Please pass the charoset

 

Passover Table
(Photo by datafox)

The “life is short, eat dessert first” crowd might favor the charoset on the Passover platter.  Although this sticky mixture of fruit, nuts, spices and wine is there to symbolize “the mortar used by Hebrew slaves to build Egyptian structures,” it is the sweetest-tasting item there.

Other components, such as the salty-tears karpas (parsley), the bitter-ordeal maror (horseradish), and the sacrificial shankbone (or bloody-looking beets) can seem far more daunting. 

Nevertheless, the seder night is different from all others because it commemorates the giant shoulders that so many have been standing upon.  Life itself is bittersweet, yet filled with miraculous treasures.

Resources

https://reformjudaism.org/jewish-holidays/passover/learn-about-passover-seder-plate

Father Abraham

 

Abraham and Tad, 1864
(Photo by Anthony Berger) 

Abraham Lincoln was named after his paternal grandfather, a military captain from the American Revolutionary War. Their likely namesake was the patriarch Abraham, considered to be the father of Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

Lincoln had four sons: Robert, Edward (Eddie), William (Willie), and Thomas (Tad).  Tragically, Eddie died in infancy, Willie at age 11, and Tad at 18.  Robert Todd Lincoln served as a captain in the Union Army at the tail end of the Civil War.  He was granted an honorary law degree from Harvard University and served as Secretary of War under James Garfield and Chester Arthur.  Robert was present at the 1922 dedication of his father’s Washington, D.C. memorial.

After the birth of their sons, Mary Todd Lincoln began calling her husband “Father.”  He was also called “Father Abraham” by many a grateful citizen.  A popular 1862 poem began with the line “We are coming, Father Abraham, Three Hundred Thousand More.”  This was in response to Lincoln’s urgent call for Union Army recruits.  His paternal nickname also reflected Lincoln’s habit of dispensing advice, whether asked for or not.      

Lincoln was shot by John Wilkes Booth on April 14, 1865, which happened to be Good Friday of that year.  “Father Abraham” then took on divine overtones.  Evangelicals felt that Lincoln’s martyrdom was payment for the nation’s sins.  Only a month before, Lincoln had emphasized the sin of slavery during his Second Inaugural Address.

Resources

https://time.com/4738248/good-friday-palm-sunday-civil-war-appomattox/

Eldest Daughter, Younger Mother

Mary and Elizabeth
(Photo by Deror avi)

When a daughter becomes old enough to resonate with her mother’s later-in-life pregnancy, some interesting things can occur.

A 15-year, University of California research study found that early signs of puberty often result from this “eldest daughter syndrome.”  Such signs include changes in bodily hair, skin conditions, cognitive development and emotional maturity.  They are especially prevalent when Mom exhibits symptoms of prenatal stress.

This syndrome takes on a life of its own after the baby arrives.  The eldest daughter is often thrust into a nurturing role.  This might be Nature’s way of ensuring that the infant will survive if Mom were not able to provide adequate care.

Researchers from the United Kingdom’s University of Essex found that eldest daughters are often quite successful in life.  Oprah Winfrey and Beyonce are convincing examples of this. It just goes to show: Real-life challenges can be way more fruitful than TikTok ones.

Resources

https://news.yahoo.com/eldest-daughter-syndrome-real-thing-104507937.html 

Christ in Christina

Christina Rossetti
(by Dante Gabriel Rossetti)

Chances are that you sang the hymn “In the Bleak Midwinter” this past Christmas.  At the end of these lyrics, poet Christina Rossetti asks: “What can I give Him, poor as I am?  If I were a Shepherd, I would bring a lamb.  If I were a Wise Man, I would do my part.  Yet what can I give him – Give my heart.”

When Good Friday arrived, Rossetti continued her soul-searching quest.  In a poem by that same name, she wrote:  “Am I a stone, and not a sheep, that I can stand, O Christ, beneath Thy cross, to number drop by drop Thy blood’s slow loss, and yet not weep?”

After comparing her perceived spiritual weakness to the devoutness of Jesus’ most intimate disciples, Christina begged to be smitten by Christ with free-flowing devotion - even beyond the way that water gushed from the rock that Moses smote in Numbers 20:11.

Rossetti’s biography indicates far more piety than she gave herself credit for.  Possessing what’s been called “the old humility,” she turned her face upward rather than toward a vanity mirror.

Resources

https://www.acton.org/religion-liberty/volume-33-number-3/christina-rossetti-woman-all-seasons 

Bit the Hand that Fed It

Gila Monster
(Photo by MonsterDoc)

The cognitive brain knows full well that it better kiss up to the hand that feeds it.

The lizard brain does not necessarily feel that way.  In a fit of frenzy, it will destroy anything in its path.  Respecting such venomous instincts is a surefire key to staying alive.

Time and again we read about humane folks who cozy up with their exotic pets.  Sometimes this works out well for both, yet sometimes it ends in tragedy.

Not too long ago, 34-year-old Christopher Ward was bitten by his (illegal) pet gila monster.  The name alone indicates that this is a lizard with dangerous tendencies.  Whereas most people don’t die from its poisonous bites, Ward did. 

Authorities who came to his home wound up removing “two Gila monsters and 26 species of spiders.”  Medical toxicologist Dr. Nick Brandehoff warned, “I think this case highlights that any venomous animals should be respected.”  And respect can best be served with a heaping helping of healthy boundaries...

Resources

https://www.iheart.com/content/2024-02-21-colorado-man-killed-after-illegal-pet-gila-monster-bites him/ 

Julius and the Jews

Beware the Ides of March

Although the Ides of March are the most famous, they are by no means the only Ides.  Every month of the early Roman calendar had one.  During March, May, July and October, they fell on the 15th.  During all other months, they fell on the 13th.  All of the Ides are thought to have originally coincided with the full moon.

Caesar had been repeatedly warned not to attend the Senate on the 15^th of March in 44 BCE.  One seer had predicted that harm would come to him “no later than the Ides of March.”  On the way to his fateful date with destiny, Caesar saw this seer and joked, “Well, the Ides of March have come.”  “Ay, but they have not gone,” the seer somberly replied.

Many earnestly mourned the passing of Julius Caesar, but none so vigorously as the Jews.  Caesar’s biographer, Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus, wrote this:  At the height of the public grief a throng of foreigners went about lamenting each after the fashion of his country, above all the Jews, who even flocked to the place for several successive nights.  Why were the Jews so shattered over the passing of this former high priest of Jupiter (who had also claimed to be a direct descendent of Venus)?

The proverb “the enemy of my enemy is my friend” definitely applies in this case.  Although Hyrcanus, Judea’s high priest, had been somewhat in alliance with Pompey (the great Roman general), he later allied with Caesar against Pompey.  Hyrcanus’ change of heart might have been partially motivated by Pompey’s harsh decrees and

burdensome taxes, and partially motivated by the power that Caesar was rapidly gaining over Pompey.

If Hyrcanus hadn’t committed thousands of Jewish soldiers to Caesar’s Alexandrian siege, Caesar’s ending might have come a lot sooner than 44 BCE.  As it were, the Jews were instrumental in helping Caesar to win this civil war and become the sole ruler of Rome.  Caesar never forgot this.  According to Jewishhistory.org, not only did

Caesar revoke Pompey’s decrees and taxes, but he also “allowed the walls and fortifications of Jerusalem to be rebuilt and restored Jaffa as well as a number of other coastal cities to Jewish rule.”

Resources

http://www.livius.org/caa-can/caesar/caesar_t10.html

http://www.jewishhistory.org/julius-caesar-and-the-jews/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ides_of_March

Beware the Apple

(Public Domain)

Had Eve never partaken of the proverbial malus, today’s world might be fraught with far less malice.

The apple’s lure is as strong as ever, albeit in quite a different form.  Today’s Apple can manifest as a Vision Pro headset that is difficult to resist, even while cruising down the roadway.  Fortunately for one such driver, police stopped him before a brick wall would.

The parent company had been savvy enough to issue this warning: “Never use Apple Vision Pro while operating a moving vehicle… or in any other situations requiring attention to safety.”  Just as in biblical times, humans routinely ignore benevolent guidance.

Resources

https://www.iheart.com/content/2024-02-05-watch-tesla-driver-wearing-apple-vision-pro-headset-gets-pulled-over/?mid=1228317&rid=98364581&sc=email&pname=newsletter&cid=NATIONAL&keyid=National%20iHeart%20Daily%20NewsTalk&campid=headline5_readmore

 

How pious was Pius XII?

Pope Pius XII, circa 1951
(Public Domain)

The word “pious,” often used to describe a devoutly religious person, is sometimes sarcastically used to connote hypocrisy. 

During World War II’s Holocaust, Pope Pius XII remained publicly silent.  He did, however, discreetly aid numerous Nazi victims.  Was his public silence a sign of cowardly hypocrisy, or did it pragmatically facilitate his clandestine efforts to save lives?

Practical as his stance may have been during the war, what happened next seems murky.  Archbishop Sergio Pagano, current Prefect of the Vatican Apostolic Archive, pointed out that Pius continued this stony silence long after the war ended.  Pagano firmly declared, “After the war, I would have expected a word more, for all these people who went to the gas chambers.”

Pagano has also shown “disdain for the incomplete research behind Pius’ sainthood cause, which is now apparently on hold…”  Pius may very well have been a confusing mixture of saint and sinner, very much like many a human here on Earth.

 Resources

 https://news.yahoo.com/keeper-vatican-secrets-retiring-wants-090357472.html 

United We Land

 

Sunrise at Sojiji Zen Temple
(Atlanticpuffin)

Have you ever needed assistance during a commercial flight, but were hesitant to interrupt the attendant’s cell-phone chatter? 

United Airlines feels your pain and has issued a memo reminding staff that personal cell-phone usage is forbidden during shift times.

It not only seems rude to ignore customers while on the job, but also seems downright dangerous.  While eyeing texts rather than cabin developments, attendants might miss some clear and present threats.

Many a worker has endured on-the-job lag times without resorting to dopamine hits.  Mindfulness practices can help to uplift these so-called downtimes.

Resources

https://news.yahoo.com/united-airlines-leaked-memo-reveals-145707446.html     

Super Bowl End Day

 

NASA Chart
(Public Domain)

God might not play dice or football, but may instead hurl asteroids the size of football fields.  One, in fact, will be whizzing past Earth shortly before 2024’s Super Bowl Sunday.

Should it perchance strike our planet with the force of “141 gigatons of TNT,” the destruction would be considerable.  If a city were directly hit, the resulting crater would be “11 miles wide.” The human casualty count could be as high as 13 million, two million of which would be subject to instant vaporization.

The statistical chances of this occurring are one in thousands, which sounds lucky unless Earth happens to be that one.  If such a strike were to occur, then even the Super Bowl would be second-rate news.

Resources

https://news.yahoo.com/nasa-issues-warning-asteroid-size-150847943.html   

Duel or Duet?

Hamilton and Burr
(Painting by J. Mund)

Ah, for the good old days of Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton!  So what if one wound up dead and the other was wanted for murder?

Not to worry, Burr was able to soon pick up where he left off as Vice President of the United States.  His New Jersey indictment was removed on the technicality that Hamilton actually died in New York.

Sounds about as logical as what’s been happening lately.  Senator Nick Schroer of Missouri flippantly proposed that dueling be reinstated as a way of settling political disputes.  His explanation: “I mean, if we’re going back in time and acting like an uncivilized society…”  In other words, if the shoe pinches, blow it to smithereens…

Some of us still hold out hope for a peaceful solution, one that sounds more like a duet than a duel.  It might not be in perfect harmony, but discordant debate sounds a lot better than raucous violence.

Resources

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burr%E2%80%93Hamilton_duel

https://www.iheart.com/content/2024-01-26-missouri-lawmaker-wants-to-bring-back-duels-to-settle-differences/?mid=1223430&rid=98364581&sc=email&pname=newsle 

Unreasonable Facsimiles

(Fair Use)

Religion has traditionally had the monopoly on resurrection.  Not so much anymore.  Science has been creeping farther and farther into that domain.

Those who have lost loved ones may soon be fooled into thinking that technology can bring them back.  As audio and visual replications become highly sophisticated, folks may soon be virtually attending their own funerals.

This holographic trend has been dubiously compared to watching videos of loved ones long after they’re gone.  Such videos, however, have not been interactive.  When doppelganger avatars begin to talk back, it’s a whole new ball game with many potential strikes.

And what might AI prompt the deceased to say? Would it be anything like what a spiritually resurrected mother, father, husband, wife, son or daughter might proclaim?  Will they speak of wonders that resemble heavenly accounts, or will they simply disclose where the life-insurance papers are hidden?

 Resources

 https://www.yahoo.com/news/ai-can-allow-us-to-talk-to-the-dead-but-is-that-healthy-204447488.html

 

Can't cuddle a burger

(Photo by Niranjan Arminius)

 When Lawrence Fox learned that the cows on a friend’s farm were to be sold for beef, he had an epiphany.  Why not buy them and begin cuddling his way to health and wealth?

Anyone who’s had the urge to release supermarket lobsters into the nearest ocean can relate. 

Fox then proceeded to bring his plan to fruition.  Aptly named Cow Cuddling Co, his enterprise is “designed to promote calmness and improvements in mental health…”  Clients have reported feeling so much better while cozying up with the herd.

Now known as “cow therapists,” these bovines are currently worth more alive than dead.  After all, only the most dedicated of foodies would cuddle up to a burger.

Resources

https://cowcuddlingco.com/these-cows-saved-my-life-the-queensland-farm-offering-healing-cattle-cuddles/

Rogue Robot

Marvel's "Rogue"
(Fair Use)

If and when robots revolt, the results can be revolting.

A Tesla bot recently dug its metallic claws into an unsuspecting human.  While blood trailed from this “engineer’s back and arm," witnesses were left with more questions than answers.

As artificial intelligence seeps more and more into our lives, one question seems particularly disturbing: Can such an attack be premeditated by the robot itself?

Safety measures can certainly be implemented, but will some be readily sidestepped by savvy bots?  It is currently said, "Guns don’t kill people, people kill people."  That might now be the case, but what will occur as devices become smarter?

Resources

https://www.iheart.com/content/2023-12-27-tesla-robot-attacks-engineer-at-texas-factory/?mid=1207871&rid=98364581&sc=email&pname=newsletter&cid=NATIONAL&keyid=National%20iHeart%20Daily%20NewsTalk&campid=headline4_readmore

Does the punishment fit the crime?

Carl Lutz's Letter of Protection
(Public Domain)
                                                        

What happens when an allegedly “good” kid posts “a detailed plan” to gun down worshippers at a synagogue?

After pleading “true” to this charge in juvenile court, the youth was ordered to attend therapy, to be on probation for one year, to refrain “from using the internet without adult supervision,” and to write a book report about Carl Lutz.

Lutz was a Swiss diplomat who had been stationed in what was then Mandatory Palestine.  While there, he witnessed the mob lynching of “an unarmed Jew.”  This may well have inspired him to save the lives of more than 62,000 Jews during World War II.

Will summarizing Lutz's heroics change the trajectory of an impressionable youth’s life?  Or will it merely be one more bump on the road to nowhere?                                                    

Resources

https://www.iheart.com/content/2023-12-19-teen-who-planned-mass-shooting-at-synagogue-ordered-to-write-a-book report/?mid=1203081&rid=98364581&sc=email&pname=newsletter&cid=NATIONAL&keyid=National%20iHeart%20Daily%20NewsTalk&campid=headline2_readmore

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Lutz