אני קושית יפה/I’m a Cute Black Girl Pg 45

We have began a new semester and are now learning about Jewish History.

After class last night I just felt a need to dive into reading the Tannakh, which I have yet to actually do, but I do intend on doing so.

I spent the night trying to wrap my head around the fact that the bible is filled with so much  and .  Okay the Polygamy is nothing new to me, but the incest kinda is. Well it makes sense that there would be, but it is kinda a scary thought when you think about how we are all technically related to each other. So the citizens of the world just makes up  (All families tend to have some loose screws in it, so the world being 1, sounds just about right) 

A story that quite intrigued me was the story of ‘Noah’s’ sons Shem, Ham and Japheth. And how because of his ill behavior towards Noah, Ham was cursed and became a slave to his brothers. The Rabbi went on to answer a question I have had for many years. If every person in the world is a descendant of ‘Adam and Eve’ then why are we all so different?

etc etc etc…

The Bible teaches that the Black (or Negro) people are descendants of Ham (who was one of the three sons of Noah). Obviously, Noah and his three sons Ham, Shem, and Japheth each carried the genes for producing several races since ultimately all the races of mankind had descended from them. (paraphrasing Rabbi and Google)

The Rabbi went on to tell us that over the years people have often used the Curse made on Ham to be the reason for the Slavery of Blacks in America and Apartheid.

So I thought some more about this and kept replaying it in my head how everything happens for a reason. I mean no disrespect to Hashem but I don’t think that generations should carry the curse put on someone centuries ago. I mean this makes me think of how in Judaism a baby is not born with sin, but then if they are born carrying the curse of Ham or some other Biblical Character then they are.

We went on to listen to the Rabbi explain about the timeline of Jewish History and while he talked through a slide of his, I kept flashing back to my essay and how I wrote about this in my essay too. I mean I might not have been as descriptive but I did touch on it. I kept wondering how he could have marked me just a 75% for my essay when I discussed a lot of the things he taught us last night. Well as a child I always aimed for A+ marks and when I didn’t get them, my mother would often ask me why I didn’t get a higher mark, well she was joking and I am sure she was proud of my mark, but we both always knew I could do better and I aimed to do better and be better, so maybe I am carrying on her push to be and do better but I am not really that happy with my 75%. Maybe when I see him tomorrow I will ask him to explain why I got just 75% when my essay did touch a lil on his teachings last night.