Brian Heilman        2.13.03

Tales of the Middle East

        In addition to a sweatshirt for my sister (only $19.77) and a book of poems ($2.00), I got an awesome book called Tales of the Alhambra by Washington Irving at the St. Ben’s bookstore Valentine’s Day sale.  It cost me one dollar (that’s cheaper than a bottle of soda at Sexton).  It is a collection of historic Spanish tales that Irving encountered while staying at the Alhambra, a huge Moorish fortress in Granada, during the early 19th century.  A couple years ago I was fortunate enough to visit the Alhambra during a trip to Spain, which grants these tales special importance to me.  Now, the fortress is filled with exciting activity in my mind.  The building has become important to me, now that it is associated with both my adventure to Spain and these thrilling legends.  Jews (especially those in Israel) must feel the same way when they read their Scriptures.  Every day, they literally walk on the same ground where legendary Biblical stories took place.  Abraham almost sacrificed Isaac right up the road.  Moses led the Hebrews out of Egypt and set up camp right here!  Joseph was sold as a slave right down the street; his family lived a block away.  Elijah used to hang out with his buddies in that field across the street.  My experience differs from that of the Jews, though; I don’t worship the people in Tales of the Alhambra.  I know that the stories aren’t real, even though they are important.  I value reality enough to turn elsewhere for spiritual connections.  Judaism’s spiritual connection to legendary stories contrasts the realistic modern-day implementation of its fundamental beliefs.

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        Biblical stories are important not because they are real, but because they convey a symbolic or metaphorical message.  I know that.  But if that is true, then it is also true that there is symbolic or metaphorical value in the laws of God laid down in Leviticus and Numbers, right?  Despite the ‘value’ of these books, Jews certainly do not demand that a sinner repent by slaughtering a bull’s head as specified in Leviticus.  In fact, Jews have been extremely progressive in their adaptations of Scriptural ‘laws.’  In the Jewish community one can encounter female rabbis, married couples using birth ...

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