[Jewish] [Mindful Torah] Parshat Yitro: The Voices of the Women at Sinai

[Rabbi Steven Nathan]

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This week's parashah (portion) is Yitro (Shemot/Exodus 18:1-20:23). It
begins with the return of Yitro/Jethro, described in the text
as "Moses' father-in-law" and not as Zipporah's father). He comes to
Moses with his wife Zipporah and their sons. Upon arriving, the two men
embrace. But we read of no reunion between Moses and Zipporah.

Later, after Yitro advises Moses on how to better govern the people by
choosing able and honest men to help him, the people arrive at Mount
Sinai and prepare to receive the word of God. Then, in one of the
Torah's most dramatic of moments, God speaks the Ten Commandments
(literally, the 'ten utterances') from the mountain. But before God
speaks to the people, God instructs Moses on how the people must
prepare themselves for revelation:






And God said to Moses, “Go to the people and warn them to stay pure
today and tomorrow. Let them wash their clothes. Let them be ready for
the third day; for on the third day the Eternal will come down, in the
sight of all the people, on Mount Sinai "

Moses came down from the Mountain to the people and warned the people
to stay pure and he said to the people, “Be ready for the third day; Do
not go near a woman.”






>From the ‘non-reunion’ of Moses and Tzipporah through these verses and
beyond, women are either forgotten or excluded from the entire
narrative. Throughout the past decades many writers, mostly women, have
added the voices of the women back to the story. As a man who considers
himself to be a feminist, I would like to add my voice to those who
have attempted to rediscover women’s voices in the text. I cannot
presume to know how a woman might have felt being excluded from the
community. It is true that as a Jew and as a gay man I know what it
feels like to be excluded. However, as a man, and particularly a white
man, I am still part of the oppressive pseudo-majority, regardless of
my own personal beliefs. So I believe it is my duty to try my best to
do discover the women's voices within me as my own kind of tikun/repair
to the brokenness that we have created.


Shabbat Shalom,

Steven








The Words of the Women at Sinai

Dedicated to Judith Plaskow, Merle Feld, R. Jill Hammer, R. Ruth Sohn,
R. Elyse Goldstein, R. Sue Levi Elwell and so many others who have
given voice to the women of the Torah. May we all, men and women alike,
continue to discover the voices of those who have been forgotten,
oppressed and marginalized within our tradition - as well as other
traditions - throughout history and until this day. Only then can we
truly say that God will be One and God's name One for us all.




I am Zipporah



I am my beloved's

My beloved is mine



No



I was my father's

I am now my husband's

No one is mine

I do not exist

Alone



Joyous reunion

I am not there

The men embrace

Father-in-law to Son-in-law

Ignoring the essential ingredient

Catalyst

Of their relationship



Without daughterwife

They are nothing

But two strangers



They do not care



Alone

Together

With each other

I am indispensable dispensable

I am only the mother of boys

Who will grow

To be

Like them

Perhaps








I am Miriam



I am a prophetess

A visionary

It says so in the Torah

Yet

You must not come near

I am impure

I am polluting

I am powerful

Do not come near

Do not touch me

Do not touch my fruit

Lest your spirit die

Leaving you

Unable to receive

Revelation

Redemption

Divinity






We are women

Fit

For giving birth

Raising sons

Saving brothers from death

Able

To lead the women in song

Not

To lead us all to freedom






We remain behind

With the children

The others

Standing

in the margins

Watching

the men

Waiting

To clean up







We are sisters

Standing

At Sinai

Hearing

God's voice

Together

Separate







We call to you

The men

We challenge you

To come near

To embrace us






Then

We can

Listen

Hear

The Divine voice

Together







Prepare for the third day

Do not go near a woman






Those words

Not from God

>From Moses

We do not

Hear them

We do not

Recognize them

They have

No power

Unless we will it






Listen

to us

Listen

to God

Pay Attention



We cry out

To them

In vain






They do not hear

Us

They only hear

Him

and him






Again

We join together

As One

As sisters

As always

Far from the noise

The thunder

The lightning

Clear of all

The smoke

The men






Yet

We can hear

The small voice

The True Voice

>From behind the clouds

Within us

The voice

They will never hear

Unless they listen

With their hearts

Not their ears

With Love

Not fear

Embracing

Not trembling






So much we can teach them

If they would only listen

Let us in

Perhaps some day

Then

We will all receive

Redemption

As

One

Forever standing

Together

At Sinai







--
Posted By Rabbi Steven Nathan to Mindful Torah at 2/05/2010 07:16:00 PM
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