Identities of Choice

Naso By : Abigail Treu 91快播 Alum (Rabbinical School, Kekst Graduate School) Posted On Jul 2, 2011 / 5771 | Midrash: Between the Lines

讘诪讚讘专专讘讛 (讜讬诇谞讗) 驻专砖讛讞

讛拽讘”讛讗讜讛讘讗转讛讙专讬诐诇诪讛讛讚讘专讚讜诪讛诇诪诇讱砖讛讬转讛诇讜爪讗谉讜讛讬转讛讬讜爪讗转讘砖讚讛讜谞讻谞住转讘注专讘讻谉讘讻诇讬讜诐驻注诐讗讞讚谞讻谞住爪讘讬讗讞讚注诐讛爪讗谉讛诇讱诇讜讗爪诇讛注讝讬诐讛讬讛专讜注讛注诪讛诐谞讻谞住讛讛爪讗谉诇讚讬专谞讻谞住注诪讛诐讬爪讗转诇专注讜转讬爪讗注诪讛诐讗诪专讜诇诪诇讱讛爪讘讬讛讝讛谞诇讜讛注诐讛爪讗谉讜讛讜讗专讜注讛注诪讛诐讻诇讬讜诐讜讬讜诐讬讜爪讗注诪讛诐讜谞讻谞住注诪讛诐讛讬讛讛诪诇讱讗讜讛讘讜讘讝诪谉砖讛讜讗讬讜爪讗诇砖讚讛讛讬讛诪驻拽讬讚专讜注讛讬驻讛诇专爪讜谞讜诇讗讬讻讛讗讚诐讗讜转讜讛讝讛专讜讘讜讜讗祝讻砖讛讜讗谞讻谞住注诐讛爪讗谉讛讬讛讗讜诪专诇讛诐转谞讜诇讜讜讬砖转讛讜讛讬讛讗讜讛讘讜讛专讘讛讗诪专讜诇讜诪专讬讻诪讛转讬砖讬诐讬砖诇讱讻诪讛讻讘砖讬诐讬砖诇讱讻诪讛讙讚讬讬诐讬砖诇讱讜讗讬谉讗转诪讝讛讬专谞讜讜注诇讛爪讘讬讛讝讛讘讻诇讬讜诐讜讬讜诐讗转诪爪讜讬谞讜讗诪专诇讛诐讛诪诇讱讛爪讗谉专讜爪讛讜诇讗专讜爪讛讻讱讛讬讗讚专讻讛诇专注讜转讘砖讚讛讻诇讛讬讜诐讜诇注专讘诇讘讗诇讬砖谉讘转讜讱讛讚讬专讛爪讘讬讬诐讘诪讚讘专讛诐讬砖谞讬诐讗讬谉讚专讻诐诇讬讻谞住诇讬砖讜讘讘谞讬讗讚诐诇讗谞讞讝讬拽讟讜讘讛诇讝讛砖讛谞讬讞讻诇讛诪讚讘专讛专讞讘讛讙讚讜诇讘诪拽讜诐讻诇讛讞讬讜转讜讘讗讜注诪讚讘讞爪专, 讻讱讗讬谉讗谞讜爪专讬讻讬谉诇讛讞讝讬拽讟讜讘讛诇讙专砖讛谞讬讞诪砖驻讞转讜讜讘讬转讗讘讬讜讜讛谞讬讞讗讜诪转讜讜讻诇讗讜诪讜转讛注讜诇诐讜讘讗诇讜讗爪诇谞讜.

Numbers Rabbah 8:2

The Holy One, blessed be God, greatly loves converts. To what may this be compared? To a king who had a flock which used to go out to the field and come in at evening. So it was each day. Once a stag came in with the flock. He associated with the goats and grazed with them. When the flock came in to the fold he came in with them; when they went out to graze he went out with them. The king was told: ‘A certain stag has joined the flock and is grazing with them every day. He goes out with them and comes in with them.’ The king felt an affection for him. When he went out into the field the king gave orders: ‘Let him have good pasture, such as he likes; no man shall beat him; be careful with him!’ When he came in with the flock also the king would tell them, ‘Let him drink’; and he loved him very much. The servants said to him: ‘Sovereign! You possess so many goats, lambs, and kids, and you never caution us about them; yet you give us instructions every day about this stag!’ Said the king to them: ‘The flock have no choice; whether they want or not, it is their nature to graze in the field all day and to come in at evening to sleep in the fold. The stags, however, sleep in the wilderness. It is not in their nature to come into places inhabited by man. Shall we then not account it as a merit to this one which has left behind the whole of the broad, vast wilderness, the abode of all the beasts, and has come to stay in the courtyard?’ In like manner, ought we not to be grateful to the convert who has left behind him his family and his father’s house, has left behind his people and all the other peoples of the world, and has chosen to come to us?

We live in an age in which we are all Jews by Choice. Whether born to Jewish parents or not, in 21st-century America our identities are a matter of our own selection. As such, we read this midrash as being about all of us who have “come to stay in the courtyard.” Some of us, born to other traditions and religions, have indeed left behind other peoples and have had to negotiate with parents and extended family what it means to take on the religion and culture of the Jews. Others of us have grappled with what it means to have been born into this people, this flock, and have made decisions鈥攁re constantly making decisions鈥攖o live as members of the community. All of us should feel the warm praise of the midrash, full of gratitude and commendation, for the commitments we make and the ways we choose to live our lives as Jews.

91快播