Podcasts religion From the Bimah: Jewish Lessons for Life Talmud Class: When It's Mother's Day, and Your Own Mother Has Passed

Talmud Class: When It's Mother's Day, and Your Own Mother Has Passed

Published: May 13, 2023, 6:02 p.m.

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\\nHow do we think about Mother\\u2019s Day when our own mother has passed away?\\xa0Even if we are blessed to have our mothers alive,\\xa0\\xa0how do we think about lots of joyful moments in the spring season when that joy belongs to other people,\\xa0but not to us?\\xa0

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How do we dance at somebody else\\u2019s adult child\\u2019s wedding when our own adult child is still looking?

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How do we feel joy for somebody else\\u2019s graduations when our own season of graduations is long gone, when young family energy is a distant memory?

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How do we attend a brit milah or baby naming for somebody else when there are no babies in our family?

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In our parched season, can we truly feel joy for somebody else?\\xa0This is the question of the prophet\\xa0Habakkuk in the Haftarah for Shavuot,\\xa0second day:

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\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0Though the fig tree does not bud

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\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0And no yield is on the vine,

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\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0Though the olive crop has failed

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\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0And the fields produce no grain,

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\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0Though sheep have vanished from the fold

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\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0And no cattle are in the pen,

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\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0Yet\\xa0will I rejoice in the Lord,

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\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0Exult in the God who delivers me. (3: 17-18)

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I have bolded the word\\xa0Yet\\xa0to highlight the question: how, in a down time, do we exult, do we feel joy, do we nevertheless sing?\\xa0

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There is a Hebrew word to the rescue which we will discuss in Talmud tomorrow:\\xa0firgun,\\xa0which means to be genuinely happy for somebody else\\u2019s happiness.\\xa0\\xa0Firgun\\xa0has been described as the opposite of\\xa0Schaudenfreude.\\xa0\\xa0Firgun\\xa0is such a spiritual challenge that there is no English equivalent. Can we do it?\\xa0Are we capable of it? Can we nurture it within our own parched hearts?

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Happy Mother\\u2019s Day.

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