On 9/29/2015*, something has moved me intensely, since I finally have been able to fit one more piece in the puzzle of very rare, cryptic, and quite short phrases that crypto-jews of my family uttered me so subtly.
This week commemorates the Jewish feast of the harvest, Sukkot, and reading a little about I saw that it employs a symbolism that relates 4 crop plants to "four types of Jews."
Here my enigmatic remembrance, unsolved for decades: a spring afternoon, circa 1968-69, with solemn and mysterious air, out of any understandable context, my grandmother Nativity (whose birth name might be another) took me to her garden. Pointing out to a certain bush said "you must be acquainted to this plant because it is an important one, and you must learn to cultivate it." She then snatched a small sheet for me to smell, for it had "a very good aroma," and served even as a spice, "you may catch a leaf of these to put, for example, on a steak being prepared, and then will see that it gives a very good flavor to the meat..." Nothing more was told! Her subtle hints were always, always laconic. They gave in to think, but always not leaving any room to other questions except this vague one, "why does she tell me that, and at this moment?" They even seemed to leave no room for me to ask her for any needed explanations.
When, after the death of my crypto-jews (my father, my grandparents, aunts and a cousin), I could complete by other ways, the puzzle of all their enigmatic cues, my grandma's mention to the aromatic bush quickly came to my mind. Although I had sought it for many years, I was failing to identify its species. What would this plant? Basil, marjoram, various spices I examined in vain!
Until yesterday, when I began to read a Facebook post by Sheila Bromberg about the Jewish festival named Sukkot, the ancient festival of crops. There I got to know that it celebrates a rich symbology, in which each of four crop plants is referred to a single among "4 types of Jews."
And there I found the little plant from my Jewish grandmother's garden on a picture: it is the HADASS, a branch of MIRTA!
I transcribe below the meaning of the 4 plant symbols, and their correlated 4 types of personal relation with the sacred text (i.e., the Torah) and / or the employ of its ethical principles in everyday life, according to my Facebook friend Sheila Bromberg:
1) CIDER, a fragrant fruit that has a white and thick shell. Often harvested from the tree still green, it matures and then becomes bright yellow. Because it has fragrance and taste, the cider represents those Jews who study the Torah and practice indeed the good deeds it prescribes.
This week commemorates the Jewish feast of the harvest, Sukkot, and reading a little about I saw that it employs a symbolism that relates 4 crop plants to "four types of Jews."
Here my enigmatic remembrance, unsolved for decades: a spring afternoon, circa 1968-69, with solemn and mysterious air, out of any understandable context, my grandmother Nativity (whose birth name might be another) took me to her garden. Pointing out to a certain bush said "you must be acquainted to this plant because it is an important one, and you must learn to cultivate it." She then snatched a small sheet for me to smell, for it had "a very good aroma," and served even as a spice, "you may catch a leaf of these to put, for example, on a steak being prepared, and then will see that it gives a very good flavor to the meat..." Nothing more was told! Her subtle hints were always, always laconic. They gave in to think, but always not leaving any room to other questions except this vague one, "why does she tell me that, and at this moment?" They even seemed to leave no room for me to ask her for any needed explanations.
When, after the death of my crypto-jews (my father, my grandparents, aunts and a cousin), I could complete by other ways, the puzzle of all their enigmatic cues, my grandma's mention to the aromatic bush quickly came to my mind. Although I had sought it for many years, I was failing to identify its species. What would this plant? Basil, marjoram, various spices I examined in vain!
Until yesterday, when I began to read a Facebook post by Sheila Bromberg about the Jewish festival named Sukkot, the ancient festival of crops. There I got to know that it celebrates a rich symbology, in which each of four crop plants is referred to a single among "4 types of Jews."
And there I found the little plant from my Jewish grandmother's garden on a picture: it is the HADASS, a branch of MIRTA!
I transcribe below the meaning of the 4 plant symbols, and their correlated 4 types of personal relation with the sacred text (i.e., the Torah) and / or the employ of its ethical principles in everyday life, according to my Facebook friend Sheila Bromberg:
1) CIDER, a fragrant fruit that has a white and thick shell. Often harvested from the tree still green, it matures and then becomes bright yellow. Because it has fragrance and taste, the cider represents those Jews who study the Torah and practice indeed the good deeds it prescribes.
2) THE PALM BRANCH, with its beautiful, straight and firmly attached leaves is provided with taste but has no smell, so representing those Jews who indeed read the Torah, but don't practice the good deeds taught by the sacred book.
3) The MYRTLE BRANCH is another of the symbols, having a beautiful pattern of three small leaves which emerge from a common point, a design kept along the entire plant. Called Hadass, the Mirta branch has its smell, but no taste, thus symbolizing those Jews who practice the good deeds but don't study the Torah.
4) THE WILLOW'S BRANCH, with its elongated sheets ending in a fine tip. It has neither taste nor smell, thus representing the Jews who don't study the Torah nor perform good deeds.
On Sukkot, the Harvest Festival, all these 4 plants are daily shaken together (except on Saturdays, shabbats) in the synagogue, as a symbol of God's might over all creation.
The secret Jews (cryptojews) of Portugal, who have maintained their faith for circa 500 years exclusively within their homes, as an absolute and dangerous secret, couldn't have synagogues nor rabbis not even could they read the Torah (the Old Testament of Christians).
Such situation translates the enigmatic message from my grandmother with reference to the myrtle. Its now clear meaning is "we are Jews to whom is not allowed (by the Inquisitors) the study of our Torah nor even to have it at home! But what really matters most is that we are capable of maintaining our faith and practice of the Moses teachings!" (For many centuries, whenever the "holy" Inquisition found a hidden Torah in the house of "New Christians", these ought to be condemned to the burning stake).
How great have been my Jewish Portuguese ancestors! What a powerful faith emanates from their God! From our God!
*16 Tishrei, 5776
On Sukkot, the Harvest Festival, all these 4 plants are daily shaken together (except on Saturdays, shabbats) in the synagogue, as a symbol of God's might over all creation.
The secret Jews (cryptojews) of Portugal, who have maintained their faith for circa 500 years exclusively within their homes, as an absolute and dangerous secret, couldn't have synagogues nor rabbis not even could they read the Torah (the Old Testament of Christians).
Such situation translates the enigmatic message from my grandmother with reference to the myrtle. Its now clear meaning is "we are Jews to whom is not allowed (by the Inquisitors) the study of our Torah nor even to have it at home! But what really matters most is that we are capable of maintaining our faith and practice of the Moses teachings!" (For many centuries, whenever the "holy" Inquisition found a hidden Torah in the house of "New Christians", these ought to be condemned to the burning stake).
How great have been my Jewish Portuguese ancestors! What a powerful faith emanates from their God! From our God!
*16 Tishrei, 5776
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