Hello Michael! No, you didn't forget. :) Such good timing for this essay. I have come to appreciate the Torah, the first five books of the Bible, as a "User's Manual". A guide as to the best way to live, with ourselves, and others, as we go through this life.
There is a quote I've come across, I think by Dennis Prager, that says, "The Torah is a masterpiece of Storytelling, History, Theology, Politics, Law, Ethics, and Morals." I think this is so.
Regardless of one's personal beliefs, there's no question that the Bible has had a tremendous influence on Western civilization and that its various perspectives deserve to be studied.
I had a suspicion that the number 613 itself held special significance, and Wikipedia backed me up. 613 is the sum of 365 (days/yr) and the 248 bones found in the human body ( don't get bogged down by the dissimilar units of measure 😉).
I'd never really thought about this that much but it makes a ton of sense. I do remember back when I was raised in the church the pastor saying what you describe. "You can't ever hope to follow the law." It made it seem so onerous and I did wonder why the heck a God would put down silly laws like 'put a railing around your roof.' But you just pointed out, we have to if we have roofs like 99% of middle eastern houses where they use them as living spaces. It's international code that anything over 36" from the ground needs a railing so you don't fall off.
Now it just makes so much sense and I feel silly for not seeing that before.
Michael I am a fan of your ability to apply systems thinking accross multiple topics, and then expand with depth, a new insight that can be taken away by others with the analysis you provide - through your view.
As a "commercial banker, mom, and community volunteer" at this particular moment in humanity's (re)evolution I am often "the person in a room" where more questions become the answer... since it is good questions in complex business settings that will often unite two or more "polar opposing viewpoints" that individuals have learned as their truth, over their lifetime, that can become the "second tier discovery" that is "hid behind 'symptoms' trying to be solved'...where humanity would benefit if we could all combine our wisdom to flush out and cure a root cause."
Earlier this year, the post linked below crossed my feed - which caused me to joke with a few friends in business, that perhaps "I'm a none" [when speaking about the results of a Marquette Law School political poll], when it comes to religion, since what I believe in is a version of Faith - that can easily combine several of the interpretations you illustrate in this article - which helps to flush out where different truths probably align, but use different words to describe, in all of our archived documents being handed down through generations...which themselves then become (re)transcribed in an effort of new authors wishing to provide a new way of thinking... about the historical events that each group grew up with "being familiar."
Thank you for taking time to share your thought provoking articles!
I'm not am author, but I hope to inspire the next generation of authors in some way - they will each have a much more compelling tale to tell, which becomes humanity's next chapter, provided we all put aside our differences [at this critical moment in history making time] and find a way to unite on the details that really matter - putting stubborn differences aside.
of course, you made a spreadsheet. this is a great read, and I can hear people say "Oh the Bible doesn't affect me" or "It's just a book of myths"
thanks for doing the research
Religion as a Psychology explores how *nearly* everyone is religious, even atheists.
Ahhh, so much better!
Hello Michael! No, you didn't forget. :) Such good timing for this essay. I have come to appreciate the Torah, the first five books of the Bible, as a "User's Manual". A guide as to the best way to live, with ourselves, and others, as we go through this life.
There is a quote I've come across, I think by Dennis Prager, that says, "The Torah is a masterpiece of Storytelling, History, Theology, Politics, Law, Ethics, and Morals." I think this is so.
Thanks for this engaging series!
Regardless of one's personal beliefs, there's no question that the Bible has had a tremendous influence on Western civilization and that its various perspectives deserve to be studied.
You have a nice, fresh approach to the text.
I had a suspicion that the number 613 itself held special significance, and Wikipedia backed me up. 613 is the sum of 365 (days/yr) and the 248 bones found in the human body ( don't get bogged down by the dissimilar units of measure 😉).
I'd never really thought about this that much but it makes a ton of sense. I do remember back when I was raised in the church the pastor saying what you describe. "You can't ever hope to follow the law." It made it seem so onerous and I did wonder why the heck a God would put down silly laws like 'put a railing around your roof.' But you just pointed out, we have to if we have roofs like 99% of middle eastern houses where they use them as living spaces. It's international code that anything over 36" from the ground needs a railing so you don't fall off.
Now it just makes so much sense and I feel silly for not seeing that before.
Michael I am a fan of your ability to apply systems thinking accross multiple topics, and then expand with depth, a new insight that can be taken away by others with the analysis you provide - through your view.
As a "commercial banker, mom, and community volunteer" at this particular moment in humanity's (re)evolution I am often "the person in a room" where more questions become the answer... since it is good questions in complex business settings that will often unite two or more "polar opposing viewpoints" that individuals have learned as their truth, over their lifetime, that can become the "second tier discovery" that is "hid behind 'symptoms' trying to be solved'...where humanity would benefit if we could all combine our wisdom to flush out and cure a root cause."
Earlier this year, the post linked below crossed my feed - which caused me to joke with a few friends in business, that perhaps "I'm a none" [when speaking about the results of a Marquette Law School political poll], when it comes to religion, since what I believe in is a version of Faith - that can easily combine several of the interpretations you illustrate in this article - which helps to flush out where different truths probably align, but use different words to describe, in all of our archived documents being handed down through generations...which themselves then become (re)transcribed in an effort of new authors wishing to provide a new way of thinking... about the historical events that each group grew up with "being familiar."
Thank you for taking time to share your thought provoking articles!
I'm not am author, but I hope to inspire the next generation of authors in some way - they will each have a much more compelling tale to tell, which becomes humanity's next chapter, provided we all put aside our differences [at this critical moment in history making time] and find a way to unite on the details that really matter - putting stubborn differences aside.
https://divinity.yale.edu/news/eve-isn-t-evil-alum-scholar-challenges-assumptions-about-women-bible