A Daughter of Ruth

For me personally, my heart and soul belongs with the community of Israel. Or at least some part of it. I know that. And apparently the Divine Power agrees with me. I live in a town with no Jews living here that I know of. Yet...

Lately at the local Goodwill, within the past year, my daughter bought a Hanukkah menorah for me there, I have found another Hanukkah menorah, a couple of books about Israel and Judaism, two Jewish cookbooks, and a really cute Hanukkah decoration. And I'm snatching that stuff up. This is my thing.

I don't want anyone to misconstrue my love and interest in Jewish things as hatred for others. I LOVE EVERYONE WHO VALUES HUMAN LIFE. INNOCENT HUMAN LIFE. Of course, is anyone completely 💯 innocent? I would say, no. But generally speaking... If they don't want to kill an entire race full of innocent people and they don't cause harm to innocent people, they're worth loving in my book. It's just that...

Even among neighbors, friends and family, there's going to be some people who are drawn to certain other people naturally, more than others. I am drawn to Jews, without harboring hatred for, generally speaking, other INNOCENT people. It would be nice if the rest of the world operated that way too. It would be such a better place to live.

"They" have their definition of me. They have their box with the label of their choosing that they place on me... i.e. The person I'm allowed to be in their midst. Ok. It is what it is, in their "community". People will always have their own name or definition of you in their own minds, in their own communities.

You can't change that. I can't change that. But neither can they change your name for, and definition of, yourself. Nor mine. We have to hold on to that. I have to hold on to that. You can't lose you, and I can't lose me, in being a part of a community. And we're all a part of some community, somehow. It's pretty much unavoidable.

So the struggle to maintain individuality while interacting in a community is ongoing. But it's worth the struggle. The hard fought battle for balance is the more appreciated and the more carefully guarded once achieved.

Yep. This is where I'm at. Not forcing myself on anyone, but still refusing to be anything other than what I want to be, in the way I'm able to be that person, who is me.

This is my statement of fealty. For some this is not enough to be included. In those cases, which is a majority... It is what it is. However I still pledge loyalty whether those groups choose to accept and include me or not. I consider Jews family on my end and that is enough for me. Family is family. However...

I have come across a couple of groups of Jews for whom a statement like this IS enough to be accepted as a member of the tribe and for those groups I am extremely grateful. To me, they are the Naomis and the Boazs of the Jewish community. Some of the most precious souls in Judaism in my eyes.

Ruth 1:16–17 (ESV) - Ruth 1:16–17 ESV - But Ruth said, “Do not urge… | Biblia

Ruth 1:16–17 ESV - But Ruth said, “Do not urge… | Biblia But Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your...

I believe this is true of our words and actions.

Words from my book The Freedom of Forward ✨

Examining the text of Isaiah 56 JPS TANAKH in English:

1. Thus saith the LORD: Keep ye justice, and do righteousness; for My salvation is near to come, and My favor to be revealed.

A. Ok, first question... Who is being spoken to thru the mouth, or writings of Isaiah? I think it's logical to assume that the majority of his listeners or readers, at the time, were Jewish, although there might have been a mix of foreigners or converts in the mix as well.

B. I think, in general, the entire TANAKH gives a decent picture of what justice and righteousness is without getting nitpicky on that part. Moving right along...

C. My salvation? Without automatically attaching a bunch of dogmatic preconceived notions to it... What KIND of salvation are we talking about here? Salvation from what? Or whom? Near to come? How near is near? Did it happen during the time of the prophet Isaiah? During the time of the TANAKH? Or after? Are we still waiting for it?

D. My favor to be revealed? What or who is the LORD'S "favor"? Has it been revealed? Or are we still waiting?

These are just questions for verse 1. I have been pretty obsessed with this chapter lately. I think I might need more knowledge of Hebrew to get better answers and it's possible my current teacher Rabbi U*i Weingarten might be able to enlighten me. I think it's important to know the premise of the text before I begin attaching my own assumptions to this verse and those in the rest of the chapter. Then I can have a better idea how to make sense of what the rest is actually saying. Because it looks like some really important things are being said. Especially in regards to people like me.

Very true.

the design is patient.

I got the following results from a Google search. This is what I want to live by. Follow this example. I'm not expecting anyone to accept this. At this point, I'm over wanting anyone to accept anything. I'm almost 60 years old and live has not been easy. I just want to live in a way that's meaningful to me, gives me joy, and is true to myself and my soul.

Conversion to Israel in the Hebrew scriptures (Old Testament) is not presented as a formal religious conversion, but rather as an assimilation or adoption of non-Israelites into the community through marriage, residency (ger), or adopting the covenantal faith. Examples include Ruth and Rahab, who embraced Israel's God and people, rather than a legally defined religious change. [1, 2, 3, 4]
Key details regarding conversion in the Hebrew scriptures:

• The "Ger": The Hebrew term ger is often translated as "stranger" or "sojourner," referring to a non-Israelite who lives among the community and, in many cases, adopts its customs and faith.
• Incorporation Methods: Non-Israelites joined the community through marriage (e.g., Joseph, Moses, Ruth), adoption, or by choice, such as when individuals sought to follow Yahweh.
• Examples: Ruth the Moabite is the most prominent example of someone joining the people of Israel by choice ("Your people shall be my people, and your God my God"). Other examples include Rahab of Jericho and the mixed multitude that left Egypt with the Israelites.
• Prophetic Vision: Prophets, including Isaiah and Zechariah, looked forward to a time when many foreigners would join themselves to the Lord and the people of Israel, indicating an openness to inclusion.
• No Formal Process: The detailed, procedural conversion process defined in later rabbinic law (circumcision, immersion, etc.) is not present in the Hebrew Bible, which focuses on allegiance to God and integration into the community. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

While not using modern terminology, the Hebrew scriptures frequently describe the process of outsiders becoming part of the covenantal, ethnic, and religious community of Israel. [1, 4]

AI responses may include mistakes.

[1] https://www.bibleodyssey.org/articles/conversion-and-identity-in-the-hebrew-bible/
[2] https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/conversion-history-ancient-period/
[3] https://tyndale.tms.edu/wp-content/uploads/202