Post by hollygail on Jul 28, 2016 5:11:06 GMT
Welcome!!! You have entered a space where all people are invited to gather to discuss matters of Spirituality, in mutual respect and friendliness: "Considering...Spirituality." Here, the focus is on personal spirituality and not dogma. We welcome with open arms people from any, all, and no religious/faith backgrounds, and those who practice spirituality on their own, to join us for a discussion centered on a higher consciousness. Each day there will be a quote, question, or discussion prompt presented for all to ponder and respond to.
**In maintaining an atmosphere of comfort and trust, we do not allow proselytizing (the effort of trying to convert others) or the denigrating of the religions and viewpoints of others. We also avoid bringing up topics such as politics, hot button social issues, or anything that can be considered divisive**
As this is a WW board, we also discuss our personal wellness, including our weight management program. We share our struggles and our triumphs regarding such as well as discuss things like family, friends, jobs, hobbies, outside interests, etc... We strive to build each other up with loving support in a positive manner. Let us not ever tear one another down in any way, shape or form.
Regular thread starters for the time being are:
Sunday, Monday, Tuesday: Gary
Wednesday, Thursday, Friday: Holly
Yet if anyone is so inclined, please feel free to start a new thread by beginning with the title: "Considering....(topic -q/q)", post this introduction (by way of copy & paste) then follow that with a post putting forth a question and/or quote (with or without some explanation) for us to ponder today. The topic can be inspired by your personal faith, but please do remember that anyone from other spiritual paths should be able to answer it.
Shalom, Love & Light, Blessed Be, Namaste...
- - -
This week, we’re reading Numbers 25:10–30:1 in which God gives Pinchas (is it Phineas in English?) a covenant of peace. God explains the apportionment of the Land of Israel. The daughters of Tzelof’chad (sometimes spelled Zelophehad in English, but I transliterated the Hebrew pronunciation) petition to inherit their father’s portion. Moses appoints Joshua as his successor.
I’d like to call your attention specifically to chapter 27, verses 1 through 11. To my knowledge, no society or culture in existence approximately 3000 years ago (at least in the Middle East) provided rights to women, the Hebrews included. When the land that’s about to become the Hebrews’ land, and the Hebrews are discussing how to divide it among the tribes, where land will pass from father to sons, these five daughters of a father (never having had sons) who died during the 40 years in the wilderness since the Exodus from Egypt have the courage (temerity?) to speak up for themselves. They don’t want their father’s name to disappear, so they ask to inherit what would have been given to him had he survived. And what does Moses say? (I’m about to use my own words, not the original ones) “Ummm, just a sec…” and off he goes to confer with God, who basically tells him, “Duh! Of course these women have a point! Yes, give them their father’s portion!” And the laws of inheritance are forever changed.
Very powerful stuff, to my way of thinking.
One point I want to make is that these five sisters cooperate with each other 100%. I can’t think of other siblings in the Five Books of Moses who act in a similar fashion. Consider Cain who kills Abel; Jacob who “steals” Esau’s birthright; some of Jacob’s sons who conspire to kill, or at least sell off their brother Joseph (okay, all these examples are from Genesis). Moses and Aaron seem to cooperate, but the scene with the Golden Calf gives one pause; it’s Aaron, after all, who gives in to the pleas of the Hebrew when Moses is gone for 40 days by asking for all the gold, then fashioning the golden idol, and then bending the truth, if not outright lying, to Moses when asked about how the idol came to be, by saying he threw the gold into the fire and out came this idol…
- - -
q/q: If you have siblings, how have you gotten along? If you have children (plural), how did/do they get along? If neither, how about your friends and their siblings (or their children, if that’s what it takes) — get along or not? What does it take for siblings to cooperate rather than squabble (or worse)? Do you have any advice for people who don’t have a good relationship with any of their siblings?
**In maintaining an atmosphere of comfort and trust, we do not allow proselytizing (the effort of trying to convert others) or the denigrating of the religions and viewpoints of others. We also avoid bringing up topics such as politics, hot button social issues, or anything that can be considered divisive**
As this is a WW board, we also discuss our personal wellness, including our weight management program. We share our struggles and our triumphs regarding such as well as discuss things like family, friends, jobs, hobbies, outside interests, etc... We strive to build each other up with loving support in a positive manner. Let us not ever tear one another down in any way, shape or form.
Regular thread starters for the time being are:
Sunday, Monday, Tuesday: Gary
Wednesday, Thursday, Friday: Holly
Yet if anyone is so inclined, please feel free to start a new thread by beginning with the title: "Considering....(topic -q/q)", post this introduction (by way of copy & paste) then follow that with a post putting forth a question and/or quote (with or without some explanation) for us to ponder today. The topic can be inspired by your personal faith, but please do remember that anyone from other spiritual paths should be able to answer it.
Shalom, Love & Light, Blessed Be, Namaste...
- - -
This week, we’re reading Numbers 25:10–30:1 in which God gives Pinchas (is it Phineas in English?) a covenant of peace. God explains the apportionment of the Land of Israel. The daughters of Tzelof’chad (sometimes spelled Zelophehad in English, but I transliterated the Hebrew pronunciation) petition to inherit their father’s portion. Moses appoints Joshua as his successor.
I’d like to call your attention specifically to chapter 27, verses 1 through 11. To my knowledge, no society or culture in existence approximately 3000 years ago (at least in the Middle East) provided rights to women, the Hebrews included. When the land that’s about to become the Hebrews’ land, and the Hebrews are discussing how to divide it among the tribes, where land will pass from father to sons, these five daughters of a father (never having had sons) who died during the 40 years in the wilderness since the Exodus from Egypt have the courage (temerity?) to speak up for themselves. They don’t want their father’s name to disappear, so they ask to inherit what would have been given to him had he survived. And what does Moses say? (I’m about to use my own words, not the original ones) “Ummm, just a sec…” and off he goes to confer with God, who basically tells him, “Duh! Of course these women have a point! Yes, give them their father’s portion!” And the laws of inheritance are forever changed.
Very powerful stuff, to my way of thinking.
One point I want to make is that these five sisters cooperate with each other 100%. I can’t think of other siblings in the Five Books of Moses who act in a similar fashion. Consider Cain who kills Abel; Jacob who “steals” Esau’s birthright; some of Jacob’s sons who conspire to kill, or at least sell off their brother Joseph (okay, all these examples are from Genesis). Moses and Aaron seem to cooperate, but the scene with the Golden Calf gives one pause; it’s Aaron, after all, who gives in to the pleas of the Hebrew when Moses is gone for 40 days by asking for all the gold, then fashioning the golden idol, and then bending the truth, if not outright lying, to Moses when asked about how the idol came to be, by saying he threw the gold into the fire and out came this idol…
- - -
q/q: If you have siblings, how have you gotten along? If you have children (plural), how did/do they get along? If neither, how about your friends and their siblings (or their children, if that’s what it takes) — get along or not? What does it take for siblings to cooperate rather than squabble (or worse)? Do you have any advice for people who don’t have a good relationship with any of their siblings?