Page 24 - Jewish News_04-2021

24A April 2021 JEWISH INTEREST

K’zohar Ha-Ivrit Aging Jewishly – What our traditions teach us about growing old

OR – Light Judge Judy’s advice to seniors

By Dr. Rachel Zohar Dulin By Rabbi Barbara Aiello
he eighth month of the Hebrew tend a warm welcome to someone. he timer on the kitchen stove
calendar, the month of Iyar, (Psalm 4:7; Num. 6:25) And we shall began its ding-ding-ding, re-
Tcommences this year in about add the rabbinic saying: p’tach pi- Tminding Iris to switch on the
mid-April. Iyar is an interesting name khah ve-ya-i-ru d’va-re-khah, literally television and call to her husband.
for a month, which, in biblical times open your mouth and let your words “Come on, Larry. It’s five minutes to
was called Chodesh Ziv. The word Ziv shine, which means speak up and Judge Judy!”
has a few meanings, such as brilliance, explain yourself boldly. (Yerushalmi That was enough for Larry to
brightness, light and splendor. More- B’rkhot 6:3) stop his clean-
over, in biblical times, Chodesh Ziv As a noun, OR is also at the center ing binge, and
was the second month of the year. of many phrases. For example, OR To- in minutes both
(I Kings 6:1; Dan rah and Torah orah mean the Torah, the Iris and Larry
4:3) As the calen- law is a light. Leor ha-d’va-rim means had tuned into
dar was revised in light of the situation. And, based on their favorite pro-
and the order of Micah 7:9, we should mention motzi gram. Watched
the months ad- la-or, literally brings to light, which by more than 10
justed, the name refers to a publisher. We will end with million viewers
Ziv was changed the astronomical concept Sh’nat OR, daily, Judge Ju-
to Iyar and it be- namely a light year, and with the theo- Rabbi Barbara Aiello dith Susan Blum
came the eighth logical concept B’nay OR, literally the Sheindlin has dispensed advice for
month of the Jew- sons of light, those mentioned in the nearly 25 years, but for Iris and Lar-
Dr. Rachel Dulin ish year. Dead Sea Scrolls as the true Tribes of ry one admonishment really hit home.
Iyar is a word borrowed from the Israel. Larry recalls, “I heard her say it on a
Akkadian month Ayaru, which is de- In short, the name for the month of documentary about her life. Judge Judy
rived from the verb urru, meaning to Iyar represents a loaded concept rooted was talking about becoming a senior
give light or shine. Similarly, the He- in OR. It reminds one that as the sun citizen. And she said something that
brew Iyar is derived from the Hebrew shines brightly, it fills the air with the struck me. ‘To live a long life, don’t
verb OR, which means light, shine and positive energy of light and brilliance. fall!’”
brighten. It is not surprising that both Indeed, the prophet Isaiah was right At 78 years old, Judge Judy
names for this month, Ziv and Iyar, are in his observation that OR shiv-at ha- knows what she’s talking about. The
centered on light and splendor. For in ya-mim, namely the light of the seven
Israel, at this time, the spring season is days of creation, is a bountiful light of Rabbi Barbara Aiello’s most popular
at its peak, as the sun shines brightly, healing, comfort and enlightenment.
warming the land. (Isa 30:26) columns are now published in her new
The Hebrew noun OR, feminine Dr. Rachel Zohar Dulin is a professor book, Aging Jewishly, available on
orah (pl. orot or orim), stands oppo- of biblical literature at Spertus Col-
site to darkness. OR appears in the Bi- lege in Chicago, and a retired adjunct Amazon. It makes a great gift!
ble 129 times as a noun and 43 times professor of Hebrew and Bible at New
as a verb. It is fascinating that in the College in Sarasota.
biblical account of creation, OR was
created by God before the luminaries. STAY
For OR was the energy which sepa-
rated darkness from light. (Gen 1:3)
It is also interesting to note that many CONNECTED
Hebrew phrases and idioms, where OR
is at the center, are a testimony that
OR is understood in the Hebraic cul-
ture not only as physical light, but also
as a concept analogous to the energy
behind enlightenment, knowledge and
graciousness.
Short is the page to list all phras-
es where OR is at the center. Suffice
it to say that many concepts are in-
fluenced by the biblical and rabbinic
literature. For example, based on
the verb OR, the phrase adam na-or
points to an enlightened and educated
person. And the phrase heh-ir panim,
literally, his face lit up, means to ex- .com/jfedsrq
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