Natal Department, Soroka Hospital, Be’er Sheva Israel, 2005 © Zion Ozeri
1) How do you interpret this photograph?
2) What emotions do you think are conveyed by this picture?
3) What other title and caption or midrash might you suggest for this image?
(א) עֲקַבְיָא בֶן מַהֲלַלְאֵל אוֹמֵר, הִסְתַּכֵּל בִּשְׁלשָׁה דְבָרִים וְאִי אַתָּה בָא לִידֵי עֲבֵרָה. דַּע מֵאַיִן בָּאתָ, וּלְאָן אַתָּה הוֹלֵךְ, וְלִפְנֵי מִי אַתָּה עָתִיד לִתֵּן דִּין וְחֶשְׁבּוֹן..
(1) Akavyah ben Mahalalel said: mark well three things and you will not come into the power of sin: Know from where you come, and where you are going, and before whom you are destined to give an account and reckoning...
Understanding:
1) Akavyah is reminding us to keep the different stages of our journey in mind as we go through life. Why does he think that this will prevent sin? How might it be helpful to keep all these different stages in mind?
2) Who do you report to? Is there someone who tracks your progress, or do you have a way of keeping yourself accountable to your goals?
3) Did you ever feel that you forgot where you came from, or where you were going? Describe that experience.
Reflecting:
Help build a digital scrapbook by adding your own image or Midrash, with a caption, here, in response to these questions:
1) What images come to mind when you think about where you have come from or where you are going?
2) What does the journey from one point to another look like for you?
