This week in synagogue we read, "As soon as you have crossed the Jordan into the land that your God is giving you, you shall set up large stones. Coat them with plaster and inscribe upon them all the words of this Teaching." (Deuteronomy 27:2-3)
Perhaps the first thing the Jewish people did when they got to the land of Israel was to write out word for word the entire Torah with all the flourishes and line breaks that will become the model for how the Torah is written by Scribes today. Or maybe it is just a list of commandments, but taking the time to write in the plaster when they were standing on the exciting edge of a new beginning seems very difficult, and so I was reminded of the Talmudic story of a man who decided he wanted to convert to Judaism. He went to Shammai and said, "If you can teach me the entire Torah standing on one foot, then I will convert." Shammai told him that was crazy and chased him away with a stick (!). He then went to Hillel who told him, "דַּעֲלָךְ סְנֵי לְחַבְרָךְ לָא תַּעֲבֵיד - That which is hateful to you, don't do to another. The rest is commentary."
That is what I imagine was written on these rocks.
#parshahdoodles #parshatkitavo #dvartorah #irreverentjudaica