We learned that according to our verse, G-d might punish the children and the children’s children to the third or fourth generation. However, we saw that part of the reason the rabbis abruptly truncate the verse cutting that part out is because in Deuteronomy 24, it seems to reverse itself.

Our next guest blogger, Dr. Reverend David R. Ferner is a retired Episcopal priest and a spiritual director. He lives with his wife Betty in New Hampshire in a house they built themselves and expanded for retirement. David and I played volleyball together, raised our children together, worked on social justice projects together including the founding of the Merrimack Valley Project. With his encouragement (OK nagging) I applied to rabbinical school. One of our most important conversations ever was around this verse.

“When Maimonides wrestled with the attributes of God he claimed that they ought to be written in the negative, making more certain what G_d was not, but not in any way diminishing the vastness and incomprehensibility of the Holy One.  So many of us would prefer neat packages of G_d, tied up with appropriately beautiful ribbons, easily defined and understood.  We would prefer a more juridical G_d whose activity is prescribed and predictable, whose favor could be curried with some right action.  But isn’t Maimonides’ way the better and wiser way?

This way of thinking allows us to look at Scripture from the perspective of the trajectory of G_d’s activity among G_d’s people.  It allows us to see that pardoning—forgiveness—is a significant characteristic of One whose loving provision and protection was so regularly dismissed and rejected in the course of biblical history.  It allows us to, at very least, understand that such pardoning consistently comes from the Holy One to so many, some of whom act in ways that might curry G_d’s favor, but all of whom in so many ways fall short of deserving such forgiveness.  Yet, we are all pardoned.  We are quite consistently forgiven, made new to always begin again.

For many of us this incomprehensible love of G_d for each of us, all of us having fallen short of the image and likeness of G_d in which we were created, is a reality we refuse to grasp.  Some of us look at another person and are quite sure that one can’t be pardoned.  Others of us look deep within and see the dishonesty and folly of our lives, so we construct barriers to the love and forgiveness that is always present for us to appropriate.  We belong to, we are part of—there are so many inadequate ways to express this—a G_d whose principal characteristic is love and whose most consistent desire is to be in relationship with all that Holy One has created.  Such is ours to grasp as the most significant reality of our lives if we allow ourselves.

We don’t need to do anything for G_d to pardon and embrace us.  However, many of us need to make amends in some fashion so that we may accept the love that is always present for us.  If we have hurt or offended another, we probably need to beg forgiveness.  If we have understood ourselves to be blind to the needs of others, we probably must find some way to address those needs.   If we are callous to the pain around us, we need to practice empathy and compassion.  We don’t need to do these things so G_d will love us.  No, instead we need to cultivate our being so that we can be receptive to the pardon and love that is always available.

Maimonides writings were banned and burned after his death in some measure because the truth of the radical love of God was incomprehensible to his hearers and readers.   We might continue to distance ourselves—barricade ourselves—from such incomprehensible pardon and love.  Or, in readiness for the Holy One who wants nothing more than to seek us out for relationship, we might cultivate our lives and do anything we must to accept and appropriate the love that makes us whole.”

At first when I received this entry I chuckled. I knew the Maimonides quote he was referring to. When I had questions about G-d I approached a rabbi who quoted the verse, said that to discuss G-d was to put a limit on G-d and that G-d is limitless. End of discussion. It was painful to a college student who was already on a spiritual quest.

This radical love of G-d of which David speaks is part of why I applied to rabbinical school. David, one cold February day asked, “Can you find the place within where you know you are loved.” I knew I could not. And so the journey began. There are many verses where we are assured of G-d’s lovingkindness. David makes it clear that this love is abundant for all of us, whether we think we are worthy or deserving or not. David said, “We don’t need to do anything for G_d to pardon and embrace us.” He continued, “We don’t need to do these things so G_d will love us.  No, instead we need to cultivate our being so that we can be receptive to the pardon and love that is always available.” May we ask for forgiveness and may we feel that pardon and love that is always available. Now and forever.