Musings from Students of the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem
Posted on July 14, 2015 by Rachel Opatowsky
There is something about Pardes, genuinely… inspiring. Not only are the teachers animating and knowledgeable, but the material is rich and ever-evolving. We are delving into the text of our ancestors and the books of our people. I became artistically stimulated during one of the sessions of Family Relationships in Genesis with Howard Markose when reading about Abraham.
According to Jewish tradition, Abraham was told by G-d to abandon his current life and travel to an unknown place. Although it was a daunting task, he whole-heartedly accepted the challenge, and left his homeland. Abraham agreed to fulfill the request, and G-d blessed him and his family. “And I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you, and I will make your name great, and [you shall] be a blessing (Genesis 12:2).”
It is an amazing concept that each individual is a blessing. Regardless of religious observance, every descendant of Abraham has the ability to be a blessing by fulfilling commandments and bringing light into the world. It is no coincidence that the symbol of Pardes is a pomegranate which, according to tradition, has 613 seeds representing the commandments in the Torah. By partaking in Pardes, we move one step closer to making the world a better place and being able to illustrate how we are a blessing.