Discover this podcast and so much more

Podcasts are free to enjoy without a subscription. We also offer ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more for just $11.99/month.

Talmud Class: Methuselah, Jonathan Larson, and You

Talmud Class: Methuselah, Jonathan Larson, and You

FromFrom the Bimah: Jewish Lessons for Life


Talmud Class: Methuselah, Jonathan Larson, and You

FromFrom the Bimah: Jewish Lessons for Life

ratings:
Length:
38 minutes
Released:
Oct 22, 2022
Format:
Podcast episode

Description

One of the most evocative figures in the Torah does not get much attention because
his brief appearance is embedded in a dry genealogy.  His name is Methuselah.
When Methuselah had lived 187 years, he begot Lamech. After the birth of Lamech,
Methuselah lived 782 years and begot sons and daughters. All the days of Methuselah
came to 969 years; then he died. (Genesis 5:25-27).
Methuselah is famous for two things. He lived the longest of any biblical figure. Moses
lived until 120, Methuselah until 969. But Methuselah is known for nothing beyond his length of years. If he touched somebody’s life, if he made the world better, if he inspired love, the Torah contains no record of it.
By contrast, the composer Jonathan Larson, most famous for writing the musical Rent and dying at the age of 35 the night of its first performance, inspired this gorgeous song from Rent, sung by Leslie Odom, Jr. called Without You. (Click here for the video) The thesis is: life goes on, as it must, without you, but I am not the same without you because of the deep impact you have had on me. (Click here for lyrics)
We have just left the High Holiday season with its message that we do not get to control how much time we have, we can only control what we do with the time we’ve got. We are now entering a month without holidays, a season of ordinary days. The most important question for us all: what do we do with our ordinary days that turn them into days of impact? What are we doing that can inspire the love of the song Without You? Who will sing that song for us, and what have we done to earn that song? In his classic When All You've Ever Wanted Isn't Enough, Harold Kushner lays out three things we can do every day (Click here for text). Hopefully, that will not be our question until 120. But asking that question now can invest our years with their greatest joy, blessing, and impact.
Released:
Oct 22, 2022
Format:
Podcast episode

Titles in the series (100)

Bringing weekly Jewish insights into your life. Join Rabbi Wes Gardenswartz, Rabbi Michelle Robinson and Rav-Hazzan Aliza Berger of Temple Emanuel in Newton, MA as they share modern ancient wisdom.