The Sincerest Form

Which is preceisely what I said when I saw this over at Ima’s place.

Besides the obvious (e.g. Shabbat services), most folks really don’t know what rabbis actually do. So this infrequent column will shed some light on the multi-faceted work to which I was called.

האלה

In the middle of the day, I was asked about this word. So off I went, traipsing through BDB, Harper’s Bible Dictionary, and various other reference books. Emerging some time later with the answer.

וְשָׁאוּל וְאִישׁ-יִשְׂרָאֵל נֶאֶסְפוּ, וַיַּחֲנוּ בְּעֵמֶק הָאֵלָה; וַיַּעַרְכוּ מִלְחָמָה, לִקְרַאת פְּלִשְׁתִּים

And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together, and pitched in the vale of Elah, and set the battle in array against the Philistines.

I Samuel 17:2. The location of well-known face-off between David and Goliath.

Terebinth. Sound familiar?? As in “the terebinths of Mamre” (Gen. 18:). Bet you wondered what a terebinth was when you read it last November on Shabbat Vayera.

Now I know. And so do you.