Being Staying Human, Hannah Arendt, and Rosh Hashanah
Hello SW readers,
“Stay human” was the slogan of an Italian human rights activist Vittorio Arrigoni, who was tragically kidnapped and murdered by a terrorist group while working for Palestinian rights some years ago. How do we stay human? What does that mean? A few years ago I followed this question in my own way. I’m sharing it now because I think it’s contemplation of ecological and political sins and consequences and the light available to us in this moment resonates with the season. What season, you ask? That of….
Rosh Hashanah
The Days of Awe, or Jewish “High Holidays” have begun. This is the yearly time for reflection on life, death, and the choices one has made and is making. They begin with a month of cheshbon hanefesh, or soul-accounting, leading to the Jewish New Year (Rosh Hashanah) and, ten days later, Yom Kippur, the day of atonement. Rosh Hashanah is both the beginning of the ten days of atonement leading up to Yom Kippur and the day where the birthday of creation is celebrated and the divine reality of the Source of Being is coronated as King.
I know what you’re thinking- way to have a New Year’s party, amiright?
Here are a couple of articles on the season from a scholarly point of view for those so inclined:
Rosh Hashanah Reading
The Torah is vociferously critical of monarchy and prefers a confederation of tribes under the leadership of God to a King. So how did the Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashanah come to embrace the image of the coronation as God as King? An interesting article from the excellent TheTorah.Com, one of my favourite Jewish websites. Here’s another from the same source, on the birth of the holiday of the non-Biblical Rosh Hashanah in the Mishna.
A Treat
I came across this a couple of weeks ago- footage of an interview with famed 20th century thinker Hannah Arendt.
AOBAG Section
For this editions’ “oldie but a goodie”, please see above, Being Staying Human :)
May you all be well and safe, and for those celebrating the Days of Awe, may you have a good and a sweet year ahead.