There are many ways to stumble...
Naphtali is a hind let loose, he gives goodly words.” Gen. 49:21
“Naphtali is a deer sent forth.” Our sages have interpreted this passage to refer to Naphtali’s skill as a messenger transmitting information. That is to say, Naphtali obeys instructions while refraining from imposing his own ideas.
-the deer is a symbol of agility and grace and is found to be the only feminine animal found in all of the blessings of the tribes. However, the antlers allude to the name Naphtali, which means wrestled or twisted;
-the eagle symbolizes defiance and alludes to the name “I have fought.” (cyclamen grows in Israel, Jacob’s blessing “surfeited in sunny light”);
Finally, in the Talmud there is a description of when a deer is dying of thirst, it sticks its head in the ground and screams a cry that can be heard throughout the seven firmaments. Immediately a fountain of water springs forth from the earth. The deer drinking from this stream illustrates this teaching.
Okay, I have always been a klutz..stumbling, tripping, falling, rolling...The humiliation has been keenly felt at times. Now, I just trip and laugh. Poets make that sound so romantic. Picture the young girl in white muslin tripping and laughing over the emerald green velvet mountains with flowers askew in her hair. Yeah,uh huh..it's more like face meets the cement and people stop to inquire with eyebrow arched in the air.. "Did you really mean to do that?" I was reading through the twelve tribes of Israel and doing a word study on what their names meant. Naphtali is such a beautiful name. One of grace and beauty. He used beautiful words, like a poet. I thought.. I want that name, yet I want the grace behind the name more. If I can't be physically graceful, perhaps I shall be verbally graceful. I was struck by the thought that people are often ungraceful with words. They verbally stumble, trip, and dig themselves in pits. Oh,Naphtali, "that sruggles or fights". For all his goodly words, he warred within himself. Yes, I know how that feels. There is a struggle to make myself fight to match my two realms...graceful in speech as well as graceful in conduct. I scream the war cry that can be heard throughout the seven firmaments. I am naphtali. I war within. I struggle for gracefulness. Yet, above all I wish to be graceful with my words. "A word spoken in due season..How good it is!" Words are the golden beams of light that shine down on the common sons of men. They are meant to edify, encourage, rebuke, and sharpen. Isn't it fitting that as I sit here, Tchaikovsky plays in the background "A Pine Forest in the Winter". I did not plan it for the music to this journal,but as fate would have it, it is the background music for the Disney cartoon "Bambi". It's at the part where the deer are running through the forest and they jump off gracefully over the pinnacle mountain cliff..one of my favorite scenes...How fitting..I suppose that is what one would call "a word or music fitly spoken".
~~~~~~~SHE WALKS IN BEAUTY~~~~~~~~
She walks in beauty, like the night
Of cloudless climes and starry skies;
And all that's best of dark and bright
Meet in her aspect and her eyes:
Thus mellow'd to that tender light
Which heaven to gaudy day denies.
One shade the more, one ray the less,
Had half impair'd the nameless grace
Which waves in every raven tress,
Or softly lightens o'er her face;
Where thoughts serenely sweet express
How pure, how dear their dwelling-place.
And on that cheek, and o'er that brow,
So soft, so calm, yet eloquent,
The smiles that win, the tints that glow,
But tell of days in goodness spent,
A mind at peace with all below,
A heart whose love is innocent!
LORD BYRON
“Naphtali is a deer sent forth.” Our sages have interpreted this passage to refer to Naphtali’s skill as a messenger transmitting information. That is to say, Naphtali obeys instructions while refraining from imposing his own ideas.
-the deer is a symbol of agility and grace and is found to be the only feminine animal found in all of the blessings of the tribes. However, the antlers allude to the name Naphtali, which means wrestled or twisted;
-the eagle symbolizes defiance and alludes to the name “I have fought.” (cyclamen grows in Israel, Jacob’s blessing “surfeited in sunny light”);
Finally, in the Talmud there is a description of when a deer is dying of thirst, it sticks its head in the ground and screams a cry that can be heard throughout the seven firmaments. Immediately a fountain of water springs forth from the earth. The deer drinking from this stream illustrates this teaching.
Okay, I have always been a klutz..stumbling, tripping, falling, rolling...The humiliation has been keenly felt at times. Now, I just trip and laugh. Poets make that sound so romantic. Picture the young girl in white muslin tripping and laughing over the emerald green velvet mountains with flowers askew in her hair. Yeah,uh huh..it's more like face meets the cement and people stop to inquire with eyebrow arched in the air.. "Did you really mean to do that?" I was reading through the twelve tribes of Israel and doing a word study on what their names meant. Naphtali is such a beautiful name. One of grace and beauty. He used beautiful words, like a poet. I thought.. I want that name, yet I want the grace behind the name more. If I can't be physically graceful, perhaps I shall be verbally graceful. I was struck by the thought that people are often ungraceful with words. They verbally stumble, trip, and dig themselves in pits. Oh,Naphtali, "that sruggles or fights". For all his goodly words, he warred within himself. Yes, I know how that feels. There is a struggle to make myself fight to match my two realms...graceful in speech as well as graceful in conduct. I scream the war cry that can be heard throughout the seven firmaments. I am naphtali. I war within. I struggle for gracefulness. Yet, above all I wish to be graceful with my words. "A word spoken in due season..How good it is!" Words are the golden beams of light that shine down on the common sons of men. They are meant to edify, encourage, rebuke, and sharpen. Isn't it fitting that as I sit here, Tchaikovsky plays in the background "A Pine Forest in the Winter". I did not plan it for the music to this journal,but as fate would have it, it is the background music for the Disney cartoon "Bambi". It's at the part where the deer are running through the forest and they jump off gracefully over the pinnacle mountain cliff..one of my favorite scenes...How fitting..I suppose that is what one would call "a word or music fitly spoken".
~~~~~~~SHE WALKS IN BEAUTY~~~~~~~~
She walks in beauty, like the night
Of cloudless climes and starry skies;
And all that's best of dark and bright
Meet in her aspect and her eyes:
Thus mellow'd to that tender light
Which heaven to gaudy day denies.
One shade the more, one ray the less,
Had half impair'd the nameless grace
Which waves in every raven tress,
Or softly lightens o'er her face;
Where thoughts serenely sweet express
How pure, how dear their dwelling-place.
And on that cheek, and o'er that brow,
So soft, so calm, yet eloquent,
The smiles that win, the tints that glow,
But tell of days in goodness spent,
A mind at peace with all below,
A heart whose love is innocent!
LORD BYRON