Shabbat Arisia
Jan. 13th, 2003 09:58 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
magidArisia this year is on a memorable Shabbat.
This year, the Shabbat of Arisia is also Shabbat Shirah (lit. "Sabbath of Song"). The Torah portion of the week includes the song at the Red (/Reed) Sea as the children of Israel celebrate their escape from the Egyptians, for whom the walls of water do not stand. There is a portion read from the Prophets (haftarah) after the Torah reading, which has some parallel to the Torah portion. This week, it's the story of Deborah the prophet, since her story includes a song of triumph over an enemy as well.
It's this haftarah that I particularly like. I like that there's a woman in an acknowledged position of wisdom and power, who doesn't shy from what she needs to do. No one has issues about whether it's "appropriate" for her to be doing this or not. It is also pleasing that the story includes another active woman, Yael (the one who drives the tent-pin through the enemy general Sisera's skull while he sleeps; she must've been strong.). In fact, the story of this battle is mostly about women, with Deborah, Yael, and Sisera's mother all portrayed as active characters. The men are more in the background than one would expect (other, perhaps, than Sisera).
This Shabbat is also Tu B'Shvat (lit. "the fifteenth of the month of Shvat") (which is not necessarily on a Shabbat at all). This is the new year for the trees (It makes a bit more sense in Israel, where the seasons run at slightly different times.). There are halachot about fruit from young trees, and about the giving of tithes, but practically speaking, there is little observance of this holiday, at least when I was growing up. Now the custom of having a "seder" has become much more popular. This seder incorporates four cups of wine (going from white to red, or vice versa), also four types of fruit (those that are completely edible, those with pits, those with skin to peel off, and those with both), readings about these customs, readings about trees, etc. They're nice, though still feel less... authentic than the Passover kind of seder, perhaps because there is such a wide variety of forms.
I like trees, and like that there is recognition for them in the calendar. I believe there will be many fruits at Shabbat dinner this week, too, so perhaps I'm not completely missing the day by being at the con...
This year, the Shabbat of Arisia is also Shabbat Shirah (lit. "Sabbath of Song"). The Torah portion of the week includes the song at the Red (/Reed) Sea as the children of Israel celebrate their escape from the Egyptians, for whom the walls of water do not stand. There is a portion read from the Prophets (haftarah) after the Torah reading, which has some parallel to the Torah portion. This week, it's the story of Deborah the prophet, since her story includes a song of triumph over an enemy as well.
It's this haftarah that I particularly like. I like that there's a woman in an acknowledged position of wisdom and power, who doesn't shy from what she needs to do. No one has issues about whether it's "appropriate" for her to be doing this or not. It is also pleasing that the story includes another active woman, Yael (the one who drives the tent-pin through the enemy general Sisera's skull while he sleeps; she must've been strong.). In fact, the story of this battle is mostly about women, with Deborah, Yael, and Sisera's mother all portrayed as active characters. The men are more in the background than one would expect (other, perhaps, than Sisera).
This Shabbat is also Tu B'Shvat (lit. "the fifteenth of the month of Shvat") (which is not necessarily on a Shabbat at all). This is the new year for the trees (It makes a bit more sense in Israel, where the seasons run at slightly different times.). There are halachot about fruit from young trees, and about the giving of tithes, but practically speaking, there is little observance of this holiday, at least when I was growing up. Now the custom of having a "seder" has become much more popular. This seder incorporates four cups of wine (going from white to red, or vice versa), also four types of fruit (those that are completely edible, those with pits, those with skin to peel off, and those with both), readings about these customs, readings about trees, etc. They're nice, though still feel less... authentic than the Passover kind of seder, perhaps because there is such a wide variety of forms.
I like trees, and like that there is recognition for them in the calendar. I believe there will be many fruits at Shabbat dinner this week, too, so perhaps I'm not completely missing the day by being at the con...