A Prayer for Transformation

[ysabetwordsmith]

From Jewish tradition, a prayer for transformation:

תפילה להפך – מאבן בֹחן | Prayer for Transformation, from the poem Even Boḥan (“Touchstone”) by Rabbi Qalonymus ben Qalonymus ben Meir (1322 C.E.)

---8<---
Father in heaven
who did miracles for our ancestors with fire and water
You transformed the fire of Ur Kasdim so it would not burn [Avraham]
You transformed Dinah in the womb of her mother [Leah, to a girl]
You transformed the staff [of Moshe] to a snake before a million eyes
You transformed (Moshe’s) hand to (leprous) white
and the Sea of Reeds to dry land.
and the sea floor into solid and dried-up earth
You transformed the rock into water,
hard flint to a fountain.[15]
Who would then transform me from a man to woman?
---8<---

Comments

[technoshaman]

The more I study modern Judaism and its roots, the more I like it. Granted, like most religions of any size, some have seen fit to use the threat of G-d to further their own ambition and to abuse others. _AND_ especially in America, I'm seeing everyone but the extreme Orthodox among Jews become more and more Welcoming... my kids' Conservative congregation (which is across the street from, and often partners with, a UU congregation) included. (This is a trend I am also seeing in Muslim and Christian congregations in America as well, thanks Be.)

[cmcmck]

A Quaker meeting I knew in Southall, London when we lived down there partnered with the local Sikhs and that was something I liked a lot. :o)

[technoshaman]

Cool.

[librarygeek]

For those who might like: opensiddur.org is a wonderful site for Jewish prayers as we go through translating old documents and create new prayers.

Another one is sefaria.org to get translations of Torah, Prophets, and Writings, as well as Talmud and other texts of Judaism across the ages.

[acelightning]

Someone please correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe there is a prayer that Jewish men are supposed to recite daily that includes thanking G_d for not making them a woman? And what would the theological relationship be between that prayer and this one?

Well ...

[ysabetwordsmith]

The grass is always greener on the other side?

But really, of course cisgender people are happy not to be in the wrong shape of body, and of course transgender people are unhappy to be in the wrong shape.

Putting the two prayers side-by-side would make a great setup for a gender studies paper or article, I think.

Re: Well ...

[acelightning]

I looked it up, and apparently the prayer has to do with the concept that having more religious obligations to fulfil is a ; a male Jew thanks G-d that he is a human not an animal, a free man rather than a slave, a Jew rather than a Gentile, and a man rather than a woman, because a male Jew is obligated to perform more religious duties than any of the other categories, including women.

But wouldn't praying for G_d to transform a man into a woman imply that the person praying things G_d made a mistake, which is a rather blasphemous thought?

Re: Well ...

[cmcmck]

My own view has always been that the almighty has an odd sense of humour!

Re: Well ...

[acelightning]

I don't want to start any blasphemous rumors, but I think that God's got a sick sense of humor, and when I die I expect to find him laughing..."

Re: Well ...

[dorchadas]

which is a rather blasphemous thought?

The Lord said, “If I find fifty righteous people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake.”

Then Abraham spoke up again: “Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, though I am nothing but dust and ashes, what if the number of the righteous is five less than fifty? Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five people?”

“If I find forty-five there,” he said, “I will not destroy it.”

Once again he spoke to him, “What if only forty are found there?”

He said, “For the sake of forty, I will not do it.”

Then he said, “May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak. What if only thirty can be found there?”

He answered, “I will not do it if I find thirty there.”

Abraham said, “Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, what if only twenty can be found there?”

He said, “For the sake of twenty, I will not destroy it.”

Then he said, “May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak just once more. What if only ten can be found there?”

He answered, “For the sake of ten, I will not destroy it.”

When the Lord had finished speaking with Abraham, he left, and Abraham returned home.
-Genesis 18:26-33

We have never really been afraid to tell G-d, "But what if you're wrong about this?" There's a famous quote in the Talmud that "The Torah is not in Heaven," meaning that it's not an unchanging, unimpeachable law code that we must simply obey. It is ours, to interpret and understand in our own way.

Re: Well ...

[acelightning]

That's always been one of the things I admire most about Judaism - they have a long tradition of arguing with their G_d.