.
~
,
,
C1.J~
~'{,. /J.J,.n,y
{~!t-. S""'(f~
),Jl3- rN~
On birthand RoshHashanah
~
.
~
There is a general absence of the female perspective in the Jewish life cycle,
writesan expectant ELANASZTOKMAN.
H
ayom harat olam - today is the
birth of the world. With these
words we repeatedly affirm our
meaning of Rosh Hashanah following
each set of shofar blasts.
How strange, and almost surreal, it is
for me to connect with such meanings as
my own due date correspon~s with the
eve of Yom Kippur, during that one week
that is meant for introspection of such
ideas - humanity, birth, rebirth and regeneration.
I am especiallygrateful for this pregnancy imagery in light of the general absence
of the female perspective in the Jewish life
cycle.We mark most events from the male
vantage point, in particular birth, which is
notable in Judaism for the brit milah, the
male-centred rite of passage between the
baby and God that completely obscuresthe
basic and primal miracle of birth itself.
That initial entry into the world, from
a predominantly female domain, is absent
from our ritualistic and liturgical collections. We have no ceremony, no official
words of praise,not even a blessingof shehecheyanu - thank you God for bringing
us to this moment (short of a scattered
custom for women to say Birchat
Hagomel, thanks for saving me from a
miracle, sometime after birth).
Thus, the connection between the
principal shofar ritual and pregnancy
makes me feel as if my life as an expectant
mother has an acknowledged place in the
community, a visible presence in the synagogue - at least for this one brief moment.
But as life emerges in all its wonder,
the vulnerability of the process is a constant reminder of the proximity between
life and death.
For humans, the linking of life and
death shadows what would have been joyful optimism at birth - as anyone who has
experienced miscarriage, stillbirth, infertility, disability or loss can attest to.
hurt or abused? Or worse, will he or she
be one of the hurters? I fret not only over
the vulnerability of life itself, which is
apparent throughout the animal kingdom,
but over the uncertainty about what kind
of life this little person will lead.
Perhaps this is what is meant by Rashi's
interpretation of the curse of Eve. Where
the Torah says, "With sorrow you will
bring children"(Genesis
3:16), Rashi
understands this to mean not just the pain
of childbirth but of childrearing as well.
God's initial blessing of life and spirit is
shrouded in decades of anguish around
parenting. Awe-inspiring
marvel and
boundless agony are braided into one
Will my babybe hurt or abused?Orworse,will he or she be oneof the
hurters?I fret not onlyoverthe vulnerabilityof life itself but out of the
uncertaintyaboutwhat kindof life this little personwill lead.
Yet there~~a whole other dimension to
our restraint that emerges &om the human
condition. We alone have the dubious distinction of causing harm to one another
for reasons other than survival or protection. People hurt, abuse and oppress one
another for ego, lust, power, control and
sometimesjust sadisticpleasure.
As I prepare to bring a new human
into this world, my joy is fettered with
countless worries - will this creature be
another in that process of bringing forth
life into the universe.
That's how God must feel as we
acknowledge Rosh Hashanah,the day that
she birthed our universe into being.
Humanity is capable of both greatnessand
cruelty,of divine performance and of mercilessbrutality - sometimes in the same swift
movement,even in the samebreath.Thus, to
celebratebirth - of a being or of a world means to accept that troubling reality.
/
- ,("
;
"'/
4.""
Ten-year-old Avigayil Sztokman's
impression of her mother's pregnancy.
Perhaps this explains why the celebrations around Rosh Hashanah are intricately connected with the sombreness of Yom
Kippur. We cannot simply celebrate our
existence; we must also reflect, take
responsibility,and repent.
In my own small way,I hope to bring
a new being into the world with elation,
eagerness and a belief that every act of joy
and kindness truly changes the world.
Elana Sztokman teachesJudaism, Bible and
gender issues at the FlorenceMelton Adult MiniSchool, and is writing a doctoratein education
through the Hebrew University on the identities of
adolescent
religious
girls.