Comments on: martyrdom and Mishnah http://danyaruttenberg.net/2005/01/11/martyrdom-and-mishnah/ Danya Ruttenberg's website Wed, 07 Jan 2009 11:29:27 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.2 By: Danya Ruttenberg » Blog Archive » מצדה http://danyaruttenberg.net/2005/01/11/martyrdom-and-mishnah/#comment-17530 Danya Ruttenberg » Blog Archive » מצדה Mon, 08 Jan 2007 09:31:24 +0000 http://danyaruttenberg.net/2005/01/11/martyrdom-and-mishnah/#comment-17530 [...] So this past Shabbat I got to get out of town, which was nice. I'd never been to Masada, so we went down early Friday, took the cable car up (the Shabbos clock was ticking, after all) and had a nice few hours tromping around and looking at all of the history. I was expecting it to have icky vibes because of the, say, mass-suicide that happened there–but I didn't experience anything of the sort. Maybe because there are too many layers of history going on? Maybe because the deaths of the rebel forces were more complicated than, eg, the vicious murders on the gladiator field? Maybe because my feelers are highly inconsistient and subjective? Who knows? Anyway, it really was cool, and worthwhile to see. [...] […] So this past Shabbat I got to get out of town, which was nice. I’d never been to Masada, so we went down early Friday, took the cable car up (the Shabbos clock was ticking, after all) and had a nice few hours tromping around and looking at all of the history. I was expecting it to have icky vibes because of the, say, mass-suicide that happened there–but I didn’t experience anything of the sort. Maybe because there are too many layers of history going on? Maybe because the deaths of the rebel forces were more complicated than, eg, the vicious murders on the gladiator field? Maybe because my feelers are highly inconsistient and subjective? Who knows? Anyway, it really was cool, and worthwhile to see. […]

]]> By: Rachel http://danyaruttenberg.net/2005/01/11/martyrdom-and-mishnah/#comment-217 Rachel Fri, 21 Jan 2005 00:47:00 +0000 http://danyaruttenberg.net/2005/01/11/martyrdom-and-mishnah/#comment-217 Somehow I missed this post when it went live, but wanted to thank you for it. You really brought this day to life. Sitting here watching snow fall in western Massachusetts, where you are and what you're doing seems like another world... I empathize, too, with feeling the weird juju of that killing place (and wishing everyone else "got" it and would choose to move the hell on). I tend to assume that places don't have inherent juju; we mark then with our kavvanot and our actions. So I'm not sure the Kotel was inherently holy when it was built; I think it became that way thanks to us. Maybe this is another manifestation of my inherent egalitarianism -- I'm reluctant to think that any one place is holier than any other place, at its core, though I do think we can make one place holier than another (or more tamei than another) by how we treat it and what we do with it... Somehow I missed this post when it went live, but wanted to thank you for it. You really brought this day to life. Sitting here watching snow fall in western Massachusetts, where you are and what you’re doing seems like another world…

I empathize, too, with feeling the weird juju of that killing place (and wishing everyone else “got” it and would choose to move the hell on).

I tend to assume that places don’t have inherent juju; we mark then with our kavvanot and our actions. So I’m not sure the Kotel was inherently holy when it was built; I think it became that way thanks to us. Maybe this is another manifestation of my inherent egalitarianism — I’m reluctant to think that any one place is holier than any other place, at its core, though I do think we can make one place holier than another (or more tamei than another) by how we treat it and what we do with it…

]]> By: Simon http://danyaruttenberg.net/2005/01/11/martyrdom-and-mishnah/#comment-216 Simon Wed, 12 Jan 2005 17:02:00 +0000 http://danyaruttenberg.net/2005/01/11/martyrdom-and-mishnah/#comment-216 Wow, that was one full day. I'm glad you saw some beautiful things to compensate for the tameh vibes, and as for praying mincha in the Tzippori synagogue - that must have rocked! I have the Mona Lisa of the Galilee as my computer wallpaper :) Wow, that was one full day. I’m glad you saw some beautiful things to compensate for the tameh vibes, and as for praying mincha in the Tzippori synagogue - that must have rocked! I have the Mona Lisa of the Galilee as my computer wallpaper :)

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