2: make hebraized the feminine of it. 1444 01:30:58,979 --> 01:31:01,939 Speaker 3: So you have ish is man. Isha is woman. 1445 01:31:02,780 --> 01:31:07,420 Speaker 2: But it's fascinating that you drop thed of ish to 1446 01:31:07,580 --> 01:31:11,420 Speaker 2: make ishah. And there's a lot of plays on it 1447 01:31:11,540 --> 01:31:17,860 Speaker 2: because it's fascinating thing. The word for fire in Hebrew 1448 01:31:18,460 --> 01:31:21,979 Speaker 2: is ash, which is the same as the word for 1449 01:31:22,059 --> 01:31:25,660 Speaker 2: a woman, except with the hay at the end. So 1450 01:31:25,700 --> 01:31:29,740 Speaker 2: it says, if woman is fire and hay which is 1451 01:31:29,780 --> 01:31:32,339 Speaker 2: the which in Hebrew is the initial for God. 1452 01:31:32,939 --> 01:31:34,900 Speaker 3: Woman is fire and God. 1453 01:31:35,540 --> 01:31:37,340 Speaker 2: It's just to give you an idea of what can 1454 01:31:37,380 --> 01:31:39,219 Speaker 2: be done with the Hebrew. And I don't think it's 1455 01:31:39,260 --> 01:31:42,459 Speaker 2: too much reading into it, because the spellings here are important. 1456 01:31:42,460 --> 01:31:45,860 Speaker 2: They have reasons for them. Anyway, he wakes up and 1457 01:31:45,900 --> 01:31:51,300 Speaker 2: he's really impressed. And the final sentence is absolutely incredible, 1458 01:31:51,380 --> 01:31:56,900 Speaker 2: final sentence of chapter two. And that is why this 1459 01:31:57,260 --> 01:32:01,500 Speaker 2: is so funny, because it's like out of nowhere. It's 1460 01:32:01,540 --> 01:32:05,059 Speaker 2: a it's like a and now a word from your 1461 01:32:05,220 --> 01:32:10,219 Speaker 2: psychiatrist that really is out of nowhere. We had nothing 1462 01:32:10,340 --> 01:32:12,299 Speaker 2: like this. All we have is a story till now, 1463 01:32:12,620 --> 01:32:15,179 Speaker 2: and now all of a sudden is a psychiatric insight. 1464 01:32:15,780 --> 01:32:18,259 Speaker 2: And therefore a man will leave his mother, his father 1465 01:32:18,340 --> 01:32:22,540 Speaker 2: and mother and clinging to his wife and they will 1466 01:32:22,580 --> 01:32:24,740 Speaker 2: be as one flesh. 1467 01:32:25,260 --> 01:32:25,939 Speaker 3: Isn't that grect? 1468 01:32:26,500 --> 01:32:29,220 Speaker 2: It doesn't tell you any part of the story what 1469 01:32:29,380 --> 01:32:43,259 Speaker 2: happens here. It is very interesting. There are two ways 1470 01:32:43,300 --> 01:32:46,740 Speaker 2: of reading Alkane the first two words of twenty four 1471 01:32:48,059 --> 01:32:56,340 Speaker 2: as prescriptive or descriptive. It is either prescribing how we 1472 01:32:56,380 --> 01:33:01,259 Speaker 2: should act or describing how in fact we act. 1473 01:33:02,059 --> 01:33:04,260 Speaker 3: Let me show you both. Let's do the descriptive. 1474 01:33:05,300 --> 01:33:08,900 Speaker 2: Remember the sentence before, Oh, look, this is a bone 1475 01:33:08,939 --> 01:33:11,420 Speaker 2: of my bones, This is the flesh. 1476 01:33:11,140 --> 01:33:13,100 Speaker 3: Of my flesh. 1477 01:33:13,580 --> 01:33:17,219 Speaker 2: So therefore a man leaves his father and his mother 1478 01:33:17,540 --> 01:33:20,900 Speaker 2: and clings them to his woman or wife, and they 1479 01:33:20,900 --> 01:33:24,140 Speaker 2: are as one flesh. You get it. It's a continuation 1480 01:33:24,220 --> 01:33:28,939 Speaker 2: of the preceding verse. You women are part of me, 1481 01:33:29,939 --> 01:33:33,139 Speaker 2: So I therefore leave my parents and rejoin you, and 1482 01:33:33,180 --> 01:33:33,979 Speaker 2: we are as one. 1483 01:33:33,900 --> 01:33:36,340 Speaker 3: Flesh, because that's how we started as one flesh. 1484 01:33:37,059 --> 01:33:44,260 Speaker 2: That's descriptive prescriptive, and both are fully accurate. Is therefore, no, 1485 01:33:45,220 --> 01:33:50,179 Speaker 2: you can't cling unto a woman until you leave your parents. Men, 1486 01:33:50,620 --> 01:33:53,900 Speaker 2: you must grow up in order to have the woman 1487 01:33:53,900 --> 01:33:57,460 Speaker 2: who is your equal. If your mommy's boy, you can't 1488 01:33:57,500 --> 01:34:00,379 Speaker 2: cling to your wife. You either cling to your parents 1489 01:34:00,580 --> 01:34:03,259 Speaker 2: or you cling to your wife. You can't cling to both, 1490 01:34:04,780 --> 01:34:07,900 Speaker 2: and it's telling you what you want to do by 1491 01:34:09,099 --> 01:34:11,180 Speaker 2: keep calling. 1492 01:34:11,620 --> 01:34:16,979 Speaker 3: No, no, that's right, keep calling, keep visiting and all 1493 01:34:17,019 --> 01:34:19,780 Speaker 3: of that. But bye bye. 1494 01:34:21,099 --> 01:34:25,460 Speaker 2: Very powerful the prescriptive sentence. And parents need to know 1495 01:34:25,500 --> 01:34:26,580 Speaker 2: that about their sons. 1496 01:34:26,780 --> 01:34:27,179 Speaker 3: Bye bye. 1497 01:34:28,140 --> 01:34:31,900 Speaker 2: It doesn't say that about daughters because apparently the daughter's ability. 1498 01:34:32,660 --> 01:34:33,139 Speaker 3: It doesn't. 1499 01:34:33,260 --> 01:34:36,219 Speaker 2: I must say, I may, this may be stepping on 1500 01:34:36,260 --> 01:34:40,099 Speaker 2: truly virgin territory in the worst sense of the word, 1501 01:34:40,580 --> 01:34:41,179 Speaker 2: but I I. 1502 01:34:42,660 --> 01:34:43,179 Speaker 3: You don't. 1503 01:34:44,019 --> 01:34:47,460 Speaker 2: As a man, I never recall men when when talking 1504 01:34:47,500 --> 01:34:50,939 Speaker 2: about girls and then women that we would be dating. 1505 01:34:51,460 --> 01:34:54,339 Speaker 3: It was that period when it went from girls to women. 1506 01:34:55,300 --> 01:34:57,260 Speaker 2: But I mean that not in terms of feminism, in 1507 01:34:57,300 --> 01:34:59,820 Speaker 2: terms of simply age that. 1508 01:35:00,420 --> 01:35:01,500 Speaker 3: I don't remember though. 1509 01:35:01,340 --> 01:35:04,380 Speaker 2: A guy saying, well, she's too attached to her mother 1510 01:35:04,540 --> 01:35:07,460 Speaker 2: or too attached to her father. I must say, I 1511 01:35:07,540 --> 01:35:10,660 Speaker 2: don't recall that among gud we'd have other complaints, but 1512 01:35:10,700 --> 01:35:11,860 Speaker 2: that was not one of them. 1513 01:35:12,340 --> 01:35:14,660 Speaker 3: But it is not an uncommon complaint at all. 1514 01:35:14,900 --> 01:35:17,979 Speaker 2: He hasn't severed his ties and you know where he's 1515 01:35:18,019 --> 01:35:19,459 Speaker 2: his mother's boy or whatever. 1516 01:35:19,660 --> 01:35:20,620 Speaker 3: It is a complaint. 1517 01:35:20,740 --> 01:35:23,700 Speaker 2: Women want a man to be a man, and that 1518 01:35:23,860 --> 01:35:26,260 Speaker 2: is part of being a man is growing up and 1519 01:35:26,300 --> 01:35:29,459 Speaker 2: it's painful, and it means leaving mommy and daddy. 1520 01:35:29,900 --> 01:35:31,580 Speaker 3: Not abandoning mommy. 1521 01:35:31,260 --> 01:35:36,059 Speaker 2: And daddy, please, that's a terrible thing, but leaving and 1522 01:35:36,180 --> 01:35:40,260 Speaker 2: that is prescribed. Remember we are not talking about Exodus 1523 01:35:40,340 --> 01:35:44,299 Speaker 2: or Deuteronomy. We're talking about Genesis. This is the second 1524 01:35:44,540 --> 01:35:47,419 Speaker 2: chapter of the creation of the world, and it tells 1525 01:35:47,420 --> 01:35:50,299 Speaker 2: you the way the world ought to be From the. 1526 01:35:50,260 --> 01:35:51,780 Speaker 3: Creation of Adam and Eve. 1527 01:35:51,860 --> 01:35:55,220 Speaker 2: God is saying, leave mommy and Daddy and cling to 1528 01:35:55,260 --> 01:35:58,540 Speaker 2: your wife. The other thing to be learned is that 1529 01:35:58,580 --> 01:36:02,979 Speaker 2: there was a monogamous ideal from creation. Polygamy was allowed, 1530 01:36:03,620 --> 01:36:06,939 Speaker 2: but monogamy was the ideal. It does not say he 1531 01:36:07,019 --> 01:36:10,900 Speaker 2: shall cling unto his wives. There's an extremely simple reason 1532 01:36:10,939 --> 01:36:15,259 Speaker 2: for that, because then they're not his equals. God said 1533 01:36:15,300 --> 01:36:17,939 Speaker 2: I will create a helper who is his equal, not 1534 01:36:18,140 --> 01:36:19,740 Speaker 2: helpers who are his equal. 1535 01:36:19,900 --> 01:36:23,259 Speaker 3: Why don't God eight three women? He'd have been overjoyed. 1536 01:36:22,700 --> 01:36:28,460 Speaker 2: Mad' thattt waking up in the morning, Wo Hell, Eve, Raquel, 1537 01:36:28,900 --> 01:36:32,260 Speaker 2: and Barbara, Holy cra this is great. Put me to 1538 01:36:32,300 --> 01:36:37,780 Speaker 2: sleep again tonight did not work out that way. To 1539 01:36:38,019 --> 01:36:43,660 Speaker 2: have somewhat polygamy is inequality. There can be loved. There 1540 01:36:43,660 --> 01:36:45,540 Speaker 2: can be all sorts of things. And by the way, 1541 01:36:45,820 --> 01:36:50,180 Speaker 2: you will see later on wherever the tourette depicts polygamy, 1542 01:36:50,300 --> 01:36:54,900 Speaker 2: it's awful. It's allowed, but it's miserable. One is loved, 1543 01:36:54,939 --> 01:36:56,299 Speaker 2: one is not loved, one. 1544 01:36:56,180 --> 01:36:58,259 Speaker 3: Is even hated. It's not good. 1545 01:36:59,580 --> 01:37:03,860 Speaker 2: We are meant to have an equal helper, we males, 1546 01:37:05,460 --> 01:37:08,620 Speaker 2: and it is not to be a polygamous relationship because it. 1547 01:37:08,580 --> 01:37:12,860 Speaker 3: Is not one of equality. In this regard. 1548 01:37:12,900 --> 01:37:17,260 Speaker 2: One final thought, God said it is not good for 1549 01:37:17,340 --> 01:37:21,260 Speaker 2: men to be alone. And I mean this absolutely sincerely. 1550 01:37:21,380 --> 01:37:26,700 Speaker 2: God could have said. God could have therefore created a community. 1551 01:37:27,300 --> 01:37:30,339 Speaker 2: God could have created you know, ten men, ten women, 1552 01:37:31,019 --> 01:37:35,099 Speaker 2: sixty two men, right, the whole Thank you. 1553 01:37:39,979 --> 01:37:43,780 Speaker 3: Well, at least they didn't say wrong. They're good. Now, 1554 01:37:43,780 --> 01:37:45,339 Speaker 3: that's a very important thing. 1555 01:37:46,300 --> 01:37:52,820 Speaker 2: Loneliness is not assuaged by numbers. According to this, it 1556 01:37:52,939 --> 01:38:00,019 Speaker 2: is assuaged by a partner. And the partner is opposite sex, 1557 01:38:00,540 --> 01:38:03,660 Speaker 2: and the partner is equal, and the partner is a helper. 1558 01:38:04,900 --> 01:38:08,380 Speaker 2: To stop being alone, you need all of those. If 1559 01:38:08,420 --> 01:38:12,219 Speaker 2: it's not equal, they're still alone. If it's not a helper, 1560 01:38:12,380 --> 01:38:15,300 Speaker 2: it's still alone. If it's not the opposite sex, it's 1561 01:38:15,300 --> 01:38:18,979 Speaker 2: still alone. This is not the sort of thing people 1562 01:38:19,059 --> 01:38:23,740 Speaker 2: like to say these days, where theoretically all human relationships 1563 01:38:23,780 --> 01:38:28,660 Speaker 2: are equally desirable and wonderful. God knows I deeply believe 1564 01:38:28,700 --> 01:38:31,820 Speaker 2: in friends, and I believe couples need friends like singles 1565 01:38:31,860 --> 01:38:34,740 Speaker 2: need friends, and we need friends of the same sex 1566 01:38:34,939 --> 01:38:40,740 Speaker 2: very badly. But for the ultimate existential human aloneness that 1567 01:38:40,820 --> 01:38:46,460 Speaker 2: God describes here, it is assuaged, according to this by 1568 01:38:46,500 --> 01:38:51,900 Speaker 2: a helper of the opposite sex, and only one, And 1569 01:38:51,939 --> 01:38:55,139 Speaker 2: that's the way it was designed. That doesn't mean that 1570 01:38:55,180 --> 01:38:58,979 Speaker 2: if you don't have one, or you lost one through 1571 01:38:59,780 --> 01:39:03,700 Speaker 2: for whatever reason, and particularly death for example, that you 1572 01:39:03,780 --> 01:39:06,860 Speaker 2: are doomed to a life of being lonely. 1573 01:39:08,019 --> 01:39:11,499 Speaker 3: We're not talking lonely. Remember, Adam didn't feel lonely. 1574 01:39:11,860 --> 01:39:14,900 Speaker 2: We're not talking about loneliness in the senstory, I feel lonely. 1575 01:39:15,540 --> 01:39:19,139 Speaker 2: We're talking in the deepest human sense of what is 1576 01:39:19,300 --> 01:39:22,340 Speaker 2: most good for you. God said it's not good for 1577 01:39:22,460 --> 01:39:25,059 Speaker 2: men to be alone. He didn't say I feel bad 1578 01:39:25,099 --> 01:39:29,900 Speaker 2: that Adam feels lonely. Adam didn't feel lonely. God knew 1579 01:39:29,979 --> 01:39:33,459 Speaker 2: he was alone, and it's not good to be alone. 1580 01:39:33,780 --> 01:39:36,220 Speaker 2: By the way, it's particularly not good for men to 1581 01:39:36,300 --> 01:39:39,420 Speaker 2: be alone. It didn't say it's not good for women 1582 01:39:39,460 --> 01:39:42,660 Speaker 2: to be alone, because when women are alone, they don't 1583 01:39:42,740 --> 01:39:43,860 Speaker 2: tear the world apart. 1584 01:39:44,660 --> 01:39:45,939 Speaker 3: But single men do. 1585 01:39:47,420 --> 01:39:52,139 Speaker 2: The most consistent facet of crime, of violent crime in 1586 01:39:52,180 --> 01:39:55,860 Speaker 2: the world, in the world and certainly in our society, 1587 01:39:56,019 --> 01:40:00,700 Speaker 2: is not race, is not class. It is singleness of men. 1588 01:40:02,019 --> 01:40:09,139 Speaker 2: Single men are over ninety percent of the murderers, of 1589 01:40:09,180 --> 01:40:13,340 Speaker 2: the mass murderers, the single murderers of the rapists of 1590 01:40:13,420 --> 01:40:18,460 Speaker 2: our society. That's what God is saying, not that your 1591 01:40:18,820 --> 01:40:22,979 Speaker 2: loneliness is the issue. Loneliness can be assuaged with a 1592 01:40:22,979 --> 01:40:25,380 Speaker 2: lot of people and friends, thank god, it can not. 1593 01:40:25,460 --> 01:40:30,179 Speaker 2: Everybody can marry, people get widowed. But it is not good. 1594 01:40:30,380 --> 01:40:35,379 Speaker 2: It is not healthy not to have this opposite sex helper, 1595 01:40:36,099 --> 01:40:36,939 Speaker 2: who is your equal. 1596 01:40:38,740 --> 01:40:41,219 Speaker 3: That's the point that is really being made there, and. 1597 01:40:41,180 --> 01:40:44,220 Speaker 2: It is a very important one, and it goes to 1598 01:40:44,300 --> 01:40:47,499 Speaker 2: the heart of what God observes about the human condition. 1599 01:40:48,500 --> 01:40:55,259 Speaker 2: And this unbelievable Chapter two ends with a new point. 1600 01:40:57,099 --> 01:40:59,979 Speaker 2: The two of them were naked, Adam and his wife, 1601 01:41:01,300 --> 01:41:06,620 Speaker 2: but they weren't embarrassed. How that's possible. We'll see you 1602 01:41:06,660 --> 01:41:09,220 Speaker 2: next time. Thank you very much, Thank you. 1603 01:41:14,939 --> 01:41:19,300 Speaker 1: This has been Timeless Wisdom with Dennis Prager. Visit denispragger 1604 01:41:19,340 --> 01:41:22,900 Speaker 1: dot com for thousands of hours of Dennis's lectures, courses 1605 01:41:22,900 --> 01:41:27,540 Speaker 1: in classic radio programs, and to purchase Dennis Prager's Rational Bibles, 1606 01:41:31,260 --> 01:41:31,300 Speaker 1: M