Qera Et-Hassefer (Read the Book)

In a flash of inspiration that, once followed, has established a pattern I can only break at the expense of forfeiting gravitas (or something), I read devotions for my first class last Thursday directly from the Hebrew Bible. I took as my first text that which the Christian artist Michael Card uses in his song "My Help," in his Ancient Faith box set of songs inspired by the Old Testament. Card chants the Hebrew of Psalm 121:1-4, then repeats it in English (I'll give Card's translation, even though I do it differently):

Esa' `einai el-heharim
me'ayin yabo' `ezri?
`Ezri me`im YHWH
`oseh shamayim va'arets!
'Al-yiten lamot raglekhah;
'al-yanum shomrekhah!
Hine! Lo'-yanum, velo' yiyshan Shomer Yisrael.

I lift up my eyes unto the hills
from whence shall come my help?
My help is from the Lord God,
maker of heaven and earth!
He will not give to the moving of your foot;
nor will slumber he who keeps thee!
Behold! He'll not slumber, nor will he sleep, He Who Keeps Israel.


So I read those four verses in Hebrew, translating each into English after I read it in Hebrew. The students really seemed engaged, so I tried it again in Pentateuch later that day, reading Genesis 1:1-4 in Hebrew, again translating the verses into English as I went along. A student not in one of my classes, but a friend of one who is, told me that he had heard I was reading Hebrew in class...which presents me with the dilemma: now I can't quit. Not that I want to, however: I think it's a great practice, and one that develops in me a kind of discipline that I haven't had before. I've been able quickly to read some Hebrew here and there, but I am not at the level where I should be in that skill two years out of graduate school. So I am learning from my students and the things I say in class just as much as they are learning from me. Now my final lecture prep the nights before class is consumed with practicing and internalizing the next day's Scripture passages. I am enjoying this practice, and I'm glad the inspiration struck just when it did. There is no better devotional material than the Bible itself, and publicly reading the Bible in its original language (sorry NT people!) is a great way to introduce its riches to my students.

Here are the readings I have used so far. I have gotten a little bolder as I gain more experience. Now I don't stop and translate every verse as I go along. I usually wait until I've read the entire thing in Hebrew, and I think I will continue that practice from now on. I don't feel like I'm revealing any big secret to my Pentateuch students by posting this before class, so here goes:

Intro to OT:
7/3 Psalm 121:1-4
7/8 Psalm 121
7/10 Psalm 23

Pentateuch:
7/3 Genesis 1:1-4
7/8 Genesis 1:5-13
7/10 Genesis 1:14-23