Words of Scripture
When People Study words of Scripture, Divine Presence Abides among them
Reuven Firestone is professor of medieval Judaism and Islam at Hebrew Union College , Los Angeles , and was educated at Antioch College , the Hebrew University in Jerusalem , Hebrew Union College where he received his M.A. in Hebrew literature in 1980 and Rabbinic Ordination in 1982, and New York University where he received his Ph.D. in Arabic and Islamic studies in 1988.
Professor Firestone was awarded the Yad Hanadiv Research Fellowship at the Hebrew University in 1992, where he spent the year conducting research on holy war in Islamic tradition. In 2000, he was awarded a fellowship for independent research in Jerusalem from the National Endowment for the Humanities for his research on holy war in Judaism. He was chosen to be a fellow of the Institute for Advanced Jewish Studies at the University of Pennsylvania in 2002, and received the Fulbright CASA III Fellowship at the American University in Cairo for his sabbatical in 2006. Also on the faculty of the University of Southern California and senior fellow of USC’s Center for Religion and Civic Culture (CRCC), Firestone is co-director of the new Center for Muslim-Jewish Engagement, a project of Hebrew Union College in partnership with the University of Southern California and the Omar Ibn al-Khattab Foundation. His books include Journeys in Holy Lands: The Evolution of the Abraham-Ishmael Legends in Islamic Interpretation (SUNY Press), Jihad: The Origin of Holy War in Islam (Oxford University Press), Children of Abraham: An Introduction to Judaism for Muslims (Ktav), Jews, Christians, Muslims in Dialogue: A Practical Handbook, with Leonard Swidler and Khalid Duran (New London, CT: Twenty-Third Publications), Introduction to Islam for Jews (Jewish Publication Society), and Who Are the Real Chosen People? The Meaning of Chosenness in Judaism, Christianity and Islam (Skylight Paths, forthcoming 2009).
The speech by Professor and Rabbi Reuven Firestone was more of an interactive type talk where the audience and the speaker offered their point of view on one hadith and a verse from Psalms 82:1.
The particular hadith was “Whoever removes a worldly grief from a believer, God will remove from him of the sorrows of the Day of Resurrection. And whoever alleviates the need of a needy person, God will alleviate his needs in this world and the hereafter. Whoever shields a Muslim, God will shield him in this world and the hereafter. And God will aid His servant so long as he aids his brother. And whoever follows a path to seek knowledge therein, God will make easy for him a path to Paradise . No people gather together in one of the houses of God, reciting the Book of God and studying it among themselves, without the Sakina (the feeling of calmness and tranquility) descending upon them and mercy envelops them and God mentions them among those who are with Him. And whoever is slowed down by his actions, will not be hastened forward by his lineage.
There was a lively discussion around this particular hadith and also the one from Psalms 82:1 which read, Shekhina abides among them as it is said, God stands in a congregation of God. From (where do we learn this applies) even for five as it is said and He has founded His band on the earth. From where even for three? As it is said,.. in the midst of the Judges He judges. From where even two? As it is said, Then those who revere YH talk together, YH hears and notes it. From where even one? As it is said, In all places where I cause My name to be pronounced I will come to you and will bless you.
Upon concluding his remarks, Professor Firestone reminded the audience that the words Sakina and Shakina are two words in two different traditions but having the same meaning.