Being Purple in a Red or Blue World
Purple has always been among my favorite colors. Many think it to be somewhat regal and what I think is so special about it is how many different hues and tones of reds and blues and other hints of color go into creating a lovely regal purple. So, it seems totally apt to me to be drawn to עומדים ביחד Omdim BeYachad – thought of as the Purple Group in Israel. They, as myself, are holding multiple truths simultaneously. This wonderful group of people are coming together. – as Jews, Christians, Muslims, Bah’ai and other religions, as Israelis and Palestinians, as people of so many different ethnic origins to create a lovely regal and intelligent purple. As Purple People, all try to be inclusive, caring, compassionate and validating of all people and their narratives and back stories, not obliterating or erasing identities but bringing them together in a beautiful fabric of humanity. In so doing we do not only learn about theirs, but uncover layers of meaning within ourselves.
As we are presently in the midst of the narratives of the families of Bereshit in our annual cycle of weekly Torah readings, we have the same opportunity – to see the many different ways a story or a series of events impact different people in individuated ways. While to many people are often focused on the good guy/bad guy elements of a story and try to justify questionable actions of the proclaimed “good guys” while ignoring the possibility of any positive motivations or intentions of the assigned “bad guys,” I would humbly propose that we are missing the point if that is how we read our Torah text. Here we have real people with all of the complexities and many dimensions that human beings hold. As a learner and teacher of Jewish texts, I have always encouraged my students and led the way in looking at the complexities others would have us ignore and consider such elements as the love Esau had for his father, how Sarah did not show kindness to all members of Avraham’s household, how Yoseph needed to learn a thing or two about the value of humility and so on. These are all people who live in the real lane with families and involvements in which we see the many facets that compose their respective personalities. Further, we consider that events as they unfold have different effects on various individuals. This is one of the elements of the Torah narrative I love best – yes, its challenging at times, but also incredibly enlightening if we are ready to rise to the challenge. As Avivah Zornberg teaches us, we will come to a fuller and richer understanding of the text if we can go behind and under the words on the page.
Try this! Choose a text that shares a story of relationships between people – the birth and celebration of Yitzchak, the sending away of Hagar and Yishmael, Akedah, Yitzchak blessing his sons, Rivkah’s tricking Yitzchak and so many others in Bereshit during these weeks – consider all of the people involved in these events and imagine how they are each reacting to the unfolding narrative. See how many different points of view you can identify. Remember how HaShem shows up for Hagar and Yishmael in the desert. Consider Yoseph’s point of view when he finally acknowledges his brothers and says to not feel bad because it was not really them who sent him on his way, but rather Ribbonu shel Olam. Think of and contrast the trickery of Tamar and Potiphar’s wife in the same Parsha later on in the cycle and the lessons of each if we are willing to broaden our view and consider the breath and breadth of possibilities.
As we look carefully and intentionally at the text, considering the numerous clues given as to how we should consider the many different layers of a narrative, we will better understand the lessons we are to glean. I remember well many years ago sitting in a Shiyur with Nechama Leibowitz z’l who focused on Parshat Toldot and taught us to look carefully at the pronominal suffixes when referring to individuals to truly try to uncover the dynamics of this fractured family. The lines of favoritism were carefully drawn and clearly visible to anyone considering this grammatical formation. Some may think that such thinking is “off the rails” in looking at our Torah narrative, but if we believe that there are no extraneous elements present and every word and letter has meaning, as I do, then it is upon us to look for these elements and consider the challenges they may present to us in considering that we may not know everything we think we do. There are always new lessons to learn, new dimensions to uncover in every person in our Torah narrative.
So it is with us! I am always looking for the hues in regal purple just as I am aware that there are so many dimensions to a person, to the events that we experience and in the history of which we are all part. Only when we acknowledge that events have different impacts on all of us and NO ONE STORY is the only one to be told will we be able to STAND TOGETHER!
May it be so! כן יהי רצון
