It's Time For Change (article, David C. Russell)

Hello Grafted In Readers,

Today is the continuation of Hanukkah in the Jewish tradition, and Christmas Day in the Christian tradition.

One aspect of the Christian tradition in my opinion has been shall we say, Catholicized" - that being the phrase, Wrapped in swadling clothes." This refers to Luke's description of how Yeshua the Messiah was kept safe from environmental harms rather than the parents, Miryam and Yosef, dedicating themselves to raise this child to be upright.

I offer you this reflection by Chaim Ben Torah to elucidate on this phrase banished by traditional Christianity and current Christianity as it is by and large anti-Jewish.
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Luke 2:7, “And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.”
Ezekiel 16:3-4, “And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD unto Jerusalem; Thy birth and thy nativity [is] of the land of Canaan; thy father [was] an Amorite, and thy mother an Hittite.  And [as for] thy nativity, in the day thou wast born thy navel was not cut, neither wast thou washed in water to supple [thee]; thou wast not salted at all, nor swaddled at all.”
Only Luke talks about Jesus being wrapped in swaddling clothes.  Had it not been for this passage in Luke most of us would never have heard of the practice of wrapping a baby in swaddling clothes.  This was a practice which would eventually die away around the sixteenth century as it was considered either too barbaric or that it really served no practical purpose at all. It was just a tradition that continued for no other reason than the fact it was tradition. It is even  believed by many medical specialists to be harmful to the child.
I know as a child I would hear this utterly strange expression, swaddling clothes. It was an expression that was never used at any time except when we would hear the Christmas story and I would wonder what the blazes are swaddling clothes.  The usual answer was that it was just a Bible term for blankets or diapers.  Swaddling clothes in the Aramaic is azrura which really means a bandage.  The Greek word that is used is esparganosen which is the Greek word for a bandage.  We have the word swaddling used in Ezekiel 16:3.  The Hebrew word used here is chatal which is the Hebrew word for a bandage.  I believe it is safe to say that this was more than just a diaper or a blanket.
The practice of swaddling is very ancient practice.  It is believed to have been devised around the Paleolithic times about  4500 years ago during the Bronze Age around 2600 BC.  Archaeologists have uncovered little models of babies wrapped in swaddling clothes dating back to this period. After an infant was born the umbilical cord was cut and tied.  In this case, as there was no midwife, either Mary or Joseph would have had to do this.  They would then sprinkle the baby with a powder made of dried myrtle leaves. Then they would gently rub the baby’s skin with a very small  amount of salt that has been finely grounded into a sort of  mortar.  It was believed this would make his or her flesh firm.  For young Jewish parents this represented a testimony that that the parents would raise the child to be truthful and faithful.
The swaddling clothes was a square yard of cloth which had a narrow band attached at one corner.  The mother would wrap the child in this swaddle with its arms close to its body and its legs stretched out.  She would then wind the narrow band around the body from the shoulders to the ankles until the poor little beggar looked like an Egyptian mummy. This little ritual was performed as often as we would change a diaper today and would be done until the child was potty trained.  In a practical sense it was meant to help the bodies grow strong and firm. It is interesting that today medical science has learned that it is best to just leave the poor chap alone, that he will develop naturally without artificial help. It took four thousand years for man to realize that God did a perfectly fine job creating the human creature without artificial intervention.  To the Jewish parent, however, this practice carried symbolic meaning, of course every practice in Judaism carries some symbolism.  This was a sign to the parents that they would teach the child to become honest, straightforward, and freed from crookedness.
This brings up the question as to why Luke felt  it was important to mention this, not once, but two times, again is verse 12 where the angel tells the shepherds that the child will be found wrapped in swaddling clothes.  I mean, big whip, if every baby is wrapped in swaddling clothes just how were the shepherds able to use that to distinguish Jesus from any other baby coming down the pike.  That is like going into an Amish community and asking to speak to Mr. Miller. Odds are every other male is a Mr. Miller.
Some say that Luke mentioned this because he was a physician and thus concerned for these details. Obvious, he was nothing close to the skills, education and training of a physician today and it is a very poor comparison indeed.  Colossians 4:14 called him the beloved physician in our English versions.  The Greek word used is iatros which most your lexicons will say means physician. Although the practice of medicine existed in the first century it was not the skill, education nor training of a physician we have and think of today. The Aramaic word used in Colossians 4:14 is assia which is really a healer.  An assia is not a surgeon, physician nor a dispenser of medicine as was practiced during this time among the Greeks and Romans.  An assia was more of a chiropractor who adjusted joints and dislocated bones. He would have been a practitioner of a holistic form of healing. Such practices were professions that were handed down from father to son with no formal medical training nor did they depend upon the practice for a living. So I doubt very much that Luke mentioned the swaddling from a professional stand point.
More likely he mentioned it from the standpoint of a practitioner of spiritual values rather than medical skills.  Luke would have been familiar with the passage in Ezekiel 16:4 where the prophet refers to this custom in his prophecy. In Ezekiel 16 the prophet is speaking out against the citizens of Jerusalem who were unfaithful to God and His commandments and uses the symbolic reference of washing, salting and swaddling.  The failure to perform this tradition was symbolic of disloyalty and unfaithfulness to God.   The term swaddling clothes to the Semitic mind was expressing the idea of loyalty and faithfulness to God. Thus, Luke wanted to make sure that this child that was born was not only the Son of God  but a Son who would be loyal and faithful to Heavenly Father.  So loyal and faithful in fact that He would be one with the Heavenly Father.

God's presence be with us!

Mellow Rock
David C. Russell, Author

Hello My Friend Hello (Neil Diamond, standard)

Hello Grafted In Readers,

Today is December 3, 2019 in my corner of blog land. I thought we would just visit this post and catch you up on what's happening in and around me. Feel free to reply and do the same, okay?

Writing: I am working on a story about a young man who has a dream of becoming a professional baseball player. His girlfriend seeks his help and support when discovering her dad is involved in sinister business practices, human trafficking. I haven't finished the story yet and uncertain of its final destiny. I have a brief paragraph where players from the '60s are mentioned. Do you remember: Don Wert, Norm Cash, Bill Freehan, Willie Horton, Al Kayline and Jake Wood?
Each played for the Detroit Tigers in the mid 1960s.

Family: We had a nice US Thanksgiving weekend. I played piano for diners at a local restaurant Thanksgiving Day, and on Saturday our daughter and her two children came over for dinner. We had other guests too, but it was a nice occasion! She is starting a new chapter in life and we are hopeful!

Reading: I am slowly getting through the title, Holy Envy: Finding God In The Faith Of Others" by Religion instructor, Barbara Brown Taylor. It's a provocative read and causes me to ponder.
One key idea throughout is people look at what we do more than what we say or believe.

Whether you find yourself welcoming summer or contemplating a few months of winter or hibernation, be creative in those areas where you are gifted! Please do say hello!

Kevod Yeheveh, the presence of YHWH be with us!

Mellow Rock
David C. Russell, Author