Gog and Magog: Biblical Supervillians

Every superhero needs a supervillain to measure up against: Superman has Lex Luthor; Professor X has Magneto; Batman has the Joker, and more recently the mysterious strong-man Bane. In the book of Ezekiel, the hero/villain dynamic is embodied by the eponymous prophet and his (and Israel’s) nemeses of biblical proportions: Gog and Magog — a leader and nation that, according to Ezekiel’s prophecy, will attack the Jewish people before the end of times.

Gog and Magog represent one of the most powerful themes in biblical tradition: ancient enemies who will rise up — and ultimately be defeated — during an apocalyptic battle at the end of the world. Gog and Magog are such a compelling trope that they appear in other religious narratives, as well. They’re in the Koran, and in the Christian Book of Revelation.

This supervillain even shows up in the modern-day mythology of comic books, where a bad guy who calls himself Gog is responsible for killing Superman and stealing his powers in the DC Comic Justice Society of America. Watch out, Lex Luthor, Gog is after your job!

Do you read lots of books to your kids before bed? Are you always looking for new titles to add to the collection? And are you interested in instilling some Jewish religious values in your kids?

If so, consider adding one (or all) of these five books to your bedtime routine. Each one teaches the tykes a Jewish value* (even if its not immediately apparent). Lilah Tov!

* These values can all be traced back to the Torah or Jewish scripture. That said, these are human values, too, and each of these books can be understood that way, as well.

1. Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson 

What it’s about: The witch has a broom and a cat and a tall hat and long red braids. On her travels, she meets a dog and a frog and a bird that all ask if they can join her on the broom. The witch happily invites them to hop on. The broom breaks, and then the crew is accosted by a dragon. But the animals band together and save the witch. In gratitude, she builds a souped-up broom with something for everyone.

Why it’s great: The rhymes make for great reading aloud and the pictures are detailed and a little cartoonish, so the kids like them. But mostly, we like this story because the animals all take care of the witch. They repay her generosity by scaring off the dragon and they do it by cooperating.

Why it’s Jewish: The book of Genesis describes Abraham’s hospitality to strangers and defines the Jewish value of hachnasat orchim (welcoming guests). In Judaism, hospitality is a mitzvah, and one that is easily understood by little ones. The witch did not know the dog, bird, or frog, but she willingly invited them onto her broom and even went so far as to renovate her broom to make sure they were comfortable! Similarly, we should encourage our kids to welcome friends new and old into their home (assuming we’ve all been through the stranger-danger talk).

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Yahrzeit for a Dog

In Judaism, the anniversary of a person’s death is called their yahrzeit. On that day, the mourner lights a candle, says the mourner’s kaddish, and reflects on the meaning that the deceased person had in the mourner’s life.
These rituals are, generally, not done for a dog.

If they were, though, Captain’s yahrzeit would be sometime in the beginning of August. He died two years ago under somewhat sketchy circumstances. First things first: Captain wasn’t even my dog. And truth be told, there were plenty of moments when I really didn’t like him. But the fact of the matter is that Captain actually changed the course of my life.

Captain belonged to Jon, who was then a single guy in his 40s living in Manhattan by the 59th Street Bridge. Jon had adopted Captain from the ASPCA almost on a whim in the summer of 2009. Divorced and having recently ended a relationship, Jon decided to fill the quiet void in his life with the unconditional love of a dog. I’d argue that in doing so, he got way more than he bargained for.

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Simchat Torah

WHEN IS SIMCHAT TORAH AND WHY DO WE CELEBRATE IT?

Simchat Torah falls on the last of the two days yom tov at the end of Sukkot, on the 23rd day of Tishrei.

It is the festival where we finish reading the Torah and start again from the beginning. Its name means ‘Rejoicing of the Torah’ [being happy about the Torah].

 WHAT DO WE DO ON SIMCHAT TORAH?

Just like during the seven days of Sukkot and on Shemini Atzeret, on Simchat Torah  people make hakafot (walk or dance in circles) around the bimah of the synagogue carrying the Torah and sometimes flags and caramel apples.

On Simchat Torah the hakafot include special dancing with the Torahs held up in the air. Children often join in and ride on their fathers' shoulders during this.

Honor Members of the Congregation: Chatan Torah and Chatan Bereishit

Each Shabbat and festival, members of the congregation are honored by being called up to read the Torah. This is called being given an aliyah.

On Simchat Torah the aliyot (plural of 'aliyah') are even more special. Two people in the congregation are chosen to be chatanim (bridegrooms): one is called the Chatan Torah (Bridegroom of the Torah/Law) and the other is the Chatan Bereshit (Bridegroom of Genesis).

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