Considering ... Abandonment Thu 8/4

As I mentioned yesterday, we mark three weeks leading up to the 9th of the Hebrew month of Av when numerous catastrophes throughout history befell the Jewish people. The selections we read from the Prophets during the three weeks are from Jeremiah and Isaiah. This week’s selection of admonition is from Jeremiah 2:4–28 plus either 3:4 or 4:1–2 (the former is the tradition for Ashkenazim, those of us who trace our lineage to northern and/or eastern Europe; the latter is the tradition for Sephardim, those who trace their lineage to Spain, Portugal, northern Africa, etc.). The selection describes Israel’s oppression and destruction and evokes the sense of mourning that characterizes this period in the Jewish calendar.

It begins with the prophet Jeremiah’s rebuking the people for abandoning God. He laments that the people have failed to remember that God took them from the land of Egypt, guided them through the dangers of the wilderness, and gave them a land full of bountiful fruit. He notes that it wasn’t just the common people who are guilty — the priests, Torah scholars, rulers, and prophets have all sinned.

Jeremiah marvels at Israel’s audacity. If one were to search the corners of the world, he claims, one could not find a nation so rebellious. Indeed, all of nature is shocked by what Israel has done: "Be appalled, O heavens, at this. Be horrified, utterly dazed!" (2:12)

Mixing Metaphors

The people’s sin, Jeremiah explains, is two-fold: They have abandoned God, and they have taken to worshipping useless idolatry. Jeremiah describes this with a water metaphor: God is a fountain of living waters, but the Israelites prefer to dig their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot even hold water.

In continuation of the water theme, Jeremiah tells the people that destruction is inevitable, and they ought not to bother looking elsewhere for help: "What is the good of going to Egypt to drink the waters of the Nile? And what is the good of going to Assyria to drink the waters of the Euphrates?" (2:18) None of these nations will be able to help Israel because they are so deeply soiled by sin.

Moving from water to wildlife, God compares Israel to a lustful camel who copulates on every high hill and under every tree, and to a wild donkey in the desert, passionate and unrestrained.

In the final verses of this rebuke, Jeremiah says the entire house of Israel, including its kings, officers, priests, and prophets should feel like a guilty thief who has been caught. Even the gods the people worship are material for comparison: "For your Gods have become, O Judah, as many as your towns!" (2:28)

So as not to end on a negative note, Ashkenazic communities add a verse which calls Israel the companion of God’s youth (3:4). Sephardic communities jump ahead two chapters, and read verses promising that if Israel returns to God, they shall become a blessing among the nations of the world (4:1-2).

q/q: Have you ever felt abandoned? What did you do about it? How did you “recover” (or whatever you feel is a better description)? What were the consequences of having been abandoned? —or— Have you ever abandoned someone or something? How did you feel about having done it? What did it take for you to get over whatever caused you to abandon whoever/whatever in the first place?

Not a happy topic for me either. My ex would claim that I abandoned her in that I was the one who filed for divorce, but she abandoned me emotionally years before the marriage ended. I don't know how Holly knew this would be a sensitive topic for me right now, but in relation to yesterday's thread, I am now feeling abandoned by my gf - yes we had a spat and she hasn't spoken to me for two weeks. This has happened before and somehow we have gotten past it, and I have faith we can do it again, but it's rough going while we work out the hurts and blame via e-mails - less emotionally draining than phone calls.