Preaching Goes Viral

Birthing the New Year 5781: Break. Breathe. Push. (Rosh Hashanah)

Analogies to Mythic Narratives

The third appearance of the Hebrew root of mashber, of crisis can be found in the book of Isaiah, “This is a day of distress…” he says Ki va-u vanim ad mashber, v’choach ayn l’leydah “the babies have reached the birthstool, but there isn’t the strength to give birth.” The birthstool was the primitive chair, usually built of 2 stones, on which a mother sat in labor. How brilliant of our ancestors to understand crisis as the seat of new birth. But Isaiah writes that at this most regenerative, hopeful, high-stakes moment on the verge of birthing life, sometimes we don’t have the strength to PUSH.

2022-12-13

Angela W. Buchdahl

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