Ruth 1:16-17 and 1 Samuel 18:1
But Ruth replied, “Do not urge me to leave you, to turn back and not follow you. For wherever you go, I will go; wherever you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God my God.
Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. Thus and more may the LORD do to me-b if anything but death parts me from you.”
1. The word love is very rarely used between people in the Torah, even spouses. Knowing this, what do you think the significance is of the mention of love in these verses?
2. Often, in Jewish weddings between two women or two men you see the above text used despite there being no concrete evidence that either of these were queer relationships. Why do you think this is and what meaning do you find behind this choice?
3. How do you see these texts supporting LGBTQ+ Rights in Judiasm?
Compare and contrast the following two blessings:
The following is from Mishkan Ga'avah: Where Pride Dwells: A Celebration of Jewish Life and Ritual - Daily Prayers and Blessings and is written by Eliana Rubin.
1. What do you notice about how this prayer is written, particularly using the opening "B'ruchah atah"? What, if any, importance do you find in having prayers written in this format?
2. What significance do you find in having a prayer that praises God for giving people the ability to have non-cisnormative gender expression and stray from the gender binary?
The following is from Mishkan Ga'avah: Where Pride Dwells: A Celebration of Jewish Life and Ritual - Daily Prayers and Blessings and is written by Rabbi Rebecca Alpert
3. Compare and contrast this blessing with the blessing above written by Eliana Rubin. Do you think Eliana Rubin could have written a prayer like the one she wrote in 1997?
4. What do this prayer and the prayer one above, written by Eliana Rubin, tell you about different levels of society's acceptance of queer people over time?
5. Do you think we still need a prayer for coming out over and over again? What meaning does this have for you and your life?