Sh'ma on Metaphor (Sh'ma Journal: Independent Thinking on Contemporary Judaism Book 41)

This month Sh’ma explores metaphor — those resonant images such as the Golden Calf, ladders to heaven, angels and demons, Jacob’s wrestling, and a warrior God — or a nurturing mother God — that surface throughout our literature, liturgy, and conversations. We know that much lies beneath these powerful images; some are harsh, confusing, and difficult. Metaphoric language and imagery are not simple, but they enrich our relationship with text; they invite us to dig more deeply, to ask sharper questions, and to imagine a fuller range of meanings. These essays touch on metaphoric meaning not only in Jewish texts, but also in the Qur’an and the hotly contested poetry of T.S. Eliot. Several essays — as well as the Roundtable — remind us of the ways in which seemingly mundane metaphoric imagery can evoke rich, interesting, and surprisingly complex responses.