A growing Reform Jewish congregation with members
of all ages,
backgrounds and sexual orientations. Our community is inclusive and
welcomes Jews, non-Jews and Jews by choice; intermarried and intramarried;
couples and singles; and all who wish to worship with us in seeking peace,
justice, righteousness and a community of concern for
"repairing the world" (Tikkun Olam).
1010 Park Avenue at 85th Street, NY, NY 10028 888.590.2791 tujinfo@tuj.org
The Bible to be Read as Living Literature — by Herbert Levy, former congregation president
People tend to forget that the Bible was written about real people and that it reveals astonishing psychological acuity in the text.
Take, for example, the description of the last night in the life of Saul, the first king of Israel, and his encounter with the 'witch of Endor,' to
whom he goes to conjure up the ghost of the prophet Samuel, who had originally anointed him as a royal ruler of the tribes of Israel. The
Philistine soldiers were gathered at Mt. Gilboa and daybreak promised a decisive battle that would end in a terrible defeat, with death coming to
Saul and his sons. Saul had lost his nerve and he sought comfort from Samuel. The text continues (First Sam. 28:8):
"And Saul disguised himself … and went [with two men]; and they
came to the woman at night." Saul asks her to conjure up a ghost. The woman
is afraid and says: "…you know what Saul has done;" he kills those who do
such things. Why you asking me to risk my life? Then Saul swears, "As the
Lord lives, there shall no punishment happen to you for this thing."
Mollified, the woman asks whom he wants brought up. He answers, "'Bring me
up Samuel.' And when the woman saw Samuel, she cried out with a loud voice,
'Why have you deceived me? You are Saul!'" Saul asks her to describe the
figure and Saul perceives it is indeed Samuel. He bows low to the ground.
Samuel proves angry; [as the Chinese say:] the mandate of Heaven
has passed from Saul to another, promising the extinction of Saul's line and
Israel's rout from the field of battle.
[There follows a strikingly modern climax:] Saul falls to the
ground overcome – he had eaten bread neither day nor night. And the woman
said to him, 'I have done as you asked and put my life in your hands; now
listen to me. Let me give you food and you eat so that you have strength
when you leave.' At first Saul refuses, but the woman and his retainers
convince him otherwise. The woman then kills a fatted calf and she bakes
unleavened bread which she gives to Saul. He eats and then he and his
retainers go stoically on their way – to their deaths come the new dawn.
