Verbal Symphony
The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel: Proverbs 1:1 NASB
Proverbs – The Hebrew word translated “proverbs” is mishle, plural of māšāl. What is a mashal? “To translate māšāl simply as ‘proverb’ misses the wide sweep of the word, suggested by the many suggested translations. We are accustomed to think of a proverb as a short, pithy, epigrammatic saying which assumes the status of gnomic truth. In the Old Testament, however, the word māšāl may be synonymous with an extended parable (and hence the frequent LXX translation parabolē) (Ezk 17:2 and vv. 2–24:20:49 [H 21:5] and vv. 45–49 [H 21:1–5]; 24:3 and vv. 3–14). It may refer to an extended didactic discourse (Prov 1:8–19 for example). A person (Saul, I Sam 10:12: Job. Job 17:6) or a group of persons (Israel, Ps 44:14 [H 15], may function as a māšāl.”[1] Consequently, we should liken whole sections of the Bible, including stories of people, as “proverbs.” We will have to rethink our truncated English.
With this in mind, I present some verbal symphonies crafted by Abraham Heschel. These eloquent measures of melodic thought kiss beauty with intensity. We weep in their glow, amazed that our lives have been so enriched by the use of pedestrian tools.
“His desire [the pious man] is to taste the whole wheat of spirit before it is ground by the millstone of reason. He would rather be overwhelmed by the symbols of the inconceivable than wield the definitions of the superficial.”[2]
“His desire is not only to know more than what ordinary reason has to offer, but to be more than what he is; to transform the soul into a vessel for the transcendent, to express with the sense what is hidden from the mind, . . .”[3]
“Prayer is our humble answer to the inconceivable surprise of living.”[4]
“ . . God himself is not at home in the universe. He is not at home in a universe where His will is defied and where His kingship is denied. God is in exile; the world is corrupt. The universe itself is not at home.”[5]
On the Sabbath: “He who wants to enter the holiness of the day must first lay down the profanity of clattering commerce, of being yoked to toil. He must go away from the screech of dissonant days, from the nervousness and fury of acquisitiveness and the betrayal in embezzling his own life. He must say farewell to manual work and learn to understand that the world has already been created and will survive without the help of man.”[6]
“This is a time to cry out.
One is ashamed to be human. One is embarrassed to be called religious in the face of religion’s failure to keep alive the image of God in the face of man . . . . We have imprisoned God in our temples and slogans, and now the word of God is dying on our lips.
There is darkness in the East, and smugness in the West.”[7]
You have been given the crescendos. Now you must play the interludes. You must allow your heart to be moved by the anthem in order to sing the aria. A proverb is more than a gnomic declaration. A proverb is a song, a song of life with meaning. And now it’s your turn to play.
Write one today—without a pen.
Topical Index: proverb, Proverbs 1:1, Abraham Heschel, māšāl
[1] Hamilton, V. P. (1999). 1258 מָשַׁל. Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (R. L. Harris, G. L. Archer, Jr. & B. K. Waltke, Ed.) (electronic ed.) (533). Chicago: Moody Press.
[2] Abraham Heschel, I Asked for Wonder, p. 30.
[3] Ibid., p. 31.
[4] Ibid., p. 43.
[5] Ibid., p. 44.
[6] Ibid., p. 57.
[7] Ibid., p. 65.
Thank you for sharing this most wonderful man so much, Skip. Heschel has risen to the top of my list of must-have.
A small group of people here in my community and I are forming a think tank of sorts with the assignment of figuring out what PTSD is, along with its broader aspects, with the stated goal of redefining it in terms of the entire nephesh. We have decided that if we can get the definition right, we will know much better what to do about it. It seems everyone has a piece of the puzzle, but no one has the answer yet. So all of us are motivated, either because we live with people who are suffering, or we have suffered ourselves, or are therapists trying to deal with suffering people, but, even though we all come from differing belief systems, we all agree that the disorder is a problem of the entire person, spiritually, mentally, and physically. Right now we are swapping libraries with each other and seeking resources elsewhere to assist us in this defining process. And we love suggestions, too, by the way!
One of the members that heard about this and asked to join is the wife of one of the professors here who is designing a course on emotional intelligence, and she promised to bring his notes, as she is responsible for putting them together. So, we have decided that emotional intelligence is part of the picture, too. One of the seminal books out there that establishes the relevance of emotions in the area of intelligence is the book called Descartes’ Error, and it looks at the evidence we have that shows the brain combines its reasoning centers with its emotional processing centers. Someone who does not have access to their emotions cannot reason, either, particularly when it comes to choosing what to do with the future. Yet another area in which the Greeks got it wrong! No wonder we are suffering! We cannot even think straight if we cannot emote. I will leave with a couple of quotes from this amazing book:
“Feelings form the base for what humans have described for millennia as the human soul or spirit…”
“The powers of reason and the experience of emotion decline together…”
“…were it not for the possibility of sensing body states that are inherently ordained to be painful or pleasurable, there would be no suffering or bliss, no longing or mercy, no tragedy or glory in the human condition.”
Hello and Shabbat Regards,
As a improving musician (pianist) since age 3, I hear much affirmation in this reflection, “A Verbal Symphony.” In Particular, the citations from the sources referenced, and Skip’s concluding exhortation. These are welcomed by one who enjoys the spectrum of classical music and much acoustic music also called Americana.
Moreover, I find the encouragement herein to contain an element of healing; live for Messiah and welcome the ribbon and bow that one day will be attached to each of our completed earthly lives!
You have been given the crescendos. Now you must play the interludes. You must allow your heart to be moved by the anthem in order to sing the aria. A proverb is more than a gnomic declaration. A proverb is a song, a song of life with meaning. And now it’s your turn to play.
Write one today—without a pen.
Kind Regards,
David R
Thank you Skip for today’s post lot to digest, especially #6 the Shabbat is a day when all we should concentrate on is YAH’S awesomeness, and to put away the cross of the week, what beautiful insight Heschel has, truly beautiful!
And on Monday a friend told me if I want to master life I must read Proverbs over and over again one chapter at a time until the life lessons therein manifest in my life… What a life symphony that would make.
And back to previous blog life is an ongoing cycle of experiential growth or learning.
Have uncertainty – Seek clarity – Gain insight – Adapt actions accordingly
And the next life purpose is revealed for us to learn from or to gain by…
Glorious Father, may every nano moment of my life advance the greatness of Your kingdom, power, and glory.
You are the Lifter of my head
You are the Instructor of my mind
You are the Vision of my eyes
You are the Sound in my ears
You are the Fragrance I desire to smell
You are the Song on my tongue
You are the Proclamation of my lips
You are the Heart of my cardiac beat
You are the Breath I inhale in and exhale out
You are the Strength of my core
You are the Truth of my loins
You are the Stability of my legs
You are the Soul in my steps
You are the Wonder of my life
You are the King!
This refrain of words came into my heart upon my bed before I arose this morning.
Brian
Reads a lot as if we are being reminded that we need to clothe ourselves with the full armour of God (Eph 6)
Maybe we should be a choir of praise while wearing armor. Sparkling, anyway.
How nature declare the immense beauty of Your awesome creativity.
The heavens, the immeasurable depth and vastness of Your Presence, so strengthening, so comforting, so calming….
Your wondrous image they declare.
How blessed to be immersed in such serenity.
(….my serenade…)