![]() ![]() But how are one’s thumbs involved in lashon ha’ra? That it was smeared on the ear and toe are understandable: The m’tzora listened to lashon ha’ra and likely walked to hear or relate lashon ha’ra. When a person spoke lashon ha’ra and would contract tzaraas, part of the purification process included smearing some of the “sacrificial blood” on the ear lobe, thumb, and big toe of the m’tzora. (This isn’t the first Musings that includes thoughts that Rabbi Sauber related to me during conversations we had.) We exchanged a few thoughts and stories, and then Rabbi Sauber said that he had to tell me one last thought: While there, I had the opportunity to have a conversation with Rabbi Noach Sauber, Camp’s learning director and a personal mentor. ![]() This past Motza’ei Shabbos, my older sons and I attended Camp Dora Golding’s reunion at Great Wolf Lodge in the Poconos Mountains. The Talmudic thumb swipe symbolizes a shift of perspective, which is one of the hallmarks of studying Gemara. We can hardly imagine learning Gemara, trying to explain a particularly challenging, novel exegetical explanation, without passionately thrusting our thumb downward and then upward. We speak about someone who doesn’t fit in as “sticking out like a sore thumb.”įor those of us who have the merit and privilege to study the timeless words of the Gemara, the thumb plays a particularly significant role. Conversely, if he wants to convey dissatisfaction, he gives it a thumbs-down. If a person wants to convey satisfaction or promote something, he gives it a thumbs-up. To hitch a ride, one sticks out his thumb. (Yes, I have some interesting friends.)Īside from being helpful, thumbs have more symbolism than any other finger. One morning, a friend told me he had a dream that he had no thumbs, and he was really bummed about it because he likes his thumbs. ![]() Thumbs are one of those gifts G-d grants us that we fail to appreciate. When I was in high school, I had a friend who told me that whenever he was in a bad mood, he would think about my thumbs and that would make him laugh. They say no one is perfect, so I guess that’s why I need to have unusual thumbs. But by majority standards, I have unusual thumbs, especially my left thumb, which is somewhat short and stumpy. The truth is that weird is relative (especially my relatives), and I’m pretty convinced that the rest of the world has weird thumbs, and I’m one of the few who have normal and proper thumbs. I’m just going to be forthright about it: I have weird thumbs. ![]()
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