PEKUDEI (EXODUS 38:21–40:38)
This is completely different that any of my ther posts, but I was thinking this week a lot about learning and what it means to learn and change as an adult…and as I was reading this, even though it is sort of a superficial type of learning- all the words that I wouldn’t know if I hadn’t been looking them up as I read the Torah over the years (sometimes multiple times) really stood out to me.
-ephod: linen priestly vestment
-laver: wash basin
-byssus: linen
- diadem: royal headband
-coffer
-purgation
I just think it’s interesting how language can be so domain-specific. So, bible-readers will know the word ephod REALLY WELL, it will be really familiar to them, but someone who has never read the bible may never come across the word ephod in any other context. And the same with anything domain-specific- including of course, queer terminology. All these words that cis-het people don’t know, don’t come across maybe in their day to day lives, but are a big part of what I experience regularly- it changes your baseline. I don’t really know where I was going with this line of thinking… I also just think it’s interesting to notice when we learn new words as adults.