Third candle

Mr. Thornton (Richard Armitage) reacts to the news of the death of his teacher and friend, Mr. Hale, as brought to him by Higgins (Brendan Coyle). Source: Richard Armitage Central Gallery.

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[Richard Armitage has stated that in lieu of a present at the holidays, he would prefer that you consider the needs of the less fortunate. Here’s a link to his list of approved charities. Richard Armitage Net also reports his recent voiceover for a child sponsorship appeal from ActionAid UK.]

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Another stolen menorah photo. Note here the motif of the two tablets of the Ten Command- ments under the Star of David (or as we call it, the Magen David, the shield of David), which was probably originally a mystical symbol or taken from amulets. In any case, it’s a relatively new symbol of Judaism, and the Star of David also makes its appearance in a great deal of Christian iconography.

A moment of endings here. I finished my last lecture of the semester yesterday. Our term ended today. A respected colleague and important teacher gave his last lecture this morning, serenaded at the end by a jazz quartet that made the unfortunate choice of “Oh, When the Saints Go Marching In,” which might have made him feel like he was dying and not just retiring. I wondered. He said goodbye only very briefly despite the hullaballoo. A great talk with my favorite graduate student, interrupted briefly by the sudden unexpected appearance of my predecessor in this job, whom I have not seen in ten years — someone who left it before she had planned to, just as I will be doing in a few months. And just now, an email message that my doctoral adviser has died (aged 83). May his memory be for a blessing. ברוך … דין האמת.

From Ecclesiasticus 44: Let us now praise famous men, and our fathers that begat us. The Lord hath wrought great glory by them through his great power from the beginning. […] Leaders of the people by their counsels, and by their knowledge of learning meet for the people, wise and eloquent are their instructions: […] But these were merciful men, whose righteousness hath not been forgotten. […] Their seed shall remain for ever, and their glory shall not be blotted out. Their bodies are buried in peace; but their name liveth for evermore. The people will tell of their wisdom, and the congregation will shew forth their praise.

In a way this news seems like divine providence. I’ll write more about him, maybe, when the news has had time to settle. He was an important and respected scholar, but more importantly, he was a good man, a kind man, a righteous man. He died without children, unless you count the over fifty scholars whose Ph.D.s he midwifed in the second half of the twentieth century. Mine, in 1998, was one of the last.

Today I’m not offering Mr. Armitage a gift but planning to use one of the many he’s given us in the last decade, as I’ll probably descend into North & South tonight. Thanks, Mr. Armitage.

I’d originally planned to say something about the light aspect of the holiday, but at the moment I feel mostly gathering shadow. It’s also Shabbat in a few hours, and I’ll try to remember that we do not mourn on Shabbat. I need those lights to keep burning, and I’ll trust that there’ll be one more candle tomorrow.

~ by Servetus on December 3, 2010.