"Imaginative Insight": Midrash and African-American Preaching.

"Imaginative Insight": Midrash and African-American Preaching. A hallmark of Black preaching has been its ability to take thethings not said "Things Not Said" is the twenty-fifth episode of ''. Plot SummaryMack shows the photos from Mack's old camping trip. Dax discovers that Mack doesn't have a shadow in the picture. Spencer walks in and overhears the discussion. in the text and apply them to today's context. Reverend Carlyle Stewart [1] My message today is two-fold. First, open your eyes to the Bible.These are not just children's stories we like to read. The biblicaltext is multi-layered and richly textured; it is open to interpretationand analysis that you may never have considered. Rabbi Debra Orenstein [2] JEWISH PREACHING IS INEXTRICABLY in��ex��tri��ca��ble?adj.1. a. So intricate or entangled as to make escape impossible: an inextricable maze; an inextricable web of deceit.b. LINKED TO midrash, [3] which ischaracterized by a freedom of interpretation that is quite daring.Traditionally, the Jewish preacher is called the darshan--the one whoemploys the midrash. The root of the word midrash is comprised of theHebrew letters d-r and sh, meaning "to search out." Themidrashic method holds that there are multiple lines of meaning betweenthe lines Between the lines can refer to: The subtext of a letter, fictional work, conversation or other piece of communication Between The Lines (TV series), an early 1990s BBC television programme. of text, under the lines of text--even transcending the linesof text. The midrashic Jewish preacher, as Uriel Simon notes, "byvirtue of his own inspiration and organic continuity of the generationswill sometimes dare to rewrite Scripture by the device of al tikrei--donot read the text as x, but rather as y." [4] In other words Adv. 1. in other words - otherwise stated; "in other words, we are broke"put differently , theJewish preacher, the darshan darshanor darsanIn Hindu worship, the beholding of an auspicious deity, person, or object. The experience is often conceived to be reciprocal and results in a blessing of the viewer. , can change the meaning of the text itselfin order to bring forth the Divine sparks The idea, most common to Gnosticism but also present in most Western Mystical Traditions such as Kabbalah and Sufism that all of mankind contains within itself the Divine Spark of God which is contained or imprisoned in the body. he believes are hidden in thewords, left there by God for human beings to derive inspiration fromthem. One example of reconfiguration in an ancient teaching dec lares: Rabbi Elazar said in the name of Rabbi Hanina: "Scholarsincrease peace throughout the world" (and what is the scriptural scrip��tur��al?adj.1. Of or relating to writing; written.2. often Scriptural Of, relating to, based on, or contained in the Scriptures. proof of this?) for it is said in Isaiah: "All your children shallbe taught of the Lord, and great shall be the peace of yourchildren" (but the text says "children," not"scholars"!) So read not (al tikrei) here banayikh (yourchildren) but rather bonayikh (your builders) and scholars are the truebuilders of the ideal of peace! Talmud, Berakhot 64a In similar fashion, a modern scholar, Rabbi Israel Mowshowitz, in"Full Vision of the Total Personality," changes the contextualmeaning of the Hebrew word shalom sha��lom?interj.Used as a traditional Jewish greeting or farewell.[Hebrew in order to find a new teaching: Jacob understood that Joseph was telling him only partial truths(about his brothers). He therefore sent little Joseph on a learningmission. Jacob told Joseph, "Go, I pray I beg; I request; I entreat you; - used in asking a question, making a request, introducing a petition, etc.; as, Pray, allow me to go s>.See also: Pray thee and see the skalom ofyour brothers (Genesis 37:14). The Hebrew word shalom means peace orwelfare. Looking at the text superficially, we could assume that Jocobsent Joseph to find out about the peace and welfare of his brothers. Butthis Hebrew word also denotes completeness; something whole andunfragmented. War breaks things up, peace unites, and hence, peaceimplies completeness. What Jacob was actually telling his son was: donot look at a fragment of your brothers' character. Do not observethem from one particular angle. See the good and the bad in them. Seethem as whole, complete personalities. [5] The Jewish preacher is not bound by the literal or plain meaning ofthe words of the text--he or she creates interpretations and meaningsthat resonate res��o��nate?v. res��o��nat��ed, res��o��nat��ing, res��o��natesv.intr.1. To exhibit or produce resonance or resonant effects.2. with significance for the listeners. [6] This is precisely the method of Black preaching. According to according toprep.1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians.2. In keeping with: according to instructions.3. HenryMitchell: The very literal, impersonal use of scriptures would be foreign tothis preacher's mind and spirit ... the Black Bible is a livingepistle epistle(ĭpĭs`əl), in the Bible, a letter of the New Testament. The Pauline Epistles (ascribed to St. Paul) are Romans, First and Second Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, First and Second Thessalonians, First and , and the elaborations never take the form of coldly abstractformulations. The Black preacher is more apt to think of the Bible as aninexhaustible source of good preaching material than as an inertdoctrinal doc��tri��nal?adj.Characterized by, belonging to, or concerning doctrine.doctri��nal��ly adv.Adj. 1. and ethical authority. It is full of insights--warm and wiseand relevant to the everyday problems of Black people. It provides thebasis for unlimited creativity in the telling of rich and interestingstories, and these narrations command rapt attention while the eternaltruth is brought to bear on the struggle to survive and to find ameasure of dignity and freedom. The Bible's authority undergirdsremembrance and provides permanent reference points for discernment andto help illuminate whatever the Holy Spirit gives the preacher to say...the Black preacher is not in favor of pat. easy, legalistic le��gal��ism?n.1. Strict, literal adherence to the law or to a particular code, as of religion or morality.2. A legal word, expression, or rule. , orliteralistic answers. [7] Mitchell adds, "the Black preacher avoids dead, irrelevantformulations, no matter how normative they may have been in thepast." [8] Carlyle Stewart asserts that Black preaching searchesout the things "not said in the text." [9] Indeed, Stewartgives a name to this hermeneutic her��me��neu��tic? also her��me��neu��ti��caladj.Interpretive; explanatory.[Greek herm of Black preaching, calling it"imaginative insight." [10] Henry Mitchell calls it"imaginative elaboration." [11] Whether called "imaginative insight," "imaginativeelaboration," or midrash, seeing almost an inexhaustible supply ofmeanings in a text that contains layers of significance just waiting tobe mined by the apt preacher is strongly associated with bothAfrican-American and Jewish preaching. The purpose of such anhermeneutic is to create a Scripture that is truly Divine and yetprofoundly useful--and of infinite value in that it speaks to everyfacet of human life, for there is no part of the Bible that cannot bemeaningful to the modem listener. True, parts of the Bible are astruggle to understand, but it is precisely in the struggle that humanbeings meet God. Warren Stewart writes, "Hermeneutics hermeneutics,the theory and practice of interpretation. During the Reformation hermeneutics came into being as a special discipline concerned with biblical criticism. as wrestlingwith the will and word of God is illustrated in Jacob's wrestlingat the Jabbok ... hermeneutics presupposes that man must ultimatelyreckon with God." [12] In the struggle to find the meanings hiddenin the text, to "fill the vacuum in the text" as ProfessorUriel Simon puts it [13] the Jewish and Afr ican-American preacher seekto make the text speak anew to the contemporary listener. Warren Stewartcites Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as a master of this method:"King's guiding concept ... was that Scripture should beinterpreted in such a way the past becomes alive and illumines ourpresent with new possibilities for personal and socialtransformation." [14] In this mode, Reverend Carlyle Stewart transforms the brief storyof Isaac digging the wells of Abraham in Genesis 26 into a contemporarycall to African American African AmericanMulticulture A person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa.See Race. initiative and self-reliance: Our scripture today finds Isaac, the son of Abraham, faced with theformidable task of holding his family together, restoring theirspiritual legacy and vouchsafing their future amid death threats andvehement opposition from the Philistines. Isaac must decide whether todig or not to dig the wells of his father and exalt his people to theirrightful place in history or allow his adversaries and enemies to foilhis plans. The question for Isaac is Isaac I(Isaac Comnenus) (ī`zək kŏmnē`nəs), c.1005–1061, Byzantine emperor (1057–59), first of the Comneni dynasty. : Can he dig the wells of hope,prosperity, and the restoration of his people's personhood per��son��hood?n.The state or condition of being a person, especially having those qualities that confer distinct individuality: "finding her own personhood as a campus activist" andspirituality? For Isaac knew, as we know today, that personhood andspirituality go hand in hand, for as long as others have the power todefine your personhood they have the power to spiritually define you asa non-person. And that's the problem with us today as a people. Wehave conferred on others the power to determine and define the worth,the depth, and the very trajectory of our being. Small wonder thatspiritual dislocation dislocation,displacement of a body part, usually a bone. When a bone is dislocated, the ends of opposing bones are usually forced out of connection with one another. In the process, bruising of tissues and tearing of ligaments may occur. has led to personal, communal, and familialdisintegration in our communities. The question for Isaac is: Will he dig the wells which will restorehis family to their rightful familial status? Can he dig those wellswhich symbolize God's promises for the future? The question for us today is: Will we, the people of God, dig ornot dig the wells of hope, deliverance DeliveranceSee also Freedom.Aphesiusepithet of Zeus, meaning ‘releaser.’ [Gk. Myth.: Zimmerman, 292–293]Bolivar, Simón(1783–1830) the great liberator of South America. [Am. Hist. , liberation, and transformationfor our people? Can we dig the wells which will restore confidence inourselves and God, empower us to take back and rebuild our communities,and inspire us to have faith and courage to stand toe to toe with thoseoppositional forces which threaten to vanquish and annihilate an��ni��hi��late?v. an��ni��hi��lat��ed, an��ni��hi��lat��ing, an��ni��hi��latesv.tr.1. a. To destroy completely: The naval force was annihilated during the attack. us? [15] By the end of the sermon, Stewart is even changing the meaning ofthe word "dig," now using it as a slang term forunderstanding: "Can you dig it? Can you dig it?" [16] And in amoving sermon entitled "Take a Little Honey," Reverend SandyRay changes Ray Chang or "Raymond Y. Chang" (born November 2, 1966) is the pastor of Ambassador Church in Buena Park, CA, founder of the AmbassadorNet, and church planting leader with the Evangelical Free Church of America as well as a working member with Diversity Task Force. the meaning of Genesis 43:11, which describes gifts thatJacob sent to Egypt, "carry down presents ... a little balm balm,name for any balsam resin and for several plants, e.g., the bee balm. balmAny of several fragrant herbs of the mint family, particularly Melissa officinalis (balm gentle, or lemon balm), cultivated in temperate climates for its fragrant ,spices, myrrh myrrh:see incense-tree. myrrhsymbol of gladness. [Flower Symbolism: Flora Symbolica, 176]See : Joy , almonds, nuts and a little honey" to explain theverse as referring to journeying through life with a measure ofcompassion and love: Our family life needs a little honey. Husbands, wives, parents, andchildren need a little honey. So often in our family life the atmosphereis cold, strained, and bitter. Many homes have all the facilities,furniture, appliances, televisions, automobiles, clothes and trips, butthey are houses without honey. Honeyless homes are sad. [17] Marc Saperstein concludes that the Jewish preacher also aimed toaddress the historical situation or the psychological needs of hiscontemporaries. The Jewish preacher felt free to change "theoriginal meanings of entire phrases of Scripture if the goal was tocorrespond to contemporary personal concerns." [18] I do not suggest that Jewish and African-American preachers ignorethe plain meaning of the Biblical text, or do not avail themselves ofscientific and scholarly methodologies in seeking to interpretScripture. As ancient as is the method of midrashic preaching in Judaismis the method of analysis called peshat. Peshat analysis seeks tounderstand the text as it was understood in the context of the originaltime and circumstance--to lay bare the actual sense of the text. Themidrashic preacher asks "What does the text come to teach us?"while the scholar interested in peshat queries "What does the textactually say?" The peshat-minded interpreter is bound by the rulesof grammar and the confines of historical and scientific research. [19] Jewish interpreters of Scripture have availed themselves of theapproach of peshat for over two thousand years. In our day, Jewishpreachers, particularly in more liberal denominations are quitecomfortable citing the latest historical findings or scholarlyapproaches to text and history. But while the Jewish preacher mightbegin a sermon by seeking to explain the text according to peshat, sheor he will typically continue on in the time honored tradition of thedarshan--the midrashic preacher--seeking to mine homiletical hom��i��let��ic? also hom��i��let��i��caladj.1. Relating to or of the nature of a homily.2. Relating to homiletics.[Late Latin hom gems thatare buried beneath the dry surface of the text. Indeed, it could beargued that the test of a fine Jewish preacher in our time is theability to touch both the mind and the soul, to demonstrate an abilityto understand both the scholarly approach to the text and the soul-needsof the worshippers in the pews. [20] Perhaps the finest sermon I have ever heard in a synagogue waspreached by Rabbi Yaakov Neuberger, a devoutly Orthodox Jew, at the timechaplain at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine For the engineering company, see AECOMThe Albert Einstein College of Medicine (AECOM) is a graduate school of Yeshiva University. It is a private medical school located in the Jack and Pearl Resnick Campus of Yeshiva University in the Morris Park , now a Rosh Yeshiva Rosh yeshiva, (pl. Heb. Roshei yeshiva; Yeshivish Rosh yeshivas), (Hebrew: ראש ישיבה‎), is the title given to the dean of a Talmudical academy. and professor of Talmudic studies at Yeshiva University Yeshiva University,in New York City; mainly coeducational; begun 1886 as Yeshiva Eitz Chaim, a Jewish theological seminary, chartered 1928 as Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary and Yeshiva College; renamed 1945. . Rabbi Neubergerhad already made his mark as an outstanding expert in the intricacies ofJewish law, indeed, his Saturday afternoon classes in Talmud were notedfor their difficulty and technical nature. But when he preached, aftergiving legal material and peshat background to the Biblical text underconsideration, his words aimed at touching the soul. In discussing thestory of Cain and Abel Cain and AbelIn the Hebrew scriptures, the sons of Adam and Eve. According to Genesis, Cain, the firstborn, was a farmer, and his brother Abel was a shepherd. Cain was enraged when God preferred his brother's sacrifice of sheep to his own offering of grain, and he murdered , he noted a long-time problem in the text:Genesis 4:8 states, "And Cain said to Abel... and Cain slew Abel.For two thousand years, rabbis, in fine midrashic method, have tried toinvent just what Cain and Abel were talking about prior to the murder.One classic interpretation has the two brothers arguing over which onewould procreate pro��cre��atev.1. To beget and conceive offspring; to reproduce.2. To produce or create; originate.pro with their mother, Eve ! But Rabbi Neuberger the darshangave a stunningly new midrashic twist-the text is silent because Cainsaid nothing to Abel at all! These two brothers no longer had anythingto say to one another, and unspeakable violence was the result. Now thissermon came at a time of mounting violence in Israel between Orthodoxand Liberal Jews. Rabbi Neuberger concluded; "When brothers havenothing to say to one another, violence is the inevitable result."Powerful, and soul stirring, even after ten years! His sermonexemplifies the comment of Rabbi Israel Mowshowitz, aConservative-traditional rabbi: "The purpose of the sermon is toinspire more than inform, to direct more than to instruct, to motivatemore than educate. Jews come to the Sabbath service, by and large, to beinspired, to gain direction on life's path, and to be motivated toproper action. They want to know what Judaism has to say about achievinggoodness and blessing and peace. They want to leave the synagogue not somuch better informed, but simply bet ter." [21] Rabbi Norman Cohen cohenor kohen(Hebrew: “priest”) Jewish priest descended from Zadok (a descendant of Aaron), priest at the First Temple of Jerusalem. The biblical priesthood was hereditary and male. , former Dean of the Hebrew Union College The Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (also known as HUC, HUC-JIR, and The College-Institute) is the oldest Jewish seminary in the New World and the main seminary for training rabbis, cantors, educators and communal workers in Reform Judaism. JewishInstitute of Religion The Jewish Institute of Religion was an educational establishment created by Rabbi Stephen S. Wise to train rabbis in Reform Judaism in 1922 in New York City. It was merged with the Hebrew Union College in 1950. and now its provost, recently wrote an essay whichdemonstrates the ability to utilize both scholarly and midrashicmaterial in an exposition of a text in a manner designed to touch theintellect and the soul: When the Israelites did come upon an oasis, its waters were toobitter to drink (Exodus 15:23). It, therefore, was called Marah(Bitterness). However, upon hearing the complaints of this fledglingpeople, Moses cried out for help to God, who showed him a tree, a pieceof wood. And Moses took the wood, threw it into the water, which somehowtransformed the bitter waters of Marah into waters of sweetness, watersof salvation (Exodus 15:24--25). Commentators from Rashi onward have continually wondered about thismiraculous tree whose wood could make the bitter waters sweet. AsGunther Plaut Wolf Gunther Plaut, C.C., O.Ont., J.D.S., LL.D. (born November 1, 1912) is a Rabbi of Reform Judaism and author. Plaut was the Rabbi of Holy Blossom Temple in Toronto for several decades and is currently its Rabbi Emeritus. notes, trees like the oak contain tannin tannin,tannic acid,or gallotannic acid,astringent vegetable product found in a wide variety of plants. Sources include the bark of oak, hemlock, chestnut, and mangrove; the leaves of certain sumacs; and plant galls. , which canneutralize neutralizeto render neutral. the alkalinity al��ka��lin��i��tyn.The alkali concentration or alkaline quality of a substance that contains alkali.alkalinity1. the quality of being alkaline.2. of water, thereby causing the bitter matter tosink to the bottom. Yet, if we do not take the text literally,understanding it instead to have symbolic power, then perhaps it is notimportant to know the type of tree intended by the Biblical writer. TheRabbis (of ancient times) know this very well, as they demand that welisten to the words used by the Biblical writer. The Exodus text doesnot read: vayareihu etz, "God showed Moses a tree," butvayoreihu etz, "God taught him a tree." And what tree might ithave been that God taught him which enabled him to make the bitterwaters sweet? Of course, it had to be the Torah, the Holy Bible Holy Biblename for book containing the Christian Scriptures. [Christianity: NCE, 291]See : Writings, Sacred , the EtzChayim, the Tree of Life. What allows the Rabbis to interpret thisnarrative so symbolically? The words which immediately follow in thevery sam e verse in the text (v.25): "There God gave them a statuteand ordinance," i.e., the Torah. For the Rabbis, as for us, the Torah is the vehicle that transformsthe bitter waters into waters of salvation. In order to survive thedesert journey and all of its trauma, in order to traverse the distancebetween Egypt and the Promised Land, we Jews have only one means at ourdisposal--the Torah given at Sinai which we have carried with us in allof our sojourns. It is the Etz Chayim, the Tree of Life, which canprovide us with the life-giving waters for which each of us searches.[22] The African-American preacher will also avail himself or herself ofscientific and scholarly findings in seeking to explicate the Scripturalpassage. Henry Mitchell insists that the African-American sermon iswrongly characterized as appealing only to the emotion and spirit, andnot to the intellect. Not at all, says Mitchell--African-Americanpreachers do avail themselves of the latest Biblical research. Mitchellwrites, "The Black church's capacity to receive, appreciate,and use scholarly understanding is often overlooked" and"Black preachers often use the best of Biblical scholarship to addliving details that would not otherwise be evident to the laity."[23] Carlyle Stewart also affirms the place of the plain meaning of thetext, the text as explicated by current scholarship. In his sermon"Fatal Subtraction subtraction,fundamental operation of arithmetic; the inverse of addition. If a and b are real numbers (see number), then the number a−b is that number (called the difference) which when added to b (the subtractor) equals ," Stewart gives a brief description ofearly church history and practices: Each person joining the (early) church understood the value andimportance of supporting its mission. Early Christians believed that Godcalled them for the noble purpose of building a new spiritualconsciousness which would place the Church at the center of the earthlyactivities. Whenever new persons converted to Christ, it was understoodthat they would give what they vowed to support the church'sministry. In his book Property and Riches in the Early Church scholarMartin Hengel Martin Hengel is a German scholar of religion, focusing on the "Second-Temple Period" or "Hellenistic Period" of early Judaism, which encompasses 200 BCE to 200 CE. He is Emeritus Professor of New Testament and Early Judaism at the University of T��bingen. observes that all goods and property were held in commonso no needs were unmet in those early Christian communities. So it wasclearly understood by new believers that they would have to supportwholly and joyfully the mission of the Church's survival andexpansion once they accepted Christ. 24] Stewart refers to what he calls the "primary and secondarymeaning of the text." [25] The primary meaning is the plainmeaning, the surface meaning. The secondary meaning is the deeper, oftenhidden meaning. Stewart's categorizations of primary and secondarymeanings in African-American preaching can be compared to the Jewishunderstanding of peshat and midrash in Jewish preaching: "Thenotion here is that texts have primary and secondary propositions. Theprimary ideas are those which are readily disclosed by the text in anycursory cur��so��ry?adj.Performed with haste and scant attention to detail: a cursory glance at the headlines.[Late Latin curs reading. The secondary ideas are the deeper psychological,spiritual, or practical truths not readily disclosed in the text itself,which might be captured through imaginative insight." [26] "Imaginative insight" is in effect the midrashic methodas used by African-American preachers. Further, just as in Jewishpreaching, the sermon has to touch the soul as well as the intellect. AsMitchell writes, "The focus is not on scientific-historical truth,but truth for the life of the spirit." [27] The central question of Jewish and African-American preachers whouse the methods of midrash or imaginative insight or elaboration tointerpret the text is--from where do you get your authority? The Jewishand African-American preacher can be seen by those outside of thesepreaching traditions as taking extraordinary liberties with the text,which, after all is the Word of God in both traditions. For the Jewish preacher, the authority to use the midrashic methodcomes from a chain of tradition which extends back to Sinai. For Jews,God gave not just one Torah, but two--the Written and the Oral. The OralTorah The Oral Torah, Oral Law, or Oral Tradition (Hebrew: תורה שבעל פה, Torah she-be-`al peh covers all those absences in the text of the written Torah--theunanswered questions, the gaps in information, the details ofobservances and practices seemingly absent from the written text. TheOral Torah was transmitted by God to Moses, from Moses to the people,and so on in an unbroken chain extending to the modern Jewish preacherin the pulpit this Sabbath. Some of the Oral Torah was eventuallycommitted to writing, as in the Talmud and Midrashic collections, butgenuine Oral Torah is being created and transmitted every day. God hasgiven to human beings the capacity to discover hidden meaningsunderneath the words of the text. Indeed, we are enjoined to use ourminds to seek to discover precisely what God wants of us as revealed inthe Written Scripture. [28] For the ancient rabbis and tho se whoinherited their legacy, midrash was a legitimate, God-approved methodfor uncovering the reality of the Divine will. The meanings uncovered bymidrash were there in the text, it is simply given to human beings toferret them out and bathe in their light. The authority for African-American preaching which employsimaginative insight or elaboration is astonishingly a��ston��ish?tr.v. as��ton��ished, as��ton��ish��ing, as��ton��ish��esTo fill with sudden wonder or amazement. See Synonyms at surprise. similar. HenryMitchell makes the argument that the African-American preachingtradition is heavily influenced by the transmission of oral traditionsin African culture. According to Mitchell, the Africans taken to theseshores as slaves brought with them an oral tradition of tales andlegends carrying great authority. The authority of this African oraltradition in time became associated with the authority of the Biblicaltradition, including the authority of those transmitting the meanings ofthe Bible. When an African-American preacher quotes the Bible, he or sheis, according to Mitchell, perceived as quoting a beloved ancestor, asopposed to a text in black and white. The Biblical text allows itself to be personalized per��son��al��ize?tr.v. per��son��al��ized, per��son��al��iz��ing, per��son��al��iz��es1. To take (a general remark or characterization) in a personal manner.2. To attribute human or personal qualities to; personify. , as in all goodoral traditions. The congregation understands that in the telling theWord will become personal and particular to the hearer. God is theauthor of all reality, and there is no apparent conflict between whatthe words of the text actually say and the meanings ascribed to them inthe name of God. Mitchell goes on to say that what previous interpretershave said, particularly parents and grandparents grandparentsnpl → abuelos mplgrandparentsgrand npl → grands-parents mplgrandparentsgrand npl and great-grandparents,about a particular phrase or passage has great authority in theAfrican-American tradition. "The ancestors had great authority aspersons, and their devotion to God's Word imparted to it all oftheir influence as persons to add to its own authority." [29] Both Jewish and African-American preaching traditions claim oraltransmission as the authority for their elaborations to the text. BothJewish and African-American preachers cite previous interpreters as theauthority for certain insights and meanings. Both Jewish andAfrican-American preaching traditions see these elaborations as beingexplicit in the text itself, albeit sometimes hidden from plain view.The text is of God, and God has given it to human beings to nourish nour��ishv.To provide with food or other substances necessary for sustaining life and growth. thesoul; human insight and creativity can be brought to bear on this task.As Uriel Simon says, the midrashic preacher "may enrich the textwith what he brings with him, or with what he reveals between thelines." [30] Whether midrash, as in the Jewish preaching tradition,or imaginative insight or elaboration as in the African-Americantradition, the preacher uses this tool to achieve the goal of thehomiletic hom��i��let��ic? also hom��i��let��i��caladj.1. Relating to or of the nature of a homily.2. Relating to homiletics.[Late Latin hom art-to reach the heart and will as much as the mind of thepeople. [31] The Jewish and African-American preacher have the freedom to fleshout the Biblical narrative through the presentation of scenes anddialogue that may not be actually in the literal text. For example, theBible is basically silent on Moses' career as a shepherd in Midian.Rabbi A. Stanley Dreyfus in "The Burning Bush through the Eyes ofMidrash" quotes an ancient midrasbic homily homily(hŏm`əlē), type of oral religious instruction delivered to a church congregation. In the patristic period through the Middle Ages the focus of the homily was on the explanation and application of texts read or sung during the that depicts Moses theshepherd as being careful to feed the smallest of the sheep first, thelarger second, the largest of the flock, last of all. Rabbi Dreyfus usesthis scene, which does not appear in the text at all, to discuss theneed for pastors to recognize the differing needs within a congregation.[32] Perhaps the most famous midrash, one which has enriched generationsof Jewish preaching is the following story about Abraham: Abraham's family used to make images and sell them in themarket. One day, when it was Abraham's turn to sell, his fatherTerah gave him several baskets of household gods and set him up in themarketplace.... A woman came carrying a bowl of fine flour and said:Here, offer it to the gods. At that, Abraham seized a stick, smashed allthe images, and placed the stick in the hand of the biggest of them.When his father came, he asked: Who did this to the gods? Abrahamanswered: Would I hide anything from my father? A woman came with a bowlof fine flour and said: Here, offer it up to them. When I offered it,one god said, "I will eat it first," and another said,"No, I will eat first." Then the biggest of them rose up andsmashed all the others. His father replied: Are you making sport of me?They cannot do anything! Abraham answered: Let your ears hear what yourmouth is saying! (Genesis Rabbah, 38:13) So many Jewish listeners have heard this story that some assumethat it is actually in the text. I have heard rabbis in their sermonsmake passing reference to "the story of Abraham and the idols"without even feeling the need to acknowledge that this is not inScripture. What is astounding a��stound?tr.v. a��stound��ed, a��stound��ing, a��stoundsTo astonish and bewilder. See Synonyms at surprise.[From Middle English astoned, past participle of astonen, about such preaching is that midrashictreatments, or "imaginative elaborations," as termed by HenryMitchell meet with the acceptance of the Jewish listening audience.While listeners might disagree with Verb 1. disagree with - not be very easily digestible; "Spicy food disagrees with some people"hurt - give trouble or pain to; "This exercise will hurt your back" a sermon's conclusions, theJewish audience does not dispute the craft of imagining dialogue orscenes, or the preacher's right to put forth such elaborations.Henry Mitchell argues that African-American audiences accept suchelaborations because in his words, "the augmented version is (withall the imagination required) a truer and more understandable renditionof the original than the two or three verse edition.... Completeunderstanding is impossible without a supply of living details out ofwhich to draw meaning, and with which to relate experience." [33]This is one of the great paradoxes of Jewish and African-Americanpreaching. The listeners know intellectually that such imaginings imaginingsNoun, plspeculative thoughts about what might be the case or what might happen; fantasies: lurid imaginingscannotpossibly be part of the text, yet by their acceptance of them theyaffirm in some way that the se stories are revelatory of God's will Noun 1. God's Will - the omnipotence of a divine beingomnipotence - the state of being omnipotent; having unlimited power as interpreted by human beings who are engaging in an exposition ofscripture. Reverend Harry Baker Adams has stated that all good preaching aimsto bring the listener into the heart of Scripture, to make God'sword relevant in the life of those sitting in the pews: "Thepreacher's mandate is to speak what the biblical author manifestsof God's word in such a way that the sermon can become God'sword to the congregation assembled." [34] While all preaching aims at making the scripture live in the heartsand minds of the congregation, Jewish and African-American preaching,endowed en��dow?tr.v. en��dowed, en��dow��ing, en��dows1. To provide with property, income, or a source of income.2. a. with the permissiveness of midrash and imaginative elaboration,has the ability to link the listener dramatically to the characters andstories of the Bible. Warren Stewart holds that African-Americanpreaching makes use of what he terms "empathetic em��pa��thet��ic?adj.Empathic.empa��theti��cal��ly adv. application"to make the scripture come alive. The preacher is able to describe indetail the thoughts, appearance, and travails of the characters in thescripture, often augmenting what is actually in the text. Henry Mitchellhas written of the "eyewitness An individual who was present during an event and is called by a party in a lawsuit to testify as to what he or she observed.The state and Federal Rules of Evidence, which govern the admissibility of evidence in civil actions and criminal proceedings, impose requirements account" as a hallmark ofAfrican-American preaching, the preacher so detailed and intimate in hisor her description that he or she becomes like an eyewitness reporter ofthe events described. Mitchell writes that as a result of the"eyewitness account," "Congregations quickly visualizeand relate to the situation, moving into the experience." [35] AndStewart notes that, "The end result of the eyewitness account is toallow the listeners almost to forget that the text was written centuriesago. They become eyewitnesses themselves to the incident described inthe text and they identify with the characters of the text as well asthe text itself. In other words, the experiences arising from the textbecome the listener's experiences via empathetic application."[36] The Jewish darshan, the midrashic preacher likewise makes heavy useof "empathetic application" to link the listener dramaticallywith the scripture. Rabbi Israel Mowshowitz similarly imagines themind-set of Jacob after stealing his brother's blessing: YoungJacob running away from Esau finds himself in a desperatesituation. Our midrashic sages tell us that the whole world seemed tostand before him like a wall. Every avenue, every road seemed to beblocked to him. One cannot blame him for feeling lost, unworthy,defeated. Jacob had lost confidence in himself. We know this feelingwell. Who of us has not had it? The question is: how do we snap out ofit? How do we gather renewed confidence in life and in ourselves? [37] Rabbi Frank Hellner takes empathetic application a step further,arguing that Abraham is in fact, Every Parent: How ironic, we read the ancient story of the Binding of Isaac The Binding of Isaac, in Genesis 22, is narration from the Hebrew Bible in which God asks Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac on Mount Moriah. The event is remembered on the 1st of Tishrei in the Jewish calendar and from the 10th - 13th of Dhu al-Hijjah in the Muslim calendar. andwe ask with righteous indignation Righteous indignation is an emotion one feels when one becomes angry over perceived mistreatment, insult, or malice.In some Christian doctrines, righteous indignation is considered the only form of anger which is not sinful. , How could God? How could Abraham? Butthat sacrifice never took place. Can we say the same for the sons anddaughters of our own generation? Perhaps that is why we condemn Abraham,because we are afraid to condemn ourselves. Perhaps we are saddened byhis story because we know that it is our own... We constantly sacrificeour young. All of our children are a kind of offering to the future. Howmany of us are guilty of binding our children? How many of us create aBinding of Isaac of our own making? How many of us are guilty of placingour children on the altar of our own expectations, binding them withknots of hope, more to satisfy our own needs than theirs? Refusinginstead to sacrifice the Ram of Pride. [38] In this sermon, Heliner reaches what Warren Stewart terms"mirrors for identity": the Biblical characters are inessence, transformed into a mirror of ourselves, the ultimate inempathetic application. [39] It is common in both African-American and Jewish preaching torelate the characters in scripture directly to the lives of thelisteners, by arguing that the Biblical characters are in fact, thelisteners. Witness Carlyle Stewart's depiction of Isaac as aparadigmatic See paradigm. African-American in his sermon and Reverend WilliamWatley's use of the character of Abraham to describe anAfrican-American, burdened by oppression and suffering, who yet trustsin God. And Reverend Watley uses the story of the spies in the book ofNumbers Noun 1. Book of Numbers - the fourth book of the Old Testament; contains a record of the number of Israelites who followed Moses out of EgyptNumbers who were afraid to go into the Land of Israel as a mirror imageof contemporary African-Americans who do not believe in themselves. [40]For the non-African-American, non-Jewish preacher and congregation suchmethods constitutes eisegesis, simply "reading in" to the textissues and characterizations that are not present; for African-Americanand Jewish preachers this is the elaboration of the multi-faceted,multi-leveled nature of scripture; its characters do indeed allow forsuch "mirror ima ges" of ourselves-without harming theintegrity of the text. There is a limit, however, to such imaginative elaborations. One ofthe key differences between African-American andJewish preaching seemsto lie in the limits placed upon imagination. In African-Americanpreaching, God must be portrayed as all-knowing, all-powerful, loving,constantly caring, merciful mer��ci��ful?adj.Full of mercy; compassionate: sought merciful treatment for the captives.See Synonyms at humane.mer , and infallible in��fal��li��ble?adj.1. Incapable of erring: an infallible guide; an infallible source of information.2. . Warren Stewart writes thatthe African-American idea of God is so crucial to African-Americanpreaching that he lists the very first African-American preachinghermeneutic as "God from a Black Perspective": First, God is all powerful. The word "God" evokesthoughts of an ultimate superiority, omnipotent ability, and eternalpresence. God is God. In Him is transcendence that is unreachable anddynamism that is indefatigable. . . . In God is found security that ismade available to all humanity, and His power has been a majorfascination of that powerless band of believers called Blacks.... In theBlack religious community, God is not a distant, cosmic force thatprovides presence and power without personality. God is a living,loving, and involved Person who never ceases to express love and concernfor all God's children. Therefore, the description of God as a warmpersonality, intimate Father, and self-giving Son provides a positiveportrait of God. [41] An African-American preacher who depicted God other than in theseterms has violated the trust of the congregation. For theAfrican-American preacher, what permits him or her to elaborateimaginatively the stories of the Bible is a certainty on the part of thelistener that God will be portrayed consistently--according to theshared beliefs of a community that is faithful to the Gospel and to itstraditional notion of God. Henry Mitchell writes that theAfrican-American audience requires what he terms "solidcertainty" from the preacher. He states, "If one dared tophrase the sermon as a question, such as 'Does God Care?' or'Is God Just?' or 'Can God Deliver?' then it wouldobviously have to be rhetorical. What the African-American audiencerequires for the dialogue is both gut-survival themes and nourishing nour��ish?tr.v. nour��ished, nour��ish��ing, nour��ish��es1. To provide with food or other substances necessary for life and growth; feed.2. certainty. This is what they live by." [42] The contemporary Jewish preacher is freer to depict God in amultitude of ways. Because Judaism, for much of its history, was areligion far more devoted to required action than to required faith,belief in certain dogmas about God was usually not a litmus test litmus testn.A test for chemical acidity or basicity using litmus paper. forlegitimacy (although, to be fair, sometimes it was). [43] The Jewishpreacher in days gone by was judged more according to his skill ininterpreting the Law and emphasizing the ethical behaviors that derivefrom the Law than in portraying God. In modern times, the jewishpreacher feels free to discuss God in a multitude of ways, includingnon-traditional portrayals of the Divinity. While this is true more ofthe liberal denominations than the Orthodox, this is not always thecase. I once heard Rabbi David Hartman David Hartman may refer to: David Hartman (TV personality) (born 1935), American David Hartman (rabbi) (born 1931), American , an Orthodox Rabbi, give a sermonon the Noah story that depicted God as a parent run amok Amok(ā`mŏk), in the Bible, post-Exilic Jewish family. , killing Hischildren for disobedience DisobedienceDisorder (See CONFUSION.)Achandefies God’s ban on taking booty. [O.T.: Joshua 7:1]Adam and Eveeat forbidden fruit of Tree of Knowledge. [O.T.: Genesis 3:1–7; Br. Lit. in a blind and irrational rage. "The mostterrifying ter��ri��fy?tr.v. ter��ri��fied, ter��ri��fy��ing, ter��ri��fies1. To fill with terror; make deeply afraid. See Synonyms at frighten.2. To menace or threaten; intimidate. story in the Bible," I remember Rabbi Hartman saying ofthe story of Noah and the Flood Noun 1. Noah and the Flood - (Biblical) the great deluge that is said in the Book of Genesis to have occurred in the time of Noah; it was brought by God upon the earth because of the wickedness of human beingsNoachian deluge, Noah's flood, the Flood . The limitations of the Jewish preacher's response to theScriptural text lies somewhere in the realm of certain broadly definedcriteria: the poetic truth of the midrash, the wealth of ideas in themidrash, and the spiritual power of the midrash. The Jewish midrashicpreacher is bound by what Simon calls "the organic continuity ofthe generations."44 That is, the same authority going back to Sinaiwhich allows the preacher to draw inferences from the text (or fromabsences in the text) also imposes certain rules of constraint. Whilethe particulars might vary from denomination DenominationThe stated value found on financial instruments.Notes:This term applies to most financial instruments with monetary values. The denomination for bonds and securities would be face value or par value. to denomination, with theOrthodox being more strict in this regard, the Jewish preacher would behard put to argue that activities which are clearly forbidden are indeedpermitted; or that ethical precepts which are time-honored and crucialto a moral life are no longer in force. When the preacher offers asermon which permits homosexuality as a viable life-choice, and basesthat sermon on a creative exposition of Scripture, he or she runs theconsiderable risk of being accused of "silencing the text," touse Simon's phrase. Since many Jewish preachers in more liberaldenominations (including myself) have given precisely that sermon,congregations and congregants will have varied reactions, dependingusually on the political culture of the individual congregation.According to Marc Saperstein, the authority of the Jewish preacher topreach has never been as carefully delineated de��lin��e��ate?tr.v. de��lin��e��at��ed, de��lin��e��at��ing, de��lin��e��ates1. To draw or trace the outline of; sketch out.2. To represent pictorially; depict.3. as it has in Christianity.There have been times, particularly in the Middle Ages, when Jewishpreachers have been silenced with the shouted phrase from Exodus:"Who made you chief and ruler over us?" [45] For both Jews and African-Americans, the Biblical text has been aliving document, drawn on for faith and inspiration in times of travail TRAVAIL. The act of child-bearing. 2. A woman is said to be in her travail from the time the pains of child-bearing commence until her delivery. 5 Pick. 63; 6 Greenl. R. 460. 3. ,and pointing toward a hopeful future. The words of Scripture aregateways, conduits to hidden meanings, which reflect the life of theindividual and that of the community. The overwhelming evidence of acommon exegetical ex��e��get��ic? also ex��e��get��i��caladj.Of or relating to exegesis; critically explanatory.ex and homiletical tradition should further cement thelong-standing bond between Jewish and African-American people of faith. DOUGLAS SAGAL is senior Rabbi of KAM Isaiah Israel congregation inChicago. He received the Masters in Sacred Theology degree from YaleDivinity School The main mission of Yale College at its founding in 1701 was religious training. In its charter, it was designed as a school "wherein Youth may be instructed in the Arts & Sciences who through the blessing of Almighty God may be fitted for Publick employment both in Church & Civil State. in May 1998, writing a thesis on African-American andJewish preaching, and holds rabbinic rab��bin��i��cal? also rab��bin��icadj.Of, relating to, or characteristic of rabbis.[From obsolete rabbin, rabbi, from French, from Old French rabain, probably from Aramaic ordination from Hebrew UnionCollege-Jewish Institute of Religion. NOTES (1.) Carlyle Stewart, Joy Songs, Trumpet Blasts, and HalleluyahShouts: Sermons in the African-American Preaching Tradition (Lima, OH:CSS (1) See Cascading Style Sheets.(2) (Content Scrambling System) The copy protection system applied to DVDs, which uses a 40-bit key to encrypt the movie. Publishing, 1997), p.16 (2.) Israel Mowshowitz and Debra Orenstein, From Generation toGeneration (New York New York, state, United StatesNew York,Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of : New York Board of Rabbis, 1992), p. 38 (3.) Marc Saperstein, Jewish Preaching 1200-1800: An Anthology (NewHaven New Haven,city (1990 pop. 130,474), New Haven co., S Conn., a port of entry where the Quinnipiac and other small rivers enter Long Island Sound; inc. 1784. Firearms and ammunition, clocks and watches, tools, rubber and paper products, and textiles are among the many : Yale University Yale University,at New Haven, Conn.; coeducational. Chartered as a collegiate school for men in 1701 largely as a result of the efforts of James Pierpont, it opened at Killingworth (now Clinton) in 1702, moved (1707) to Saybrook (now Old Saybrook), and in 1716 was Press, 1989), P. 64. Hayim Perelmuter, ShirHaMaalot L'David and Ktav Hitnazzelut L'Darshanim by David benManasseh Darshan (Cincinnati: Hebrew Union College Press, 1984), p.3.See also Isaiah Gafni, "Al Derashot be Tzibur be Bavel ha Talmudit:Ha Pirka" in Kenesset Ezra: Sifrut vehayyim beVeyt HaKenesset,edited by S. Elizur (Jerusalem: Ben Zvi Institute, 1994), p. 122. (4.) Uriel Simon, "The Religious Significance of Peshat,"Tradition (Winter 1988): 43. (5.) Mowshowitz and Orenstein, p. 40 (6.) Simon, 42-43. (7.) Henry Mitchell, Black Preaching: The Recovery of a PowerfulArt(rev. edition) (Nashville: Abingdon, 1990), p. 59. (8.) Mitchell 1990, p. 59 (9.) Carlyle Stewart, p. 16. (10.) Carlyle Stewart, p. 25 (11.) Mitchell 1990, p. 63. (12.) Warren Stewart, Interpreting God's Word in BlackPreaching (Valley Forge Valley Forge,on the Schuylkill River, SE Pa., NW of Philadelphia. There, during the American Revolution, the main camp of the Continental Army was established (Dec., 1777–June, 1778) under the command of Gen. George Washington. : Judson Press, 1984), P.) 14. (13.) Simon, p. 45. (14.) Warren Stewart, p. 47 (15.) Carlyle Stewart, p. 65 (16.) Carlyle Stewart, p. 71. (17.) Sandy F. Ray, Journeying through a Jungle (Nashville:Broadman Press, 1979), p. 99. Reverend Ray was one of the greatAfrican-American preachers in modern times. (18.) Saperstein, p. 71. (19.) Simon, 42. (20.) One frequent complaint made of rabbis is that "theyspeak above me" or "they sound as if their audience is made upof other rabbis." These rabbis may have missed the point of thesermon and instead seem to be delivering a discourse designed more todemonstrate their own knowledge. While it is true that Judaism is afaith based on works, on performance of mitzvot, our sacredcommandments, these rabbis apparently forget that the purpose of thosecommandments is to celebrate the sacredness in everyday life. As thelate Solomon Freehof Solomon Bennett Freehof (August 8, 1892 - 1990) was a prominent Reform rabbi, posek, and scholar. Rabbi Freehof served as president of the Central Conference of American Rabbis ) and the World Union for Progressive Judaism ). wrote, "The sermon is not just a speech, it isan emotional exaltation" (Solomon Freehof, Modern Jewish Preaching[New York: Bloch, 1941], p. 37). (21.) Mowshowitz and Orenstein, p. 2. (22.) Norman J. Cohen, "Etz Chayim Hi: It is a Tree ofLife," in Jewish Spiritual Journeys, edited by Lawrence A. Hofmanand Arnold Jacob Wolf (NewJersey: Behrman House, 1997). (23.) Mitchell 1990, pp. 61-62. (24.) Carlyle Stewart, p. 44 (25.) Carlyle Stewart, p. 25. (26.) Carlyle Stewart, p. 25 (27.) Mitchell 1990, p. 60. (28.) Simon, 42-43 and 53. (29.) Mitchell 1990, p. 58. (30.) Simon, 41. (31.) Harry Baker Adams, Preaching: The Barden and the Joy (St.Louis: Chalice Press, 1996), p. 73. (32.) Rabbi A. Stanley Dreyfus, "The Burning Bush through theEyes of Midrash," in Preaching Biblical Texts, edited by FredrickHolmgren and Herman Schaniman (Grand Rapids Grand Rapids,city (1990 pop. 189,126), seat of Kent co., SW central Mich., on the Grand River; inc. 1850. The second largest city in the state, it is a distribution, wholesale, and industrial center for an area that yields fruit, dairy products, farm produce, , MI: Eerdmans Publishing,1995), p. 65. (33.) Henry Mitchell, Black Preaching (San Francisco San Francisco(săn frănsĭs`kō), city (1990 pop. 723,959), coextensive with San Francisco co., W Calif., on the tip of a peninsula between the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay, which are connected by the strait known as the Golden : Harper andRow, 1979), p. 139. (34.) Adams, p. 42. (35.) Quoted in Warren Stewart, p. 31. (36.) Warren Stewart, p. 31. (37.) Mowshowitz and Orenstein, p. 27. (38.) Frank Hellner, I Promise I Will Try Not to Kick My Sister andOther Sermons (London: Menard Press The Menard Press is a small press publisher that started life as a magazine in 1969. Founded and run by Anthony Rudolf, the press specialises in literary texts and criticism, and writings on nuclear power and nuclear weapons and by survivors of Nazism. , 1987), p. 31. (39.) Warren Stewart, p. 32. (40.) Samuel Proctor and William Watley, Semons for the BlackPulpit (Valley Forge: Judson Press, 1984), pp. 53-55. (41.) Warren Stewart, p. 19. (42.) Mitchell 1990, p. 105. (43.) Rifat Sonsino and Daniel Syme, Finding God: Ten JewishResponses (New York: UAHC UAHC Union of American Hebrew Congregations Press, 1986), p. 130. (44.) Simon, 43. (45.) Saperstein, p. 57.