To Differ Is Divine

Intro
In the fourth and final episode of our Lenten series, Rabbi Raachel and Bishop Sam discuss reconciliation, the final step in the cycle of sacrifice, repentance, and forgiveness. They consider examples from both Jewish and Christian scripture of reconciliation in a context with which we are all familiar: family drama. Through the stories of Dinah, Tamar, Joseph and the Prodigal Son, they examine what reconciliation looks like done well and done poorly—and how, either way, established relationships are disrupted, for better or worse. These disrupted family narratives form the basis for an understanding of broader social relationships that need reconciliation, whether between people of different religions, races, socioeconomic statuses or backgrounds.


Notes
We’ve aggregated helpful resources and additional information about the religious writings, practices, symbols and thinkers discussed in this episode.

Dinah (Genesis 34:1-31)
And Dinah the daughter of Leah, whom she had borne unto Jacob, went out to see the daughters of the land. And Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, the prince of the land, saw her; and he took her, and lay with her, and humbled her. And his soul did cleave unto Dinah the daughter of Jacob, and he loved the damsel, and spoke comfortingly unto the damsel. And Shechem spoke unto his father Hamor, saying: ‘Get me this damsel to wife.’ Now Jacob heard that he had defiled Dinah his daughter; and his sons were with his cattle in the field; and Jacob held his peace until they came. And Hamor the father of Shechem went out unto Jacob to speak with him. And the sons of Jacob came in from the field when they heard it; and the men were grieved, and they were very wroth, because he had wrought a vile deed in Israel in lying with Jacob’s daughter; which thing ought not to be done. And Hamor spoke with them, saying ‘The soul of my son Shechem longeth for your daughter. I pray you give her unto him to wife. And make ye marriages with us; give your daughters unto us, and take our daughters unto you. And ye shall dwell with us; and the land shall be before you; dwell and trade ye therein, and get you possessions therein.’ And Shechem said unto her father and unto her brethren: ‘Let me find favor in your eyes, and what ye shall say unto me I will give. Ask me never so much dowry and gift, and I will give according as ye shall say unto me; but give me the damsel to wife.’ And the sons of Jacob answered Shechem and Hamor his father with guile, and spoke, because he had defiled Dinah their sister, said unto them: ‘We cannot do this thing, to give our sister to one that is uncircumcised; for that were a reproach unto us. Only on this condition will we consent unto you: if ye will be as we are, that every male of you be circumcised; then will we give our daughters unto you, and we will take your daughters to us, and we will dwell with you, and we will become one people. But if ye will not hearken unto us, to be circumcised; then will we take our daughter, and we will be gone.’ And their words pleased Hamor, and Shechem Hamor’s son. And the young man deferred not to do the thing, because he had delight in Jacob’s daughter. And he was honored above all the house of his father. And Hamor and Shechem his son came unto the gate of their city, and spoke with the men of their city, saying: ‘These men are peaceable with us; therefore let them dwell in the land, and trade therein; for, behold, the land is large enough for them; let us take their daughters to us for wives, and let us give them our daughters. Only on this condition will the men consent unto us to dwell with us, to become one people, if every male among us be circumcised, as they are circumcised. Shall not their cattle and their substance and all their beasts be ours? only let us consent unto them, and they will dwell with us.’ And unto Hamor and unto Shechem his son hearkened all that went out of the gate of his city; and every male was circumcised, all that went out of the gate of his city. And it came to pass on the third day, when they were in pain, that two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, Dinah’s brethren, took each man his sword, and came upon the city unawares, and slew all the males. And they slew Hamor and Shechem his son with the edge of the sword, and took Dinah out of Shechem’s house, and went forth. The sons of Jacob came upon the slain, and spoiled the city, because they had defiled their sister. They took their flocks and their herds and their asses, and that which was in the city and that which was in the field; and all their wealth, and all their little ones and their wives, took they captive and spoiled, even all that was in the house. And Jacob said to Simeon and Levi: ‘Ye have troubled me, to make me odious unto the inhabitants of the land, even unto the Canaanites and the Perizzites; and, I being few in number, they will gather themselves together against me and smite me; and I shall be destroyed, I and my house.’ And they said: ‘Should one deal with our sister as with a harlot?’

(Jewish Publication Society, Tanakh 1917)

Tamar (Genesis 38:11-27)
Then said Judah to Tamar his daughter-in-law: ‘Remain a widow in thy father’s house, till Shelah my son be grown up’; for he said: ‘Lest he also die, like his brethren.’ And Tamar went and dwelt in her father’s house. And in process of time Shua’s daughter, the wife of Judah, died; and Judah was comforted, and went up unto his sheep-shearers to Timnah, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite. And it was told Tamar, saying: ‘Behold, thy father-in-law goeth up to Timnah to shear his sheep.’ And she put off from her the garments of her widowhood, and covered herself with her veil, and wrapped herself, and sat in the entrance of Enaim, which is by the way to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah was grown up, and she was not given unto him to wife. When Judah saw her, he thought her to be a harlot; for she had covered her face. And he turned unto her by the way, and said: ‘Come, I pray thee, let me come in unto thee’; for he knew not that she was his daughter-in-law. And she said: ‘What wilt thou give me, that thou mayest come in unto me?’ And he said: ‘I will send thee a kid of the goats from the flock.’ And she said: ‘Wilt thou give me a pledge, till thou send it?’ And he said: ‘What pledge shall I give thee?’ And she said: ‘Thy signet and thy cord, and thy staff that is in thy hand.’ And he gave them to her, and came in unto her, and she conceived by him. And she arose, and went away, and put off her veil from her, and put on the garments of her widowhood. And Judah sent the kid of the goats by the hand of his friend the Adullamite, to receive the pledge from the woman’s hand; but he found her not. Then he asked the men of her place, saying: ‘Where is the harlot, that was at Enaim by the wayside?’ And they said: ‘There hath been no harlot here.’ And he returned to Judah, and said: ‘I have not found her; and also the men of the place said: There hath been no harlot here.’ And Judah said: ‘Let her take it, lest we be put to shame; behold, I sent this kid, and thou hast not found her.’ And it came to pass about three months after, that it was told Judah, saying: ‘Tamar thy daughter-in-law hath played the harlot; and moreover, behold, she is with child by harlotry.’ And Judah said: ‘Bring her forth, and let her be burnt.’ When she was brought forth, she sent to her father-in-law, saying: ‘By the man, whose these are, am I with child’; and she said: ‘Discern, I pray thee, whose are these, the signet, and the cords, and the staff.’ And Judah acknowledged them, and said: ‘She is more righteous than I; forasmuch as I gave her not to Shelah my son.’ And he knew her again no more. And it came to pass in the time of her travail, that, behold, twins were in her womb.

(Jewish Publication Society, Tanakh 1917)

Jesus’ Genealogy (Matthew 1:2-16)
Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Aram, and Aram the father of Aminadab, and Aminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon, and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of King David.

And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah, and Solomon the father of Rehoboam, and Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abijah the father of Asaph, and Asaph the father of Jehoshaphat, and Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of Uzziah, and Uzziah the father of Jotham, and Jotham the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, and Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, and Manasseh the father of Amos, and Amos the father of Josiah, and Josiah the father of Jechoniah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon.

And after the deportation to Babylon: Jechoniah was the father of Salathiel, and Salathiel the father of Zerubbabel, and Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, and Abiud the father of Eliakim, and Eliakim the father of Azor, and Azor the father of Zadok, and Zadok the father of Achim, and Achim the father of Eliud, and Eliud the father of Eleazar, and Eleazar the father of Matthan, and Matthan the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called the Messiah.

Jacob Narrative
See Genesis chapter 37-50.

Passover
Pesach in Hebrew, Passover is a major Jewish holy day that commemorates the Isrealites’ liberation from slavery in Egypt. According to the Book of Exodus, chapter 12, God commanded Moses to tell the Israelites to smear lamb's blood above their doors in order that the Angel of Death would pass over them during the 10th plague of Egypt. After the death of the Egyptians’ firstborn, Pharaoh ordered the Israelites to leave Egypt, taking whatever they wanted.

Lent/Easter
Lent is the period of 40 days before Easter Sunday during which Christians traditionally enter a period of self-examination and penitence. Easter Sunday is the annual Christian celebration of Jesus’ resurrection and redemption of humanity.

The Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32)
Then Jesus said, ‘“There was a man who had two sons. The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me.’ So he divided his property between them. A few days later the younger son gathered all he had and traveled to a distant country, and there he squandered his property in dissolute living. When he had spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout that country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed the pigs. He would gladly have filled himself with] the pods that the pigs were eating; and no one gave him anything. But when he came to himself he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired hands have bread enough and to spare, but here I am dying of hunger! I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired hands.”’ So he set off and went to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him. Then the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly, bring out a robe—the best one—and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!’ And they began to celebrate.

“Now his elder son was in the field; and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. He called one of the slaves and asked what was going on. He replied, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has got him back safe and sound.’ Then he became angry and refused to go in. His father came out and began to plead with him. But he answered his father, ‘Listen! For all these years I have been working like a slave for you, and I have never disobeyed your command; yet you have never given me even a young goat so that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fatted calf for him!’ Then the father said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found.’”

(New Revised Standard Version)

Ought vs. Is
The tendency to compare the most idealized version of your faith's beliefs and practices with what you think of as the most negative examples of someone else's faith. R. Raachel was introduced to this particular barrier to devotional friendship and spiritual permeability by her spiritual mentor, R. Zalman Schachter-Shalomi.

In episode three of our Lenten series, Bishop Sam and Rabbi Raachel discuss the nature of forgiveness, both God’s infinite, all-encompassing forgiveness and the much more fraught nature of forgiveness within human relationships. They consider the deeply relational nature of forgiveness and how our limited ability fully to understand another’s heart–or to identify the true source of our own pain–makes forgiveness so difficult in human relationships. Throughout the conversation, they explore the ways in which even our limited ability to forgive reflects the grace of God’s forgiveness, a gift freely offered to heal broken connections and deepen relationships. They don’t, however, ignore the reality that, sometimes, a relationship cannot be mended, and we must put down the burden of, as Rabbi Raachel says, dragging somebody else’s spiritual formation in our wake.


Episode Notes
We’ve aggregated helpful resources and additional information about the religious writings, practices, symbols and thinkers discussed in this episode.

Henri Nouwen
Henri Nouwen was a Catholic theologian from the Netherlands who focused on pastoral ministry, spirituality, social justice, and community.

Leviticus 19:18
“Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself: I am the LORD.”

(JPS Tanakh, 1917)

High Holy Days
In Judaism, the High Holy Days are Rosh haShanah (the new year) and Yom Kippur (the day of atonement/at-one-ment).

Maimonades’ Laws of Repentance

By indirections find directions out.
Spoken by Polonius in Act II, Scene 1 of Hamlet.

Spiritual Direction
A relationship in which a trained guide listens with and accompanies an individual seeking a deeper connection with Divinity and a deeper understanding of their spiritual needs, gifts and yearnings. The primary question in the process always remains, where is God in this?

Friends
The Religious Society of Friends, or Quakers, are a group of Protestant denominations that believe in each individual’s ability to experience God directly, thus generally eschewing creeds and hierarchical church leadership.

Leviticus 18:5<br>“You shall therefore keep My statutes, and Mine ordinances, which if a man do, he shall live by them: I am the LORD.”

(JPS Tanakh 1917)

This episode is part two of our four-part Lenten series, and today we discuss a familiar concept for anyone who engages in the liturgical season of Lent: repentance. Rabbi Raachel and Bishop Sam both understand repentance not as a requirement to relive shameful moments for the sake of being punished, but instead as a means of returning to right relationships with God and with each other through asking for and receiving forgiveness and taking steps to right the wrongs we have committed. Two examples from the early chapters of Genesis–Adam and Eve and Cain and Abel–provide a starting point for thinking about what it means to break the bonds of a relationship and how asking for forgiveness might change the paradigm.


Notes
We’ve aggregated helpful resources and additional information about the religious writings, practices, symbols and thinkers discussed in this episode.

Elul
In the Jewish solar-adjusted lunar calendar, the month of Elul precedes the High Holy Days in Tishri, Rosh haShanah (the new year) and Yom Kippur (the day of atonement/at-one-ment). Elul coincides with portions of the Gregorian calendar months of August and September.

Rosh haShanah
Observed on the first day of Tishri (the first month in the Jewish calendar, which usually falls in September and October), Rosh haShanah marks the Jewish New Year festival and begins the ten days of penitence culminating in Yom Kippur. It is one of two High Holy Days in the Jewish liturgical calendar. The 10 days of repentance and renewal that begin at sunset on Rosh haShanah and close with Yom Kippur are known as the Days of Awe. Outside of Israel, some Jews keep two days of Rosh haShanah, to be sure that their observance coincides with the New Moon in the Holy Land.

Yom Kippur
The “Day of Atonement” in Hebrew, Yom Kippur focuses on the opportunity for repentance, the paths of atonement, the promise of forgiveness and transformation.

Yom Kippur Katan
A “Minor Day of Atonement” in Hebrew, Yom Kippur Katan can be observed on the last day of each month in the Jewish liturgical calendar as a day of sel-examination and penance before the new month begins.

T'shuvah
The understanding of repentance in Judaism, t’shuvah is a Hebrew word rooted in the verb “to return,” as in, returning to a path of righteousness, realigning with Divine guidance.

Christian Confession
While in some Christian denominations confession is considered a sacrament, in The Episcopal Church, the rite of Reconciliation of a Penitent–or private, individual confession–is instead a sacramental rite. It is not practiced in The Episcopal Church as often as it is in some other Christian denominations, but it is available to people year round and most popular during the penitential season of Lent and Holy Week leading up to Easter.

God Walking with Adam and Eve in the Garden (Genesis 3:8-13)
They heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden at the time of the evening breeze, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?” He said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.” He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit from the tree, and I ate.” Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent tricked me, and I ate.”

(New Revised Standard Version)

The Way of Love
In The Episcopal Church, the Way of Love is an intentional commitment to a set of practices for following Jesus: Turn, Learn, Pray, Worship, Bless, Go and Rest.

Cain and Abel (Genesis 4:8-16)
And Cain spoke unto Abel his brother. And it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him.

And the LORD said unto Cain: "Where is Abel thy brother?” And he said: "I know not; am I my brother’s keeper?" And He said: “What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto Me from the ground. And now cursed art thou from the ground, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother’s blood from thy hand. When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a wanderer shalt thou be in the earth." And Cain said unto the LORD: “My punishment is greater than I can bear. Behold, Thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the land; and from Thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a wanderer in the earth; and it will come to pass, that whosoever findeth me will slay me." And the LORD said unto him: “Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold." And the LORD set a sign for Cain, lest any finding him should smite him.

And Cain went out from the presence of the LORD, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden.

(Jewish Publication Society, Tanakh 1917)

Breslover (Bratslaver) Rebbe
The followers of Rebbe Nachman of Breslov (1772-1810) comprise a branch of Hasidic Judaism. His teachings intertwine Kabbalistic learning (a form of Jewish mysticism) with in-depth Torah study and keen psycho-spiritual insight. Reb Nachman is known for his creative parables and encouragement of those who struggle on their spiritual path.


Moses Cordovero
Moses Cordovero (1522-1570) represents a central figure in the evolution of Kabbalistic teaching, whose conceptual framework deeply influenced the work of Isaac Luria and his school, which in turn continues to shape Jewish mystical understandings.

Keva
“Routine” in Hebrew, keva describes the structure or framework of prayer.

Kavanah
“Intention” in Hebrew, kavanah - describes the intentionality of one’s prayers.

The Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32)
Then Jesus said, "There was a man who had two sons. The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me.’ So he divided his property between them. A few days later the younger son gathered all he had and traveled to a distant country, and there he squandered his property in dissolute living. When he had spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout that country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed the pigs. He would gladly have filled himself with the pods that the pigs were eating; and no one gave him anything. But when he came to himself he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired hands have bread enough and to spare, but here I am dying of hunger! I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired hands.”’ So he set off and went to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him. Then the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly, bring out a robe—the best one—and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!’ And they began to celebrate.

"Now his elder son was in the field; and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. He called one of the slaves and asked what was going on. He replied, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has got him back safe and sound.’ Then he became angry and refused to go in. His father came out and began to plead with him. But he answered his father, ‘Listen! For all these years I have been working like a slave for you, and I have never disobeyed your command; yet you have never given me even a young goat so that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fatted calf for him!’ Then the father said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found.’”

(New Revised Standard Version)

Monism
Monism is the idea that the entire universe and all of reality is made up of the same substance and essence – divinity. The concept of monism appears in various forms across the world dating back to early Greek, Persian and Indian philosophies, as well as in the teachings of some Hasidic masters.

Today we begin our four-part Lenten series with an exploration of sacrifice, or, as Rabbi Raachel teaches us, offerings, as the Hebrew of the Torah is more correctly translated. She and Bishop Sam dive deep into an exploration of sacrifice in the context of both Jewish rituals in the Temple and Christians observing Lent, discussing what it means to align our wills with God’s. They wrestle with two of the most difficult stories of their respective traditions: Jesus’ agony in the garden and ultimate crucifixion and Abraham’s near-sacrifice of Isaac. Their conclusions may surprise you.


Episode 7 Notes

Lent/Holy Week/Easter
Lent is the period of 40 days before Easter Sunday during which Christians traditionally enter a period of self-examination and penitence. This year, Ash Wednesday, the start of Lent, falls on February 22, and Easter Sunday falls on April 9. (For those doing the math, Sundays are not counted as part of Lent.) The Triduum, or three holy days leading up to Easter Sunday, include Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday and commemorate Jesus’ washing of his disciples’ feet, the Last Supper, his imprisonment and trial, and his crucifixion and entombment.

Jesus’ 40 Days of Temptation (Matthew 4:1-11)
Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. He fasted for forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was famished. The tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” But he answered, “It is written,

‘One does not live by bread alone,
but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.”’

Then the devil took him to the holy city and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down; for it is written,

‘He will command his angels concerning you’,
and ‘On their hands they will bear you up,
so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.’”

Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”

Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor; and he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! for it is written,

‘Worship the Lord your God,
and serve only him.’”

Then the devil left him, and suddenly angels came and waited on him.

(New Revised Standard Version)

Korban
Literally “drawing near,” this Hebrew word has been translated as both sacrifice and offering.

Priests and Levites
Priest is a general term in the Tanakh (Hebrew Scripture) and in the Christian Bible to describe those set apart to worship God in a ritualized way in the Temple. Levites are descendents of Levi, Jacob’s third son, who held a special right and obligation to the priesthood.

Garden of Gethsemane (Mark 14:32-36, and elsewhere)
They went to a place called Gethsemane; and he said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” He took with him Peter and James and John, and began to be distressed and agitated. And he said to them, “I am deeply grieved, even to death; remain here, and keep awake.” And going a little farther, he threw himself on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. He said, “Abba, Father, for you all things are possible; remove this cup from me; yet, not what I want, but what you want.”

(New Revised Standard Version)

The Synoptic Gospels
Matthew, Mark, and Luke are called Synoptic Gospels because they can be “seen together” (syn-optic) and contain many of the same stories and sayings, often related in the same relative sequence.

Jesus Sweated Drops of Blood (John 22:44)
In his anguish he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down on the ground.

(New Revised Standard Version)

Song of Songs 8:6
“Set me as a seal upon thy heart, as a seal upon thine arm; for love is strong as death,” which Rabbi Raachel habitually remembers as “stronger than,” perhaps an expression of her own hopes concerning the World to Come.

Akedah (Binding of Isaac, Genesis 22:1-19)
Now it came about after these things, that God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” He said, “Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you.” So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him and Isaac his son; and he split wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. On the third day Abraham raised his eyes and saw the place from a distance. Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey, and I and the lad will go over there; and we will worship and return to you.” Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son, and he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So the two of them walked on together. Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” And he said, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” Abraham said, “God will provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” So the two of them walked on together.

Then they came to the place of which God had told him; and Abraham built the altar there and arranged the wood, and bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. But the angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” He said, “Do not stretch out your hand against the lad, and do nothing to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.” Then Abraham raised his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him a ram caught in the thicket by his horns; and Abraham went and took the ram and offered him up for a burnt offering in the place of his son. Abraham called the name of that place The LORD Will Provide, as it is said to this day, “In the mount of the LORD it will be provided.”

Then the angel of the LORD called to Abraham a second time from heaven, and said, “By Myself I have sworn, declares the LORD, because you have done this thing and have not withheld your son, your only son, indeed I will greatly bless you, and I will greatly multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your seed shall possess the gate of their enemies. “In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.” So Abraham returned to his young men, and they arose and went together to Beersheba; and Abraham lived at Beersheba.

(Jewish Publication Society, 1917 edition)

Torah Scroll
The Sefer Torah is a handwritten copy of the Torah, rolled into a scroll, used during worship in the synagogue.

The Last Trial - Shalom Spiegel

The First Crusade
The First Crusade (1096–1099) was the first of a series of religious wars initiated by the Latin Church (a branch of the Catholic Church) during the medieval period. The objective was the recovery of the Holy Land from Islamic rule.

Midrash
A rabbinical mode of interpreting Tanakh.

Kiddush Hashem
Translated as “sanctification of the Name,” Kiddush Hashem refers to private and communal acts that honor God, in dire circumstances, even unto death.

Substitutionary Atonement
One among many theological models to explain Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection, substitutionary atonement refers to the idea that Jesus’ died for or instead of humanity as payment for our collective sins.

Christus Victor
Latin for “Christ the Victor,” this phrase refers to the theological model that Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection represented the liberation of humanity from the bondage of sin, death and the devil, and that God the Father vindicates him in his bodily resurrection. This construction has sometimes been misappropriated to justify an attitude of Christian superiority or supersessionism (the theological idea that the Christian Church has superseded the Jewish people and the nation of Israel, assuming their role as God’s covenanted people).

In this episode, Rabbi Raachel and Bishop Sam return to the psalms and discuss Rabbi Raachel’s choice: Psalm 145. Starting from the question of does God need to be praised, and, if so, why, they explore the ideas of humility, awe, abundance, praise, divine creativity throughout creation and our role in all of it.

Episode 6 Notes
We’ve aggregated helpful resources and additional information about the religious writings, practices, symbols and thinkers discussed in this episode.

Theodicy
Translated literally as “justifying God,” theodicy is a philosophical or theological attempt to answer the question of why a benevolent God allows evil, thus vindicating God for allowing evil to exist. Thinkers across time, cultures and religions have come to different conclusions.


Exodus
Described in the eponymous second book of both the Torah (Judaism) and the Old Testament (Christianity), the Exodus is the story of the Israelites escaping enslavement in Egypt through Divine redemption. It is a foundational story in Judaism, recounted daily in prayer, because it underpins the covenantal relationship between the Jewish people and God.


Perek Shirah
This ancient Jewish text, written by an anonymous author, is composed of 85 sections, in each of which a different element of creation, beginning with the celestial and ending with dogs, uses biblical and rabbinic verses to sing God's praises.


Presiding Bishop Michael Curry
Presiding Bishop the Most Reverend Michael Curry is the leader of The Episcopal Church, the branch of the global Anglican Communion located primarily in the United States and Central America. He is a renowned preacher and Bishop Sam Rodman’s predecessor as bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina.


Holiness Code
You shall be holy, for I the Eternal your God am Holy.

(Leviticus 19:2, Tanakh, tr. R. Jurovics)


Midrash
A rabbinical mode of interpreting Tanakh (Hebrew Scripture).

In this episode, Bishop Sam and Rabbi Raachel discuss one of the psalms that speaks most powerfully to Bishop Sam: Psalm 51. It is a plea for forgiveness attributed to King David after he is rebuked by the prophet Nathan for his role in another man’s death. Our hosts dive deep on the ideas of repentance, forgiveness, sacrifice and reconciliation, with God and with each other. It is a theologically and spiritually enriching conversation.


Episode 5 Notes
We’ve aggregated helpful resources and additional information about the religious writings, practices, symbols and thinkers discussed in this episode.


God’s Compassion
Rachamim, from the Hebrew root associated with womb, implying maternal love.


T'shuvah
The understanding of repentance in Judaism, t’shuvah is a Hebrew word rooted in the verb “to return,” as in, returning to a path of righteousness, realigning with Divine guidance.


You are the man. (2 Samuel 12:1-14)
But the thing that David had done displeased the Lord, and the Lord sent Nathan to David. He came to him, and said to him, ‘There were two men in a certain city, one rich and the other poor. The rich man had very many flocks and herds; but the poor man had nothing but one little ewe lamb, which he had bought. He brought it up, and it grew up with him and with his children; it used to eat of his meager fare, and drink from his cup, and lie in his bosom, and it was like a daughter to him. Now there came a traveler to the rich man, and he was loath to take one of his own flock or herd to prepare for the wayfarer who had come to him, but he took the poor man’s lamb, and prepared that for the guest who had come to him.’ Then David’s anger was greatly kindled against the man. He said to Nathan, ‘As the Lord lives, the man who has done this deserves to die; he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.’

Nathan said to David, ‘You are the man! Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: I anointed you king over Israel, and I rescued you from the hand of Saul; I gave you your master’s house, and your master’s wives into your bosom, and gave you the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would have added as much more. Why have you despised the word of the Lord, to do what is evil in his sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and have taken his wife to be your wife, and have killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. Now therefore the sword shall never depart from your house, for you have despised me, and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife. Thus says the Lord: I will raise up trouble against you from within your own house; and I will take your wives before your eyes, and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this very sun. For you did it secretly; but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun.’ David said to Nathan, ‘I have sinned against the Lord.’ Nathan said to David, ‘Now the Lord has put away your sin; you shall not die. Nevertheless, because by this deed you have utterly scorned the Lord, the child that is born to you shall die.’

(New Revised Standard Version)


Cain and Abel (Genesis 4:10)
“And God said, What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood cries to me from the ground.”


Hosea 14:3
“Take with you words, and turn to the Eternal; say to God: forgive all iniquity, and receive us graciously; so will we offer the words of our lips instead of calves.”


Morning Prayer
The modern-language version of the service (known as Rite II) begins on page 75 of the The Book of Common Prayer, the main liturgical resource in The Episcopal Church.

In this episode, Rabbi Raachel and Bishop Sam share their formative experiences of interreligious dialogue, from elementary school through college to their current thinking about conversations among followers of different faiths. Instead of seeking some impossible standard of neutrality when approaching each other’s scriptures, they discuss the ways in which rich, respectful dialogue requires us to acknowledge that we each view our own scriptures as normative for us, while approaching other religious teachings with curiosity and appreciation. They also share some of the ways in which learning about other religious practices encourages them to examine some of their own.


Episode 4 Notes
We’ve aggregated helpful resources and additional information about the religious writings, practices, symbols and thinkers discussed in this episode.

Shoah
The preferred Hebrew word for what many call the Holocaust. “Holocaust” connotes a fully-consumed sacrificial offering, which implies something beneficial or sacred about the genocidal murder of six million Jews. “Shoah” means “catastrophe,” a more accurate naming.

Cross vs. Crucifix
A crucifix includes a depiction of Jesus hanging from it, as opposed to a bare cross. Traditionally, Roman Catholics are more likely than Protestants or Evangelical Christians to wear a crucifix.

Jews for Jesus
This evangelical Christian group attempts to convert followers of Judaism to what they claim is a sect of Judaism that acknowledges Jesus as the Messiah. No Jewish religious movement considers belief in Jesus as the Messiah as a teaching compatible with Judaism.

144,000
Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that exactly 144,000 faithful Christians from Pentecost of 33 AD until the present day will be resurrected to heaven to spend eternity with God and Christ.

Torah and Tanakh
The Torah is the compilation of the first five books of the Hebrew Bible: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy.

The Tanakh is the entirety of the Jewish scriptures, composed of Torah; Nevi'im, the books of the prophets; and Ketuvim, the Writings, which include the psalms and wisdom literature.

The word “Torah” also may be applied to any Jewish religious or spiritual text, as it translates as “teaching.”

The Bhagavad Gita
The most widely known Hindu scripture, it depicts a dialogue between the warrior Arjuna and his spiritual guide, Sri Krishna.

The Search for God at Harvard, by Ari L. Goldman

Song of Songs 5:2
“I sleep, but my heart is awake. Knocking; it is the voice of my beloved; Open to me . . .”
(Jewish Publication Society).

Midnight Prayer: Tikkun Chatzot haLaila
Please follow this link for an overview of the Kabbalistic practice of rising to offer devotional prayers between midnight and dawn, usually a personal commitment, not liturgically required: https://www.chabad.org/kabbalah/article_cdo/aid/13...

Episode 3 Notes
We’ve aggregated helpful resources and additional information about the religious writings, practices, symbols and thinkers discussed in this episode.


Psalm 119:11
Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.

(King James Version)


Deuteronomy 29:13-14
And not with you alone do I make this covenant and this oath, but with the one who stands here with us this day before me, the eternal, our God, and also with the one who is not here with us this day.

(Tanakh, tr. R. Jurovics)


Deuteronomy 30:14
No, the word is very near to you; it is in your mouth and in your heart for you to observe.

(New Revised Standard Version)


Romans 10:8-9
But what does it say?
‘The word is near you,
on your lips and in your heart’
(that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); because if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

(New Revised Standard Version)


The Parable of the Good Samaritan
Just then a lawyer stood up to test Jesus. ‘Teacher,’ he said, ‘what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ He said to him, ‘What is written in the law? What do you read there?’ He answered, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.’ And he said to him, ‘You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live.’

But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, ‘And who is my neighbor?’ Jesus replied, ‘A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan while traveling came near him; and when he saw him, he was moved with pity. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine on them. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, “Take care of him; and when I come back, I will repay you whatever more you spend.” Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?’ He said, ‘The one who showed him mercy.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Go and do likewise.’

(Luke 10:25-37, New Revised Standard Version)



Exodus 19:6
You shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.

(Tanakh, tr. R. Jurovics)


Amos 9:7
Are you not like the Cushites to me, O people of Israel? Says the Eternal. Did I not bring Israel out of the land of Egypt, and the Philistines from Caphtor and the Arameans from Kir?

(Tanakh, tr. R. Jurovics)


Putting God Second: How to Save Religion from Itself, by Donniel Hartman


Jerusalem Talmud (Talmud Yerushalmi)
Also known as the Palestinian Talmud or Talmud of the Land of Israel, this collects rabbinic discussion/commentary on the Jewish written compilation of the previous four centuries of oral tradition known as the Mishnah, compiled in Syria Palaestina at Tiberias and Caesarea (c. 350 - 400 CE).


John 13:4
I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.

(New Revised Standard Version)


Maundy Thursday
The beginning of the Triduum, or three holy days leading up to Easter Sunday, when Christians celebrate Jesus’ resurrection from the dead, Maundy Thursday commemorates both Jesus’ washing of his disciples’ feet and the Last Supper, when Jesus instituted the practice of Holy Eaucharist, one of the two major sacraments in Christianity. The word “maundy” refers to the practice of foot-washing.


Holiness Code
You shall be holy, for I the Eternal your God am Holy.
(Leviticus 19:2, Tanakh, tr. R. Jurovics)


Monism
Monism is the idea that the entire universe and all of reality is made up of the same substance and essence – divinity. The concept of monism appears in various forms across the world dating back to early Greek, Persian and Indian philosophies, as well as in the teachings of some Hasidic masters.

In this episode, Rabbi Raachel and Bishop Sam look to the scriptures of Judaism and Christianity to explain the importance of embracing spiritual permeability as a way to explore our own faith and to understand and be enriched by the faith traditions of others. They visit Mt. Sinai, the Tower of Babel, Jewish and Episcopal worship services, corporate and individual prayer, and the idea of translation–both literal and figurative.


Episode 2 Notes
We’ve aggregated helpful resources and additional information about the religious writings, practices, symbols and thinkers discussed in this episode. We hope you’ll take the time to read them and learn a little bit more about an unfamiliar faith tradition–or maybe even your own.


God Was in This Place and I, I Did Not Know - Rabbi Lawrence Kushner
This is the book referenced by Rabbi Raachel when she spoke about Mt. Sinai as an always-on transmitter to which we are not always attuned.


The Tower of Babel
Now the whole world had one language and a common speech. As people moved eastward, they found a plain in Shinar and settled there.

They said to each other, “Come, let’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They used brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar. Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth.”

But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower the people were building. The Lord said, “If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.”

So the Lord scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city. That is why it was called Babel—because there the Lord confused the language of the whole world. From there the Lord scattered them over the face of the whole earth.

(Genesis 11:1-9, New Revised Standard Version)


Tzitzit, Tallit and Worship
The "strings" Rabbi Raachel referenced are what are called tzitzit, the fringes on the corners of the tallit (prayer shawl) worn during worship. In many Jewish communities, it is a custom to wrap the tzitzit from a corner of the tallit around a little finger, which is then raised to point out the Torah scroll on its return to the ark after reading during the worship service: "THIS is the Torah, which Moses placed before the Children of Israel, by the mouth of God, by the hand of Moses."


The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy Name,
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those
who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever. Amen.


Jacob
Jacob left Beer-sheba and went towards Haran. He came to a certain place and stayed there for the night, because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place. And he dreamed that there was a ladder set up on the earth, the top of it reaching to heaven; and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. And the Lord stood beside him and said, ‘I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring; and your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and all the families of the earth shall be blessed in you and in your offspring. Know that I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.’ Then Jacob woke from his sleep and said, ‘Surely the Lord is in this place—and I did not know it!’ And he was afraid, and said, ‘How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.’

Genesis 28:10-17, New Revised Standard Version)


The Burning Bush
Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian; he led his flock beyond the wilderness, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of a bush; he looked, and the bush was blazing, yet it was not consumed. Then Moses said, ‘I must turn aside and look at this great sight, and see why the bush is not burned up.’ When the Lord saw that he had turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, ‘Moses, Moses!’ And he said, ‘Here I am.’ Then he said, ‘Come no closer! Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.’ He said further, ‘I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.

(Exodus 3:1-6, New Revised Standard Version)

To Differ is Divine grew out of the ongoing interfaith conversations between Bishop Sam Rodman, the bishop diocesan of North Carolina, and Rabbi Raachel Jurovics, the Diocese’s rabbi-in-residence and former leader of Yavneh: A Jewish Renewal Community in Raleigh. As Rabbi Raachel says, “If God wanted us all to be the same, we would all be the same. If it serves the divine purpose that we differ in our religious practices, then we have a responsibility to respond to that with an open heart.” In this first episode, they explore what we’re calling spiritual permeability, the invitation to look at the texts and practices of our respective faith traditions as a conversation between different expressions of God. Embracing spiritual permeability invites us not only into the life of the Spirit but into a dialogue as people of faith in a time of great divisions in the world. We believe these conversations are part of the divine gift.



Episode Notes: To Differ Is Divine
We’ve aggregated helpful resources and additional information about the religious writings, practices, symbols and thinkers discussed in this episode. We hope you’ll take the time to read them and learn a little bit more about an unfamiliar faith tradition–or maybe even your own.


Ma'Ariv Aravim
Ma’ariv Aravim is the first blessing before the Shema and generally the opening prayer of the Evening Service, or Ma’ariv. It is considered to be the parallel prayer to Yotzer Or, which is recited in the same place during the morning service (Shacharit). Just as Yotzer Or speaks of the coming of light, Ma’ariv Aravim speaks of the coming of darkness. These are considered the first preparatory blessings for the recitation of Shema and affirm our appreciation for God's Creation. Ma’ariv Aravim is a praise of God for bringing on the darkness, controlling the day and night, for ordering the stars in heaven, and for the seasons. While it is preferable to recite Ma’ariv after dusk, it is permissible to recite this blessing any time after sunset, even if dusk has not occurred yet:

Calendar of Saints
Like a few other Christian denominations, The Episcopal Church recognizes saints. Some–the St. Luke’s, St. Mary’s and St. Matthew’s of the early Church–are included in the Book of Common Prayer with special collects (prayers), psalms and other readings from Scripture assigned to them. Others who have been added to the calendar of saints within the last couple centuries, including familiar names like Pauli Murray, are included in Lesser Feasts and Fasts, a liturgical resource where you can find prayers and a short biographical sketch for each person commemorated. New commemorations may be added to the calendar with the approval of two General Conventions, the triennial gathering of The Episcopal Church. Unlike the Catholic church, evidence of miracles is not required for inclusion, just exemplary Christian witness.