Sacred Study Saturdays and Hallowe’en as a former slave might have seen it

This week has been Parashat Lech Lecha (Go, You; or literally: Go to yourself!).

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     So, also related to the question of slavery as we see in this week’s Parashah, below, my wip research (bygoneMD post halloween in the 1800s accurate?) is progressing, but I keep thinking of the verses where the newly freed Children of Israel are commanded not to return a runaway slave to his harsh master.  I wonder what preachers, and rabbis, of various persuasions thought and said about those verses, especially when the time of year comes up on the Jewish calendar to read them (twice, I think, Parashat Re’eh and another parashah that I’ll have to look up, if someone would like to remind me in the comments, please?).

My notes from Parashat Lech Lecha:

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October 27, 2020 –

page 79

5.07%”The original Battle of the 5 Armies (+4 more…)!”

 

October 27, 2020 –

page 80

5.13% “…born into his household…”
“… our loyal servants…” as

Annette Gordon Reed

put it…

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So, it turns out that slaves born into the household were trusted, even trained with weapons, etc.  People recently enslaved were considered less reliable.  Yet this commentary (Etz Chaim, again) does not square with the lived experience in the United States.  And I think I know why.

People often say that slavery has always existed in human history, and that Black Americans complain too much.  But the case is that there were always slaves of both races, and also that a much larger portion of the population was enslaved, prior the formation of the USA.  Here, in the US, by contrast, slavery was legally defined, after a few short years of colonization, on a racial basis, followed by prohibitions of trades and property-ownership types in even “Free States” applying to all people who did not look White enough. 

This was an unprecedented change in the practice of slavery, as well as the practice of routinely separating slaves from their children and spouses, erasing their identities by force, and reducing these slaves to sub-human status, and then keeping them their even if they managed to somehow acquire freedom. These things, as well as the ferocious brutality of “The Peculiar Institution” as practiced in the American deep South, distinguish slavery in the USA from slavery as practiced previously in history.  To the point where slaves were respected enough to use as soldiers, as Abraham does in this week’s Torah portion.  Recall that even Free Colored Troops were not allowed until the Union had no more choice.

More on my continuing striving with Hebrew next week, friends:

Yassas,   γεια σας!    Salût !  Nos vemos!  Görüşürüz!     ! שָׁלוֹם

Action Items in support of literacy and hope that you can take right now:

1.) Search for two different resources to translate the word “servant” into Hebrew.

2.) Share them with us in the comments, here, please.

3.) Share your thoughts on how you like each of the resources you found,

4.) Write a blog post or tweet that uses a Hebrew word, tells a good story, and makes a difference. I’m working on that through my historical fantasy #WiP, #WhoByFireIWill. Once published, donate one or more copies to your local public library, as I intend to do.

Dear Readers, any additional ideas toward learning, especially multiple #LanguageLearning as part of on-going education and empathy-building, to #EndPoverty, #EndHomelessness,  & achieve freedom for All HumanKind? 

Support our key #PublicDomainInfrastructure  & #StopSmoking for CCOVID-19:
1. #PublicLibraries,
2. #ProBono legal aid and Education,
3. #UniversalHealthCare, and
4. good #publictransport
Read, Write, Ranked Choice Voting and Housing for ALL!!!!, Teach and Learn (Lesson Plans) !

ShiraDest

September, 12020 HE