Saturday, November 26, 2005
The Song of Songs
Yes, we all know that the Kama Sutra is the famous Indian Sex Manual. An anthology of sexual positions from the ancient world ... i submit to you there is a Jewish Sex Manual as well ... even more kinkier and dirtier (in a holy way of course) than the Kama Sutra and this Jewish Sex Manual is the Song of Songs. What makes it different is that in addition to the sex, there is also other wisdom woven into the narrative.
But I humbly put forth the hypothesis that Song of Songs is a sort of sex manual. I remember hearing in a documentary by this woman professor who said this-- man, you could see the glee in her, that there is a mention of cunnilingus. Anybody ever see the SNL skit with Christopher Walken and "Colonel Angus"-- classic.
One of the things I love about the Song of Songs is the story of how it was canonized. There are certain writings that are not God's words like Torah ... for example like the psalms written by King David but they are still holy writings. The same can be said for the Song of Song's, author unknown. The Sages were arguing back and forth whether or not to include the song of songs, arguing back and forth back and forth, then Rabbi Akiva said include it; and that ended the arguments immediately bada-bing, bada-boom. What's grabbed me about this story is that in a argument over very sexual material ... one guy (they were all Sages, so I can say one guy) said keep it and that's that. Perhaps Akiva was in the minority opinion, but perhaps in just this one instance in Judaism, a positive minority opinion is stronger than a negative majority opinion when its about a woman and man having sex.
But I humbly put forth the hypothesis that Song of Songs is a sort of sex manual. I remember hearing in a documentary by this woman professor who said this-- man, you could see the glee in her, that there is a mention of cunnilingus. Anybody ever see the SNL skit with Christopher Walken and "Colonel Angus"-- classic.
One of the things I love about the Song of Songs is the story of how it was canonized. There are certain writings that are not God's words like Torah ... for example like the psalms written by King David but they are still holy writings. The same can be said for the Song of Song's, author unknown. The Sages were arguing back and forth whether or not to include the song of songs, arguing back and forth back and forth, then Rabbi Akiva said include it; and that ended the arguments immediately bada-bing, bada-boom. What's grabbed me about this story is that in a argument over very sexual material ... one guy (they were all Sages, so I can say one guy) said keep it and that's that. Perhaps Akiva was in the minority opinion, but perhaps in just this one instance in Judaism, a positive minority opinion is stronger than a negative majority opinion when its about a woman and man having sex.
// posted by Jonathan Silverman @ 2:01 AM 
