witch-of-habonim-dror-blog

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Oats held his axe before him as if it was made of some rare and delicate metal. ‘Begone, foul fiend-’ he began. 'Oh, dear me,’ said the Count, thrusting the axe aside. 'And don’t you learn anything, you stupid man? Little stupid man who has a little stupid faith in a little stupid god?’ 'But it… lets me see things as they are,’ Oats managed.  'Really? And you think you can stand in my way? An axe isn’t even a holy symbol!’ 'Oh.’ Oats looked crestfallen. Agnes saw his shoulders sag as he lowered the blade. Then he looked up, smiled brightly, and said, 'Let’s make it so.’

Carpe Jugulum, Terry Pratchett (via witch-of-habonim-dror)

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also mcu: in a fic set in 2015, the characters mention stopping off in leningrad, never once describing the time machine they must have used to get there

mcu fanfic is hard going for russian speakers i have just witnessed bucky barnes using vy (formal you) to call someone an arsehole

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mcu fanfic is hard going for russian speakers i have just witnessed bucky barnes using vy (formal you) to call someone an arsehole

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New product!

Were you thinking that the ketubah art on the site was lovely, but you don’t need a ketubah right now? These art prints are for you!

http://geekcalligraphy.com/blog/2016/6/26/new-product-clockwork-lovebirds-art-prints

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In one famous 3rd century CE case a wife came before Rabbi Judah and told him that she had been raped. In cross-examining her he challenged, "Yet didn't you enjoy it?" She replied by asking him whether a person fasting on Yom Kippur who has honey forced into his mouth -  would he find the experience pleasurable even though it was done against his will?

Étan Levine, Marital Relations in Ancient Judaism

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I’ve been thinking a lot, lately, about the rape of Dina.

At this point in Bereishis, Dina’s story seems to be following a familiar pattern. Sarah was taken by Paro, but returned unscathed, taken again by Avimelech, and returned, again unscathed.  Rivka was almost taken, but not quite, and Jacob’s wives managed to survive untouched.

Dina is not so lucky.  

In Vayishlach, according to Rashi, Jacob placed her in a box to protect her from his brother’s lust. Various commentators have interpreted what happens to Dina later as a punishment for this act- Dina is violated by Shechem because if Jacob had not withheld her from  Esau, their two camps might have been at peace. Her rape and abduction is a punishment for him.

At no point do we hear how Dina felt, or how Dina was comforted, after- her voice is silent throughout. (Did you say no? Did you say no loud enough? Maybe you shouldn’t talk about such things, Dina- they make people so uncomfortable.) Perhaps it doesn’t matter, what she said or thought or felt. And Shechem, mistaking rape for romance, fancies himself in love with Dina. “Look how much money your father squandered for a small parcel of land. I will marry you, and you will acquire the city and all its fields,” he says. Shechem is a prince, after all, and can give and take as he pleases. (Some things don’t change.)

Dina at least is not condemned for her rape- nobody implies that she invited it, or was dressed for it, or shouldn’t have gone out to see the daughters of the land. Her people ‘were grieved, and burned fiercely.’ The Talmud says: “There is no comparison between losing her virginity under the bridal canopy and losing it on a dung heap.” The next part I will quote directly: 

 And Hamor spoke with them, saying, "My son Shechem desires your daughter. Please give her to him for a wife.

And intermarry with us; you shall give us your daughters, and you shall take our daughters for yourselves.

And you shall dwell with us, and the land shall be before you; remain, do business there and settle there."

And Shechem said to her father and to her brothers, "May I find favor in your eyes. Whatever you tell me I will give.

Impose upon me a large marriage settlement and gifts, and I will give as [much as] you ask of me, but give me the girl for a wife."

Dina’s people are wandering herders, still searching for a home. They might easily have found one if Jacob had married his daughter to her rapist- if he had put wealth ahead of justice for Dina. On the one hand, Jacob cannot force his daughter to marry a rapist, even if it’s a rapist with a tonne of cash and an army. But this is Jacob we’re talking about, Jacob the timid, Jacob the nerd, Jacob the mama’s boy. (And what does it say about our people that this is the father of our nation, hmm?)

 When Jacob hears of Dina’s rape, he is silent: ‘vehecherish Yaakov’.  This is not the same as being told Jacob said nothing.  He actively made himself stay silent. Jacob throughout the Torah shies from confrontation- in Vayeitzei, he sneaks away from Laban’s house in the dead of night to avoid conflict.  When Jacob was faced with the prospect of war with Esau, he did everything he could to avoid it. 

It’s a terribly familiar feeling.

Shimon and Levi, Dina’s brothers, have no such qualms. They tell Hamor that they cannot marry their sister to a man with a foreskin, but will consent to the marriage if Shechem and every man in his city is circumcised. Hamor says sure, let’s go for it. On the third day after the mass circumcisions, when all the men were still in pain, Shimon and Levi went among them and killed them all. (I should point out here, in case you were picturing strapping Adonises, that Shimon and Levi are fourteen and thirteen. They’re in junior school.)

Jacob yells at them, saying that their vengeance will lead to repercussions from the Canaanites and Perizzites. He doesn’t mention Dina. Perhaps it wasn’t really about her. But ‘shall we deal with our sister as a harlot?’ they say- and that is the end of Dina’s story. She is not mentioned again.

Chazal says that perhaps she married Iyov. The source offered for linking Dina to Iyov is based on the following: In Sefer Iyov, Iyov has lost his children, his possessions, and finally, his health.  His nameless wife turns up, and witnessing his torture, cries, “Do you still persist in your integrity? Curse G-d, and die”.  Iyov responds to his wife, “You speak as any vile woman would speak.  (Ke’daber Ahat haNevalot Tidabeiri. ) Shall we accept the good at the hand of G-d, and not accept the bad?”.   The Gemara explains that this same word was used concerning the incident of Dina, “KiNeveila Asa B’Yisrael” (for a vile act was committed among Israel). Chazal are purposefully inserting her into this crucial conversation between Iyov and his wife, because Iyov is the ultimate hero of the story in which Bad Things Happen to Good People.  By saying the wife talking with him is Dina, Chazal are giving Dina a chance to vent as they feel a person in her place naturally should.  Dina, as the wife of Iyov, screams out: ‘curse G-d!’  And then Chazal offer Dina an answer:  Iyov’s response. ‘Are we to accept the good from G-d and not the bad?’ This implied rabbinic take on how to deal with such horror is not far off from Jacob’s reaction. He stayed silent.  In other words, he accepted the good with the bad.  And, while Iyov’s response is not emotionally satisfying, it is perhaps comforting to discover that Chazal recognised Dina’s plight, felt her pain and equated it with the ultimate story of unmerited loss, testing and acceptance.

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‘Heartwarming- This soldier isn’t currently screaming racist abuse!’ sometimes Bayit HaYehudit needs to either Chill or find some better propaganda

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It’s always impressed me that Judaism mandates that goodbyes be said with a certain amount of hope. We end Shabbat with havdalah, a beautiful ceremony concluded by extinguishing a twisted candle in sweet wine and singing a song asking for a week of peace and a time of redemption for humankind. Seders end with the promise ‘Next year in Jerusalem’. On Simchat Torah, we conclude the reading of the Torah by rolling back to its beginning. Funerals end with Kaddish, a prayer not about death but about the generous gift of life and God’s goodness. At the completion of shiva, the rabbi often takes the mourners out of their homes for a brief stroll that enacts literally what is meant symbolically – walking them back into life. Somehow Jews trust that every ending is also a beginning, that the broken hearted will again feel loved, and the sun will rise no matter how long or dark the night.

Rabbi Steven Z Leder (via yidquotes)

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Tis the season of pumpkin omanytes (ompkins)

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Analysis of Politicians’ (supposed) Favourite Biscuits

David Cameron

What he said: Oatcakes with cheese

Analysis: Part of Tory policy to change party image. Trying to appeal to middle class “socially liberal but economically conservative” health conscious voter. Sort of person who shops in Waitrose.

Gordon Brown

What he said: Anything with chocolate, but answered 24 hours after being asked the question

Analysis: Cautious. Worried about effect of wrong answer on his image. Probably really does like chocolate biscuits though.

Owen Smith

What he said: Loves biscuits, especially custard creams. As a child liked garibaldis because they were named after a revolutionary.

Analysis: This is a carefully planned answer. Love of biscuits is relatable, and custard creams are used to portray him as a man of the people, since they are not too fancy or obscure. Name drops garibaldis to try and appeal to those disatisfied with his otherwise centrist stance without actually having to commit to any policies.

Jeremy Corbyn

What he said: Thinks sugar is bad, but enjoys shortbread if forced.

Analysis: Brief attempt at public relations (is it cool to hate sugar now? he wonders) followed by backpeddling. Choice of the easily home-baked shortbread is in keeping with Corbyn’s character.

Mhairi Black, Nicola Sturgeon and Alex Salmond

What they said: Tunnock’s caramel wafer

Analysis: Party policy?

Sadiq Khan

What he said: Milk chocolate hobnobs

Analysis: Honestly I think he just like hobnobs.

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I have lost a friend to “Social Justice”

The Master, Probably (via incorrectbigfinishquotes)

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If we’re going to be pedantic, let’s go all the way. “Literally” doesn’t literally mean “literally.” It means “pertaining to the alphabet.” It’s from the same root as “letter” and “literature.” The non-figurative meaning is itself figurative. Hyperbole and euphemism are inherently unstable parts of language. One generation’s novel metaphor is the next generation’s tired cliché. If you still need a word for The Meaning Formerly Known As Literally, there’s: physically, actually, non-metaphorically, non-hyperbolically, and all kinds of newer metaphors.

I have problems with people who have problems with hyperbolic “literally”. (via vaguelywatermarksthesky)

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In what world is ‘soldiers are to be exempt from human rights laws’ a victory

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Photo of David Tennant in Peter’s costume from Peter Davison’s book

http://davidtennantontwitter.blogspot.com/2016/10/peter-davison-autobiography-with-david.html

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Jewish woman from Tineghir, 1958.

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Jewish women's headcoverings from the different regions of Morocco.